Amnesia

*Theia's POV*

"Nathan!!"

My eyes darted to him.

Nakaupo siya sa hospital bed. There's blood on his blanket and his hospital gown. His hands were bleeding.

"Oh god.." Tita cried while holding his hands.

"Are you okay??"

"Alec, call the nurse!" Agad namang lumabas si Kuya pagkasabi nun ni Mommy.

Tita wrapped a handkerchief on his hand pero wala parin siyang reaksyon. He continued to stare at her.

Ivy.

I was right about one thing.

She's here.

Pinupulot niya yung bubog sa gilid ng higaan when Ry approached her.

"Ivy, let's go.." He helped her stood up.

"You're not going anywhere."

Ngayon ko lang ulit narinig yung boses niya. I missed him pero hindi ko magawang lumapit sa kanya.

I stared at his hand as he reached out to her.

Hindi ko kaya.

Ang sakit.

"Stay here, Ivy. Dito ka lang sa tabi ko."

Hindi ba dapat ako yung sinasabihan niya nun? Dapat ako yung nasa tabi niya.

"Aalis na kami."

"Dito lang siya."

"She's coming with me."

"No."

Nakita kong humigpit lang lalo yung hawak niya kay Ivy.

Ano bang nangyayari?

Hindi ko maintindihan..

"Hindi mo ba talaga siya bibitawan??"

"Why would I?? Ikaw ang dapat bumitaw, Ryan."

"Baby, please.." Naluluha na si Tita. "You shouldn't be doing that to Ivy. Just let her go."

"Why, Ma?" He stared at her. "She's my girlfriend kaya dapat dito lang siya sa tabi ko."

Girlfriend??

Ako yun.. diba?

Kung girlfriend niya si Ivy, ano ako?

Anong tawag sa'kin...?

"She's not yours anymore, Nathan." Sabi ni Ry. "Girlfriend ko na siya."

"What?" Kumunot yung noo ni Nate. "What are you talking about??"

"You heard me." Ry repeated. "You two already broke up and she's mine now."

"You're lying!"

"If you don't believe me, ask her."

He looked at Ivy and she slowly nodded her head.

I watched as his tears fell.

Umiiyak siya kasi nalaman niyang naghiwalay na silang dalawa?

"Wh-what??" He seemed shocked. "Bakit tayo naghiwalay?? Naaksidente lang ako tapos paggising ko wala na tayo..?"

Hindi ko mapigilan yung sakit na unti unting lumalamon sa'kin.

"Answer me!!"

"Nathan, tama na! Nasasaktan na siya!"

"Son, stop!" Tito said. "Bitawan mo na si Ivy!"

"Why??" He looks confused. "Pa, is that true? Hindi na ba kami ni Ivy??"

"Nathan, that's enough!" Tita said. "Hindi mo ba talaga maalala si Theia??"

"Theia nanaman? Sino ka ba??" Tanong niya habang nakatitig sa'kin. "Bakit ka ba nandito??"

"Hindi mo na ba talaga siya maalala?" Ate Naomi asked. "Siya na yung girlfriend mo."

"No. Niloloko niyo lang ako."

He began hurting himself.

"Wake up."

"I need to wake up from this nightmare."

"Oh, god.. Nathan.. Please.." Pinipigilan nila yung kamay niya. "Please stop this.."

"I want all of you to leave!" He shouted while crying. "Umalis na kayong lahat!"

"Son, please stop.."

"Just leave me alone!"

Our eyes were on him.

Napabitaw sila Tita sa kanya.

He held his face on his hands.

"Maaa.." Nate cried. "Maa, ang sakit..."

"NURSE!! NURSEE!!!"

Iyak siya ng iyak habang hawak hawak yung ulo niya. I was watching him cry in pain.

Kahit walang nagsasabi, unti unting nag-sink in sa'kin yung nangyayari..

Nakalimutan niya na ako.

***

We waited outside his room habang naiwan si Dra. Guevarra sa loob.

I can't even cry. After two weeks of crying, naubos narin siguro lahat ng luha ko and that's good.

Dahil sa pagod kakaiyak, hindi narin ako makaiyak.

I stood up the moment his doctor came out.

"How is he, Dra. Guevarra?" Tita Dina asked. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I'm going to be really straightforward about this. I think you have noticed this already." She looked at all of us. "Your son is suffering from Amnesia."

"Oh James.." Tito held Tita very tightly para hindi siya bumagsak.

"Memory loss results from a hard blow to the head which happened to him when he had the accident."

"How severe is his case?" Tanong ni Tito.

"I can't really be certain because the extent of amnesia can vary. Some people may lose memories from the year or two prior to having the injury."

A year or two?

"But he met Theia three years ago." Tita recalled. "How can he forget her? Is that even possible?"

"Yes." She answered. "Amnesia differs from one person to another. For now, we are uncertain about the exact type of amnesia he has."

"But he is going to recover his memories, right?"

"If he undergoes treatment and it progress well, he will."

"Please, do everything to help Nathan. We'll do anything to recall his memories. He needs to remember Theia." Sabi ni Tita.

"But I should warn you. The methods to recover someone's memory haven't been proven at all. There's a chance that your son's memories may not be recovered." She explained. "If he wants to remember he will. Pero kung ayaw niya, wala na tayong magagawa. May mga taong hindi na pinipiling makaalala."

"We'll keep that in mind, Dra. Guevarra."

"But we will do everything we can to help him recover what he lost." She said. "I'll just make rounds. Just call me if you need anything."

Pagkaalis niya, humarap si Tita sa'min.

"I think we should all rest. I'm so sorry kinailangan namin kayong papuntahin lahat dito."

"I'm really sorry, Theia." Sabi ni Ry.

Nasa tabi niya si Ivy na kanina parin hindi makatingin sa'kin.

"It's okay, Ry."

It wasn't anyone's fault.

"Theia---"

Ivy was about to stand up nung pumunta ako sa harapan niya. Ramdam kong nagulat siya nung niyakap ko siya.

"Thank you for staying with him, Ivy."

"Maaalala ka rin niya, Theia." She said. "Nakalimutan ka man ng isip niya, hindi pwedeng makalimot ang pusong nagmamahal."

Inalalayan siya ni Ry at umalis narin silang dalawa.

"Theia, wag kang mag-alala ha." Tumabi sa'kin si Tita. "Hinding hindi natin isusuko si Nathan. Gagawin natin lahat para maalala ka niya."

Pero paano kung siya mismo ang sumuko?

Kung siya mismo yung ayaw makaalala?

I tried to smile at her. Hindi nila dapat nakikitang mahina ako dahil nagiging malakas sila para sa'min ni Nate.

"Let's go home, baby." Sabi ni Mommy. "Babalik ulit tayo bukas."

"Please let me stay.."

"But baby.."

"Please..."

I want to stay.

If I don't, baka tuluyan na siya mawala sa'kin.

There were things that I didn't expect to happen. Pero ngayon, gusto ko lang siya bantayan.

I wanted to be here for him.

They both looked at me and then to each other.

"Hon, hayaan na natin si Theia." Sabi ni Daddy.

"Pero--"

"I will take care of myself, Mommy."

"Alright.." She took a deep breath and hugged me. "Do you promise? Ayaw kong pabayaan mo yung sarili mo."

"I promise. Thank you, Mommy."

"We'll go with you." Sabi ni Tita. "Dra. Guevarra gave him a medicine kaya tulog na siya. Just ask the nurse if you need anything."

"I'll stay with her, Ma." Sabi ni Ate.

They said their goodbyes and left.

"I'll be with you shortly, love." Sabi ni Kuya sa kanya.

"Bessy." Niyakap ako ni Charm.

"Sorry ha, mag isa ka muna sa bahay."

"Don't worry, uuwi nalang muna ako para hindi ka mag alala." Sabi niya. "Please don't think too much. It's going to be okay, bessy."

He was sleeping soundly when we entered the room. I scanned the floor to see if may naiwan pang bubog yung nabasag kanina. Thankfully, wala na.

I sat beside him and held his hand.

"What happened, Ate?"

"When he woke up, we asked if he remembers the accident pero hindi daw. Napansin lang namin na hindi ka niya naalala nung si Ivy na yung hinahanap niya. Nung binanggit kita, he asked who you were..."

I didn't noticed that I was crying until she stopped talking.

"I'm sorry, Theia..." I was in her arms. "I'm so sorry pinapunta namin si Ivy. I swear it wasn't intentional. His doctor said that it's bad for him to be stressed kaya wala na kaming choice when he kept asking for her.. I'm really sorry..."

"I understand. I really do." Sagot ko. "Pero nung nalaman kong gising na siya at nasa iisang kwarto sila, sobra akong natakot. This is my greatest fear. Yung iwanan niya ako at magkabalikan sila."

"That would never happen, Theia." She said. "Because Ivy and Ry are together now."

"Pero limot niya na 'ko. Nakalimutan niya nang mahal niya ako." I cried. "Hindi na imposibleng magkabalikan pa sila."

Nakalimutan niya na kung sino ako.

Nakalimutan niyang parte ako ng buhay niya.

"The heart never forgets, Theia. The mind does pero hindi makakalimutan ng puso mo ang taong minahal nito."

***

When I woke up, wala na sa tabi ko si Ate. I sat up and saw a bag beside me. Ito siguro yung dinala ni Kuya. Maybe they're together.

I looked at Nate's bed. He's still there. Sleeping.

Tumayo ako bitbit yung bag and kissed him on his cheek.

"Good morning, mio."

Kailan mo kaya ako tatawagin ulit ng ganito?

Babalik ka parin naman sa'kin diba?

I stared at him for a while. Nung naramdaman kong tutulo na yung luha ko, dumiretso na ko sa banyo.

Hearing his voice made me stop nung nakalabas na ko.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

Gising na si Nate.

Nakaupo siya at tinititigan ako.

******