Chapter 8
1509 Words
Halos matumba siya sa kinatatayuan nang matitigan ng maigi kung sino ang taong naghihingalo ngayon.
"Doc!" sabay na bulalas nina Ben at Alex.
Hindi siya makagalaw at nanginginig ang mga kamay niya. Gusto niyang masuka dahil sa pagkasuklam niya sa taong nag-aagaw buhay.
She was dozing off, and she kept seeing her team's joyful face in the back of her mind and how they suffered at the hands of a monster like them.
She flinched when she felt cold hands pressing her shoulders, and whispered, "Kill him, Doc."
Parang hangin ang bumulong sa kaniya sa sobrang hina. At kilala niya ang malamig at baritonong boses na 'yon. Walang iba kundi si Big Boss.
Gusto pa yata siyang gawing mamatay tao.
Naikuyom niya ang kamao.
Bakit hindi? P'wede niya nga itong patayin...
"Doc! He's losing too much blood!"
Saka pa siya nahimasmasan dahil sa boses ni Alex. Hindi niya alam kung bakit nagawa niya pang makalapit gayong mabibigat ang kaniyang mga paa.
Tiningnan niya ang kondisyon ng pasyente. May tama ito ng baril.
The patient is in critical condition because the bullet hits the upper left side of his abdomen.
"We can't save him, doc," bulong sa kaniya ni Alex.
"He can be treated," she said with a determined voice and looked at the man leaning at the side of the doorway.
Big Boss smirked at her when she met his gaze. As if he was mocking her.
She remembered what he said to her earlier.
Kill him, the words still lingered in her mind. She was curious why Big Boss ordered her to kill him.
Is he mocking her? And does he know that the patient is in a critical condition?
Because she can surely kill this dying person here.
She clenched her fists and looked at the patient again.
"Doc, masyado ng malalim ang bala sa loob ng katawan niya. There's nothing we can do because the bullet went through his spleen and there are numerous blood vessels there!" paliwanag ni Alex sa natatarantang boses.
"That's why he's losing too much blood and there's no way we can stop the bleeding," segunda naman ni Ben.
She could not respond right now because her heart and mind were at war.
Kill him, kill him... Paulit-Paulit-ulit na bumubulong sa kaniya ang sinabi ni Big Boss.
"Can you do it, doc?" biglang tanong ni Big boss sa kaniya kaya dumako ang mga mata niya rito.
He looks serious but his eyes taunt her. As if he was giving her a choice to kill him or save him.
Without looking away at his eyes, she said, "Clear the room, and let's start the surgery."
"Pero dok, imposibleng..." si Ben.
"Let's do it," mariin niyang saad.
Before leaving, Big Boss fixed his gaze on her. He was looking at her as if he were telling her that she should make the right decision.
_____
"I know it's impossible to stop the bleeding from each of those vessels," panimula niya. "But the spleen can be cut off."
Ben and Alex were speechless, staring at her without blinking, trying to process what she was saying.
"The spleen is located deep within the abdominal cavity, doc. What about the–"
She smiled at Alex to lessen his nervousness. She knows he is in a panic, but this is not the time to entertain those kinds of emotions.
Alex will be a good doctor someday... If... only they were not trapped in this hellish place.
"The spleen can be rotated if the ligament supporting the spleen is cut," she explained.
Ben and Alex nodded for approval. Of course, this kind of surgery is risky.
Judging from the patient state, this is at least a grade 5 spleen injury. She could lose him in an instant if she were not in her right mind. She needs to focus.
And it seems that this damn person is important to the organization. But... Why did Big Boss ask her to kill him?
Napailing siya. Ayaw niya munang isipin ang sinabi nito.
"Prepare the anesthetic gas and the disinfectant," she commanded. "Let's begin."
Hindi niya alam kung ilang oras na ang nakakalipas dahil masyado siyang focus sa ginagawang operasyon.
"Ben, take the gauze and apply pressure to this area. And Alex, move the intestine here."
He was bleeding too much; she needed to finish this operation quickly.
"Ben, put as much gauze as you can to soak up the blood."
"Yes, doc!"
Pakiramdam niya ay nasa surgery room talaga siya sa ospital na pinagtatrabahuan niya sa ibang bansa. Ang pinagkaiba lang ay wala siyang ibang doktor na mga kasama.
But this kind of operation... she's done it many times.
"Alex, move the stomach and lift the lower ribcage too."
The spleen is in sight now.
"Ben, hold this part firmly and use the gauze to apply pressure to the spleen to stop the bleeding as much as you can, okay?"
"I got it, doc!" Ben spoke with determination, even though he appeared to have run out of blood on his face.
"Alright. I will begin the removal."
_________Five Hours later_____
"Coffee?" Alex offered her a cup of coffee.
"Thank you." She smiled at him and took the cup from his hand.
"So, studying and working abroad as a surgeon is a good choice, huh," Alex said with admiration in his voice.
"Not really," usal niya sa nanghihinang boses.
Nanghihina pa rin siya. Limang oras tumagal ang operasyon kaya mas lalong naging risky ang kalagayan ng pasyente. Kung hindi pa siya naging maingat at kung nahuli lang siya ng ilang minuto... Posible itong mamatay...
And If that happened she would fail as a surgeon.
"Cheer up, doc!" usal ni Alex na pilit pinapasigla ang boses. Alam din nito ang naging struggle niya kanina. "You did a great job, doc."
"Why the formalities, Alex?" She smiles. "Just call me Beatrice, just like what you used to call me."
Napakamot ito sa ulo. "Nakakahiya kasi sa'yo. Isa kang magaling na doktor kaya-–"
"Please stop!" natatawang awat niya rito. "Naiilang ako kapag masyadong mataas ang tingin ninyo sa akin."
"Okay, Beatrice." Alex smiles at her sweetly.
"Where's Ben?"
"Nagbawas ng kinain," sagot ni Alex sa natatawang boses. "Masyado pa yatang ninerbiyos dahil kanina."
Palagay niya ay mahina ang sikmura nito at siguro dahil din masyado itong natakot na baka mamatay ang pasyente at buhay nila ang kapalit.
"Sana maging okay na siya," aniya sa nag-aalalang boses.
"Huwag kang mag-alala, dok, okay lang 'yon."
Ngayon lang sila nag-usap na parang walang problemang dinadala, na parang magkatrabaho talaga sila at wala sila ngayon sa kamay ng mga terorista.
Sana makaalis sila sa lugar na ito na ligtas, aniya sa isipan. Dahil timgin niya ay malayo ang mararating ng dalawa.
_____
Isang linggo na ang nakalilipas at mabuti na ang kalagayan ng taong nailigtas niya sa pamamagitan ng operasyon.
At ngayong araw na ito ay kaya na niya itong harapin. Pagkatapos ng operasyon ay minabuti niyang sina Ben at Alex na lang ang mag-monitor sa kondisyon nito.
Dala niya ang medical kit at iba pang aparatus papunta sa cabin nito. Nasa labas pa lang siya ng pinto ay napahinto na siya dahil sa naririnig niyang komosyon sa loob.
"Kung hindi ka magtitino ay ipapasa ko kay Gel ang pamumuno sa organisasyong ito!"
Kilala niya ang galit na boses na 'yon. Paano niya ba makakalimutan ang boses ng taong nagpakita sa kanila ng kabutihan habang nasa Mt. Lagpas Village sila?
Humigpit ang hawak niya sa medical bag. Hindi niya alam kung sino ang tinutukoy nitong Gel at kung sino ang mga kausap nito.
"Ano pa ba ang gusto mong patunayan ko, ama?!"
Her eyes widened. It was Jay's voice.
And then...
"I'm done here."
Another voice. A familiar voice.
Napaawang ang bibig niya nang biglang bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa roon si Big Boss. Madilim ang mukha nito at deretso itong naglakad. Hindi man lang siya tiningnan at nilagpasan lang siya.
Napasilip siya at nakita niyang hawak ng pasyente ang kamay ni Jay.
"Jay, alam mo namang una pa lang ikaw na talaga ang gusto kong mamuno sa organisasyong ito kapag nawala ako, hindi ba? Pero kailangan mong matuto at mag-aral para–"
"Bullshit!" palatak ni Jay saka iwinaksi ang kamay ng ama. "Kaya kong pamunuan ang organisasyong ito ama!"
Pagkatapos ay padabog itong umalis. Siya naman ay natulos sa kinatatayuan. Pina-process ng utak niya ang narinig.
So, Gel pala ang pangalan ni Big Boss at ama nila ang nakaratay ngayon sa kama?
Biglang sumagi sa isipan niya ang ibinulong ni Big Boss sa kaniya bago niya operahan ang ama nito.
Kill him, Doc. Paulit-ulit na sumagi sa isipan niya.
Kaya ba gusto ni Big Boss na mamatay ang ama dahil mas pabor itong pamunuan ni Jay ang organisasyon?
Nanginig siya. Hindi niya lubos akalain na kayang talikuran ni Big Boss ang kadugo makuha lang ang gusto.
He was more cruel than she thought.
"Nandito ka na pala, doktora," puna sa kaniya ng matanda.
Pilit siyang ngumiti saka lumapit dito. "Kumusta ka na, kapitan?"
***
- Writer
