CHAPTER 9 – THE REAL CONDITION
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Riding in the ambulance, Monica, Faith, Rylie, and Miguel headed to St. Rose Hospital. Mama Emma was still unconscious and there were fears that she had fallen into a coma after the severe head injury.
Meanwhile, Olivia and her husband, Benjamin, were still upset about the events. Not only was the event ruined, but the potential agreement between Blaire and the only daughter of the Gomez family was also thwarted. Because of this, their family went home disappointed.
While on the way home, Blaire suddenly experienced a headache, indicating his condition was acting up. His father immediately gave him medication. Blaire was still furious and couldn't believe that another man was with Monica, so he insisted on going to their hospital as well...
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LORENZO MIGUEL SAMANEGO POV
When we arrived at the hospital, Monica's mother was immediately taken to the emergency room. However, due to the hospital's current policy of restricting visitors, only one family member was allowed inside. I had hoped to be inside as well, but since Monica was already there, we had to wait for her to come out so one of us could go in.
I still vividly remember the day Emma came to me for a check-up. It was the same day I discovered that Dr. Charles and Monica were siblings. Emma seemed visibly shocked by the events that had transpired. After the incident between Dr. Charles and Monica, she appeared lost in thought, staring blankly as if deep in contemplation. I also heard her instruct Monica's children and their Nanny, Lucy, to head home first.
Flashback:
"Hey Lucy, you can now take the kids and go ahead to our home because the sky is getting cloudy, and it might rain. Don't worry about me, I can manage. I'll follow you home later," Emma instructed the woman named Lucy.
Lucy complied immediately, and once they left, we began the check-up. Emma's eyes were filled with sadness and worry. I could sense the heavy thoughts weighing on her mind. Suddenly, she clutched my desk, pressing her temples, and I quickly moved to support her.
"Ahm, Mommy, are you alright? Are you feeling dizzy?" I asked her with concern.
Jeric handed her a glass of water, and she gradually calmed down.
"Sorry, Doctor. I think my hypertension acted up, but I'm fine now. I forgot to bring my medication, but I'm feeling better. Thank you for the water," she said with a smile.
I immediately checked her blood pressure.
"130 over 90, Mommy. Your blood pressure is high. Is this because of your hypertension as you mentioned?"
She nodded.
"Yes, Doctor. In fact, I had a check-up just last month because I felt extremely dizzy and thought I might have a heart attack. That's when I was diagnosed with hypertension. They gave me medication to take in case I have another episode," Emma explained.
I wrote down everything she told me. She then mentioned numbness in one side of her face, difficulty speaking, headaches, eye pain, memory loss, and gradual vision loss.
"Actually, Doc, I've been hiding these symptoms from my children. So please, don't tell them. That's why I came to see you instead of going to the hospital where my daughter works," she said with a smile.
I glanced towards Monica's tent.
"Uhm, so you are Monica's mother?"
She nodded. "Yes, Doc, Monica is my daughter. Actually, I have two daughters, Faith and Monica. Both are good kids," she said with a smile.
Honestly, I was itching to ask her about Monica. But I quickly set aside my personal curiosity because, based on my findings from Emma's check-up, her real condition was much more serious.
Emma was suffering from...
End of Flashback…
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"A-what? Brain Aneurysm? That's Mama's illness?" Rylie said, shocked.
I confided in him since Monica was no longer there. It was just Riley, Faith, and I left outside the emergency room.
"Yes, that's her illness. She told me about all her symptoms. I'm worried because the impact on her head might have caused her brain aneurysm to rupture, leading to her coma. That's why I really want to get inside to check on her condition," I said to Riley, concerned.
Faith and Riley both started crying loudly. This increased my determination to help them. I knew how important Mama Emma's safety was to them.
"Doctor, please help my Mama. I don't want her to die," Faith said, crying.
Sigh! If only there was something I could do to solve this problem immediately…
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GABRIELLA MONICA JIMENEZ POV
I am silently crying while holding my mom's hand, praying nonstop for her safety. My tears are endless; I can't accept what has happened to her. I can't help but blame myself for this. If only I hadn't given in to Dr. Blaire's pleas, we would be peacefully sleeping at home with my kids right now. It's infuriating! Out of all the people, why did this have to happen to my mom? I will never forgive myself if anything bad happens to her.
Meanwhile, I cried so much that I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. I woke up to find a doctor in front of me. "Finally, you're awake, Ms. Monica," the doctor greeted me with a smile.
"Dr. Wilson?" I said in surprise. Dr. Wilson is my mom's doctor. He was the one who diagnosed her with hypertension, so I felt reassured knowing how competent he was. "Doc, how is my mom? Is she okay?" I asked, full of worry.
"Yes, your mom is okay. She might have just fainted due to nerves. You know how people can faint when they get too anxious and aren't calmed down. So, your Mama Emma is fine. Her blood pressure is normal, so there's no need to worry. Just make sure she continues taking the medication I prescribed before because that's what helped her before. Continue it twice a day, okay?" he said, smiling.
His words gave me a sense of relief. "Did you hear that, Ma? The doctor said you're okay! You might wake up in a few hours! I can't wait to see your eyes open again, Ma!" I said to her, tears of joy streaming down my face.
After Dr. Wilson left, I kept a close watch on the clock, counting every second and minute. I believed that any moment now, Mama would wake up, just as Dr. Wilson had said. I was excited at the thought of going home and being a family again.
But then, I was startled when another doctor entered. He was wearing a face mask and a surgical hairnet, heading straight for Mama. I watched intently, wondering what he was doing. He started checking her blood pressure, and I found it odd because Dr. Wilson had just left less than an hour ago. Still, I thought maybe they were just closely monitoring her blood pressure, which is crucial for her health.
Then our eyes met. "Sh*t!" I thought, immediately looking away. The doctor's intense gaze made me feel like I was being electrocuted. I felt uneasy under his stare like I was going to melt. Thankfully, he soon left.
But a few minutes later…
"M-Ma'am Monica?" the doctor called out.
"Yes?" I replied, still focused on my mom's hand.
"Has anyone checked on the patient yet?"
"Yes, Doctor. Her doctor, Dr. Wilson, did. Why?" I asked.
I was shocked when he told me the results of his tests. "Monica, after all the tests I ran on Mama Emma, I found out she's...comatose."
I couldn't believe what the doctor was saying. Wait, didn't Dr. Wilson just tell me that Mama was okay? And it hasn't even been an hour since her vitals were last checked. I couldn't help but be puzzled. "H-huh? Mama is comatose? But Doctor, didn't Dr. Wilson check on her just now? He said she was fine."
The doctor took my hand. "Monica, listen to me. Your Mama Emma is comatose, and we need to transfer her to our hospital as soon as possible for better testing and recovery. We have equipment that can help her more effectively. I fear she might also have a brain aneurysm."
He then removed his hairnet and face mask. My eyes widened in shock as I recognized the face in front of me. "M-Miguel??"
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LORENZO MIGUEL SAMANIEGO POV
Thanks to Riley for lending me his uniform. With it, I was able to get into the emergency room without any issues. As soon as I entered, I didn't waste any time and immediately looked for Mama Emma's room. Fortunately, a kind nurse assisted me, although she seemed a bit puzzled by my appearance when she noticed the color of my eyes.
"Wait, are you new here? I don't remember seeing a nurse with blue eyes working here. Can I know who you are before I give you Emma Dizon's room details?" the nurse insisted.
Being prepared for situations like this, I quickly thought of a way out. "Uh, no, I'm not new. Come on, Shirley, it's me, Riley. Didn't you see my nameplate? Look, Rylie Perez... oh, wait, Ryle Christian Perez. And these aren't my real eyes; I'm just wearing contact lenses. You know, trying new things. Does it suit me?" I said, smiling.
F*ck! I felt disgusted with myself, mimicking Riley's mannerisms, even his slight effeminacy, to avoid being caught.
Eventually, she gave me Emma's room number. "Thank you, Nurse Shirley, see you around!"
A few minutes later, I finally found the room. But before going in, I hid when I saw Blaire outside, talking to another doctor who then entered Mama Emma's room.
"What is Blaire doing here?" I whispered to myself. I watched as Blaire seemed out of it, laughing to himself with red, drugged-looking eyes.
"This guy is really something," I muttered again.
Then, three security guards arrived to take Blaire away. He resisted until a nurse ran over and injected him with what seemed like a sedative, and he immediately lost consciousness. I frowned at the scene but was interrupted when I saw the doctor leave Mama Emma's room.
Meanwhile…
"M-Miguel??" Monica exclaimed in shock.
I could sense her hesitation to come with me, likely because of what happened between us that night. I tried to convince her to come with me to Manila so Mama Emma could get proper treatment at our hospital. I knew the quality of our hospital, and I had a bad feeling about this place, especially after realizing that the previous doctor's diagnosis conflicted with mine.
"No, Miguel. We're not going with you. We're staying here in this hospital. And can you stop bothering me? Mama already has a doctor, Dr. Wilson, and he will be the one to treat her. So please, stop showing off. Go back to Manila. Aren't you supposed to be so good at what you do? Then go back to your great hospital and stop imposing yourself here. The doctors and nurses here are doing their best with the resources they have, unlike you arrogant doctors. So what if we don't have the latest technology? At least the staff here are dedicated to providing the best care they can. We don't need you here, so just leave!" she said, crying with anger.
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