His First Obsession

Chapter 7: Realization

Dale's POV

"Cardiopulmonary Bypass," I said, "is a procedure in which a machine temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lung during surgery, preserving blood circulation and oxygen content in the patient's body."

I can see through their eyes the hope and willingness to listen more to what I am saying. This technique will give me a higher chance of saving the patient's life and her unborn child.

"If my calculations were right, this operation will last up to 3-6 hours, only if there will be no complications during the process," I continued as I fix my eyeglasses sliding down my nose bridge.

"Which we hope not," says Mr. Delantes.

I turn my gaze to my patient as I heard her heave a heavy sigh before uttering something. "In that case, when we'll be performing the surgery?" she asked full of curiosity in her tone.

"Right now," I said and astonishment was written all over their faces.

"It's almost midnight, could you really operate my wife well during this late hour?" Mr. Delantes uttered with a hint of uneasiness in his voice.

"Are you doubting my capabilities as your wife's private doctor, Mayor?"

"H-Hindi naman sa ganon," ani niya.

"Huwag ka nang maraming tanong, Frederick. Ang importante ay maagapan natin 'to ng mabilis bago pa mas lumala ang sitwasyon," Mrs. Delantes said with an authoritative tone that made her husband shut up.

"We work 24/7 Mr. Delantes, if not all, then I am," ani ko na ikinatingin niya sa'kin ng deretso.

"We will do our best to make this surgery successful, so please worry less," I said, giving him assurance. Tumango naman siya bilang sagot atsaka napatingin sa kanyang asawa at hinalikan ang noo neto.

"If that's so, then I'm entrusting you my wife, and our child in your hands," ani niya at ngumiti sa'kin.

"I'll send someone to bring Mrs. Delantes to the operation room. If you'll excuse me, I'll be getting ready for the surgery as well," I said and take my leave.

Nakasalubong ko si Melendez sa labas ng kwarto kung saan naka admit ang aking pasyente. "We will be getting ready in 5 minutes. Let's finish this unsolved problem and save the fetus' and it's mother's life," sambit ko sa kanya na ikinatango niya.

Good thing Sean brought me some coffee earlier, this operation will keep me awake throughout the night until the sun peaks. The thought of saving two lives overnight, makes me feel energized and forget the fact that I didn't slept since yesterday.

What a great profession it is...

"SHE'S on bypass," Melendez said. We are currently doing the surgery right now. This is just the start, I am hoping there will be no complications that will arise during the procedure again.

"Cross clamping the aorta," I said and clamp Mrs. Delantes' aorta. Melendez took the fluid that will flush her heart.

"Flushing," Melendez uttered and with that, the heart stops pumping.

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa at sabay na tumango. We will start cutting her uterus again.

"Now, let's prep her for C-section, we're going to start removing the tumor from the fetus," ani ko. My team and I did all the work that needs to be done. I won't let any occurrence of disturbances because everything must be perfectly executed and on plan.

"The tumor is almost half the size of the baby," Melendez said while watching me take it out from its mother's womb.

"Bovie," I ordered and took the tool.

I slowly removed the attached tumor on the fetus like it was the most fragile thing in the world. I felt relieved when I completely removed it and detached it from the fetus. The size of the tumor was almost half of the fetus' size, it is slightly bigger than a billiard ball.

"How are we in bypass?" I asked. Napatingin ako ng deretso kay Melendez ng hindi niya ako sinagot. I saw him staring at the fetus for more than a few seconds.

"Dr. Melendez, are you still with us?" I snapped him out. Kaagad naman siyang napatingin sa akin atsaka humingi ng paumanhin.

"Yeah, um, the central venous pressure is good. Bypass oxygen tension is 200," he uttered.

"Good," I said, "repairing the fetal sacrum and we're gonna put this baby back to where it belongs."

"Baby?" Napatingin ako kay Melendez ng bigla siyang magsalita ulit. "That's the first time I heard you called it a 'baby' and not a 'fetus'," he continued. I was taken back for a split second before continuing what I did and finishing it in an instant.

"It's just an expression," I said to him.

After how many hours in the operation room, I finally came back to my office and rest my body in my chair. Mrs. Delantes' operation was successful and she's now in the intensive care unit. I closed my eyes while leaning in my swivel chair as the sun started to peak.

"Don't you want to have kids? Perhaps, a family that you could call your own?"

I remember what my nephew asked me a few weeks ago. The moment Sean entered my office that time and told me that there was a pregnant woman looking for me in the lobby, I couldn't explain what I felt.

I admit I hooked up with different women to satisfy my s****l desires but being in a relationship isn't really my thing. What more about building my own family? Even the thought of it makes me sick.

I am a person of science, I only believe in things that prove facts and show shreds of evidence. I never f*ck someone without a condom so there's a big possibility that the woman lied, and I'm right. The DNA doesn't match with mine, so I have no obligations to her.

I massage my temples when Hunter's words echoed in my mind again. Bakit ba masyadong big deal sa'kin ang mga pangyayari ngayon? I never give a f*ck to this kind of stuff because they are a total waste of my time.

My body and my mind doesn't function well this time. Kung ano-ano na lang kasi ang naiisip ko. I probably might just need enough sleep.

Bella's POV

Napaunat ako habang kinukusot ang aking mga mata. Ang ganda ng tulog ko ngayon, ito na ata ang pinakamaganda kong gising mula noong isang linggo. Hindi man naging maganda ang araw ko kahapon, sisiguradohin ko naman na maganda ngayon.

That break-up won't put me into agony.

What my dad told me about last night made me realize that life isn't a fairytale wherein princesses will meet their princes and make their life happier.

I don't need a prince to do that for me. I can be happier without the presence of a man in my life.

Narinig kong tumilaok ang manok ng kapitbahay namin kaya kaagad na akong bumangon mula sa hinihigaan kong kama at inayos ito bago tumingin sa salamin.

Tuluyan ng nawala ang pamamaga ng aking mga mata kaya bahagya akong napangiti. Hindi ko na dapat pa iyakan ang ganong klaseng lalake. Sobrang kapal ng mukha niyang gawin akong kabit.

He's definitely a total jerk.

Napatingin ako sa maliit kong lamesa dito sa kwarto kung nasaan nakapatong ang luma kong laptop. Ngayon ko pala ipapasa ang kwento ko sa editor namin.

Napagpasyahan ko kasi kagabi na ito na huli kong akda bago ako tuluyang umalis sa publishing company na tinatrabahoan ko ngayon. Sakto lang naman din dahil ngayong katapusan na matatapos ang kontrata ko sa kanila. Kailangan ko na lang maghanap ng bagong trabaho sa ngayon.

Kinuha ko ang USB sa gilid kung saan nakalagay ang lahat ng soft copies ko sa libro atsaka ipinasok sa loob ng aking bag. Kinuha ko ang towalya atsaka bumaba para maligo.

Masyado pang maaga dahil kaka alas cinco palang ng madaling araw, kaya ako pa lamang ang gising ngayon dito sa amin. Pumasok na kaagad ako ng banyo atsaka sinimulang maligo.

Hindi ko inalinta ang lamig ng tubig na dumadapo sa aking katawan, siguro dahil nasanay na rin ako. Habang naliligo, hindi ko maiwasang mapaisip 'yong doktor kahapon.

Ang weird ng mga pangyayari kahapon simula 'nong makita ko siya, mula sa parke kung saan ako biglang nawalan ng malay, hanggang sa ospital kung saan siya nagtatrabaho bilang isang doktor. Tapos yung napanaginipan ko pa kahapon, sobrang linaw na akala ko ay totoo.

Hindi kaya...

Biglang nanlaki ang aking mga mata ng kaagad kong mapagtanto na baka isa iyon sa mga pangyayari mula noong kabataan ko.

Because of his sudden familiar gestures yesterday, a new lost memory had been unlocked. Is he somewhat connected to my past? Do we know each other before?

Sino ba talaga siya?

Napahawak ako sa ulo ko ng bigla itong sumakit. Thinking about it too much makes my head pound. I need to take things slow and connect them one at a time, too much pressure will just cause me pain.

Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas at natapos na rin akong maligo sa loob ng banyo. Kaagad akong pumunta sa aking kwarto at nagbihis. Bago ako tuluyang lumabas, minabuti ko munang nasa ayos ang lahat at maaliwalas ang loob.

I'm an organized person, I don't leave things not in their designated places.

Nang makabihis na ako, kaagad akong pumunta sa kusina upang maghanda ng almusal namin. Simpleng itlog, hotdog at kanin lang ang pinaplano kong lutoin ngayon. Nagpakulo ako ng tubig sa takure habang nagpiprito at nasasaing ng kanin.

Ilang minuto lang ang lumipas nang biglang sumulpot si Bea sa aking harapan habang naghahanda ako ng makakain sa mesa. Napahawak ako sa aking dibdib sa gulat.

"Bawas-bawasan mo rin kasi ang pag inom ng kape minsan ate," sambit niya at bahagyang tumawa. Napailing ako sa sinabi niya atsaka nilapag ang dala kong plato na may lamang itlog.

"Maligo ka na ng makakain na tayo ng almusal," sabi ko sa kanya. Kumaway naman siya sa'kin habang nakatalikod at pumasok na sa banyo.

"Bilisan mo ha!" sigaw ko sa kanya.

"Opo!" sigaw rin niya sa'kib pabalik mula sa loob. Napangisi ako habang umiiling. "Good morning pa," bati ko sa aking ama ng makita ko siyang lumabas mula sa kanyang silid.

"Good morning din, anak," bati niya sa'kin. Ningitian ko naman siya atsaka kinuha ang kapeng tinimpla ko para sa kanya.

"Tamang-tama, kakatimpla ko lang po ng kape niyo," sabi ko atsaka inilagay ang isang tasang kape sa lamesa mula sa kusina. Nagpasalamat naman sakin ang aking ama atsaka ito hinipan at tumingin sa'kin.

"Mas maaga ka atang nag-ayos ngayon anak," sambit ni papa bago hinigop ang mainit-init pa niyang kape.

"Ah, ngayon ko po kase ipapasa ang bagong gawa ko." Ngumiti ako sa kanya atsaka bumalik sa loob ng kusina para kunin ang bagong lutong kanin. Kumuha na lang din ako ng mga plato atsaka kubyertos para makakain na kaagad kami.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, kaya hindi ko hahayaang may hindi kakain ng panghimagas sa amin. Kaya sinisiguro ko talaga na makakakain sila lalong-lalo na si papa bago ako umalis ng bahay papuntang trabaho.

"Oh siya, kumain kana kaagad ng makaalis kana at baka abutan ka ng traffic sa daan," ani ni papa na kaagad ko namang sinunod.

Pasado alas sais na ng umaga, dapat wala na ako dito sa bahay bago mag aalas siete dahil kung hindi, matatagalan talaga ako. Baka kung kelan pa ako magsusumite ng huli kong akda, diyan pa malalate.

Binilisan ko na lang ang aking pagsubo at pagnguya para makaabot pa ako sa takdang oras. Halos masamid pa ako sa kinakain ko. "Dahan-dahanin mo naman ang pagsubo mo ng pagkain," ani ni papa.

Kinuha ko naman ang isang basong tubig atsaka ito kaagad na ininom. Napatingin ako sa orasan at halos mapamura ng makita kong malapit ng mag quarter to 7.

Kaagad kong inilagay sa lababo ang plato atsaka dali-daling nagsipilyo. Nang matapos na ako, kaagad kong nilapitan si papa para magmano bago umalis.

"Pa, alis na po ako," sabi ko atsaka kinuha ang bag na nasa sala.

"Mag-iingat ka sa kalsada ha? Huwag kang tatawid kung saan-saan," pagpapaalala niya sa'kin. Ningitian ko naman si papa atsaka hinalikan sa pisngi bago tuluyang umalis.

"Ate! Mag-iingat ka! Babyee~!" sigaw ni Bea na kakalabas lang ng banyo. Kumaway ako sa kanya at tuluyan ng naglakad papalayo sa aming maliit na bahay.