3 Chapter Three - The Unexpected

It was a rainy Friday afternoon and Mrs. Gracia was cleaning the living room area, while she wiped the window glass with a clean cloth she heard someone knocking at the front door. She put aside everything in her hands and she rushed into the front door.

"Who is it?" she said but there is no reply. Then the knocking continues, she opens the front door and was confused about what are the police officers doing in front of the apartment.

"Is this the Carlos residence? the officers asked.

"Yes, it is an officer. What can I do for you? she wondered. Then she saw something in the hands of the police officer, it was Jonathan's school id.

"Why do you have my sons id? she was worried about what the police officer will tell her, and the officers started to explain everything to her.

"Ma'am, you need to come with us. You're a son is at the hospital, their school service got involved in an accident." he calmly said. Mrs. Gracia put her hands on her chest like she was going to have a heart attack.

"I want to see my son," she said.

"Hold on, I'll get my stuff." The police officers waited outside while Mrs. Gracia packs everything she needs and then she tries to call her husband but she got no answer, she leaves a message stating the situation and asks to call her back. The police officers guide Mrs. Gracia to the patrol car that is waiting outside their apartment.

Meanwhile, Mr. Manuel is unaware of what happened to Jonathan, he was at the conference room with their clients having a meeting. He was discussing the marketing plans when all of a sudden someone breaks in the conference room. It was Mr. Christian C. Gallego.

"Manuel! This just came in, It's about you're son Jonathan he's at the hospital." he was shocked from what he said.

"What?! How did you know that?" he asked.

"You're wife called me, she said that he can't reach you and tell me about what happened. She's on her way to the hospital," he said while explaining to him.

"Did she tell you what hospital was Jonathan admitted? he asked nervously as his hands were shaking.

"She told me that Jonathan was admitted at Rizal Medical Center. Maybe you should go, I'll take care of everything." he gave the paper to Christian and tap his shoulder, then walked out of the conference room and went to his workstation to check if he got a message from his wife. Upon checking his phone, he immediately calls his wife, and she answered.

"Pa! I was trying to reach you but you didn't answer your phone." she nervously said.

"I'm sorry, I was at the conference room when Christian told me about it." while talking to her, Mr. Manuel is on the move and when the elevator hit the ground floor, he rushed towards the exit of the building.

"The police officers, went to our apartment and told me about what happened." she was crying on the phone while telling it to her husband.

"Ma, I have to go. I'll see you at the hospital. Taxi!" he said and he drops the call.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, the victims of the accident were being taken care of by the nurses and doctors. Jonathan, however, was badly injured, his shoulder was dislocated due to the impact and he has minor bruises. The doctor scans and puts Jonathan in an x-ray to make sure that he does not have any more injuries. His mother arrived in the hospital with the police officers. She runs immediately towards the patient's ward checking if Jonathan was there then she asks a nurse in the information booth.

"Excuse me, I would like to know if there is a patient named Jonathan P. Carlos admitted here?" she asked as her hands were shaking.

"Yes Ma'am, he's at room 12 our doctor is checking him right now." she calmly said. Mrs. Gracia then leaves and started to look for room 12, after searching she found the room and entered the room without hesitation. After seeing Jonathan, she then runs towards him and cried.

"Jonathan! Are you okay? Where's the pain? Do you feeling anything?" she worriedly said. But Jonathan didn't reply due to the pain he endures.

"Ma'am, I'd like to inform you that your son is suffering from a dislocated shoulder and needs to be operated." the doctor explained to her the situation that her son was up to.

"Do whatever you can doctor to help my son," she said.

"We will do our best Ma'am. We will now prepare the operating room for the operation. Excuse me." the doctor leave and Mrs. Gracia holds the hand of her son.

"Jonathan, you are going to have an operation on your shoulder. I'll stay right here okay? You are going to be just fine." she said while crying. While waiting for the doctor and nurse to come back, Mr. Manuel arrived.

"Jonathan! What happened?" Jonathan didn't reply and he asked his wife.

"What happened Ma?" he nervously asks.

"The authorities said to me that Jonathan's school service got involved in a car accident. And the doctor said that Jonathan needs to be operated. " Mrs. Gracia was still on shock on what happened, then she suggested that the authorities waiting outside is the best way to get some answers to his questions. Mr. Manuel goes outside the room and then he asks the police officers on what happened.

"Excuse me, sir, I'm a father of one of the victims of the car accident would you mind if you could please tell me what happened to the school service he was on?" he asked calmly.

"Based on our investigation, the school service was traveling southbound heading towards their destination when a reckless truck driver went to the lane of the school service. The driver of the school service tried to maneuver the vehicle but the truck still caught the back of the vehicle and went rolling on the road, luckily the airbag was deployed immediately upon impact." the officer explained the incident.

"Did you arrest the man who is driving the truck? he said.

"Yes sir we did sir, the driver is now on our custody. We need the testimony of the victims of the accident before we can file cases against him." the officers proudly said.

"Thank you, officers, will you please excuse me? I need to talk to my wife." he pleasingly said. Mr. Manuel went back to room 12 and waits for the doctor to come in and take Jonathan to the operating room. While waiting he tries to calm his wife down.

"Ma, just calm down okay? Jonathan will be just fine." he calmly said.

"No Pa! I cannot calm down. Our son is still in pain. I don't want to see our son like this." she replied with a tone while crying in front of him.

"I'm sorry Ma., we can get through all of this." he hugged her. Then the doctor arrived with his nurse.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but the operating room is now ready for the operation. Shall we proceed?" the doctor asked. Then Mrs. Gracia nodded.

"How long it's gonna take doctor?" Mr. Manuel worriedly replied.

"It's gonna take half an hour for the operation. Nurse, please take the patient to the operating room." the nurses moved Jonathan to the stretcher to be brought into the operating room. As they moved Jonathan his parents are worried about his condition, one of the nurses stopped them from going into the operating room.

"Ma'am, Sir. You should wait here, you are not allowed to go inside" the nurse said. Mr. and Mrs. Carlos waited at the front door of the operating room for about an hour and then the doctor stepped out of the door.

"Mr. and Mrs. Carlos, I would like to inform you that the operation was successful, your son needs some rest. We will now transfer him back to room 12." the doctor said gracefully,

"Thank you, doctor." They said.

"Excuse me, I have other patients to check." the doctor leave and Jonathan's parents are waiting for him. Then the doors opened and they quickly check Jonathan, Mrs. Gracia holds the hand of Jonathan while his father was looking at him. Jonathan was unconscious, as they arrived at the room nurses prepared Jonathan to transfer into the hospital bed. As for Jonathan, he is still unconscious and his parents seats down waited for him to wake up.