Between those Pages ||COMPLETED||

22

Chapter Twenty Two

Months have passed and a lot of changes occur.

'Yung clinic ay hindi na araw-araw nagbubukas, alternating days na lang dahil may sakit nga si Sean and Vin and I became busy sa ospital.

Sean undergo a radiation therapy, trying to break down the tumor on her brain, naglagas na rin ang buhok niya because of it's effects.

Nung malaman niya na may ganoon siyang klaseng sakit ay hindi naman niya dinamdam, sabi niya pa ay 'With God by my side, I could surpass that.'

However, nalaman ko rin mula sa doktor niya na lumiit nga 'yung tumor pero hindi pa rin ito tuluyang nawawala.

Sabi sa amin ng neurologist niya ay kapag hindi pa rin ito tuluyang nawawala, he suggested that if we would like to, a surgery could be perform for faster results.

Tito agreed kung papayag daw si Sean, pero hindi pa namin nasasabi sa kaniya ang about sa surgery.

We're currently here on their house, sa Rizal, dahil wala daw mag-aalaga kay Sean kung doon pa rin siya titira sa condo ni Triton.

And speaking of Triton, he's nowhere to be found since the day Sean was rushed to the hospital.

Kahit si Sean, wala ring alam.

It's Sean's birthday, I shouldn't be thinking about things like this.

At bukas naman namin balak ipaalam sa kaniya ang tungkol sa progress about her condition.

Pero hanggang ngayon, hindi ko pa rin alam kung papaano namin sasabihin sa kaniya.

She seems so happy and vibrant on this day, how could we ruin that?

"Hoy, birthday na birthday ko pero para kang malulunod sa lalim ng mga iniisip mo." She snapped.

Kanina pa yata ako tulala kahit na nanonood kami ng anime.

Nilingon ko siya at ngumiti na lang pero kinunutan niya 'ko ng noo at patuloy na kumain ng ice cream.

Para naman mabaling sa iba ang atensyon niya I point out Kaneki Ken, which is her favorite character.

"Ang gwapo pala ni Kaneki, no?" I asked.

"Ano ba kasi 'yon? Alam kong guwapo si Kaneki, crush ko nga 'yan. Pero 'wag mong ibahin ang usapan." She said.

"Wala 'yun." I smiled once more at pinatuloy na ang panonood.

Kahit na hindi ko naman talaga hilig ang pinapanood, ipinakita kong giliw na giliw naman ako.

I can't let her saw me na nasasaktan ako para sa kaniya because she'll worry more about it.

I heard her sighed even if the scene is a funny one.

"If it's about my condition, please tell me."

I was shocked when she said napalingon kaagad ako.

"Ang hirap kasi... n-na wala akong k-kaalam-alam na baka hindi naman pala t-talaga ako g-gumagaling o b-baka naman mas l-lumala pa." She sobbed.

"Ssh... Don't cry, okay? It's your birthday remember?" I cheered her up pero patuloy na tumutulo ang mga luha niya.

"Please tell m-me, kahit b-bilang birthday gift na l-lang."

"Para naman alam ko kung may panghahawakan pa akong pag-asa." She said.

I hugged her when I heard what she just said.

Para akong dinudurog habang naririnig ko na nauubusan na siya ng pag-asa.

Happy and vibrant? I'm foolish thinking that she's feeling that way.

It's just a cover up, siguro para hindi kami mag-alala, at siguro para mabuhayan kami pare-pareho ng pag-asa.

"I want to live, pero paano ko magagawa 'yun kung hindi ko naman alam kung anong kinakaharap ko?"

Damn.

Ngayon ko lang na-realize that it is really unfair to her, but we kept those things dahil ayaw naming mag-alala siya.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry, Sean." I said.

"There's no need for you to be sorry. Gusto ko lang talagang malaman." Sabi niya nang kumalas siya sa pagkakayakap ko.

I nodded and smiled.

Ilang beses pa akong lumunok at bumuntong-hininga bago ko tuluyang masabi ang gusto niyang malaman.

"A surgery." I blurted.

"So, hindi gumana 'yung radiotherapy?"

"It minimized the mass, pero hindi pa tuluyang nawawala." I replied.

"Kaya sila nag-refer ng surgery?" Napatango ako sa tanong niya.

"For faster treatment." Dagdag ko.

Hindi na siya nagsalita pagkatapos. Itinuloy na lang niya ang panonood at pagkain.

At this moment, I really don't know what's going on her mind.

At ako mismo, hindi ko alam kung gusto ko bang magpa-opera siya o hindi.

But since her neuro suggested it, mas mabuti nga siguro kung gagawin niya ito.

"The 5-year relative survival rate for a specific type of brain tumor is about 70%." She said out of the blue.

"And since naagapan naman, baka mas mataas pa doon ang tyansa ko, right?" Bigla namang tanong niya sa akin pero hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko sa pagkabigla.

I don't want to give her high hopes pero tama naman siya.

She studied medicine after all.

Kaya tumango ako bilang sagot sa tanong niya kanina.

Napapikit siya, ngumiti, at bumuntong-hininga and then I saw the glimmer on her eyes the moment she looked at me.

"It gives me a string of hope, right? E 'di kukunin ko na. Hahaha." She laughed.

"I'm going through that operation, but on one condition."

"Then what is it?" I asked her.

"Ikaw 'yung mag-o-opera sa akin." She smiled.

Wait what? Ako?

She said that as if she's just asking me to buy something for her.

I've conducted a lot of tumor surgeries, including brain and spinal tumors, pero parang biglang nawala lahat ng 'yon.

I could do it on other people, but could I do that to her?

"Kung ayaw mo, okay lang naman." Sabi niya.

"Pero bakit ba kasi ako?"

I know that I'm competent to conduct such things, pero buhay niya 'yung pinag-uusapan naming dalawa.

"Bakit ikaw? Bakit naman hindi ikaw? Hahaha." Natawa pa siya.

How could she just laughed at this? For heaven's sake, it's a serious situation.

She looked at the ceiling na parang nag-iisip kung bakit ako gusto niyang mag-opera sa kaniya.

"Gusto kong ikaw kasi..." She trailed off.

"Kasi alam ko namang hindi mo ako pababayaan."