ON GOING: SURGERY [ COMPLETED ]

chapter eleven

V a u g h a n

Matapos naming puntahan ang natitirang tao na maaaring mag sabi saamin kung bakit nagkaganon ang Lola ni Bella nag desisyon kame na magpahinga nalamang muna ngayong araw at bumalik sa kanya kanyang mga bahay. We also decided that Bella will team up with us in finding the suspect, and in exchange aalamin namin
kung bakit nagkaganoon ang Lola nya.

"Doctor Vaughan? Coffee?" Napalingon ako kay Nurse De Castro, nginitian ko ito at tinanggap ang coffee na iniaalok nito saakin, napakabastos ko naman non kung hindi ko ito tatanggapin.

"How's it going in the ER?" Tanong ko dito ng umupo ito sa katapat kong upuan, kasalukuyan kameng nasa office ko. Nurse De Castro, unlike other nurses here in the Hospital, sya ang pinaka-close ko at itinuturing ko na din na kaibigan. He's a reliable person, so why not?

"Ayos naman Dok. Wala pa masyadong naisusugod na pasyente, fortunately. Maaga pa naman, pero siguro mamayang bandang hapon sandamakmak na pasyente ang isusugod dito, kaya eto ako e, pahipahinga muna bago mabugbog ng trabaho mamaya." Napangiti ako sa sinabi nyang iyon. Tama sya, sa uri ng trabaho namin walang pahinga masyado, so kapag nabigyan ka ng panahon na makapag pahinga, kailangan mo na talaga itong sulitin kase hindi mo alam kung kelan ka na ulit makakapahinga pagtapos non.

"Mukhang madami kayong inaasikaso lately a?" Tumango ako at napapikit habang iniisip ang mga nalaman namin kagabi. Wala din akong tulog since ako ang nag drive saamin pauwi, almost four o'clock na din kame nakadating dito sa bayan ng Steele, si Warren, iyon nagkatrangkaso hindi ko alam bakit mapaka sakitin ng ugok na yon. Hindi sya pumasok so I covered his shifts.

"Ay naku, Dok. Alis na ko, baka kailanganin ako sa ER, walang aasikaso sa mga interns." Nakangiti nitong turan bago tumayo at tumango saakin. Tinanguan ko sya pabalik at napapikit nalamang ng mariin pagkalabas na pagkalabas nya ng pintuan ng office ko. It has been so tiring for me lately.

Hindi ko nga alam kung paano nakakaya ng katawan ko ang pag o-over work ko. Mabuti nalamang talaga at healthy ang mga nakakain ko palagi.

Napapitlag ako ng bigla nalang nag vibrate ang kung ano sa ilalim ng desk ko, nang buklatin ko ito natagpuan ko ang cellphone ko, may tumatawag pala sakin. And as I looked at the caller ID, I saw my Mom's name.

Agad ko itong sinagot and put it to loud speaker.

"Mom. Hey."

"'Nak, your Tita Rendel and I are going on a vacation in Paraguay, please stay safe ha? Warren has been notified about this too. We're staying there for a month and I hope you'll be safe until we get home. I'm counting on you Kyle." Napangiti ako sa sinabi ni Mom. Tita Ren and my mom became bestfriends when they met each other through a event of an orphanage. Simula non lagi na sila nag kikita, nalaman ko nalang na nanay pala sya ni Warren so parang naging close pa sila ng dahil sa nalaman nilang bestfriends nga kame ni Warren.

"Yes mom. I will, we will be safe. I assure you that." Nakangiti kong sambit. There is nothing else in this world that I treasure more than my Mom. I'm happy that they're moving away from this place for the meanwhile, mas safe sila sa malayo, I know. As long as hindi pa namin nalalaman kung sino ang salarin hindi safe dito.

"Ok son. We're preparing to leave now, so I'm gonna hang up na ok? Take care ha? Wag papalipas ng gutom and please son, don't beat yourself up. Sleep for a while if time permits you, wag puro work." Napangiti na naman ako sa sinabi ni Mom. My mom has been always this sweet to me. Ever since my dad passed away she never failed to be both parent's to me.

"I love you, Mom. Take care of yourself too."

"I love you more, Son. We will always love you, remember that ok?" Then I dropped the call just before I can hear my mom sobbing through the phone. Through the years, my mom may have moved on from my father's death but the memories of him never left our hearts, that's probably why my mom always cry whenever I tell her I love her. She says that I look and sounds alot like my Dad, and she remembers him in me.

"Vaughan."

Napatingala ako ng marinig na bumukas ang pintuan ng office ko tsaka doon pumasok si Police Detective Israel Montenegro. Ano naman kaya ang kailangan nya ngayon? As far as I can remember, we agreed on canceling the meet ups and late night investigations dahil sa kalagayan ni Warren, kapag tumuloy kame walang magbabantay sa kaibigan ko, I don't want that.

"Anong kailangan mo? We agreed on canceling the investigation right?" Saad ko ng may pagtataka sa tono. Naka-casual din ito ngayon so that means wala sya sa duty, ano kaya ang pakay nito saakin?

"Yes we did. But I need to tell you this now. Hindi na ito makakapag intay pa." Lalo lamang akong na-curious. Ano naman ang sobrang urgent na kailangan pa nyang dalawin ako dito ng personal?

"Ano naman 'yon Montenegro?" Seryoso kong tanong sakanya since sobrang seryoso din kase nya ngayon.

"I need a date."  Nalaglag ang panga ko sa sinabi nya. A date? Really. You've got to be kiddin me. Akala ko naman kung ano na ang sasabihin nya. I was expecting some progress about the investigation pero eto lang pala ang sasabihin nya?

"How disappointing Montenegro. What is the date for?" Well I do need to know what the date is about, I am still the one she is asking on a date.

"Don't worry, hindi ito walabg kwentang date. I am going on a Charity ball, for an Orphanage. I dig up some informations and it led me to this certain place... the orphanage where Loren lived for five years of her life. I need you to come with me to get more datas." Napatango tango ako sa sinabi nya. May sense nga naman ang date na sinasabi nya.

"Ok. When is it?"

"Now!"

"What the hell Montenegro!"