Pieces of Pastiche

Kabanata 33

Kabanata 33

Kumain kami ni Lorenz kasama si Aurora. Sandro's home, taking care of Jess. Grabe talga ang mga pagbabago. Ngayon, both my guy bestfriends have additional responsibilities and priorities to take care off.

"Nakapag usap na kayo?" Aurora asked, I just smiled weakly at her.

"I saw you doing his stitches last night." utas ni Lorenz. Aurora raised her brows at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Yun lang yon. Literal na tinahi ko lang yung sugat niya. We didn't talk."

Tumango tango lang si Lorenz sa akin. Mukhang nag iisip. Malalim ang tingin niya sakin na parang may ineexpect na sabihin ko. I rolled my eyes. Tinapik ko naman siya.

"Seryoso." Pagaassure ko. I picked up my fork and started eating again.

"Are you okay?" tanong ni Aurora. I nodded.

"I'm okay."  I said to her but more on convincing myself that I am okay. Besides, bat naman ako di magiging okay?

Pagkatapos ng lunch namin ay dumiretso na ko kay Dr. Aldea. Pinapasok naman na ko kaagad ng sekretarya niya.

"My prized possession Neurosurgeon!" bati niya. Awkward akong ngumiti. Napailing na lang sa matanda.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Aldea." Pormal kong bati.

Nagusap lang kami tungkol sa pagbabalik ko. I signed my contract too. Kinamusta niya rin sa akin si Dr. Buckingham. I never thought na close nga talaga sila.

"It seems to me that you changed a lot Dr. Wildrige. Your stay in America did a wonderful job at you. It was a great loss to the hospital but as Dr. Houston mentioned, you will always come back to Crimson and you just did. Inisip ko na lang talaga na nagtraining ka lang dun sa Amerika and I am really hoping that you won't sign a contract again. Kaya laking tuwa ko nung nalaman ko kay Dr. Buckinghan na hindi ka pumirma." I smiled at Dr. Aldea but the thought of Archer believing that I will come back lingered on my mind. Paano niya nalaman iyon? Na babalik ako? I was sure I won't come back unless the threat for him is over. 

Nag usap pa kami. Mga aayusin ko sa department ko, lists of consultants under my department and other changes in the hospital. Marami rami iyon at natuwa naman akong nag improve ang ospital lalo. Its capital and earning tripled after my mission at Africa. Kamusta na kaya sila? Sometimes, naiisip kong bumalik doon. In America, they call me the little Mother Theresa.

Nung matapos ang meeting ko, agad akong kinabahan. I don't know, being around Archer makes me damn nervous. Maybe I know na may kasalanan ako sa kanya pero hindi ko alam.

I sat by the sofa. Ang sabi ng sekretarya ay may kameeting pa daw si Archer sa loob. I look at my watch and it's 5 minutes before 4 so I figured,  baka masyado lang akong maaga.

"Doc, gusto mo ba ng juice or coffee? Hindi ko rin po alam bakit hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa tapos ang meeting ni Dr. Houston." kahit medyo naiinis na, I smiled perfectly at his Secretary. Umiling ako saka pinasiklop ang mga daliri ko.

"No, it's okay. I just hope it is more important than our meeting because we can't be late at the general meeting with the department heads of ER department. Especially he is the Head of the ER Department." hindi ko napigilang magpakasarcastic. We are fifteen minutes late for this brief meeting. Kapag thirty minutes na at wala pa din siya talagang aalis ako.

Maya maya pa, the door from his office opened. Lumabas doon si Archer kasama ang doctor na nakasama ko kahapon. She was smiling and laughing from what Archer has just said. Nakaramdam ako ng irita dahil tatawa tawa pa sila eh late na nga kami!

I stood up and held my head high. Mas matangkad ako sa babae lalo na dahil sa suot kong stiletto. She smiled at me when she saw me.

"Oh, Dr. Wildrige. You have a meeting with Archer?"

Okay, Archer. Not Elijah but isn't it unprofessional? Dapat Dr. Houston!

Really, Quinn?

Sumeryoso bigla ang mukha ni Archer nung makita ako. Gusto kong umirap kung hindi ko lang biglang naalala na may kasalanan nga pala ako sa kanya. On the second thought, I did it for him and not for me!

"Yes, and we're 20 minutes late." 

Nagulat ang babae sa sinabi ko, nawala ang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi. I didn't mean to be sarcastic to her pero hindi ko na napigilan. Nakakaasar lang na ang aga aga ko rito tapos makikita ko silang nagtatawanan lang pala. I have more important things to do than to sit here and watch them have the time of their life.

"Uh, I gotta go Archer. I'll text you later."

Umalis ang doctora. Archer glared at me bago ako tinalikuran.

"Let's go."

Irap irap ka diyan! Bakit, naistorbo ko kayo ng babae mo?!

Kakaasar. Ako pa susungitan ngayon parang ako ang nalate ah?

Pag pasok ko sa opisina niya, ganun pa rin ang itsura. His table was at the left side of the room. May sofa sa kanan at puro medical books sa harapan. May pinto sa kaliwa rin papunta sa examination room kung nasaan ang examination bed. My face heated when I remembered what we did inside that room. So much for reminiscing, Quinn.

"Take your seat." utos pa niya sa isang malamig na boses.

Nakaupo ako doon. Limang munuto na ang lumipas pero naglilipat lang naman siya ng papeles. Unti unti ay naiirita nanaman ako.

"What, do I sit here just to watch you turn your pages?" I asked sarcastically. Umangat ang tingin niya sakin. Hindi siya nagsasalita. Okay, silent treatment? Really? How unprofessional. I don't think he will make an appointment for a meeting with a doctor and make him sit here and just give them silence. I am pretty sure na pinepersonal na niya to. At naaasar ako doon. I just want to work peacefully but having him around won't make it possible.

"You know what? We don't need to do this meeting today if you're busy. I won't go anywhere, anyway." sabi ko habang tumatayo. Tinitignan niya ko na parang naghahamon. His brows shoot up and his lips turned into a smirk.

"You don't want this meeting, huh?" he said in a very cold voice. Sinara niya ang folder at tumayo. Lumapit siya ng dahan dahan papunta sakin kaya kumabog ang dibdib ko. My hands trembled a bit pero hindi ako napatalo. I also glared at him.

"You won't go anywhere? Really.." he said and it nearly sound as a growl.

Hindi ko alam pero pakiramdam ko talaga pinepersonal niya na to. I bit my lower lip.

"Can't we work professional around here? Kung may problema ka sakin at sa nangyare noon, I'm sorry. Taon na ang lumipas. Can't we move on?"

Hindi ko alam bakit ko iyon sinabi. Gusto kong malaman niya na hindi ako bumalik rito dahil may inaasahan ako para sa amin. I don't want him to think like that.

Ang tapang mong sabihin sa kanyang can't we move on eh ikaw nga hindi pa nakakamove on!

Kumunot ang noo niya at kitang kita ko ang pagbabago ng mga mata niya. Naging galit iyon at sarkastiko siyang tumawa.

"Just like that, Dr. Wildrige? Kung may problema ako sa'yo at sa nangyare noon? Sorry? You don't have any remorse for doing what you did before? You really think the years will just magically erase those?"

Hindi ko alam pero biglang umurong ang dila ko. I can feel my heart beating so loud. Natahimik ako. I wanted to take everything back but I don't have the courage to do so.

Akala ko ba ieexplain mo? Bakit di mo magawa ngayon?

Kasi may magbabago ba? Wala namang magbabago. He will still hate me for what I did so what's the point of everything?

"Do you want to have the meeting or not?" tanging nasabi ko. Sarkastiko siyang napailing. Tumalikdo siya sakin at may kinuha sa lamesa niya. Initsa niya sa lamesa sa harapan ko ang folder.

"Review those. You'll be on deck for 3 weeks and all the pending emergency surgeries for the head assigned to me will be transferred to you since you're magically here. You may now leave, Dr. Wildrige."