1971 {Rodrigo Duterte x Leni Robredo}

02 Drop

«A/N: Thank you for supporting the first chapter~»

January 1, 2020
3:47 am

Digong paced outside the operating room of St. Luke's Medical Center where the presidential medical team took the Vice President after the attempted assassination. He had instructed the PSG not to let the media inside the building so that they won't be able to bother them.

How long did it actually take to remove a bullet from a person's body? At that moment he had no idea, but the doctors had been operating on her for almost four hours now.

"Mayor magpahinga po muna kayo."

And for almost four hours now, he had been patiently waiting for news about her condition.

He anxiously tapped his feet on the floor while his arms were crossed in front of his chest; Bong Go's words had fallen on deaf ears. He once again looked at his watch as another minute passed by.

"Mayor?"

Digong began pacing back and forth again. After pacing the floor continuously for the third time, Bong had to put a firm hand on his shoulder to stop him. He stared at Bong with a strange look on his face, as if noticing for the first time that Bong standing only a few inches away from him.

"Mayor."

He blinked his blood shot eyes a few times.

"Magpahinga po muna kayo."

He seemed not to care about Bong as he walked past him yet again.

He blamed himself.

He blamed himself for everything.

He blamed himself for being careless. He blamed himself for inviting her over to the celebration. He blamed himself for being too over confident that nothing would surely happen and that she would completely be safe. He blamed himself for not noticing that the shot gun was pointed at him. He blamed himself because he couldn't protect her. He blamed himself because the woman that he loves might soon be gone. He blamed himself for everything.

It was all his fault.

It was a miscalculation that put her life at risk.

He glanced to his left where three girls sat on a bench. Each one of them trying to fight the temptation of sleep.

He felt sorry for them.

When they arrived the eldest, Aika, did not show any sign of weakness as she faced him and asked about her mother's condition. He knew she was trying her best not to break down for the sake of her younger sisters who were in each other's arms. He could tell by the way the corner of her mouth twitched and how she blinked faster than what was normal.

"Si mama po?"

The three had flown all the way from Bicol where they had been celebrating New Year's Eve. After the incident, Digong had immediately ordered that Leni's children be escorted to the hospital immediately. He allowed the use of the presidential chopper to shorten the travel time.

"Inooperahan pa rin siya hanggang ngayon."

Just then Jillian spoke, "A-ate...mamamatay ba si mama? Iiwan niya rin ba tayo?"

Aika seemed to be taken aback by the question, but she quickly got back her bearings.

"Hindi...hindi...magigising din siya, Jill. Malalagpasan to ni mama." She smiled wearily, "Palaban kaya 'yun."

"Tama ang ate mo. Matapang man ang mama niyo." Digong spoke and managed a weak smile. "She'll be okay."

Although he told the sisters not to worry about their mother, he couldn't help but feel anxious himself about Leni's condition. He wished that this was all just a bad dream and that eventually he'd wake up and see her unharmed.