Theresia's Pov:
"Finally! makakauwi na!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with a newfound lightness. The hospital walls seemed to fade away, replaced by the promise of familiar comfort. My mom smiled, her hand warm in mine. " I'm so happy, finally you're leaving this place"
As we stepped out of the room, a wave of relief washed over me. The air felt fresh, the world vibrant. I was ready to leave this place behind.
But then, a scene unfolded before me, abruptly halting my joy. A stretcher, its white linen stark against the sterile hallway, was being pushed towards the emergency room.
My heart lurched. I stopped, my eyes fixed on the figure lying on the stretcher. It was...
My sister.
Her face was pale, her eyes closed. A wave of nausea washed over me, my legs suddenly weak.
"P-pia?..." I whispered, my voice barely audible. "What happened?"
My mom sensing my distress, looked at the stretcher, her face filled with alarm. "Anak, what's wrong?"
I couldn't speak. My throat tightened, my breath caught in my chest.
"Pia," I choked out, my voice cracking. "It's Pia."
The world seemed to spin around me. The joy I had felt moments ago evaporated, replaced by a cold, crushing dread.
"No... this can't be happening" I whispered, my voice barely a breath.
Mama gasped, her hand covering to her mouth. "Oh, my God," she whispered, her eyes wide with horror. "It's Patricia."
Without thinking, I started to run, my feet pounding on the cold tile floor. I had to see her, to be near her. I had to know what was happening.
"Pia! please wake up" I cried out, my voice filled with desperation.
I reached the stretcher, my hands reaching out to touch her. But the nurses stopped me, their faces filled with concern.
"Ma'am, please," one of them said gently. "We need to get her to the emergency room."
I stared at my sister, her face pale and still. I wanted to scream, to shake her awake, to make her breathe again. But I knew that wouldn't help.
Then, a doctor emerged from the emergency room, his face grim. He looked at a nurse standing nearby, his voice low. " I am sorry"
"Dead on arrival," he said, his eyes filled with pity. "Time of death, 10:35 am."
The words hit me like a physical blow. Dead on arrival. Time of death. I sank to the floor, my legs giving way beneath me. I was left with nothing but the cold, hard reality. My mom stood beside me, her face pale and her eyes filled with tears. We stood there, together, in the cold, sterile hallway, our hearts breaking in shared agony. A questions swirled in my mind, unanswered and unanswerable. Why? How? What had happened?
The world felt cold and empty, and I was lost in the vast.
° ° °
Third Person Pov:
The general, Attorney Cruz, Ralph, and Alice arrived at the hospital. Seeing his wife and daughter weeping, the general rushed to them.
"Where is Patricia?" he asked, his voice strained.
The two women were inconsolable, unable to speak. The general, driven by a desperate hope, entered the emergency room. He slowly remove the white sheet-covered form that was his daughter. There, with his own eyes, he confirmed the terrible truth: it was Patricia. Tears streamed down the general's face as he embraced his lifeless child.
