Terrible

Chapter 20. Terrible

NAUNANG nakabalik si Nami sa silid na inookupa ni Glaze. Si Romano nama'y hindi na bumalik doon matapos mapatingnan ang mga namagang kamao nito. Magdamag na hindi halos nakatulog nang maayos si Nami dahil binabantayan niya ang kakambal, mag-a-alas tres na ng madaling-araw nang malingat ito, at mukhang groggy.

Nilapitan niya pero nagtalukbong ito sa kumot; namaluktot.

"It's me," masuyong aniya. Pinipigilan niyang maluha. She already called for help and the staffs were already coming.

But her twin was now hysterically shouting, and she was worried that it might affect her body. She just had a miscarriage and she should have been recovering. Sariwa pa ang mga sugat nito.

"Glaze, it's me. You are safe now..." Pilit na lumapit siya para makaupo sa tabi nito, inalis ang pagkakatalukbong nito sa kamot, saka niya niyakap. Kahit gusto niyang yakapin nang mahigpit ay hindi niya magawa dahil alam niyang masasaktan niya ang huli. Glaze was too vulnerable and her situation was making Nami feel weak too.

She stopped her when she tried to get up. Namaluktot na naman ito, tila may iniindang sakit.

Mabilis na bumangon siya para personal nang pumunta sa Nurses' station. "Wait, I'll just call the—"

"Where's my baby? W-why can't I feel the heartbeat?" putol nito sa sasabihin niya. Kung ganoon, hindi nito iniinda ang sakit ng katawan, bagkus ay pinakikiramdaman nito ang sinapupunan.

Napasinghap siya at mabilis na nangilid ang luha. "G-Glaze..."

"Kase, where's m-my baby?" She tried to get up again but her body was too weak to even move.

Napaiwas siya ng tingin kasabay nang pagpatak ng kaniyang luha. She didn't have the heart to tell her that they lost their little angel.

"T-this isn't really happening!" garalgal ang tinig na bulalas nito. "This is just a prank, right? Are you shooting a vlog right now? A prank video? Kinasabwat mo ang mga nurse dito para sabihing nakunan ako—"

"No, no... No, honey, I will never do that." She winced, trying to ignore the pain. She's kind of hurt because of the accusation, however, she also knew that her twin sister was in desperate situation. That she's being in denial about what happened. Right now, she couldn't think of anything else but to focus on Glaze's recovery—to stay by her side and make sure she'd overcome everything. That must be with her to make her feel she wasn't alone in this life.

"Then, why is it like this?! Why can't I feel my baby's heartbeat?!" Mas lumakas ang tinig nito. She looked really frustrated since she couldn't do anything.

Kagat-labi siyang lumapit ulit saka umupo sa tabi nito; niyakap ito dahil wala siyang alam na sabihin.

"Tell me this is just a prank," tila nagmamakawaang saad nito. That even though that's a not a good prank, she's still wanting everything to just turn into a terrible prank instead of accepting the reality. Nami was also hoping that it wasn't real, but... it was. She must stay focus so she wouldn't lost it, too. Kailangan siya ng kakambal niya kaya kailangan ay maging malakas siya sa kabila ng nakalulugmok na pangyayari.

Sininok siya at hindi na napigilang mahikbi.

Sakto namang dumating na ang mga medical personnel at tumayo siya upang bigyan ng daan ang mga aasikaso rito.

Ilang sandaling natahimik si Glaze nang tiningnan ito, pero nang tumitig sa doktor ay napakapit ito sa braso ni Doc. "M-maybe you are wrong. I'm still pregnant, am I not?"

Hindi na niya napigilan kaya lumabas siya ng silid at doon tumangis. Lumakad siya na tila siya nakalutang at dinala siya ng mga paa sa banyo. She looked like a mess now. At the restroom, she immediately fixed herself—washed her face thoroughly since her eyeshadow already smudged—and went back to the hospital ward.

Glaze was already put back into sleep when she got back. Then, one of her doctors asked her to follow him—to give her further details about what was happening to her twin. Nagpakilala ito bilang isang psychiatrist.

Pumasok sila sa isang maliit na opisina nito.

"What's happening to her? Why is she like experiencing a roller-coaster of emotions?" She knew the answer to that, but she still wanted affirmation.

"It's because she's emotionally distress..." She was told that it was because of the miscarriage. That even when her twin's body would be already healed, there may be some episodes of those. "And, she may have PTSD because of what happened too. She's abused..."

Napapikit siya nang mariin pagkarinig doon. She only knew that PTSD was 'Post-traumatic stress disorder' that's triggered by a terrifying event, either experiencing it or witnessing it. In her twin's case, she experienced it herself. And that's what she's going to find out.

Nagpatuloy ang doctor, "She may have difficulty adjusting and coping, so I recommend you to stay with her always, since it could be worsen as days passes by."

Tumango siya.

"With time and good self-care, patients usually get better." A silent pause, then, "But this is just a possibility, we will be checking on her first."

Nagpasalamat siya rito saka nagpaalam nang babalik sa silid. Naabutan niya roon ang OB-GYN na si Idy, na Heidi Altamonte ang buong pangalan, kung hindi siya nagkamali sa natatandaan. She was a tall woman, just like her, had a slim body, and a long ebony hair. Mukha rin itong matapang na babae, iyon bang hindi kaagad malalamangan ng kung sino.

Napapitlag ito nang mapansin siya.

"Sorry, hindi ko napansing pumasok ka."

"It's alright. How's she?"

"She's asleep." Sandaling katahimikan. "I... really didn't know you have a twin."

Kilala sila sa bayan ng San Lorenzo Ruiz, kaya hindi pa rin siya kumbinsido na hindi alam ng mga tao na may kakambal siya. Or maybe, it was already a long time ago when her family was well-known. Noong maykaya pa sila.

"Hindi mo naman kasi nakwento noon, masyado kang masikreto," Idy tried to lighten the mood.

"She lived with our mom, so..." She didn't finish her sentence and Idy just nodded.

"Let's have some coffee?" anyaya nito bigla.

"Baka may gagawin ka pa?" That's not what she wanted to say, but she still said it. Sa totoo lang ay mas pabor sa kaniya na nagyaya ito dahil makapagtatanong siya ng mga bagay-bagay na nangyari sa kakambal niya. It seemed that Dra. Altamonte knew something about it.

"Tapos na ang shift ko. May convenience store sa tapat, it's open twenty-four hours naman... doon tayo? Let's catch up." She even said they could be at the coffee shop but it's already  closed. Kaya sa convenience store na lang siya niyaya.

Pumayag siya, natutulog pa naman si Glaze, at isa pa, hinabilin niya sa mga nurse kaya kampante siyang hindi ito mapababayaan.