From the journal of Patient Sixteen written under the initials of JTT and CTL dated in 24 of July 2001; voice recorded by Dr. Quirrero
S I X T E E N T H S Y M P T O M:
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1
"DR. SUAREZ."
Catalina Juliet whipped her head to the left when she heard a masculine voice calling out her appellation, softly blowing an air to her hot coffee as she lightly shot her eyebrows upwards. The familiar young looking intern with a coiffed, slicked back raven hair who assists her in the Psychiatric Emergency Room just moments ago is peeking his head at the door. His dark eyes are directly looking at her, waving his hand as if making a signal.
"Nasa lab na po ang sample na pinapa-run niyo ng UDS."
She took a fair amount of gulp first before nodding her head, smiling gratefully. "Thanks, Doc Abao."
"Dok, coffee break ka muna diyan," Kennedy, who is standing adjacent to her, butted in. From Juliet's peripheral vision, she saw the former raising her styrofoam cup.
Doctor Abao gently shakes his head, a small smile painted in his lips.
"Next time," he politely declines, waving his hand again as he bid goodbye.
Someone snorted at her left. She narrows her gaze and saw Julien munching crinkles forcefully.
"Bakit?" She murmurs.
Julien just simply shakes her head as her reply. Kennedy, on the other hand, took a step in front of her that she almost covers her line of sight. And even in side view, she can clearly observed how Kennedy eyed Julien in scrutinization.
"Hoy, kamukha ni Juliet. Bakit mo nilalandi girlfriend ni Doc Abao kanina sa lab?"
Juliet tenses with the sudden accusation. She is cognizant of Julien's peculiarity, but hearing it first-hand just gives her a secondhand embarrassment. Although she knows Julien will never feel an ounce of it seeing how the latter just nonchalantly travels her tongue on her lips and how the corner of her lips curled up after.
"Pinagsasabi mo? I was just giving a hand."
Kennedy let out a half-suppressed, scornful laugh. "Tulong? Nakikisingit ka na nga sa compound microscope. Para ka pang Hirudinea sa sobrang dikit. May boyfriend na 'yung tao!"
Julien immediately bursts out laughing, so hard that some bits of the crinkles that she had just bitten fell out from her mouth. Juliet quickly sweeps her gaze around and saw two of the resident doctors who are also taking their break time in the lounge area give them probing stares in which both Kennedy and Julien paid it no attention.
"Jul, baliw na 'tong kakambal mo," Kennedy exclaims in resignation after a minute.
"Cataline, 'yung kinakain mo," hindi napigilang saway niya rin kay Julien gamit ang malumanay na boses ngunit hindi siya pinansin nito at napahawak pa sa tiyan nito kakatawa. Tuluyang nakalimutan na din nito ang kinakain.
