AUTUMN WAS woken up by the unfamiliar scent of antiseptic and medicine. Kasunod niyon ay naramdaman niya ang pagsigid ng sakit sa kanyang ulo at lalamunan. The pounding in her head hurt like a bitch and her throat felt like a sandstorm. The throbbing on her head intensified as she struggled to open her eyes. Pero kahit anong pilit niya ay hindi niya magawang tuluyan na imulat ang mga mata. Tila naka-glue ang mga talukap niyon.
She inwardly groaned as her muscles protested when she tried to move a bit.
Nakaabot sa pandinig ng dalaga ang mahihihinang bulungan sa paligid niya. Sunod niyang naramdaman ang malamig na bagay na pumatong sa kanyang braso. A very familiar scent filled her nose giving her assurance and safety.
"Open your eyes, baby. Come on. Just try for me." Caleb's minty breath fanned Autumn's left ear. She felt him place a soft kiss on her forehead.
With her condition right now, it took Autumn some massive effort just to even move her eye lids. Palihim siyang natuwa sa sarili ng bumukas iyon ng bahagya. Bahagya siyang nasilaw ng unang pagbuka ng kanyang mga mata.
Ilang sandali pa ay tuluyan nang luminaw ang paligid niya. Nakatunghay sa kanya si Caleb na puno ng pag-aalala ang ekspresyon. She spotted some dark circles under his gorgeous blue eyes. Tila pagod na pagod ito. Nang iikot ni Autumn ang tingin sa paligid ay noon niya napansin ang mga magulang at nakakatandang kapatid ni Caleb. Nasa isang tabi rin si Manang Flo at bakas ang pag-aalala sa mukha.
Ibinalik ni Autumn ang tingin kay Caleb. "W-water," she croaked with a lot of effort.
Maingat siyang tinulungan ng binata para makabangon. He handed her a glass of water afterwards.
Unang patak pa lamang ng tubig sa lalamunan ni Autumn ay laking ginhawa ay kanyang naramdaman. She even emptied the glass of water.
"Nasaan ako? Ano'ng nangyari?" Autumn almost whispered. The weird looks that the people around her gave Autumn some bad vibes about the situation.
Imbes na sagutin siya ni Caleb ay naunang nagsalita dito sa Manang Flo. "Nasa ospital tayo ngayon, hija. Naaksidente kayo, Autumn. Car accident." Maluha-luhang yumakap kay Autumn ang matanda. The old woman looked broken.
Nanigas si Autumn dahil sa sinabi ni Manang Flo. Suddenly, all memories of what happened the other night flashed and filled her mind. Nahihindik na binalingan niya si Caleb. He looked like a gorgeous zombie. Halatang kulang ito sa tulog.
"Caleb?"
Umupo sa gilid niya ang binata at ginagap ang kanyang dalawang kamay. He looked like he was going to pass out any moment. "Don't stress yourself. Kailangan mo ng pahinga. You suffered much already. There's no need for me to add up crap to your burden. Give it a rest."
"Tama si Caleb, Autumn. Kailangan mo ng pahinga," narinig niyang sabi ni Tita Ashley mula sa isang sulok ng kwarto. "At ikaw Caleb. Hindi ka si superman. Dalawang gabi ka nang walang tulog at meron ka pang sugat. Kailangan mo rin ng pahinga. Kayong dalawa."
Noon lamang napansin ng dalaga ang nakabendang balikat ni Caleb. She was entirely caught up with the situation that she didn't even notice that her best friend was sporting a wound.
Kahit punong-puno ng mga katanungan ang dalaga sa mga nangyari noong nakaraang gabi ay pinilit niya iyong iwaglit sa kayang isipan nang pumasok ang doktor para eksaminahin ang kanyang kalagayan. The doctor decided to remove her IV.
Ilang sandali pa ay pinabalik ulit siya sa tulog. She obeyed immediately since her head felt heavier as minutes pass by.
Nang magising ulit siya ay madilim na ang paligid she spotted the big bulk lying on the couch beside her hospital bed. Maingat na iniangat ni Autumn ang katawan. Thank goodness her body wasn't as sore as it was this morning.
BINABASA MO ANG
THE WATCHERS TRILOGY: Caleb (book I)
Romance"One day, he just woke up realizing that Autumn wasn't just his Mortal Half, she was his other half." Some angels are meant to walk amongst us. Some have a purpose to fulfill; a duty to uphold; and a human to protect. But what will you do if you rea...
