Rebound

18th REBOUND

18th REBOUND

Threatened by Kiefer and having a conflict with his appointment with Dr. Valiente, Jeron sat frustratingly at the side of his bed. He cupped his face with both hands as he harshly wipe the tears that are free-flowing from his dear chinky eyes.

After earning several contusions from Alyssa's elder brother, he was forced to go home and treat his wounds, he grabbed Gretchen's concealer and tried hiding them from Susan and Alvin who would be furious enough to ground him for a year.

Jeron looked at his digital clock which reads, 2:30, half an hour before his check-up with Susan's colleague. He was busy staring at his phone for a minute or two when he decided to call Alyssa's teammates which happened to be Almira's close acquaintances. He dialled Kim, then Dindin, and then Jaja, but none of them answered, probably at the same hospital where Alyssa was confined.

After a few minutes of aimlessly staring at his room, he heard the intercom beep and Susan's serious tone exclaimed, "Shoti you need to go down here, we have to go baka ma-traffic pa tayo."

Jeron groaned irritably and paced hastily downstairs as  he grabbed his black leather jacket and wrapped it around him. He saw his Dichi, prepped up which made him wonder, he reluctantly raised a single brow at her and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Ateneo. Sa John Gokongwei building. Why?" Gretchen retorted.

Jeron just shook his head and smiled, "Nothing." He then got out of their house and into the garage where ther driver, Manong Nilo and his Mom was waiting. "Come, let's go." His mom said before he hopped in and relaxed.

It was another half an hour drive towards Dr. Valiente's clinic and they were entertained immediately the moment they came in. Like what Jeron's mom always do, she performed several examinations and tests on Jeron before she and Susan examined the results.

"We're very sorry Jeron." Dr. Valiente started after an hour of examining. They were all seated right now in front of the laboratory and his Doctor was now reading him the results.

She shook her head faintly and turned to Jeron again, "I'm afraid you have to stop playing basketball...for the meantime. Your heart is getting weaker as I expected. We need to find a compatible heart donor and perform the operation immediately." She added as Jeron just stared at her and his mom blankly. He felt like his whole world stopped when he heard the results, of him, persuaded to stop playing his first love.

"If ever we'll find a compatible heart donor amiga, when will the results take place and where?" Susan interjected.

"We have to perform the operation as soon as possible. It will take place in Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York. The Top 2 best performing hospital in cardiology in the state. We have lots of friends there amiga and I think mas matututukan si Jeron doon. You need to fly there as soon as possible. We need to prepare him for the operation, kailangan a month before siya operahan andoon na kayo, he needs to adapt to increase the rate of success." Dr. Valiente thoroughly said.

"What will be the success ratio amiga?" Susan reluctantly asked and stiffened.

Dr. Valiente sighed and said, "I'll be honest with you. 25:75 will be the success rate for most of the patients sharing the same illness with Jeron. But if Jeron's body responds actively, it will reciprocate and become 75:25. We have to be taking risks amiga, it's for your son."

Susan faintly nodded as she stood up and shook Dr. Sarah Valiente's hand. "Thanks for today amiga, Alvin and I will talk about this later."

"Anything for you Susan, and for your family." Dr. Valiente replied as she smiled at her warmly before they bid the two goodbye. Jeron was already lost in his thoughts when he aimlessly looked up the sky and tried to hold back the tears that are threatening to fall from his eyes.