Bend your Chest Open

Prologue

Naalimpungatan ako dahil sa katamtamang sikat ng araw na tumatama sa aking mukha. I opened my eyes, but the blurry vision made everything around me look like a watercolor painting gone wrong.

Blinking rapidly, I tried to clear my vision, but the disorientation only seemed to worsen. The sterile, white ceiling came into focus first, followed by the harsh fluorescent lights that made me squint in discomfort.

My head felt heavy, as if weighed down by an invisible force, and a dull ache pulsed at my temples. I turned my head slightly, the movement slow and labored, to take in my surroundings.

The walls were a stark white, bare except for a few medical charts and equipment. A faint, antiseptic smell filled the air, mingling with the distant sound of beeping machines and murmured voices.

Confusion washed over me as I tried to piece together where I was and why. The last thing I remembered was... what was the last thing I remembered? Panic began to rise in my chest as my mind came up blank. I struggled to sit up, but my body felt sluggish and uncooperative.

A nurse, noticing my movement, hurried over. Her kind eyes were filled with concern as she gently pressed me back down onto the bed. "Miss, please, you need to rest," she said in a soothing voice.

"Louise, anak? Gising ka na?" Mom's voice broke through my haze, tinged with the sound of endless tears. "Please call her doctor..." she called out to the nurse.

My brows furrowed in confusion. Why did she sound like she had been crying the whole time? What was wrong?

Bibigkasin ko na sana ang salitang 'ma' pero tanging hangin lang ang lumabas sa bibig ko. Ilang ulit ko pang sinubukang magsalita pero hindi ko parin marinig ang sarili kong boses. I felt a rush of helplessness and tried again.

I managed to croak out something, my throat dry and scratchy. I tried to think, but my mind was a foggy mess. Frustration and fear crept into me as I struggled to recall why I was here in the hospital with so many things attached to my body.

I followed the hose attached to my mouth, tracing it to its source. The panic that had been creeping in became a full-blown alarm as I realized it was connected to an oxygen tank.

My eyes darted around the room, scanning my surroundings. The monitor beside me displayed my vital signs, and even with my limited knowledge, I could tell they were far from normal.

Moments later, the door swung open, and a team of doctors entered. They approached with calmness, their faces a mix of professionalism and concern. One of them, a middle-aged man with graying hair and kind eyes, stepped forward.

"Louise, how are you feeling?" Dad asked gently, checking my chart and the monitor's readings.

I tried to respond, but my voice was still weak and raspy. He seemed to understand, nodding sympathetically.

"You've been through a lot, but you're doing well. We're going to prepare you for transfer to a regular room where you can recover more comfortably."

As they busied themselves with the preparations, I tried to remain calm, but a growing sense of unease gnawed at me. The room felt smaller as the walls closing in. My heart started to race, the steady beep of the monitor quickening in response.

Then, without warning, another wave of panic crashed over me. My chest tightened, and my breaths became shallow and rapid. I felt like I was suffocating, despite the oxygen mask. My vision blurred again, this time from the tears welling up in my eyes.

"N-No... I can't..." I gasped, my voice barely audible but laced with desperation.

The doctors quickly noticed the change. "Louise, try to stay calm," Dad said, his voice urgent but soothing. "You're safe. Just breathe slowly."

But his words felt distant and ineffective. The room spun, and all I could focus on was the overwhelming fear consuming me. My thoughts raced, each one more frantic than the last. The stabbing pain in my chest felt so real as if I could see someone hammering a nail on my chest.

Yung sakit ng ulo ko'y mas lalong lumala at ang pinakakaloko ay ang pabago-bagong pagtibok ng puso ko. Nararamdaman ko kasi ang ilang saglit nitong pagkabog ng malakas bago muna ito hihina, paulit-tilit lang ang ritmong iyon na para bang inaagawan ako sa paghinga. 

Naguguluhan at nagtataka parin ako dahil wala parin akong maalala. Mom gently took my hand, her touch warm and grounding. "Louise, look at me," she said firmly, her eyes locking onto mine.

"You're okay. Just breathe with me, in and out. Slowly." her voice was trembling and I could see her tears falling through. 

I tried to follow her instructions, mimicking her slow, deep breaths. It felt impossible, like trying to swim against a powerful current.

Then, my body began to tremble uncontrollably, and my hands clutched at the bedsheets as if they could anchor me. 

"Telesforro? Ang lamig na nang mga palad niya. Severe hypotension," I heard Mom's voice, filled with panic.

"Her blood pressure is dropping, Doc!" another voice shouted, filled with urgency.

"She's not stabilizing," I heard my father's voice. Informing the nurse in a composed yet urgent tone. "Get ready to administer an IV injection of epinephrine."

The nurse quickly prepared the injection, moving with practiced precision. Dad took the syringe and swiftly injected the epinephrine into my IV line.

I felt a cold sensation travel up my arm, followed by a rush of warmth spreading through my body. My heart began to beat more forcefully, and the tightness in my chest started to ease.

"Good, Louise, you're doing well," Dad said, closely monitoring the monitor displaying my vital signs. "Just keep breathing slowly."

My breathing began to steady, the panic gradually subsiding. But the adrenaline surge left me feeling light-headed and exhausted. The room seemed to blur around the edges, and the faces of the medical team started to fade.

"Her vitals are stabilizing," one of the doctors reported, her voice a soothing murmur.

"Pumpkin, the worst is over. You're going to be okay," Mom said reassuringly. "Just rest now."

I tried to hold on to his words, but a heavy drowsiness was overtaking me. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and despite my efforts to stay awake, darkness began to creep in from the corners of my vision.

"Stay with us, pumpkin," Mom's voice pleaded, filled with fear and hope.

But the pull of unconsciousness was too strong. My body felt like it was sinking into the bed, the last remnants of my panic fading away as I slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep. The voices around me grew distant, and soon, there was only silence.

      
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A/N:

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