The Irony

Chapter 26

"Doc, sabihin mo samin na magigising pa sya. Magigising pa ang anak ko diba, doc?" Mary Ann was holding on to Teddy as they speak to the doctor.

"I'm sorry, Mary Ann, Teddy. I really am." He sat across Maine's parents and RJ in the waiting room. The surgeon had just come out of the OR, almost 11 hours after Maine's scheduled surgery started.

"I have to be honest with you and I can't give you false hope. We did everything with our very best while we worked on Maine, hindi ko na masasabi if or when sya magigising. That is now up to her, but if there's one thing I can assure you, lumalaban sya. Lumalaban si Maine." He stood up and turned to Maine's father.

"You've got one heck of a fighter in your little girl, Teddy. She's one heck of a fighter." The two men shook hands and they walked to the ICU where Maine had just been transferred. 

RJ was at a loss for words. He was trying to comprehend the news they received from the surgeon and he was completely out of it. They were told there were complications during the surgery due to the extent of damage in Maine's heart. She was revived twice in the operating room but Maine fought her way back to life. If or when she's going to wake up, as the surgeon said, is not in their hands anymore. 

In the ICU, nurses and doctors surrounded Maine but RJ could still see her. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tears ran down his cheeks once again, as if he has an unlimited supply of them. 

Her small frame was lying in bed, surrounded by at least 5 different machines, with tubes and wires attached to her. Maine had two chest tubes draining from her left side, two IV lines on both arms and an arterial line on her wrist, wires attached on her chest are connected to the heart monitor, the ventilator on her right is still attached to the ET tube down her throat and other machines hooked up to her that RJ has no idea what they are for.

"Let's all hope and pray that Maine regains her consciousness. We're going to keep her intubated dahil she has very poor respiratory effort. Sa ngayon, the machine is doing the breathing for her. She's going to be on the ventilator until she wakes up, or when she starts breathing on her own." 

RJ bowed his head as he heard the doctor explain Maine's status to her parents. When he heard the words, may or may not wake up again, RJ's attention focused in on Maine and became completely unaware of the rest of the conversation.

Love, please lumaban ka. Kaya mo toh, love. Please, kayanin mo. Not long after, RJ felt a hand on his shoulder. 

"Hindi pa tapos ang laban, RJ. Hindi pa tapos." Teddy patted RJ's shoulder and they stood side by side, looking through the glass window into the ICU. 

The next hour went by with a minimal exchange of words between Maine's parents and RJ. They all stood and waited outside the glass window, looking in and watched nurses and doctors assess and settle her in the ICU. At around 10 in the evening, they were finally allowed to be beside her. 

"Mary Ann, RJ, gabi na. Bumaba muna tayo para kumain, may nurse namang nakatutok kay Menggay." 

"Mamaya na, Teddy. Dito muna ako sa tabi ng anak ko, hihintayin ko sya magising." Mary Ann just sat and looked at her daughter, not taking her eyes off of her. 

"Mary Ann, masistress yang anak mo paggising nya tapos malaman na napapabayaan mo sarili mo. RJ, ikaw din. Sige na, anak, sumama ka na samin kumain. Kung si Maine lumalaban, dapat tayo din hindi magpatalo." 

Teddy was able to convince Mary Ann and RJ compromised, saying he'll stay with Maine while they eat and promised that he will get something to eat when they return. 

He was left in the ICU with Maine and a nurse not too far from the bed. RJ looked at her physique, she looked so small and fragile; Maine looked so weak, almost lifeless. It broke RJ's heart, as if it hasn't been broken enough times in the past couple of months when he sees how much Maine struggle to stay positive despite all the physical and emotional pain she has. 

"You have endured so much, love. I've only seen the last 6 months of your fight but you've been battling this for so many years. Ang dami dami mo ng pinagdaanan kaya hindi ako nagtataka na pagod ka na. Love, nung nawala si Mommy, ang sakit, ang hirap. Binuhos ko yung sarili ko sa pagtatrabaho nun dahil gusto ko makatulong kay Daddy, pero ginawa ko rin yun para ma-occupy yung mind ko ng ibang bagay." RJ was just holding on to Maine's hand as he looked at her sleeping figure, his tears flowing freely on his cheeks. 

"Planado ko na lahat nun, love. Magtatrabaho ako ng magtatrabaho para sa pamilya ko, mabuhay para lang magtrabaho. Tapos bigla kang dumating sa buhay ko. Napangiti mo ako, napatawa, napasaya mo ako ng walang ka-effort effort. Pinakita mo sakin kung paano mabuhay sa labas ng trabaho, you basically taught me how to live, love. Natuto akong mangarap ng para sa sarili ko. I started living, for you, for myself, for our future. All of a sudden, I can see far into the future.  Hindi mo alam na yun ang nagagawa mo sakin." 

RJ paused and wiped his tears, not taking his eyes off of Maine. "Love, sana magawa ko rin sayo yun." His voice broke and the nurse in the room couldn't help but shed a tear as well. 

"Love, sana ikaw din. Nicomaine ko, please live. Please live for your family, for yourself, and for me. Kung pati ikaw mawala sakin, hindi ko na alam, love. Hindi ko na kakayanin pa. Wag kang magpapatalo, love. Kasama moko every step of the way, aalagaan kita, mamahalin pa lalo." RJ bowed his head on the railing; he could no longer hold his cry in. 

"Sabi mo sakin kagabi, there is no greater love than your love for me. Pero love, if you could just peek into my heart, makikita mo punong puno ito ng pagmamahal para sayo. Mahal na mahal kita, love. Mahal na mahal." He lifted Maine's hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss on her hand. RJ held on to her, not wanting to let go, as if letting her hand go meant completely letting her go home to the Lord. 

RJ lost track of the time and he was awoken by Mary Ann when they came back from the cafeteria. As promised, he went down to eat a meal, his first of the day. RJ rushed back to the ICU hoping to see her awake but she was as still as when he left. 

Maine was being closely monitored in the ICU, and RJ and Mary Ann never left their seats beside the bed. The night passed by with no sign of life from Maine, not even a flick of a finger, and still unable to breathe on her own. Almost twenty-four hours after she was taken out of the OR and transferred into the ICU, the doctor approached Maine's family. 

"I'm going to be honest with you, Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza. The longer it takes for Maine to regain her consciousness, the smaller the chance of her ever waking up again." 

"Doc, ano ang ibig mong sabihin?" Teddy said, worry and fear manifested his voice. 

"The ventilator is still doing most of the breathing for Maine, Teddy. If she doesn't start breathing on her own soon, her lungs are going to collapse. She can possibly go into shock as well. At this point, I would advise you to prepare yourselves for the worst." 

RJ bowed his head and held Maine's hand in his own. 

"She's going to fight through this, doc. Kilala ko ang anak ko, lumalaban sya." 

"The team and I are hoping and praying for that too, Teddy. If you have any concerns, wag kayong mag hesitate lumapit. We're still closely monitoring Maine's progress, I assure you that." 

Mary Ann and Teddy sat down, feeling defeated but still hopeful. 

Love, prove them wrong. Prove them wrong. RJ said in his mind, his hand caressing Maine's jaw. He took a moistened towelette and gently wiped her lips with it to aid with her dry mouth from being intubated. When doctors and nurses aren't gathered around Maine to assess or run tests on her, RJ stayed by her side, providing mouth care and anything else the nurses allowed him to assist with. 

Another 24 hours passed by and Maine showed no signs of waking up. Her family took turns staying by her side in the ICU, sleeping beside her on a chair or on a small sofa in the corner of the room. They were told once more to prepare themselves for the worst.

At 2 in the morning, exactly 53 hours since Maine came out of surgery, RJ woke up to a familiar touch on his palm. At the slightest touch of a finger, he felt his name being scribbled on his palm, the way Maine writes "RJ" on his palm all the time. RJ quickly sat up and saw Maine giving him a smile; weak but definitely a sign of life. 

Two full days and 5 hours post-surgery, Maine proved them wrong.