Until Love Fades

25 - With Arms Wide Open.

Last chapter before the epilogue!

"How is he?" Humahangos na tanong ng ina ni Damon. Nilingon niya ito at ang Daddy ni Damon kasama ang mga magulang niya. Hindi niya namalayan na dumating na pala ang mga ito dahil kanina pa siya tulala.

Hindi na niya napigilang humagulgol muli kaya inalo siya ng mga magulang. "Oh, anak... have faith. He's going to be better," Damon's mom assured.

"H-He's... been inside the OR for t-two hours..." utal na sabi ni Serena. Pinilit na lang ni Serena na sumagot sa kabila ng pag-iyak niya.

"What happened?" Tanong ng Daddy niya. Kinuwento ni Serena ang bawat detalye na naganap matapos nilang kumain ng hapunan.

"Nakipag-usap na ba sa'yo ang doktor?" Tanong muli nito. Sakto naman at lumabas ang doktor mula sa OR at nagtanggal ng surgical mask.

"Are you the relatives of Mr. Damon Henry?" Tanong nito. "I'm Dra. Cabarles."

"I'm his wife. These are our parents," pakilala ni Serena. She was holding on her parents' hands for dear life. Ninenerbiyos na siya sa kung ano man ang sasabihin ng doktor sa kanila.

Tumango ang doktor. "He's stable now, but he lost quite a lot of blood kaya kinailangan naming magpa-blood transfusion kanina. May I ask if he had an accident that had an impact on his head? I saw stitches on his head awhile ago."

Serena nodded. "He had a car accident months ago that caused him to suffer from amnesia dahil sa tindi ng impact ng aksidente."

"Okay, I see. May I speak with you privately, Mrs. Henry?" the doctor asked. Hindi ito ang doktor ni Damon kaya hindi pa siya pamilyar dito. Naupo silang dalawa sa 'di kalayuan na lugar mula sa kinauupuan ng mga magulang nila ni Damon.

"May I know how is he recovering his memories after his accident?" Tanong nito.

"He recovered most of his memories already, luckily, but he has not yet remembered the recent ones," sagot ni Serena. "Though his neurosurgeon said that he's going to recover those soon, we just have to wait."

Dra. Cabarles nodded, probably absorbing the details Serena said. "I'm going to be honest with you, Mrs. Henry. There is a possibility that he may recover his memories after the head trauma he experienced tonight. Maaaring nag-trigger sa brain niya ang impact ng pagtama ng ulo niya."

"However, there is also the other possibility that he may never recover the rest of his memories. Maaaring dahil din sa impact ay tuluyang masira ang connection ng neurons niya, at hindi na tuluyang maibalik ang mga alaala ng iyong asawa," patuloy nito. Serena didn't notice she was crying silently until she was given a tissue paper from Dra. Cabarles.

"Ililipat na ng ICU si Mr. Henry. You can visit him there pero paisa-isa lang dapat. I'm sorry but we've all done everything we can. All we can do now is pray," sabi nito. "I'll leave you now because I have to do some rounds. Excuse me."

Serena bowed her head then cried all over again. Hindi na niya mabilang kung ilang beses na siyang umiyak ngayong gabi. Kahit kanina nung kausap niya si Manang Beth sa telepono para bilinan ito na bantayan ang kambal dahil nga sa aksidente, humahagulgol pa rin siya. Hindi na siya mapakalma ng mga tao sa paligid niya, but who can blame her? Sa sitwasyon niya ngayon, can she really calm herself down?

"Anak, tahan na please," alo sa kanya ng ina. Serena looked up then hugged her mother by the waist.

"M-mommy... am I a b-bad person? W-why am I being p-punished this way?" Serena said between her cries. Hinaplos haplos ng kanyang ina ang ulo niya at niyakap din siya nito pabalik.

"Oh, my dear... you have a kind heart. You are not a bad person," her Mom assured. "This is just a challenge God gave to you and Damon. Hindi nagbibigay ng challenge ang Diyos na walang solusyon. Binigay ito ng Diyos sa inyo dahil alam niyang kaya niyo itong malagpasan. God loves testing our faith in difficult ways, and this is one of those. Hindi ka pinaparusahan ng Diyos, anak. Tandaan mo 'yan."