6 Chapter 5

February 20, 2017



"SALINE." The scrub nurse then carefully poured it over the brain of the patient.

"Suction." While the saline is being suctioned, I prepared the clipping instruments needed.

This patient has brain aneurysm, he has a bulging weakened area in the wall of an artery in the brain, resulting in an abnormal widening. Because of the weakened area in the artery wall there is a risk for rupture of the aneurysm.

"There you are." The beautiful disaster is at my sight. Good thing it hasn't ruptured yet.

"I will start clipping the neck." I placed the metal clip across the "neck" of the aneurysm this will isolate the aneurysm from the rest of the circulatory system by blocking blood flow, thereby preventing rupture.

"Finish it up." After stitching I went out of the OR theater.

"Thank you doc Georgina." I nodded my head and proceed.

When the surgery was done I removed the surgical gown wrote my orders on the physician's note and gone out of the OR.

I was gonna enter my office when manong Darwin, the security stopped me.

"Good noon doc, may naghahanap sa 'yo. Kaibigan mo raw." Napataas ako ng kilay because I'm not expecting anyone to visit today.

"Sino raw po?"

"Ah, teka lang po ah."May hinalungkat ito sa kaniyang bulsa at ipinakita nito sa akin ang isang drivers license. My eyes widened when I recognized the person in the picture. It was taken probably when he was still a boy undergoing puberty, his eyes looks to small but his bushy eyebrows remained the same.

No way

"S-Salamat." The security then went back to his post near my office habang ako naiwang nagdadalawang isip kung papasok ba o hindi.

He came all the way here to see you Gee...

But he is supposed to be in Bohol now.

The person inside my brain fell in silence, I am confused as to why he is here, why? Napalunok ako at maingat na hinawakan ang hawakan ng pinto at mahinang binuksan iyon hanggang sa wala kong marinig na ingay galing doon.

I snuck my head in and saw him. He was sitting down on my table with his jacket hanged over my visitors chair. One look and you would mistake him for a model.

I made my way inside the office and closed the door behind me. Because of the sound coming from it his gaze shifted to me. He have me a playful smile and went down the table.

"R-Ryu, nandito ka? Mind asking why?" I went near him and almost in an instant I smelled his manly cologne, it is not strong but you can smell it faintly. Suddenly I felt conscious, I just performed craniotomy and it took me about 5 hours, the OR is air conditioned but it is inevitable to sweat a lot during the surgery because of anxiety and of course the manual labor that I have to do. I have to do the drilling, the sawing, cutting and stitching.

"I just got back from my business trip and decided to go straight here." He stepped forward, just a few inch and he will be smelling my stench. I backed away, feeling the sweat form on my forehead.

His eyebrows met and his forehead creased.

"Is there something wrong?" I shook my head and shifted my gaze to my feet.

"Wala. Um, can you take one step backwards?" I motioned my hand. He did as what I instructed him.

"What's wrong Georgina?" Hindi ko nakikita ang mukha niya but I'm pretty sure that he is confused. Napalunok ako at sinubukang titigan siya sa mga mata.

"Galing ako sa pag-opera. I got all sweaty and s-smelly." There was silence for a short second, na tanging naririnig ko lang ay iyong air conditioner na nagbubuga ng malamig na hangin. From a confused look his face lit up and his lips curved until I saw his white pearl like teeth.



I was taken back when he suddenly went nearer and with his hands he placed it on both of my ears. Shit

My head bent as when I felt an annoyingly funny sensation that caused me to fleetingly lose control over my body. I instinctively wriggled and tries to slither out of his grasp.

"Stop! Ahaha" I uncontrollably laughed as I tried to squirm out. I placed my hands over his and tried to push them away. This is torture!

After a few seconds of torture, he finally released me. Residues of my laugh were observable and then I slapped his hand. Natatawang binawi nito ang kamay nito at lumayo ng konti.

"I was trying to make it romantic. Hindi ko alam na grabe ang kiliti mo diyan." Pagtanggol nito sa sarili. Pabiro akong napairap at humakbang papalapit sa aking mesa. tinanggal ko ang aking white gown at sinampay ito sa coat hanger ko. I turned to him and sat on my chair.

"Again, bakit ka nandito? You should be resting." I saw him smiled with mischief and walked near me until he was by my side.

He placed his hand in his pocket and my eyebrows are meeting due to the confusion.

"I originally wanted to give you white roses... but I thought that it would be useless as they would just wither, and you may think that the purpose of it has too." My eyes caught a glimpse of a shiny object when he took out his hand out of his pocket.



"Ryu."

He revealed the rose shaped pendant that is made of pure gold, it was a simple yet elegant looking pendant, it also has a small oval shaped gold that came with it with an engraved letter 'K'



He made his way to my back and wore the necklace on me. I bent my head forward to see the pendant as the necklace was being locked by him. I felt his warm hands on the surface of my neck as he tried to comb away my hair on the pony tail over the necklace. I touched the cold golden rose and was about to turn my head to him when I felt his head move closer to mine. I moved my eyes from the pendant to his face. He was looking at the pendant with a smile still plastered on his face.

"Bakit mo ako binigyan nito?" With a small voice I asked.

"A white rose is a perfect way to say, "I'm thinking of you"" Kumalabog ang aking dibdib sa mga binitawan niyang salita at dahil na rin sa kung gaano kalapit ang kaniyang mukha sa akin.

"K? B-Bakit may letter K?"

"Kugimiya. Need I say more?" I blinked double with what he said.

"I told you Georgina, I will risk my own heart for you." Is he giving me an assurance that he will continue to pursue me? May kung anong mainit na haplos akong naramdaman sa aking dibdib.

"Do you have any scheduled operation or check-ups?" tanong nito.

"W-Wala?" That was my last operation for the day since it is Saturday and not a lot of patients wants their operation on a weekend because of the increase in the professional fee.

He stood up straight and held out his hand for me.

"Can I take you out on a date?" Our first official date...



----❤ ---

He took me to a tea & pastry house on the way. The tea house emphasizes indoor-outdoor engagement thanks to it's design that opens out onto the street to encourage interaction between the people.

We sat indoors, near the bouquets of assorted roses. The table is really pretty, it looked like on of those in Greece. There is already a menu neatly paced in the dessert platter.

"What do you want to order?" He gave the menu to me and I chose the order. I ordered a Wintermelon tea and chicken sandwich on organic baguette with fresh romaine salad and house made chips with panstrami dip. Ryu ordered Black milk tea and Crispy chicken tenders with Pommes Frites. Our dessert is Kouign amann, basically croissant dough.

"I am starving." Anunsyo ko rito.

"Is your romaine salad gonna fill you? You want me to order another dish for you?" I squinched my face and shook my head.

"'Wag na. I am trying to keep my figure and besides may organic baguette naman ako, it has so many calories na alone."

"You should not risk your health Georgina." Seryoso itong nakatingin sa akin. Napakibit ako ng balikat at lumabi.

"Tapos pag tumaba kaming mga babae, iiwan. So ano ba talaga?" I scoffed.

"I am not that kind of person. I will love a person without basis." Sabi nila the eyes are the windows of our soul but some have anti-theft window that I can't really distinguish a truth from a lie. Parang nadama nito ang aking mga iniisip at inabot nito ang aking kamay.

"Believe me. Actually, my mother taught me that. She was a little over weight when she met my father, they fell in love and father never wanted her to change. Because no matter what, behind those skin is the woman she fell in love with." Hindi ako umimik pagkatapos niyang sinabi iyon. Pinagpatuloy lang nito na hawakan ang aking kamay at pinisil-pisil ito.



"Ma'am, sir your order is here." Agad kong binawi ang aking kamay at itinago ito sa ilalim ng mesa. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin at hindi nilingon ang nagbigay ng order sa table.

"Sir Ryy?" Nabawi ng pansin ko sa boses ng isang babae, I turned my head towards her and saw her wide eyes in disbelief. She just called Ryu by his name... Akala ko ba ako lang ang nag-iisang tumatawag sa kaniya noon.

I snapped and raised my eyebrows at his direction. His eyes pinned to the girl with questioning eyes.

"ER girl?" He asked. The girl then nodded her head in excitement.

"Naaalala mo pa pala ako Ryu" Mahina nitong sabi. Napatikhim ako nang mukhang nakakalimutan nito ang trabaho nito.

" Ryu huh." May pangungutya kong tugon. I tapped my finger below the table and squinted at the girl.

"Akala ko ba ako lang ang tumatawag sa 'yo ng ganyan. May iba pala." Halata ang inis sa aking boses at hindi na ako nag-abala pang itago iyon. His eyes was panicking, he tried to reach for me pero humilig ako.

"No sweetheart. Ai, please don't misunderstand." umepekto sa akin ang kaniyang pagtawag sa akin ng 'sweetheart' dahil parang nawala ang nararamdaman kong irita.

[Ryu is Japanese and Ai stands for love]

"Ai Georgina. Don't you remember her?" Napilitan akong lingonin ang babae. She has a sharp face, her nose is small but pointed, she's...cute. Nope, doesn't ring a bell.

"Hindi ko kilala." matabang kong sagot.

"Siya 'yung dinala ko sa ER noon. Remember, the second time we met." Napakurap ako, second time?

"Second time?" tanong ko rito. Could he possibly...

"Sorry po ma'am, nakilala ko lang po si Ryu noong na hospital ako." Something in me snapped.

"Could you please stop calling him Ryu. Naiirita ako eh." I pointed out. Parang bubuyog lang sa tainga ko ang boses niya, I want to kill it.

"Ai." Ryu looked at me with the concerned look. I raised the corner of my upper lip and ignored him. She looked down and started to put down the food that we ordered.

"Buti naalala mo ang trabaho mo." Mahinang bulong ko rito. She stopped for a while and then did the job faster.

"Thank you and sorry." Ani ni Ryu.

"Wala lang 'yon R-" Tumikhim ako muli at hinahamon ko siyang tinitigan. Her grasp on her tray tightened and looked down with a weary smile."sir" she finished and went back to the kitchen, where she belongs. And should stay.

"Georgina, ano 'yon?" Seryoso ang boses nito.

"What?"Pagmaang-maangan ko. I rested my head over my hand and sipped my wintermelon tea.

"Ai. You should't do that."

"Ano ba 'yang Ai, at kanina ka pa tawag ng tawag sa'kin niyan?" pag-iiba ko ng usapan.

"Since you've been a bad girl, I won't tell you." Bumalik ang kaniyang nakakalokong ngiti. Napalabi ako at dinuro ang kaniyang braso tsaka diniin ito.

"I wasn't a bad girl. Ikaw 'yon, masama ka. " He held my hand and covered it over his.

"Sige na sabihin mo na." Pagpipilit ko rito.

"You know I'm Japanese right. Ai means love in Nihongo." My lips curved. He was calling me 'love' simula kanina?

"You should have just said it in english, para naman alam nung babae na 'yon."

"Were you jealous?" tanong nito na mas lalong nakapag-pangiti sa kaniya.

"Hindi pa ba obvious?"

"That explained your sudden change of attitude." Change of attitude?

"Ano ako bipolar? Besides, it's a normal reaction when you see someone you like to be involved with someone else." I got the bread knife and started to cut my organic baguette into smaller portions.

"Someone you like?" Napahinto ako sa paghiwa sa tinapay.

"U-Uh." napipi ako sa kahihiyan. Shit, nasabi ko 'yon? Oh my God no.

"I love you too Ai." Napalunok ako na tinitigan siya sa mata.

"'Like' pa 'yon. I'm not yet in love with you." pagbawi ko rito. After slicing my bread, I grabbed his plate of Chiken tenders and started to cut it, except for the wings. I gave the plate to him afterwards and I was startled when he placed his hand under my hand that's holding the plate. Nagkasalubong ang aming mata.

"Even though... I'm happy. Thank you Ai." And thank the Heavens that the plate did not fall when he reached for me and kissed me on the lips.