The Wicked Doctor

73: Pulmonary Aspiration

Pulmonary aspiration is the entry of material such as secretions, food or drink, or stomach contents from the or , into the (voice box) and , the portions of the from the (windpipe) to the lungs. A person may inhale the material, or it may be delivered into the during . When pulmonary aspiration occurs during eating and drinking, the aspirated material is often colloquially referred to as "going down the wrong pipe."

Consequences of pulmonary aspiration range from no injury at all, to or , to death within minutes from asphyxiation. These consequences depend on the volume, chemical composition, particle size, and presence of infectious agents in the aspirated material, and on the underlying health status of the person.

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I sat on the kitchen counter and downed my first bottle of beer. Inabot ko ang pangalawang bote sa kaliwa ko at binuksan ito. 

I need to fix my game plan now. Paulit-ulit na rin lang itong ginagawa ko, aba kailangan kong mag-isip nang maayos at baka umasa pa yung taong iniwan kong natutulog sa kama ko. Ayoko nang bumalik sa dati. Ayoko nang masaktan nang sobra sobra at mabaliw dahil may anak na akong dapat isipin. 

"Tell me what I should do, Rae. Just ... show yourself. Multuhin mo naman ako, please." I told myself after sipping on my beer. 

I am not one who believes in ghosts but when my husband died, I wished that my husband had become a ghost. Gusto ko pa siyang makita at makasama pero kahit nakagawa na ako ng mga kalokohan wala pa ring Raven na nagparamdam sa akin. 

I touched his photo which sat on my left side, right beside the empty bottle of beer and sighed. I took the frame and kissed it, raising my bottle. "I'm cheating on you, right?" I sighed.

"Cheers, my love. To my fucked up life after you."

I shook my head and drank from my bottle. 

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Terrence

I turned on my tummy and felt the empty space beside me. Kinusot ko ang mata ko at lumingon lingon sa paligid ko para humanap ng wall clock  pero walang kahit na anong relo sa kwarto. I took my phone from the bedside table and saw that it was only eleven in the evening.

Nasaan na naman ang babaeng yun? 

I wore my boxers and my pants but didn't wear my top. Hahanapin ko muna yung babaeng mahilig tumakas. 

Nagmamadali akong bumaba dahil baka umalis na naman siya.

But I was dead wrong. She didn't leave. She's still here. 

Nadatnan ko siyang nakaupo sa kitchen counter at umiinom ng beer, nakasuot ng bathrobe at may nakalagay na picture ni Raven sa tabi niya. 

I breathed a sigh of relief and placed my hands on my waist. "Himala hindi ka umalis." 

Lumingon siya sa direksyon ko at nagtaas ng kilay. "Why would I leave? This is my house, Dr. Laine. If anyone should leave, it's you. Adik ka talaga." 

She was about to down her bottle of beer but I snatched it from her hand and drank it myself. Inubos ko ito sa isang lagok at ibinaba sa tabi niya. Nahagip ng mata ko ang picture ni Raven kaya kinuha ko ito. 

"Good looking guy you chose right there, An. Was he any good in bed though?" I mocked her. 

"Of course he is. Why would I choose to marry a lame faggot? He's got everything. Good looking, smart, fun and down right good in bed kaya nga may anak kami, di ba? Don't you ever dare mock my husband." Maanghang niyang sagot.