housemates (completed)

housemates 9 -- firsts

Still giddy over what transpired the day before, J returned to work the following morning bright and early and with a SMILE on his face. (A first, since he's been known to be Dr. Sungit since he began work at Hopewell). The nurses and doctors whom he passed along the hallways turned and did double takes because they all couldn't believe in what they were seeing. J seemed to have a lighter and brighter aura about him.

"Hello!" J greeted the nurses at the station of the pediatric floor. Melissa, a nurse, looked at the clock on the wall before looking back at J who did not have a scowl or serious look on his face. It was only 8:15am.

"Uhm..h...hello po Doc..."

"Good morning!" J greeted cheerily.

"G...good morning...ang..ang aga nyo ata? May emergency po ba?" Melissa stammered as she looked at the clock again.

"Wala naman...I just want to review the kids' charts kasi bago ako mag-rounds..."

"Ah opo...opo..." Melissa stood up from her seat and took the stack of charts behind her on the rack. "Gusto nyo po ng coffee, juice?" Melissa said as she guided J to the conference room beside the nurses' station.

"Meron kayong orange juice?"

"Apple juice lang po ang meron..."

"Ok. Apple juice it is..."

"Sandali lang po..." Melissa left J to work.

"Para kanino yan?" Nic asked when she saw Melissa pour some apple juice into a tall glass.

"Para kay Dr. Faulkerson..."

"Huh?" M turned to look at the clock on the pantry wall.

"...ang aga nga nya dumating...nasa conference room, nag-r-review ng mga charts..." Melissa replied.

"Ahh...o sige, ako na magdadala nyan...balik ka na sa work mo..."

"Okay..." Melissa said and left the pantry.

"Good morning!" M greeted cheerfully as she put the glass of juice on the table.

"Ahem!!" J cleared his throat and stared at the chart infront of him. "Lunch...12...basement 2...doctors' parking...doors to your left as you exit elevator..." He said under his breath while his head remained bowed. M tapped the table with her fingers and left.

They did their rounds and J tried his best not to join M too much during her usual circle time with the kids. He avoided staring at her and just contented himself with quick glances every now and then. M , too, would take quick glances at J especially when she thought none of the kids or the parents were looking or she was 'busy' attending to the patient.

"Mendoza....iwan mo na yan dyan...pass by for it when we come back from the other rooms..." J instructed as they exited the room after M had cleaned up her toy mat which she normally brought into the ward. In the weeks prior, M would bring the bag with her in and out of the ward. J never offered help with it especially when they were outside the rooms and in the hall. Nic just looked at him and set the bag in the corner by the door. They bade goodbye to the kids and exited the ward to move on to the next patient.

The current kids in Ward 11 still knew Rj as Dr. Sungit and he didn't want them to see that he'd change drastically "just because" so Rj decided to at least try to be his 'normal sungit' self in front of these kids. "...the new batch of kids will meet the new me..." he reasoned.

At noon, he waited for M to come out of the doors at 12noon. With a bouquet of flowers which he handed to her as soon as Mexited the doors. He escorted her to his car which was parked right across the doors.