3 Chapter 2

February 10, 2017

"Gee, ma fille, si lolo mo gusto kang makita sa company charity ball." Malambing na wika ng kaniyang ina. She is in the middle of a minor operation, the circulating nurse has her phone on her ear while she is finishing up the stitches.

"Simula nung nag-residency ka hindi ka na namin masyadong nakikita. We miss you anak.."



"Get me another needle holder." She placed down the defective one and was handed immediately of a new one. She sighed and nodded.

"Okay my. It's on the 14th right? I can clear up my schedule for that." She closed her eyes when blood suddenly came gushing. She opened one eye and placed a gauze immediately on the site. The circulating got another one for her face.

"I'm praying for your operations ma fille. Be safe and see you soon." Her mother dropped the call which left her to finish up the operation

"Good morning doctor Sperbund!" Palabas pa lang siya ng OR ng nakita ang kaniyang dalawan pinsan.

"Whats up cousins?" They went near her and grabbed her arm. They are now on both of her sides.

"Si lolo kasi, he asked us to be in their charity ball." Nakarating na pala sa kanila ang balita. She patted the heads of her cousins she was taller than her cousins and that's one of the perks of it. Lumayo naman si Ee dahil ayaw nito na ginugulo ang buhok nito.

They went to her office and prepared green tea for her cousins.



"Parang ako lang ang may ka date sa ating tatlo. You losers." Napairap nalang ang dalawa sa pagmamalaki ng pinsan.

Ee and Prin and going well and they believe that their cousin finally found someone that can withstand her tendency of being a psycho.

"Sorry for prioritizing my studies and career more." She plainly scoffed.

"Wala ng excuse dear cousin. I have set you up already with Prin's cousin actually, both of you. Napakabait ko talaga!" Both Gee and Cee stopped drinking their tea.

"OMG. Anong ginawa mo Emerald?!" Cee was frantic. Sa lahat ayaw nito na binibigla, Ee should know better.

"C'mon. Patulongin niyo ako this time okay? Ang hirap kaya mapapayag ang mga pinsan ni Prin. Sige na. Its just for 5 hour naman eh. Hindi naman magiging kayo after just one charity ball." As a matter of fact na bigkas ni Emerald.

"Besides it will bring our family pride, because they will donate something for the charity. They are third generation heirs and na-i-screen ko na sila. And they are both your types." Nag-pagpag ito sa kaniyang balikat at napalabi.

"You're welcome." Mapaglarong wika nito.

"Psycho. Yes that's the word." Mahina niyang bigkas. Tinawanan lang siya ng pinsan.

"Just thank me after." Pag-assure niya.

You better make sure that I'll thank you or I'll seriously push her down the stairs.

"Paano nagawa ni Ee 'yon? She knows how much I hate surprises! Parang group project lang nang i-assign tayo sa mga pinsan ni Prin." Kanina pa dal-dal nang dal-dal ang pinsan niya. Ee already left dahil may emergency sa kaniyang mina-manage na branch ng kanilang kompanya.

"You know her too. Wala nang makakapigil sa kung ano mang napa-plano ng ating mahal na pinsan." Ee is a spoiled brat. Her parents would just let her attitude go on, kino-consider nila ito dahil sadyang may saltik ang pinsan sa utak.

She understands her cousin pero minsan grabe lang talaga ito minsan, the stint she played earlier was nothing. She did far worse before.

"Gee,in four days you'll be paired with a guy you barely knew! Hindi kaba na-loloka?!" Histerikal na pagpapa-alala niya rito. Gee just shrugged her shoulders

"Nangyari na, besides hindi ka pa sanay na lagi tayong pini-pair up sa mga hindi natin kakilalang mga lalake?"

"Ay basta. Huwag lang magkakamali ang lalakeng iyon. Naku, kung may hindi ako nagustuhan sa lalakeng pinili ni Ee siya ang malalagot sa'kin!" Matapang na wika nito. Natawa nalang si Gee sa ina-akto ng kaniyang pinsan.

"Or it could be the other way around." She looked at the time, it's almost time for her next operation. Napatayo siya at kinuha ang kaniyang white smock gown at sinuot ang kaniyang outside green slippers.

"Cee, I would love to hear you rant but I got an operation in 20 minutes." She winked at her cousin and got her surgical mask on. Halatang na dismaya ang pinsan dahil maiiwa na naman itong mag-isa.

"Sige lang. Ganyan naman kayo eh. Tse, I will go home nalang muna." Tumayo na ito at magkasabay na silang lumabas ng office. They bid their goodbye's and Gee went to the elevator.

She tapped on the 3rd floor and the elevator was about to close when a hand suddenly sneak in between and the door slid sideways. Naagaw ng isang lalake ang kaniyang pansin.



"Ryu?" Napa-kurba ang kaniyang labi nang nakilala ang lalake. He was wearing a three piece suit na parang galing sa isang formal na meeting. Napalingon ang lalake sa kaniya at hindi naitago nito ang pagka-bigla dahil nagkita na naman sila.

"Georgina. Wow, nice meeting you again."nagalak ang lalake sa presensya niya. Napansin nito na naka scrub ang naturang doktor at kahit naka suot pa ito ng surgical mask ay nakilala parin niya ito.

"May operasyon ka?" Georgina nodded and removed her surgical mask, it is not necessarily needed as of the moment.

"Yes, uhm what floor?" Tanog niya rito dahil siya ang mas malapit sa control panel ng elevator.

"4th floor" Pinindot na niya ang numero at naisara na ang elevator, sila lang dalawa ang nasa loob at hindi maitanggal ni Georgina ang kaniyang pagpipigil na ngiti.

"Who are you visiting?" He couldn't be here because of the girl he saved right? Tanong niya sa sarili.

"My colleague. Nagka LBM."natawa ng mahina si Ryu na tila parang ina-alala ang kaibigan sa illegal bombing nito. She felt relieve somehow, akala niya bibisitahin nito ang babae na sinagip nito. He then looked at her with amusement. He placed his hand on the pockets of his hands.

"Anong operasyon ang gagawin mo?"Muntik na niyang makalimutan ang operasyon niya dahil nahumaling siya sa lalakeng nasa harap niya. She pointed at her right chest, just the right site of the lobe of the lung.

"Lobectomy. And most likely it will last for 5 hours. And its already 11am, I guess diet ako." He just stared at her which made her stare back. Napataas ang kaniyang kilay dahil sa reaksyon sa lalake.

Maybe wala na siyang masabi? Oh Gee, bakit ka naman kasi bigkas nang bigkas ng mga med terms?

"You know saving lives is great, but don't sacrifice your own health in return for it. Sino nalang ang gagamot sa mga susunod na pasyente mo if you yourself are not well?" Seryoso ang tono ng pagkakabigkas nito. Napangiti siya sa pag-aalala nito sa kaniya. Sakto naman na bumukas ang elevator, suddenly she wants to go back to the 1st floor or diba i push back ang surgery. Ang dali naman.



"For other's sake, I can sacrifice my all just to save them." At lumabas na ito ng elevator.

Tama ba 'yon? Did I sound like a good doctor?

For other's sake, I can sacrifice my all just to save them.

These words will be nothing but just words in the future.

---

Patakbong umabot si Ryu sa elevator na papasira na pero hinarang agad nito ang kanyang kamay. Kagagaling lang nito sa isang formal gathering sa kompanya ng pamilya niya, his brother was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer and him as the COO. Napangiti ito nang bumukas na ito. He went inside and composed himself when he heard a voice of a woman.

"Ryu?"Napalingon siya sa babae at hindi naitago nito ang pagka-bigla dahil nagkita na naman sila.

It's her, the doctor.

"Georgina. Wow, nice meeting you again."nagalak ang ito sa presensya ng doktor. She is wearing her blue scrub and white gown at nakatago pa ang mukha nito sa kaniyang surgical mask pero kilalang kilala nito ang magagandang mata ng babae. It's really her.

"May operasyon ka?" Georgina nodded and removed her surgical mask. Nang tinanggal niya ito ay nakita niya ang kabuohang kagandahan ng doktor. She was not wearing any heavy make-up, para ngang natural lang ang kintab ng balat. That made him very amazed of her.

"Yes, uhm what floor?"sagot nito at binalikan naman siya nga isang tanong. He almost forgot why he was in the elevator for a split second.

"4th floor" sagot niya rito. Pinindot na nito ang numero at naisara na ang elevator, naagaw ng mga mala-kandilang daliri nito ang atensyon ni Ryu. Those were the most delicate hands he has ever seen.

"Who are you visiting?"

"My colleague. Nagka LBM."natawa ng mahina si Ryu habang naalala ang kaibigan nito na kahapon ay parang mawawalan na ng tubig sa katawan. He had an exploding diarrhea, at nang hindi na nito nakaya ang sakit nag-pa admit na ito.

Georgina looked so smart and equipped with her uniform. He placed his hand on the pockets of his hands.

"Anong operasyon ang gagawin mo?" He curiously asked. She pointed at her right chest, just the right site of the lobe of the lung. Napasalubong naman ang kilay ni Ryu dahil hindi pa niya nakuha ang ibig nitong sabihin.

"Lobectomy. And most likely it will last for 5 hours. And its already 11am, I guess diet ako." Ryu just stared at her which made her stare back.

5 hours? How can such a delicate lady withstand that? 

"You know saving lives is great, but don't sacrifice your own health in return for it. Sino nalang ang gagamot sa mga susunod na pasyente mo if you yourself are not well?" Seryoso ang tono ng pagkakabigkas nito. Natigilan si Georgina sa sinabi nito at pagkatapos ay nginitian siya. Sakto naman na bumukas na ang elevator.

Third floor? Already?

"For other's sake, I can sacrifice my all just to save them." At lumabas na ito ng elevator.

Napahanga siya ng babae sa sinabi nito. He never met a woman with those intentions before not to mention she's a doctor.

How many times did she sacrificed herself just so she could save her patients?

At hindi niya namalayang nag-iba na ang takbo ng kaniyang puso.

Pagkabukas ng elevator ay nagmadali siyang lumabas, hindi nawala ang ngiti sa kaniyang mga labi. He was about to enter the room when he saw a familiar girl na kakagaling lang sa loob ng kwarto sa kabila.

Nakita naman ito ng babae at hawak ang IV stand nito ay lumapit sa lalake.

"Ikaw 'yong tumulong sa akin diba? Maraming salamat talaga sir! Binigyan na naman ako ng isang pagkakataong mabuhay. Ako nga pala si Maya." Nagulat siya sa agarang pagpapakilala ng babaeng nangangalang 'Maya'. Nang nakabawi na siya ay tinanguan niya ito.

"Wala 'yon. You should thank the doctor Maya."  She's the one with those skilled hands. The beautiful doctor.

"i already did. She saved my life."