Beauty As The Beast

T W O (1/3)

“Autumn Leaf. Right?” I say, feigning and probably failing nonchalance.

She opens her mouth to say something but just like me, she seems to be just as stupefied.

I’m slightly taken aback. When was the last time I saw her? I think that was years ago, despite being fairly involved with her sister’s activities lately. Balita ko, kakarating lang nito galing sa tournament from Canada and Australia. And of course, the black sheep just couldn’t get enough of her trouble in college. I bet she’s twice more troublesome now that she’s really on the peak of her career.

And I’d be lying if I say she’s not twice as gorgeous, too, because—screw me. She still looks like a super star despite her situation.

“Doc, ito na po!”

Imbes na mag-isip ng kung anong sasabihin, I just let the nurse convince the devil to take the chair. But of course, stubborn as she is, she still wouldn’t sit.

“I... I gotta go, Karen,” I tell the nurse. “Bring her to the ER, please.”

“No need. I told you, I can find my way to the doctor I’m looking for.”

“Hindi mo kailangang mag-aksaya ng oras sa pag-iinarte. Mauubusan ka na ng dugo, mamimili ka pa ng doktor?!”

Larqueza and the nurse are just staring at me.

“‘Wag mo ‘kong titigan na parang hindi mo alam ang sinasabi ko. Alam kong nakaka-intindi ka ng Tagalog,” I tell her.

She crosses her arms over her chest—an annoying signature move of mine na nakikita ko rin sa kaniya ngayon. And then, surprisingly, she smirks. “If you’re so worried, then, why don’t you take me there instead? They’re nurses, not slaves.”

“They follow the doctors’ orders because we know what to do.”

“And they don’t?”

“That’s not what I said,” I snap back.

She smirks again, as if she’s finding this conversation interesting. “Too bad, I’m not a nurse; so I follow nobody’s orders. So long... Isabelle.”

Then she starts walking past me, away from us, at ako naman ang mas naasar. If someone sees her and they realize that she’s been standing here with me all the while, ako naman ang pag-iisipan nang hindi maganda. I can’t just let her walk away without getting treated like a normal patient.

“Wait,” I say, turning to look at her.

She pauses and looks back with a victorious smile. “Yes?”

Hindi ko alam kung normal lang ba na nakakatawa ‘yung itsura niya. She looks like an evil murderer in one of those gore movies I’ve watched because of her bloody face and her evil smile.

“Fine. Please, sit on the wheelchair.”

“I’ll go with you to the ER peacefully without sitting on that rolling chair. Don’t treat me like a disabled person. Trust me, I’m completely able.”

“The wheelchair, or a gurney? You choose.”

She touches her left arm na parang may masakit sa kaniya. “What’s a gurney?” she innocently asks.

“It’s the bed with wheels,” I answer.

“Okay. I’ll take the gurney.”

I glare at her. “You don’t want the wheelchair because it makes you feel disabled, but you’d rather lie on a gurney?! Are you kidding me?!”

She shrugs dismissively with a subtle contort on her face due to the movement. “I may not be disabled, but I’m hella tired and the bed sounds tempting.”

“Doc, gurney on the way,” the nurse says, scurrying off to get the requested gurney.

I breathe in, praying for extended patience. “What happened to you?” I finally get the courage to ask.

To my surprise, she’s already walking back to my direction and she sits on the wheelchair. “Get me to your office instead. Please,” she says.

Nagulat ako sa sincerety ng boses niya. Kaya kahit inis na inis na ako, tinulak ko na lang siya habang dala ‘yung kit ko. Kesa naman magmatigasan pa kami at maubusan na siya ng dugo.

Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Her possible head trauma is what I’m actually worried about.

“May wipes ka ba diyan?”

I look back at her after closing the door of my office. “What for?”

“Just hand me one, please.”

“Walang wipes dito. Just wait here.”

Kumuha ako ng tissue mula sa dispenser sa table ko tapos binasa gamit 'yung mineral water.

“What’s this for, again?”

Hindi siya nagsalita. Tumayo siya tapos umupo sa table ko at saka inabot ‘yung hawak kong basang tissue. Pinunasan niya ‘yung mukha niya gamit ‘yon.

“What the—Let me clean it properly. Baka ma-infect ka pa sa ginagawa mo,” I chide, grabbing the tissue from her hand.

“Don’t worry a lot about me. Hindi ka kasi nagtatanong muna, e. This?” she points her index finger towards her face. “This isn’t my blood. Maliit lang sugat ko sa mukha, I swear, and I’m saving you the trouble of cleaning someone else’s blood.”

Sa gulat ko, hinayaan ko na lang siya when she snatches back the tissue paper. Kumuha ulit siya mula sa dispenser, binasa, tapos pinunas sa mukha. She repeats the process hanggang sa ‘yung sugat na lang niya ang naiwan sa bandang gilid ng mata.

“Your turn,” she says.

I open my emergency kit tapos kinuha ang mga bulak at gamot na kailangan ko. Tama siya, maliit lang ang sugat niya. It doesn’t even need to get stitched. I just remain quiet as I clean her wound.

“Wait,” she interrupts.

I keep an impassive face instead of wasting my energy in rolling my eyes as I move away a little. Bigla akong kinabahan when she starts pulling the hem of her shirt up, taking it off, leaving only her undergarment to cover the upper part of her body.

“Naiilang na ‘ko. Ang lagkit, e,” she explains.

Okay, so never mind getting almost naked basta ‘wag lang siyang mailang. Gano’n ba? O, paano na ‘yan? Ako naman ang naiilang ngayon. Maghuhubad na rin ba ‘ko?

“If you don’t feel comfortable of my lack in clothing, you can always give me that shirt you’re wearing. At least, there’s just a slight chance that you’d stare at yourself.”

Diniin ko ‘yung bulak sa sugat niya.

“Ow!”

“Just shut up so we can get this over and done with, Larqueza.”

“Alright! Hindi mo ‘ko kailangang sadyaing saktan.”

Tinuloy ko lang 'yung paglilinis sa sugat niya at from time to time, napapatingin ako sa mga mata niya. The blended colors of her eyes are almost frightening to look at, but I don’t understand why I still want to look at them. Her eyes are just so... beguiling.

“It’s a wonder how you still remembered my name.”

Hindi ako sumagot because like always, I’m not in a mood for small talks. Especially with someone like her who’s so full of herself, just like how I remember her.

“Don’t you ever wonder how I still remembered yours?”

Ano bang ginagawa niya? Nagpapapansin? Hindi ba halatang ayokong makipag-kwentuhan sa kaniya?

“How have you been, Isabelle? We never had the chance to get to know each other back then.”

Napatingin ako sa kaniya with confusion probably written clearly on my face.

Seryoso bang tinatanong niya kung kumusta ako? Sigurado ba siyang tamang Isabelle ang naaalala niya at hindi siya nalilito sa pangalan ko? Baka naman kamukha ko lang ang dating kaibigan niya na nakalimutan lang niya ang pangalan?

The Autumn Leaf I know wouldn’t have the audacity to ask me something like this. What the hell is wrong with her?

She’s very different from the Autumn Leaf I remember in college. During that time, I barely see her talking to people other than Silver. She used to be so quiet and aloof, and mostly seemed to not care about anything that’s going on around her.

So one can imagine my confusion as I listen to her failed attempts in starting a proper conversation with me. I mean, I’ve known her to be very demanding with things that matter to her. But I never thought she’d be very desperate of someone’s attention, especially when she already has a lot of that.

“I never pegged you as a doctor when we were in college,” she remarks.

And I’m not sure if it’s her hair, her skin, or her breath that smells like strawberries. “I’m surprised you ever pegged me for anything at all,” I finally answer.

“No, seriously. I didn’t imagine you’d someday take a path like this. You were always quiet and you had no friends.”

“Is that insult I hear?” I crack.

“What? No, I just... I thought you’d be more like a lawyer.”

I snort. “I may be quiet at times but I never dreamed of having anything to do with the law, so... No. Surprise, I’m a doctor,” I say, faking enthusiasm.

She eyes me as I prepare to cover her wound with a bandage. “Doctor of what, exactly?”

“Toxicology... Neurosurgery... and Psychiatry.”

“Jeez. Are you for real?”

Medyo natawa ako sa reaksyon niya, in fairness. “You were not fairly good at conversations, too, as what I can remember.”

“I’m flattered that you remembered.”

“You were the ‘great’ Autumn Leaf. Nobody would forget.”

She clears her throat. “I still am. Great, I mean.”

“Yes. And you’re still an asshole.”

“Wait. I was an asshole?”

I look into her eyes and give her a sarcastic smile. “Ayan, okay na ‘yung sugat,” I say.

Tapos kinapa pa niya na parang akala mo naman, niloloko ko lang siya. “Good. Thank you. How much do I owe you?”

“Patingin muna ng braso mo then you can talk to the nurse outside for that matter.”

Patay-malisya siyang tumitig sa ‘kin na para bang hindi niya alam kung anong tinutukoy ko. “What? What about my arm?”

Napaikot ang mga mata ko. “May masakit sa braso mo kanina. I need to see it.”

“Okay, first, you judge me by calling me an ‘asshole’ now you’re assuming that something’s wrong with my arm?”

Hindi na ako nakipagtalo. By that, I mean hinablot ko ‘yung braso niya para makita kung may problema ba.

“Ow! You son of a—”

“You broke your arm. Now that, is a fact.”

“Yes. That’s why I’m not playing yet.” She snatches her arm back. “Now, you’ve done your part and I thank you for that, but you really don’t have to fix things when you’re not being asked to. Excuse me.”

Napataas na lang ‘yung kilay ko habang sinusundan siya ng tingin. She has her shirt in one hand at talagang lumabas siya sa opisina ko na walang pantaas. Ang lakas ng loob. Bahala siya, hindi ko na kasalanan kung may pilay siya. Sakali mang i-reklamo niya ako, lulumpuhin ko na talaga siya nang tuluyan.