✔ The Casanova's Angel (Filipino Novel)

Kabanata 45

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Nakatulala ako ngayon sa puting pader sa harap ko. Everything just feels nostalgic. The white hospital walls, the beeping, the hallway, the nurses, doctors and people in general. Not too long ago, nandito din ako sa scene na ito. At baliktad kami ni Nic.

I was in the bed. Not him.

"Here."

Tumigil ang pagrereminisce ko nang tapikin ako ni David ng isang cup of coffee. Kinuha ko ito at nagpasalamat. Nandito na siya nung  dumating kami dito, talking to the doctor in charge. Sa pagkakaalam ko ay wala na sa critical condition si Nic. Ang problema lang namin ay hindi nila ma guarantee kung kelan siya magigising kasi malakas ang pagkabangga on his side and he suffered head trauma. Hindi pa namin alam ang full details ng aksidente kung bakit siya andun at ano ang pupuntahan niya.

"Bro!" Pumasok si Chris and Trevor sa kwarto at naalala ko yung noon. Kami kami din lang. Except this time, may kasunod sa likod nila.

Just like the first time I saw her, she looked really beautiful even in a hospital gown. Mayroong bandage sa ulo niya at nakakabit ang dextrose sa kanang kamay.

Amira. My cousin.

She looked at me and Nickko's friends. Despite her state, I can see a glint of hatred in her eyes. Lalo na pag saakin siya nakatingin. Hindi siya nagsalita, just observing us. Pero nung nakita niya si Nic, naiyak siya. She rushed into the bed and sat on the chair beside it. Hinimas niya ang mga sugat ni Nic while crying.

She looked.....like his fiancee.

And I was jealous. Hindi ko maalis ang pagkakaselos ko ng makita ko iyon. She had her chance. Kahit hindi ko alam kung ano nangyari sakanila, she is his past and I'm his present. May karapatan ako to stake the claim and be protective of my man.

But I'm still a human being. Hindi ko pwedeng ipagdamot si Nickko, lalo na't hindi ko alam kung bakit magkasama sila nung aksidente. So I remained calm and in the sidelines while she cries for the man I love.

For the man we both love.

Ilang minuto ang nakalipas ng biglang pumasok ang doktor with my aunt. Nagkatinginan kami but she acted like I was somebody she loathed. Actually lahat kami pati sila David, hindi niya pinansin na para bang wala kami sa loob ng kwarto. Ni ang pagkamay ni David ay hindi niya pinansin. Biglaan niya nalang sinabi saamin na hindi kami pwede sa loob ng kwarto na siya namang ikinagulat namin.

"Pero.." ang bungad ko na nagdulot ng mas lalong masamang tingin from them.

"Excuse me po. Ms. Elliot, with all due respect, we're here not only as Nickko's friends but also his closest family as well." David intervened.

"I understand completely, sir. But as his attending doctor, I will politely ask for all of  you to leave. We don't know what happened yet. This woman is claiming that she is his fiancée and they were both in the accident together. Until then, you are exposing the patient into unnecessary stress."

"Excuse me, we will leave because you asked us politely."  Ang sabi ko sa doctor and then facing my Aunt, "But we all know what you just fed the doctor are all complete lies. Amira is his ex-fiancée, I am his current girlfriend." And with that, I walked out of the room. 

I didn't know what came over me pero after the rush parang nanghina ako at napaupo sa labas ng kwarto. Naiinis ako kasi wala ako magawa sa mga nangyayari. We don't have any information about what happened. Bakit sila magkasama? Saan sila pupunta? Ano ang nangyari? 

"It's going to be okay." 

Tumingin ako sa tabi ko, hindi ko namalayan na andito na pala sila ni Chris, surrounding me like I'm also included in their group - very heartwarming. We started from strangers and now we're just like family guarding each other's back and in this moment I knew I couldn't ask for more. 

just Nic's recovery. 

Seconds turned to minutes turned to hours. 

5 hours to be exact. Papalit palit sila Chris sa pag dala ng food and drinks while I constantly wait outside. outside. Kanina pa kami nasa labas as per   the doctor's instruction while both she devils were inside. Hindi na namin pinilit to avoid the impending fight. Nickko needs the peace he has right now and even if I wanted to be there beside him, I'll give him the peace he needs.

After a couple of hours more, we heard Amira's voice, "He's awake!"

And all hell broke loose. Within minutes, nurses and the doctor bombarded the room. Checking his vital signs. Sumisilip lang kami nila David, hoping to get a glimpse of him. Pagkatapos nila icheck si Nickko ay agad ako pumunta sa tabi niya. 

"Nic!" I called, holding his warm hand between mine. "Gising ka na." And for the first time since I got here, my tears flowed. His right hand wiped off some of it away and I thought everything was okay until I heard him speak. 

"Who are you?"

___________

HAPPY HOLIDAYS GUYS!

We're almost at the end of the road. Thank you sa pagbabasa this entire year. Maraming maraming salamat.