Chapter 2: His Assignment Is Her

"What? Keilah Olivarez?! He can't marry that woman." Kouen's voice echoes in the four corners of the room, they just arrived at the office of Mr. Rio Chavez, Rogue's father. Sinalubong sila ng nakakagulat na task at alam ni Kouen na kapag masyado ng may kinalaman sa personal ay hindi papayag si Rogue. Paulit-ulit niyang sinulyapan ng tingin ang kaibigan na ngayon ay pasimpleng naka-upo sa couch at ngumunguya ng burger.

"I've heard about her, ang sama raw ng ugali non." reklamo pa ni Kouen. "I assume Rogue will be needing my help, Mr. Chavez." He sat on the chair and waited for the old man to response, he wants to assure that Rogue will be doing good with the said task. Nasanay na rin siyang palagi silang mag kasama sa mga tasks na hina-handle nila kung kaya ay alam niyang may mga pagkakataon na nag da-drama ang kaibigan.

"No, he will be doing it alone. It is a special task for him." Kouen's even more surprised when he heard the boss' response. He glanced at Rogue's direction and he seems so fine with it, parang kanina lang ay halos hindi siya makapag salita dahil sa sobrang gulat. It seems that Rogue finally managed to accept the fact that he will be handling the task alone, he has to obey his father's orders. It's the best thing that he could do to please him, he has been trying to do it for years now, even since he was a child. Rogue left everything behind, even his own identity.

"How about me, sir? Are there any tasks assigned for me to do?" Kouen's not in his usual self, nagiging makulit siya ngayon dahil alam niyang hindi maayos ang loob ni Rogue. They haven't rested for weeks now, both of them want to have a short time for themselves to relax and compose their mind. Masyadong nakakapagod ang mga assignments nila lately, mabuti nalang at sinanay na sila simula bata palang.

Rogue momentarily glanced at their direction, with his boring looks he let his eyes meet his father. "Are these all the infos that I need to have my entrance?" He asked and his father nodded.

"I'll let you know about your next task tomorrow morning, I bet both of you are exhausted. Still, nagawa niyo pa rin ang assignment ng maayos. You deserve a reward for that." Mr. Chavez leaned on his swivel chair and looked at the two boys in front of him, parang sa tuwing nakikita niya ang dalawa ay naaalala niya ang mga panahon na mga bata pa lamang ito.

"You can now go and rest in your rooms, the cash will be sent to your bank accounts."

Rogue stood up and headed himself to the exit, he obviously left his meal on the table and went outside of the office with the details on his hand. He wants to dig deeper onto the new task already, but he wants to have a long rest at the same time. Hanggang ngayon ay nagtataka siya kung bakit sakanya pa binigay ang ganoong misyon, alam naman ng ama niya na ayaw na ayaw niyang ma-involved sa kahit anong personal deals katulad ng marriage, Rogue is certainly aware that it's like putting a chain on his neck. He knows how it feels like to be caged, at alam niyang ganoon rin ang pakiramdam kapag ikinasal sa hindi niya gusto.

"Fvck this night."

Kouen followed him while running along the hall of the mansion, "Wait up, Rogue!"

_______

"Doctor Keilah?" A nurse came inside the hospital office and called the attention of a woman who sat in her favorite spot while facing the amusing scenery from outside the window. Sinadya niyang piliin ang pwesto na ito para gawing office niya dahil alam niyang kakalma siya sa tuwing nakikita ang ganda ng kalangitan at dagat na tila magkatagpo sa dulo.

"Yes? How can I help you?" She turned her swivel chair to face the nurse who patiently waits for her response. Napansin niyang tila kabado ito kung kaya ay sinenyasan niya itong maupo muna. "Did something happen?" Tanong niya muli.

"Doc. Pinapatawag po kayo ng CEO, andoon na rin po ang ibang mga doktor at nag hihintay sa presensya mo."

Keilah Olivarez knew that something is off. Kilalang kilala na niya ang mga galaw ng tao sa loob ng hospital na pag mamay-ari nila, alam niyang may maling nangyayari sa loob lalo na sa paraan ng pag manage ng CEO. Her life became prone to harm and she wants to know who's behind it, she won't let anyone steal her life in an instant, gusto niyang unahan sila.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, thank you." The nurse had her exit and Keilah looked herself in the mirror, "I can't believe a beautiful woman like me afford to live around wolves," she asserted and fix her dark hair. She stood up from her seat and led her way to the doorway, she went to the sixth floor where the conference would be held. She used the elevator and encountered the patients and co-workers along the hall.

They greeted her with warm smiles and she did the same. When she arrived in her destination, Keilah opened the door and their cold presence welcomed her. Maraming mga mata ang nakatingin sa kanya, at mahahalatang pinag iinitan siya ng mga ito. "Finally, you're here miss Keilah." One of the doctors said and her voice is filled with sarcasm.

"Shall we start?" Sambit nila.

Keilah loves it when she's gaining too much attention, she always comes late in their meeting and she does it on purpose. Alam niya kasing mas lalo lamang silang maiinis dahil sa pinag gagawa ng dalaga. "What are the highlights for today's meeting?" She asked which made the rest of the team looked at her again. "What? It's better to know the core of this conference, ayoko sinasayang ang oras ko."

Hindi na nakayanan ng isang doktor ang naging reaksyon ng dalaga, "We are not wasting your time, doctor. This is honestly part of our job, so why are you showing such an act?" Khloe Olivarez is firm in her words, sumang-ayon naman sa kanya ang iba.

"My point is, I don't like to blend in with unmindful people." Her average response would be like this, Keilah is blunt in her speech and she doesn't really care about anyone's reaction. She says what she has to say, and she do what she mostly likes to do. Keilah Olivarez is born that way, a flawed deity.

"What are you trying to say, miss?" Even the elders of their team didn't like the way she answered them.

"I think it is inappropriate to talk in such manner, especially at kaharap mo ang CEO at ibang elders ng team."

Keilah pretended as if she was surprised by what she just said earlier, she looked at them with her wide smiles, the fake ones. "Did I offended you? My bad."

"Enough with that immaturity!" Natahimik ang lahat nang mag salita ang CEO, nakaupo siya sa dulo ng meeting hall habang galit na nakatingin sa kanyang apo. "Are you going to behave that way in front of my people? Ganyan ka ba pinalaki?" Hindi na niya nakayanan ang ugaling pinapakita ng apo, hindi niya aakalain na ganito ito umasta sa harapan niya.

"Serves you right," ani ng kapatid na si Kacie.

Keilah simply rolled her eyes and fix her stuff, she triggered them to bite her back and she is satisfied with it. Marunong naman siyang makisama pero kung ganitong tao ang nasa paligid niya, hindi niya magawang itapon ang tiwala niya ng basta-basta.

A Khloe Olivarez, a Gynecologist stood up and spoke, "The board members have decided to finally accept the client's request for their family member who suffered cervical cancer." She distributed a file to support her speech. However, when Keilah heard of it, she knew that something was off.

When the a file of documents reached her, she hurriedly let her hands flipped the pages of it and scanned the entire document about the said patient. "What do you mean they need to dispose her?" Her sister was interrupted in her reports when Keilah throws a question.

"I'm sorry?" Annoyance could be heard in Khloe's voice, having an exasperating sister could be this tough not just for her but for everyone. Kulang nalang ay itanggi niyang kapatid niya ito, kahit kailan ay hindi siya natutuwa sa inaasal nito sa harapan nila. Kung iisipin, si Keilah ang palaging humahadlang sa pag unlad ng ospital nila.

"The client doesn't want Mrs. Alvaro to suffer any longer, they trusted us to do this job at kagustuhan ng pamilya na kitilin ang buhay niya. We need to satisfy our clients, or else our business will bagdown!"

"I'm sorry but I still don't get it, anong klaseng doktor tayo kung imbes na tulungan natin ang pasyente ay pinapalala lang natin ang kalagayan nila?" Hindi pa rin nagpatalo ang dalaga, muling sinakop ang buong silid ng sunod-sunod na bulungan ng mga co-workers nila.

"Anong klaseng utak iyan, doktora? Gusto mo bang mas magdusa ang pasyente? Mamamatay rin naman siya, and we are doing every possibility to cure and help our patients."

The atmosphere suddenly shifted, and the whispers and reactions from the rest of the team grow even wilder. Mas lalo namang uminit ang ulo ng dalaga dahil sa narinig, "Hindi ako nag aral para rito."

"Say what you want to say, Keilah but you won't know the feeling because you're not in their shoes. The clients requested for this, sino tayo para tanggihan? They're paying us and we are doing our job." Tumayo na rin ang nakababata nitong kapatid at kinalaban siya, He is Karter Olivarez, the youngest sibling and is working as a Psychiatrist. He doesn't really care about the issues but whenever money is involved, he just can't say no.

Kacie Olivarez, the Ophthalmologist and Khloe's twin sister didn't want to miss a single moment, she wants to say whatever that comes up inside her mind. "Wether you like it or not, we will still grant the client's wish. Kung ayaw mo sa trabaho natin, umalis ka sa ospital na 'to."

"Oh come on, we're not genies! We are a damned doctor!" Mas lalo lamang lumala ang galit na nararamdaman ng dalaga. Her mind is messed up that she completely forgotten to tame her tongue, a lot of indecisive thoughts are coming in and she wants to slap them real hard.

"I said enough!" Silence filled the air when the CEO stood up and slammed the table. "How dare you behave so artless in front of me?!" The board members hurriedly calmed her down, the mannerless behavior she witnessed from her grandchildren made her rankled. She couldn't afford watching them exchanging offensive words, and she made the team worried. Mrs. Kamila Olivarez barely gasped for air, and her body began to shake out of the tension she felt.

"Mrs. Olivarez!"

"Look what you've done, Keilah." Khloe gritted her teeth in dismayed and walk passed her sister.

Before they could altogether went nearby the old woman, a nurse suddenly swung the door open and caught their attention. "Doctor! Mr. Campbell from room 309 is having seizures!"

"What?!" Chaos filled the entire place. Mas inuna pa nilang icheck si Mrs. Kamila at halos hindi na mapansin ang sinabi ng kararating lang na nurse.

"Ako na pupunta," Keilah turned her back and followed her co-worker. But before she could finally had her exit, one of the surgeons stopped her.

"Hayaan mo na, doc. Mangyayari ang dapat mangyari," sambit nito pero hinawi ng dalaga ang kamay nito.

"Iba ako sa inyo," diin nitong sambit at umalis.

Matapos niyang talikuran ang mga kasamahan, nagmamadali siyang nagtungo sa floor ng nasabing room. Maging ang ibang mga nurse ay pinag tulungan na ang pasensya para kumalma. "What happened?" Sinalubong niya ng tanong ang isa sa mga naka-assigned para mag painom ng gamot sa 3rd floor.

"Sinabihan po ako ng head nurse na i-introduce itong gamot sa kanya kaso mga ilang segundo lang bigla na po siyang nag seizure."

Mas lalo pang lumapit si Keilah sa pasyente at binasa ang pangalan ng gamot na ininject ng nurse. "Hindi ito ang gamot na para sa kanya, mag re-react ang katawan ng pasyente dahil pina-pataas nito ang risk ng hypertension." Nagulat ang ibang nurses na nandoon at mabilis na inasikaso ang klayente na nag sisimula nang mag bleeding.

Keilah quickly checked the other medication from the medicine tray, she monetarily paused when she saw the one she has been looking for. She hurriedly took the vial and place it in a 3cc syringe. Her feels like it's about to jump out of nervousness, she has to save this person's life no matter what happens. Without any warning, she inserted the medicament on the patient's IV cannula to deliver the medication on the person's body. "Please, live..." She might appear calmed but her knees are about to tremble out of anxiety, hindi niya makakayang makasaksi na naman ng taong nag aagaw buhay. Kahinaan niya ang makitang naghihirap ang mga pasyente nila kung kaya ay ganoon nalang ang reaksyon niya nang malaman ang pina-plano ng mga head ng ospital.

The patient stopped from his seizures, the nurse proceeded to check the vital signs and assured the patient's health. "Mahina po ang heartbeat ng pasyente!"

"Attached defibrillators!"

They continued to monitor the patient's heart rate, ngunit mas lalo lamang itong humihina. "Sir? Naririnig niyo po ba ako?" Keilah already applied to the CPR machine to revive the man's life, but unfortunately, habang patuloy na minonitor ang heartbeat nito, tila huminto ang mundo ng dalaga nang marinig niya ang mga sinabi ng kasamahan.

"Doc. Nag stop po ang heartbeat ng pasyente!"

"Huwag kayong titigil!"

Pinagpatuloy ni Keilah ang ginagawa kahit pinipigilan niya sa pagpatak ang mga luha. Biglang itinigil ng mga tauhan ang ginagawa kung kaya ay nagtatakang lumingon ang dalaga nang mapansin niyang may paparating sa room. "I told you to never meddle in our plans, Keilah. Hindi ka ba talaga maka-intindi?" Sunod-sunod na dumating ang ibang doktor na naka-handle sa pasyente at sumunod naman ang mga nurse sakanila.

"Mrs. Kamila will be hiring a new surgeon to replace you, you failed in your job Keilah. Alam naman nating iba ang purpose ng hospital na 'to, kung hindi mo matanggap 'yon, then you better leave." Tagos na tagos sa puso niya ang sinabi ng kapatid, pero mas nangingibabaw pa rin ang inis niya.

'Kung hindi nila magawang iligtas ang buhay ng mga pasyente dito, edi ako ang gagawa.' sambit niya sa isipan niya at hinayaan ang mga doktor na pumasok sa room upang idouble-check ang sitwasyon ng pasyente.

"You can't get rid of me, uunahan ko kayo."