Chapter 4

He's Jed, together with a child?!

Dali dali akong tumayo upang tulungan sila, sugatan ang bata na kasama niya, buhat-buhat niya ito at nilapag agad sa nakalatag na kumot pagkarating niya sa amin.

"What happened?" Kalmadong tanong ni Rye ng mailapag na ni Jed ang sugatang bata. 

Tumingala ito sa'min bago dahan dahang tumayo at pinagsalikop ang mga palad. "We're attacked by some stranger, they're looked like zombies, they're even acting like one." pagpapaliwanag nito.

Kumunot ang aking noo sa narinig. Zombies? That's impossible.

"What do you mean?" Biglang sabad ni Ace. 

Kinakabahang tumingin si Jed kay Ace. Maybe he still haven't gotten over with the fact that Ace almost broke his arm. I chuckled inside my mind.

"T-They're acting weird, Ace. They're attacking us mindlessly. They seemed controlled by something or perhaps... someone?" Pag aalangan pa niya.

Napatingin naman kami kay Rye ng bigla itong kinwelyuhan si Jed. "Are you talking bullshits right now? I swear Jed, if you are. Then I will kill you on the spot." Galit na sabi nito bago binitawan ang damit ni Jed.

I sighed at the sight in front of me. "Enough, you two." Pagsaway ni Marj, wari nakakaramdam na din ng pagkairita. "If Jed is lying, we could deal with him later. But for now, we need to find out first if he's telling the truth or not. If it's true, then we are in grave danger." Pag awat ni Marj sa dalawa.

Aalis na sana ako ngunit biglang hinawakan ni Jed ang aking braso. Nagtataka ko naman siyang tiningnan, pero bago pa ito makapagsalita, hinatak ako ni Rye palayo sa kanya. Kaya nabitawan niya ako sa pagkabigla. Pati din naman ako nabigla sa biglang inasta ni Rye.

"Where are you taking me?" Tanong ko rito ng medyo may distansya na kami sa kumpol ng mga tao. 

Bumuntong hiningi ito bago tumigil at humarap sa'kin. "I need you to stay away from him." Madiing sabi nito.

Napakunot naman ang aking noo sa biglaan niyang turan. "What? Why do I have to stay away from him?" Pagtatanong ko sa kanya.

Alam kong naiirita siya, kasi halatang halata ito sa bukas ng kanyang mukha. "Just do as I said." Napabuntong hinga nalang ako ng mag walk out ito at lumayo sa grupo.

Bumalik ako kela Marj para sana pag usapan 'yong sinabi ni Jed kanina. Pagkarating ko sa kanila, kanya kanya silang tingin ng malayo habang malalim ang iniisip. Maybe they are also thinking whether Jed is telling the truth or just spitting nonsensical things.

Kung ako ang tatanungin, hindi talaga kapani-paniwala ang sinabi ni Jed. It's impossible that there is a zombie. Bit looking at the kid's wounds, they seemed like nail scratches.

If Jed is really telling the truth, then maybe there is more to the NDV-01 than what we've known. Maaaring hindi talaga tuluyang namamatay ang mga nahawaan ng virus.

Naipikit ko ang aking mata dahil biglang sumakit ang ulo ko kaiisip kung ano ba talaga.

"Belle." I heard Jed's voice called my name.

Dumilat ako bago humarap kay Jed. "Yeah?"

Bumuntong hinga ito bago tumabi sa akin. He played with his fingers before he spoke. "I just wanna say sorry sa mga nagawa ko sa'yo dati. I-I know I don't have the rights to ask forgiveness, or even think about it. But I'm honestly guilty of what I did way back then." Madamdaming aniya.

Tumayo ako at humakbang ng isang beses, "It still lingers in the depth of my mind. The things that you've done to me is cruel, and I don't have the guts to forgive you yet. Pasenya na." Ani ko bago tuluyang lumayo sa kanya.

I don't know if I'm being unfair right now, I can see that he's sincere upon asking for forgiveness, but I just can't forgive him yet. Masyado akong nasaktan sa ginawa niya sa'kin dati. I was hospitalized and even visited by a therapist just so I could get over it. Hindi madali sa akin na patawarin siya o kahit kalimutan man lang ang nangyari.

Nagulat naman ako ng bigla akong makaramdam ng isang mainit na yakap galing sa likod. Pero napangiti din ako kalaunan ng maamoy ang pabango ni Ace. She's hugging me from behind, her face is also buried on my back.

"I saw kuya took you away from Jed, but I didn't saw you too together 'nong bumalik ka sa'min kanina." Pag oobserba nito. Ace is really an observant person.

"Yeah, we just talked about something." Hinaplos ko ang braso niya na nakayakap sa aking tyan. "Ace, do you think Jed is telling the truth?" 

Tumango naman siya bilang sagot, "He has no reason to lie anyway. It's not like he'll gain something once he'll lie about it. And it's a serious matter just to be taken as a joke." Biglang humigpit ang mga braso niya na nakapulupot sa akin. "I examined the kid's wound kanina. They're like wounds from a human scrape's and bites. It's a human teeth's marks." Dagdag pa niya.

Napatingin ako kay Jed pagkasabi ni Marj 'non. He's also looking at me, binaling ko nalang ang aking tingin sa ibang bagay. If he's really telling the truth, then does that mean that we are really in grave danger? My heart beat risen as the thought of us dying.

"Hey." Pagtapik ni Marj sa balikat ko, maybe she sense that I'm overthinking things right now. "You okay?" Dagdag pa nito. Tumango nalang ako para hindi na siya mag alala.

Ayokong mandamay ng ibang tao sa mga iniisip ko ngayon. I know I'm a brat, but not right now. Now is not the right time to be a brat that I am.

"You know you can lean on us, right?" Pag aalo pa niya sa'kin. 

Tumango ako para ipahiwatig na ayos lang talaga ako, madami lang iniisip kaya ganon.

Sa wakas, umalis na rin ito sa tabi ko at dumiretso sa batang dinala ni Jed kanina, ic-check yata nila kung ayos na ba ang lagay ng bata. Nandon din si Jed, hawak hawak ang kamay ng bata. The kid's still unconscious, but as I've seen, he's now stable. Hindi na rin dumudugo ang mga sugat niya. Buti nalang naagapan agad.

I sighed and reminisce the past that I don't know when will be back to normal again.

"Belle." Tawag ni Rye sa akin, nakabalik na pala siya.

Pagtingin ko sa kanya, nasa harap siya ng mga tao habang nakaupo silang lahat sa harap niya. Nakatayo naman siya sa harap, lumapit naman ako sa kanila sa tingin ko kasi may importanteng sasabihin.

"Alright, since everyone is here. I would like to discuss something. As we have known, the virus is not airborne, but contagious once you've come in physical contact with the victim. NDV-01 is a deadly virus so far. I'm Rye, and this is Ace, my sister." Pagpapakilala niya sabay turo kay Ace na nakaupo sa gilid. "We're both doctors from America data base. And we are sent here to monitor the people and made a contact with the CEO of the largest hospital in the country. But the virus is fast enough, that it already took down many peoe living in the Philippines." Dagdag nito.

"Now we only have one car. I need someone who can guide the civilians to the safe zone. The gps will lead you to the said safe zone. Anyone?" He asked.

A man from the crowd raised his hand.