Because she had dengue, Maine had to receive transfusions to bring her platelet count up. She hated being confined, stuck in bed with nothing much to do; She hated the hospital; she hated being jabbed with a needle. When the nurse came in to change her IV port , Rj witnessed Maine's defiance about having anything to with needles. He had to hug her and distract her because she was crying and moving so much that the technician could not easily get the needle in her. It was as if Rj was holding a very young child at that very moment.
When the procedure was done and a new IV bottle was replaced along with a transfusion of platelets, Maine fell asleep. Rj and Nanay Marian had time to talk. They chatted in the receiving area of Maine's suite. Rj had asked Kuya Jose to get them some snacks to eat.
"Bata pa lang yan, takot na yan sa injection. Ewan ko ba kung bakit. Nung pinabakunahan namin sya dati, susmiyo ang iyak! Parang bakang kinakatay!" Nanay Marian recounted.
"Talaga?"
"Oo...buti nga di na umiiyak yan sa ER....nakikita kong pinipigilan nyang sipain yung nurse...."
"Hahahaha!" Rj laughed quietly, shaking his head.
"...kaya ayan....nakita mo naman kung paano sya nagwala kanina nung pinalitan yung swero.....salamat at nandiyan ka para pakalmahin sya....di ko na kaya e...... pero....Rj.....maraming maraming salamat ha?"
"Saan po?"
"Sa pag-aasikaso kay Menggay...."
"Ahh...walang anuman po...."
"...mabait ka naman e..."
"Po?"
"....kasi, naikwento ni Menggay dati na masungit ka raw....pala-sigaw....spoiled..."
"Ahh....uhmm...medyo...."
"....bumait na yang si Rj....magmula nung nagtrabaho si Miss Maine sa amin...." Kuya Jose shared. Rj just bowed his head and blushed.
"Ah talaga?"
"Oo...ang laki ng pinagbago nyan....kaya laking pasasalamat din ni Ma'am at Sir kay Maine....."
"Hmm....e, Rj.....ano nga ba kayo ni Menggay?"
"Po?"
"...kasi narinig ko nun sa ER na sabi mo boyfriend ka ni Meng.....boyfriend ka nga ba?"
"...ah....ehh...o...opo."
"Sus! Okay lang sa akin kung boyfriend ka ni Menggay...." Nanay Marian patted Rj on the back.
"....s....salamat po....Tita" Rj shyly smiled at Nanay Marian.
"Sungs.....they have to monitor your blood count...."
"What do you mean?"
"We have to draw blood regularly to check if your platelets have gone up...." Nurse Maan looked up from Maine's chart.
Maine looked at Rj solefully. "....Yabs...." She said in a soft, breaking voice.
"It's okay, Sungs...I'll be here everytime they have to draw blood...."
"Promise?"
"Promise...." Rj said while he was bent down on Maine's forehead.
After almost 2 weeks in the hospital, Maine was discharged from the hospital. Three days before her actual discharge, Rj, Nanay Marian and Kuya Jose readied Maine's room and house. They cleaned the place and sprayed insecticide to make sure no mosquitoes were around. It was also the first time Kuya Jose see Rj do "manual labor". He was known to be the "senyorito" at their place, always asking for things to be done for him or yelling at the helpers.
"Ang laki na nga ng pinagbago ni Rj...." Kuya Jose told Yaya Caring one morning at breakfast.
"Oo nga....di na sya palasigaw....nag-mature na..."
"Oo....nagliligpit na ng gamit...." Pining shared.
The 2 older helpers looked at her. "Maayos na yung kwarto....lalo na yung banyo....dati, lagi akong namumulot ng marurming damit nya sa sahig eh katabi lang naman yung ropero....ngayon, wala ng damit sa sahig....alam ko na kung ano yung malinis sa hindi....."
"...at talagang inaasikaso nya si Miss Maine....todo alaga...."
"Ah talaga?" Yaya Caring asked.
Kuya Jose nodded and smiled.
