Tall, Dark and Dead (Rewritten)

Dracula's Heirarchy of Needs

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

A l e k

I stopped moving when I heard a breathy, brittle voice of a woman who is in need of help. Irregular heartbeat, it's barely functioning. "Talia?" A loud thud came after. She must've fallen down. "Natalia!" I screamed horrifically, panicking. I hope she didn't hit her head or something. "Shit, shit! Madison!"

"What do you want?" Nanlaki ang mga mata nito nang makita ang kanyang paboritong estudyante na walang malay. "Oh, my God."

"Cali!"

"You little shit. It's Natalia!"

"Well, I'm freaking out!"

Tinabihan ko si Talia atsaka hinalikan sa noo. "You are not allowed to hug her like that if you don't even know her name. Get away from her." Tinignan niya kung may pulso ni Talia. "Move it! And can you please calm down? You are making things worse."

"Call for help! We need a doctor!"

"You're a doctor!"

"You're a doctor, too!"

"Quiet!"

"I don't know what to do."

"What did you do this time?!"

"We were talking and then she left." Something tells me that Maddie is not convinced about the fact that Natalia would leave, just like that. "The next thing I know, she collapsed! I swear to God, I didn't hurt her! I would never do such a thing to this person."

"Not physically, yes." Tinignan niya ako ng masama. Nakonsensya ako. Takot. Hindi ko na maintindihan. "What should we do? You are a fucking trauma surgeon. Pull yourself together."

"I'm a doctor, okay. She's okay. She'll be fine. I need to calm down." Binuhat ko siya papasok ng bahay. "Heart rate is rising up. I don't have my things! Every fucking thing is not working!" Outdated at sira-sira na ang mga kagamitang ginamit ko noon para kay Calista. Nakahiga ngayon si Natalia sa aking kama, wala pa ring malay. I have no choice. I have to take her to the hospital. Bahala na.

"You have a habit of hurting this kid." Hinaplos niya ang mukha ng aming estudyante. "Minsan, nagsisisi akong ipinakilala ko pa siya sa'yo."

"Madison, not fair."

"What is fair to you?" Hinawakan ko ang kamay ni Natalia. "When she's dead? Huh?"

"I'm sorry."

"Feeling sorry won't bring the dead back to life."

-

Along the way lang ang unibersidad kung kaya't naisipan kong tawagan ang matalik na kaibigan ng bata. "Clive's gonna kill you for this, you know that," Maddie says to me. Alam ko namang magagalit ang ama nito sa akin. "At bumaba ka nga dyan, ako ang magmamaneho. Kasalanan mo 'to kaya ikaw ang umasikaso sa kanya," Sabi niya, kalmado pa. Sabagay, kung magpa-panic siya, baka lalo lang lumala ang sitwasyon. At least, one of us should have her shit together.

Hindi sumasagot si Harper. Pagbaba ko ng sasakyan, nakita kong kumakaway si Mykee. She jogged to where I was and said, "I'm coming. Professor Cordova texted me." I was reluctant at first, but when she told me, "Trust me, doctor. You're gonna be needing me."