Turn The Page

Chapter 64

"Pang-sponge bath lang," echoed in July's ears when she woke up at the hospital the next day. "Juney," she said while she got up from the recliner. June was already sitting up on her hospital bed. July squinted at the mother and daughter. "What are you asking for?" She asked her friend. "Pang-sponge bath lang para sa anak ko, Julz. Look at her. Her face and her arms have some caked-up blood, hindi man lang nila nilinis ng maayos. Sabi ko ako na maglilinis," June informed her friend. July stretched her back while she made her way towards the two. "Juney naman, baka naman mabinat ka nyan ha. I'll do it," she volunteered. "Julz, I appreciate that you're here and that you want to help pero anak ko toh. I should be the one doing that for her, not you," June replied. "I know. I understand. At ayan ka nanaman eh, getting overly possessive over your kid. I can clean her up. Please. 'Wag na tayong matigas ang ulo, okay? And besides, how do you expect to give Page a sponge bath sa kalagayan mong yan? You only have one hand to depend on and I don't think you should be walking around at this state yet. You should be getting some rest. Did they serve breakfast yet?" July asked. "No, not yet," June answered. "Okay. Kumain ka na lang pagdating ng food mo while I get Page cleaned up," July instructed. She could see the hesitation in her friend's eyes. "Could you do me a favor na lang then?" June asked. "Yeah, sure. Ano yun?" July replied. "Could you just give me a hand and tatayo ako saglit," June said. "Juney," July whined with her shoulders slumped. "I just want to hug her. That's it," June said. July could hear the desperation in her voice. "You can hug her while laying down. Magkatabi na kayo oh," July replied, but June only shook her head. "I don't want to mess up the wires and every single thing connected to her. Gusto ko lang mayakap sya ng maayos. Come on, Julz. Help a friend out. You're a mother, too. Baka sakaling makatulong sa paggising ng anako ko," June said. Tears were apparent in her eyes. July sighed in return. "Eh ano pa nga ba magagawa ko, Juney?" She said to her friend. June smiled a little. "Thank you," she said. "Pag tayo naabutan ng mga nurse mo, we're both doomed," July mumbled. "Hindi yan," June tried to reassure her. July took a deep breath. "Dahan dahan lang, Juney, utang na loob," she pleaded. June slowly draped her legs down to the floor. Then she winced in pain. "Maybe we shouldn't do this," July said hesitantly. "No pain, no gain," June said. She was already out of breath. "Juney, you better not lose your balance or we'll both end up on the floor," July reminded her. "I'm being as careful as I can be, Julz," June replied. Pain immediately radiated from her legs all the way up to her waist the moment she put some weight on her feet. "O, kita mo na," July said when June bent down. It was as if she was going to fall on the floor. "Juney, this is so dangerous," July warned while she tried her hardest to hold on to her friend. June swallowed through the pain. Then she took a couple of steps towards her daughter. Everything on her body felt weak. July held on to June's waist. June bent down and gave her daughter a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Good morning, my girl. Mama's awake. Bakit ikaw hindi pa? You've always been a good sleeper. You could probably sleep all day, but this is the kind of sleep you do that I never liked. Page, gising na anak," June said. She adored her daughter very much. Everyone knows that. That's why July tried her hardest not to break down. She could only imagine the pain June was feeling. June leaned in for another kiss. This time her rib area felt a shock of pain. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "I love you," she whispered to her child. "It has always been you. It will always be you," she said as she tried to erase the thought that just came into her head of when she had asked Page to leave the house. I thought you were the one, the one line that never escaped her mind ever since it escaped her daughter's mouth. "Gising ka na ha. Anytime now, kid. Mama will be right here, just next to you, just waiting. Okay?" June said again. She leaned forward for the last time and gave Page a long and overdue hug. July rubbed her friend's back when she started sobbing. "This is not how I picture us reuniting, Julz. Not like this. Never like this," June said. Her heart ached at the sight of her daughter. "She has been through a lot. Ang dami ng pinagdaanan nitong batang toh," she added tearfully. "I know, Juney. Ikaw din naman eh. Madami ka na ding pinagdaanan. If I could take all of that away, I would," July replied. June turned her head to face her friend, but her body remained hugging her daughter. "No, Julz. I appreciate that though. Ganun din naman ako. Kung kaya ko lang din kunin ang lahat para hindi na pinagdaanan ng anak ko lahat lahat ng pinagdaanan nya, I would. But if going through all this shit is the only way I can have her in my life, then I would go through every single heartache over and over para lang makasama sya."