Won't Let You Die

*Theia's POV*

"Good morning."

He was smiling.

Hindi ko tuloy mapigilang ngumiti din sa kanya.

"G-ood mor-ning.."

That smile was once mine.

Nauna siyang sumakay sa kotse.

"Are you sure about this?"

Kanina pa siya nakatayo sa may pintuan na parang nagsisisi sa pagpayag niya.

"Kuya.."

"I know." He said. "Pero hindi na ba magbabago yung isip mo?"

"Nuh uh." Sagot ni Charm. "Hindi naman nagbabago isip niyan."

Bago ko pa siya maabot, tumakbo na siya palabas ng gate.

She even turned around and stuck her tongue out.

"Kuya, if you don't want me to go.." Napatingin siya sa'kin. "I can ride with Kuya Rod."

I couldn't assure him at all kasi sa totoo lang, natatakot din ako. Natatakot ako sa ginagawa ko.

Hindi ko alam kung tama 'to.

"Pangalawang punta niya na 'to. If we rejected him again, you might not have a third chance, Theia."

"Are you sure?"

Natawa siya ng konti kasi I used the same question na tinanong niya lang kanina.

"I'm not but this is for you, Theia."

I hugged him. "Thank you, Kuya."

"Please promise me na sasabihin mo sa'kin mamaya lahat ng nangyari." He said. "If he makes a mistake, kahit isa lang, hinding hindi ko na siya hahayaang makita ka ulit."

"I promise."

I hope Nate doesn't do anything para mangyari yun.

I'm taking the risk.

I can't lose him.

"Sige na. Baka ma-late pa kayo."

He let me go and I waved back at him bago ako sumakay sa kotse.

Bakit hindi bumubukas?

Charm looked at me.

Nasa backseat kasi siya. Tinuro ko yung pinto para buksan niya.

Binelatan ba naman ako tsaka tinuro yung front seat.

"Charm!"

Sa lahat talaga ng araw na pwede niya ko asarin, ngayon pa??

Itatabi niya talaga ako kay Nate??

Nate rolled down the window.

"May problema ba?"

"Ah.. wala." I tried to smile and opened the door.

Pagkabit ko ng seatbelt, nilingon ko si Charm.

"Oy, girl scout." I waited for her to look at me. "Mag-uusap tayo mamaya."

She just laughed at me.

"Let's go?"

Bago pa ko makasagot, may nauna nang magsakita kaysa sa'kin.

"Lezzgo!"

Ugh, Charm. I hate you!

***

Kasalanan talaga lahat ni Charm. Tapos ngayon, pipilitin niya pa ko ikwento kay Kuya.

"So, what happened?"

"..."

"You promised me na sasabihin mo sa'kin lahat ng nangyari."

Oo nga pala. Yung pangako.

Pwede bang mapako nalang?

"Wala ba kayong pinag-usapan?"

Umiling ako.

"You didn't even talk to him?"

"Nope." Charm answered.

"Ha?" He frowned. "Eh anong ginawa mo?"

"Wala."

"Theia.." Napailing siya.

Natawa ulit si Charm. "Ewan ko ba dyan."

"This was your fault diba?" Sabi ko sa kanya. "Kung di mo sana ako pinasakay dun, edi sana nakausap ko manlang siya."

"Kasalanan ko? Kaya ko nga kayo pinagtabi para makausap mo siya."

"Do you think I can talk when he's that close?"

"Hindi din."

"Kita mo na?"

"Atleast I did something."

"Atleast??" Wala namang naitulong yung ginawa niya. "Yun yung dahilan kaya nagkaganito."

Sasagot pa sana siya pero sumingit na si Kuya.

"Tama na yan." Awat niya. "Walang may kasalanan. What Charm did was out of good intention naman, Theia."

"Buti pa si Kuya naintindihan ako."

"Psh. Good intention."

"Mali ka din naman, Charm." Sabi niya. "Sinabi mo sana kay Theia yung plano para nag ready siya."

Point well taken.

"Okay na?"

We both nodded at him.

"And then?" He looked at me. "Wala ka talagang sinabi? Kahit isa?"

"How can she say anything kung tulog siya sa buong biyahe?"

Sila nalang kaya mag-usap?

Lahat ng tanong ni Kuya siya sumasagot e.

=____=

"Tulog?"

"Yup." Sagot niya. "Nagtulog tulugan siya habang papunta sa school."

Ramdam kong namumula ako sa hiya.

Nung nag sink in kay Kuya, tawa siya ng tawa. Charm joined him kaya mas namula ako lalo.

Yes, I pretended to be asleep para lang hindi awkward yung biyahe. Hindi na kasi ako sanay ng ganun siya kalapit sa'kin.

I even heard them talking.

Speaking of...

"What were you talking about earlier?"

Napatigil sila parehas sa pagtawa. "Alin?"

"Nung nasa kotse tayo, may pinag-uusapan kayo."

"Ah." Nilapag niya yung plato sa mesa. "Ikaw."

"Ako?"

"Oo."

"Why would you talk about me?"

"He just asked if okay ka na."

"Okay ako?"

"Diba nung nasa Italianni's tayo--" She stopped nung nakita niya yung puzzled expression ko. "It was the night you spoke to Ry bago yung party."

Naalala ko na.

"Tapos?"

"Nathan was there."

"Oo naman." Sagot ko. "Diba buong section yung invited?"

She frowned. "Hindi mo ba maalala?"

"Maalala ang alin?"

"When you collapsed, he was the one who brought us to the hospital."

"HA?"

Tumango siya. "He even carried you that night."

Binuhat? Ako?

Simula nung naaksidente siya, he doesn't care about me at all.

Bakit ngayon pang mamamatay na ko?

"You even called him Mio."

My eyes widened.

I called him wha-t??

******

*Gabriel's POV*

"I thought she's cured.."

"Yun din ang akala ko." Sagot niya. "The scariest thing about DCM is that it can get worse over time pero iba yung kay Theia. Her condition didn't get worse at all."

"But you've operated on her before." Sabi ko. "Why can't you do it now?"

"That's the point, Gab." She said. "Nagawa ko na noon kaya isang mali ko lang ngayon, she might die. It's too dangerous."

"Then what do we expect to happen now?" Tanong ko. "Is she going to die soon??"

Iiwan niya na ba talaga kami?

"After diagnosis, 5 years lang ang life expectancy ng mga taong may DCM." Sabi niya. "We should be thankful. She's 17 at kinakaya pa ng katawan niya."

"Pero hindi na ngayon, Ma. Hindi niya na kaya." I whispered. "It's a sign that we're losing her..."

"Gab, don't say that.."

"Can't you do anything else?? Wala na ba talagang paraan para mabuhay siya? Para gumaling pa siya?"

"Gab.."

"Ma, please. I just got home.."

"If I'd known this would happen to her, hindi na sana ako umalis." Sabi ko. "I should've been beside her lalo na't hindi naman siya maalala ni Nathan tapos ngayon.."

"Hahayaan lang b-ba natin siya mamatay..?"

"..."

I couldn't stop crying.

Hindi manlang ako umiyak nung sinabi sa'kin ni Charm yung nangyari. I needed to be strong. Nasa States ako at wala sa tabi niya.

But I wanted to cry too but all I can tell her was that everything will be okay.

That I will make everything okay again.

Now that I'm here, paano?

Kung wala na magagawa yung sarili kong ina, ano pang maitutulong ko??

Nandito na ko pero bakit mawawala ka parin sa'min?

Wala na ba talagang paraan??

You need to think, Gab.

What will help her??

Who does she needed the most now?

Nathan.

"Ma, who was Nathan's doctor?"

Hindi siya sumagot.

Nakatitig lang siya sa'kin.

"Is it Guevarra? Dra. Guevarra, right?"

"Anong gagawin mo, Gab?"

"Kailangan ko siya makausap."

"Gab, wag kang gumawa ng gulo."

"I won't. Kakausapin ko lang siya so I can help."

"No. Leave that to Theia."

"Leave it to her??" I faked a laugh. "Ma, kung lahat nalang hahayaan natin sa kanya, baka mas maaga niya tayong iwanan."

"Gab, I know exactly what you're thinking." Sabi niya. "Naiintindihan kita but you can't do that."

"No, Ma. You don't understand." Sagot ko. "I can't do anything about her DCM pero kay Nathan, may magagawa pa ko. It's not too late."

"Gab, stop."

Tumayo na ko. "Thank you for your time, Dra. Suarez. I'll see you at home."

"Gabriel!"

"If you can't help me Ma, I'll find answers on my own." I said and left her office.

I'm not too late.

May magagawa pa ko para kay Courts.

Para sa bestfriend ko.

I took my phone and dialed his number.

"Gab?"

"Ry." Sagot ko. "Can you meet me now?"

I won't let you die without getting him back.

******