Feels Like Home

Chapter 8 : First Day

"Doc, kamusta na ang anak namin?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza, we have been monitoring her for the last 4 days and she hasn't been making any responses. Normally, a comatose patient gives us even the slightest response to stimulus whenever provided. But for Ms. Mendoza, we got nothing."

"Normally? Doc, what do you mean?"

"If she will not make any response or the slightest sign of improvement for the next 48 hours, it will be more difficult for us to determine what will happen next, Mr. Mendoza. If I were, I will expect for the worst."

"What are you talking about? I am not going to and I will never expect anything worst than this for my daughter, Doctor Alonzo. Do anything and everything you can do for her. Wala akong pakielam kung maubos lahat ng perang meron kami. Hindi tayo titigil hangga't hindi nagigising ang anak ko!"

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My parents' heartbreaking sobs were deafening. It was about 10 hours ago when the doctor checked up on me and he had a discussion with my parents. I was there at my room when he gave them the news that broke their hearts.

Expect for the worst.

Tatay said they will never give me up. That they will wait as long as it takes. But as the pessimistic as what I've always been, I know better.

There's not a day that I haven't forced myself to go back and I continue to fail. I know I won't meet the doctor's 48-hour time frame for being able to show any improvement. But I have this strong feeling that I will be staying like this for at least a week. After that, hindi ko na alam. I asked Him for an extension.

Lord, just give me at least week to make it up to them. Tapos Kayo na po ang bahala sa akin.

Then obviously, He gave me Chard. The last thing I would want to do is to ask for anyone's help. I refrain myself for doing that for the past two years. But life do play some crazy tricks on you, sometimes. Now, I could use all the help I can get. For my family. For the last time.

"So, where to?"

Chard caught my attention from the far end of the room, but he's not looking at me since he's trying to get ready or something. He looks like he's having a hard time trying to make sure that his arm cast is all good. We will start today.

He's right, though. I don't know why I trusted him to do this. But when he was talking to my father before he left the hospital like a scared little cat, I felt like He sent me him. Like, Chard is exactly who I need right now. There's this weird sincere aura in him that can make anyone trust him just by looking at him. And those eyes...

"Earth calling Nicomaine?! Sisimulan pa ba natin 'to?"

Weird enough, he seems excited and so ready for whatever it is I will ask him to do for the next 7 days.

My last 7 days.

"Don't get too excited, fancy pants. You'll need all the energy you can get. You'll be as you and as me for 7 days. Para wala tayong problema, you do exactly as I say. Lalo na kapag nasa apartment na tayo mamaya. My father might have met you many times and he probably thinks you're some good little angel, but my siblings probably do not. They haven't seen me for 2 years and they have no idea kung sino sino ang mga pinapasok ko sa buhay ko. So, making them believe that you can see me, hear me, and know a lot of things about me, will be crucial. You have to listen to me all the time. Capiche?"

He just looked at me, probably trying to absorb everything that I just said. "Yes, madam. Where to first?"

He smiled.