yuanfen (completed)

day one

       

The room was big, bigger than most of the other rooms they passed by along the long corridor. Except for the hospital bed at the far end near the large windows with sheer curtains, the room looked and felt homey. A big couch was on one side of the room. A big LCD TV was mounted on the wall facing the bed cartoons were playing on-screen but the volume was set to very low. A whole collection of Ironman toys and figurines in varying sizes were neatly arranged on shelves along one wall. Ironman posters, drawings and cards were stuck to the wall above the bed.

On the bed lay a fair skinned young man. Visible were a neck brace and a respiratory nasal catheter, a urine collection bag hung under the bed.  On an IV pole hung several bottles of fluids.  He appeared to be sleeping despite the TV being on. A thin sheet covered his lower half. He was wearing hospital gown with superhero prints.  At the desk sat a nurse in scrub suit. Upon closer inspection, his top had cartoon Marvel superheroes.

"Tan...." Pau said as they slowly entered the room.

"Hi!"

"Tristan....Dei....Dei....Tristan....she'll be assisting you...." Pauline introduced the two to each other.

"Ah yes...hello....welcome!" Tristan shook hands with Dei.

"....and this is Tisoy....uhmm...Richard....Richard Faulkner....the second...." Tristan said as he turned to look at Richard on the bed.

"He's been under our care for a little over two weeks....." Pauline said.

"....24....drowning victim with head and neck trauma....water in the lungs....being observed for signs of pneumonia...." Tristan explained as Dei listened intently.  "....he has anoxic brain injury after being under water for a few minutes..."

"Anong nangyari?"

"Nag-sailing kasama ng barkada....inuman....sosyal, no?....Ayun, nag-shift ata yung hangin bigla e di sya nakailag agad paggalaw nung layag...natamaan sya nung bar sa ilalim....tumilapon sya at nahulog sa tubig.....malas sya kasi sya lang ang na-injure...okay lahat ng mga kasama nya...."

"Hmm...."

"Kaya ayan....comatose....wala namang ibang injuries....may risk nga lang maging disabled habang buhay....although his latest MRI scans show small improvements....we're trying to keep his brain cool to avoid further injury...."

"I see...."

"Ako ang primary care nurse nya....halos 24/7 akong bantay sa kanya....usually, may dalawang assistants na pumapasok every morning para tulungan akong paliguan sya...."

"Hmm...I'm here to assist..." Dei said smiling.

"Thank you.....basically, minomonitor lang naman yung vitals, input, output....yung IV nya pinapalitan every 48 hours...."

"....fibersource..." Dei read the markings on the hanging plastic bottle hanging on the IV stand. "....mayaman...." she said under her breath.

"...oo....family nya may-ari nitong facility....kung tutuusin, pwede naman sa bahay nalang sya talaga e....pero ang sabi sa amin, mas okay nalang daw dito kasi parang hospital din naman ang set-up....just in case...."

"...sabagay...."

"....this facility was put up by his Lolo, Don Ricardo... when Richard's great grandmother fell ill....namatay eventually si Donya Adela dahil sa old age....."

"Ahh...."

"Dito usually dinadala yung mga patients na di na kailangan ang full hospital care....parang recovery home.....mostly mga bata....teenagers and yuppies..."

"Ah...kaya pala yun yung age group na nakita ko sa labas...."

"Oo....mga ka-age nitong si Tisoy...."

"I see..."

"....Tisoy ang tawag namin sa kanya kasi maputi....pero, marami syang nicknames ......depende sa kung sino ang tumatawag sa kanya...."

"Hmm?"

"Pag bumibisita si Ma'am at Sir Faulkner, parents nya, "Chuckie" ang tawag sa kanya....Chaddy naman ang tawag sa kanya ng Lolo at Lola nya....Chard at Rich sa friends...."

"Ahh...."

"Tisoy....this is...." Tristan and Dei moved to Richard's bedside.

"Dei....Deiondrea Giannina Capili.....Hello Richard..." Dei said as she reached out to touch his hand.

A few seconds later, Richard's eyelids moved.