Chapter 2.2

When I got back inside the house while holding my bag, dad was sitting on the sofa while reading a magazine. I think he did feel my presence, kaya tumingin agad ito sa 'kin.

"Sit, nagluluto pa sila. Hihintayin muna natin si Tan," sabi ni dad kaya umupo na lang ako sa sofa at kinuha sa loob ng bag ko 'yong isang libro, saka binasa iyon.

"Still doing work while you're on your day off?" Dad asked while still looking at the magazine.

"I'm not working, I'm studying," sabi ko at binalik nalang ang tuon ko sa binabasa ko.

"Congrats to us man! Daming putak ng team na 'yun, 'di naman nila tayo matalo-talo," rinig kong sabi ng isang lalaki kaya napatingin ako sa pintuan para malaman kung sino ang pumasok ng bahay. It was Tanller with a 5 boys behind him, ng makita n’ya akong nakaupo sa sofa ay nagulat ito.

"Celebrating your win?" I asked and looked at the book I'm reading.                                       

"Sino 'yan tol? Ang ganda," rinig kong sabi ng isang lalaki.

"Are you surprised to see your sister home?" I asked and look at him. He was stunned, 'di ko alam kung ayaw niya ba akong makita or gusto.

"Sister? Kapatid mo tol? Ang ganda, pakilala mo naman ako." Narinig ko na sabi ng isa pang lalaki na kasama niya.

"A-ate, are you staying?" He asked so I closed my book to look at him.

"Why are you standing there? You don't miss me?" I asked him, and he just smiled at me. Nagulat nalang ako ng isang iglap lang ay yakap na niya ako, hinagod ko ang likod niya ng maramdaman kong tumulo ang luha niya sa balikat ko.

"Are you staying here for good?" I can hear him sniffing while saying those words.

"2nd year college, kukunin kita rito," pabulong kong sabi sa kanya kaya bumitaw siya sa pagkayakap niya sa 'kin. 

I know he doesn't want to be here, lalo na't pinipilit siya ng mommy niya. She wants Tanller to be obedient at tuta niya, Tanller only speaks what's on his mind if he’s with me. 

"Wait me in 3 months ate, ok?" Sabi niya sa 'kin ng nakangiti kaya nginitian ko siya.

"So... You win? Congrats, we should play volleyball sometimes if 'di na busy sa hospital," sabi ko sa kanya ng nakangiti. I was a volleyball player on my team when I was in High school until college.

"Sure ate, oh! by the way... This is my team, half of my team actually, 'di ko nasabi na dito kami kakain ng dinner. Is that ok?" He asked and I just nodded. I look at dad, waiting for his decision.

"No problem for me o baka gusto niyo na sa labas tayo kumain?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, sa labas tayo kumain? What do you say? Seafood restaurant?" I asked, and they look at me shyly.

"Sige bah! Oh hali na kayo! 'Wag na kayong mahiya!" Masiglang sabi ni Tanller at nauna nang lumabas at sumunod naman ang mga kasama nito sa kanya.

"Uhm... What about the food that they're making?" I asked dad.

"Don't worry, sila nalang ang kakain niyan mamaya, hali kana," sabi ni dad at nauna nang lumabas kaya linigpit ko ang bag at gamit ko bago lumabas ng bahay. 

"The same seafood restaurant," sabi ko kay dad kaya tinanguan nya nalang ako saka niya pinapasok sa kotse ang tatlong lalake sa sasakyan niya. Binuksan ko ang sasakyan ko para makapasok sina Tanller at ang dalawang kasama niya sa sasakyan ko, bago sumakay si Tanller ay kinuha niya ang bag ko.

"Hop on ate! Come on!" masayang sabi ni Tanller ng isara niya ang pinto ng sasakyan ko at saka nag seat belt, so I also get on to my car and put on a seat belt, and drive all the way to the seafood restaurant which was the last time mom, me and dad ate at the restaurant in a complete family.

Nagbubulungan ang dalawang kasama kanina ni Tanller sa likuran, pero rinig ko naman. Anong bang meron sa ‘kin?

"’Di naman ako nangangain ng tao," sabi ko sa kanilang dalawa kaya natawa nalang si Tanller na nasa gilid ko.

"May baon ka pang mga libro at first aid kit ate?" Tanller asked me confused while searching my bag.

"I have to do some research sometimes kaya palagi ko yang dala, lalo na’t may mga kasama ‘yang MRI at lab results ng mga pasyente ko sa loob. For the first aid kit it was for emergency," sabi ko saka patuloy pa rin ang pag-drive sa pamilyar na ruta.

"Doctor ka po?" A man with brown hair asked me and I just nodded at him.

"Ate, sina James at Martin nga pala. Mga kasama ko sa volleyball team namin,"pagpapakilala ni Tanller sa kanyang mga kasama. Si Martin yung nagtanong sakin habang si James naman ay may blonde na buhok.

"Can you pick it up for me?" I asked Tanller when my phone rang. It was from Keeno.

"Loudspeaker mo," sabi ko sa kanya, kaya ginawa naman niya.

I hear some noises in the background before he speaks, "Wem! The patient in room 302 had an emergency, his blood and urine were dropping. No need to come here, just tell me what to do."

"Open the page 160 on the book Tan," sabi ko kay Tan kaya ginawa naman niya.

I instructed Keeno what will he do while driving the car, I love multi-tasking kaya wala ng pressure sa 'kin na basahin ang nakasulat sa libro habang nagd-drive.

"All back to normal na Doc!" Rinig kong sabi ng nurse sa kabilang linya.

"Nurse Ejero, can you stay up all night and monitor the patient's condition? If something happens, call me," sabi ko.

"Yes, Doc." Sabi ng nurse.

"Bantayan mo si Sycanith ah," sabi ko kay Keeno.

"No need to tell me that, thank you by the way," sabi niya sa 'kin at pinatay ang tawag.

"That's a tough one," sabi ni Tanller at natawa.

“Kung nakita mo lang ang mga pasyente namin kahapon sa ER baka gusto mo na lang maging pasyente,” sabi ko kay Tan at tumawa na lang kaming dalawa sa sinabi ko.

#

Eating a dinner with Tanller's friends was fun, kaya gustong-gusto ni Tanller na lumabas kasama sila. He was being himself when he's with them.

"Here, don't loose it again," sabi ko sa kanya at binigyan si Tanller ng sapatos.

"Thank you ate! I will never lose it again, promise!" Sabi niya at triny ang sapatos na binigay ko sa kanya. 

Having a brother-sister bonding was the best, only in that way I can see Tanller's true smile. Tanller Vincent Sanchez, my brother, my friend, my best buddy, and my teammate. 

KINABUKASAN

"So how's the date, madam?" There they are again, gossiping.

"Wem!" Tawag ni Sycanith sa 'kin nang makita niya ako, so I stopped on my tracks.

"Wala na, 'di niya ako gusto. Hulaan mo sino gusto n’ya," sabi ni Sycanith sa 'kin.

"I have no time for predicting something I don't want to know," sabi ko sa kaniyang habang binabasa ang result ng patient ko.

"Ikaw ang gusto nya bestie, my gosh! magkaka love-life ka na rin," she squealed like a fangirl of that guy or something, I just rolled my eyes at her.

"And what? what does it to me if he likes me?" sabi ko sa kanya.

"Luh, totoo nga 'yong humor," an intern nurse said and I just walked away.

"Tell to me what happened to your date on lunch," sabi ko kay Sycanith at pumunta na sa pasyente ko.

I was eating my lunch when suddenly Sycanith sat beside me, so I looked at her, she was looking at me weirdly with her smile.

"What happened?" I asked her while still eating my lunch.

"He talks about you all night, should I say WE talked about you all night," sabi niya sa 'kin.

"What about we go out and have some fun later, we'll not drink ok?' sabi niya sa 'kin. I really missed going out and having some fun.

"I'll check my schedule," sabi ko sa kanya.

"Yey!" sabi niya at kumain na, kaya hinintay ko nalang siyang matapos para sabay na kaming pumunta ng ER.

I found out that I have a clear schedule till tomorrow at 10:30 am. kaya pumayag akong sumama sa kanila ni Keeno, we're here now inside the club. I'm dancing with Keeno and Sycanith on the dance floor, I missed this feeling. 

In the loud audience, I hear Sycanith mumble something, "Saan na ba siya?"

Pumukaw ng attention ko ang nagkakagulong tao, habang hawak-hawak ang kanilang mga cellphone so me, Keeno, and Sycanith step out on the dance floor and squeezed ourselves on many people to see what's happening.

Nagulat nalang ako ng makita kong bumubula ang bibig ng isang lalaki ngunit walang tumutulong o tumatawag man lang ng ambulansya.

"Sycanith cover for us, and call the ambulance," sabi ko kay Sycanith at pinuntahan ang lalaki at tiningnan ito, he still has a pulse but it's already slow. Keeno and I look at each other when we know what is the reason why the man is unconscious.

"Poison," both of us said in synchronization.

"I'll call the police and lock all the passages, take care of it," sabi niya sa 'kin at umalis kaya ginamot ko nalang ang lalaki ng maalala kong may first aid kit pala sa bag ko kaya kinuha ko iyon.

"Sir, can you hear me? Sir! I want you to wake up," sigaw ko sa kaniya at halos lahat ng tao ata ay naririnig ang sinabi ko dahil wala ng music dahil sa nangyayari.

A minute had passed and a manager came while I was trying to take the man to sit, "What are you doing?" 

"We're a medical personnel, sir," sabi ng kakarating lang na si Keeno.

The man is already conscious so I asked him to spit out everything he drank or ate in the plastic bag I gave him, and he puked.

And then a man suddenly fell so I immediately checked his pulse and he was not breathing anymore so I started CPR, until he breathed again. After that, I lay the man on their side with a cushion behind his back and his upper leg pulled slightly forward, so he doesn't fall on his face or roll backward.

That night was chaotic, the police also identified that the man who poisoned the man was one of the bartenders and the man I saved was his grandfather, he was angry with his grandfather because of her mother's death. After that night, I slept tired in my bed.