Destiny's Game

13

They entered and rode the same elevator. They also got off on the same floor and walked toward the same wing. However, when they got to the nurses' station, one took the left corridor, and the other turned to take the right corridor.

An hour passes and they see each other again at the nurses' station. The older one was talking to the nurses when the younger one came out from one of the rooms.

"Daf? Daffy? Daniel Faulkerson?"

General Daniel Faulkerson, Rj's beloved grandfather, turned, "Yes?"

"Mendoza...Teodoro Mendoza...Ted Mendoza..." Tatay said, pointing to himself. He recognized his former school mate. They were in the same hospital elevator. "Sabi ko na na ikaw yung kasabay ko sa elevator kanina. Bakit ka andito? Sino dinadalaw mo?"

"Ah, oo! Kamusta ka na? Sino ang..." the general took a moment to recall who just called him by his highschool nickname.

"Yung apo ko...si Menggay...ikaw?"

"Si Kakoy, yung apo ko rin"

"Ah, anong nangyari?"

"Aksidente sa soccer field. Kamusta naman ang apo mo?"

"Sabi nung duktor, UTI. Biglang tumaas ang lagnat kahapon kaya dinala na namin dito agad..."

"Talaga? Kahapon din lang na-admit yung apo ko..."

The two grandfathers moved away from the nurses' station and chatted at the hospital's coffee shop.

---

"Ma..." Rj turned to look at his mom. He had been staring at the ceiling since he woke up from his nap.

"How do you feel?"

"When can I go home?"

"In a few days..."

"Will I be able to play soccer again?"

"You'll have to take it easy for a while until your fracture heals" Pops said.

Rj stared up at the ceiling again; he was angry. He was running after the ball when another boy run toward him and kicked him on the shin instead of kicking the ball. Because Rj tried to avoid colliding with Paolo, he 'flew' over the boy and made a bad landing on his foot. He could barely walk from the field so his parents picked him up from the park, leaving his bike. Rj complained of pain on his foot and he couldn't put any pressure on it. By morning, he developed a fever so his parents decided to rush him to the ER suspecting an infection.

After an examination and several x-rays, it was determined that Rj had fractured his foot. It was immediately put in a cast and was admitted to hospital to avoid further infection and manage his temperature.