I offered to wash the dishes, feeling a bit embarrassed that all I did was eat. But since he insisted, I didn't push it. Celine said he'd just be here to keep me company, bakit parang naging personal cook at dishwasher ko pa yata siya? Nagmadali na lang akong umakyat at pumasok sa kuwarto ko. Nang makapasok, agad kong tinawagan ang Doctor ko.
Ilang ring lang at sumagot agad ito. "Hi, Alex. How—"
"I can taste and smell his food, Doc. Why is that?" I asked immediately.
"What? What do you mean? Are you saying you can taste and smell again?"
"Yeah, just now. I could suddenly taste and smell the smoothie he made for me. Why is that?" I asked again.
Ilang sandali pa nang matahimik ang kabilang linya bago siya ulit nagsalita. "Can we discuss this in person, Alex? I need to assess you first and—"
"I want to know now," I interrupted. "Just give me some possible answers, Doc. I'll meet you soon, but I can't wait any longer."
I heard her sigh on the other end. "Alright, but you need to come in soon so we can be certain, okay?"
"Yeah, sure."
"So, can you tell me more? What kinds of food are you able to taste now?"
"I feel like...all kinds. First, the smoothie, and then the breakfast he made," I explained. "I don't know why, but as soon as I took a sip of the smoothie, I instantly tasted it. Same with the food he made for me. I could smell it too, though not that strongly. But I know I could taste and smell it. I'm not imagining this, right? I mean, I haven't been sleeping well these days."
"Hmm, is it only his cooking you can taste?"
"I don't know yet. I haven't tried anyone else's cooking. But yesterday, I couldn't taste anything from the food he also made. There's no way I can suddenly taste and smell again, just because he made the food, right?"
She went quiet for a moment. "There might be a trigger here. Can you tell me the difference between today's and yesterday's meal? Even small things like the place, the feeling, the food. Anything you think might be different."
Napaisip naman ako. Pinagkaiba? Well, bukod sa putahe...
"Yesterday, he just brought my food up to my room. Today, though, I ate in the kitchen, and we ate together. And...there was this strange feeling, Doc."
"What kind of feeling?"
I paused, recalling the familiar sensation while I watched him earlier.
"I don't know why, but I feel comfortable around him. And while I watched him moving around the kitchen, cooking, there was this comforting, familiar atmosphere. I've never felt this with anyone before, but somehow...it feels like I've felt it before. I just don't know when or where," I explained.
"I think there's definitely a trigger here, Alex. But I need to assess you first to be certain," Doc said.
My brow furrowed. "A trigger? What do you mean by that?" I asked, restless.
"Like I've explained before, your trauma caused your brain to shut down, dissociating your sense of smell and taste from fully engaging with the world. It's a form of your brain's defense mechanism. Since the limbic system—which controls your emotions and memories—is the part most affected by your trauma, it's possible that this person's presence or even his style of cooking activates positive memories or emotional responses that stimulate the gustatory pathways in your brain. In other words, this person might be breaking down your brain's defenses, allowing you to taste and smell again," Doc explained.
