My Poison Lover (Filipino)

Chapter 3

Eevo and the college students fought like bloodthirsty inmates that had escaped prison and had laid waste of everything in sight. Mistulang binagyo ang resto bar pagkatapos ng gang fight nila. Just estimating how much the collateral damage would worth is giving me migraine. I hope the resto's insurance got it covered.

I was right to think that Eevo's injuries would be as bad as I anticipated it to be. Habang nasa ambulance kami ay hindi niya maigalaw ang buong katawan niya na may contusions, even ecchymosis sa ilang bahagi. Tingin ko ay may bali rin ang braso niya.

"Anong tinitingin-tingin mo? Eyes up here, Kid." I nagged, distracted of him eyeing my bosom as he lays on the aluminum alloy stretcher.

He didn't change. Tulad pa rin siya no'ng una kaming nagkita, manyak pa rin.

"Naiganti na kita," he implied.

"Naiganti saan, Eevo?"

"You probably misheard my name. I'm Yvon." Pagtatama niya sa'kin.

The speed of the ambulance might cause anyone to panic but I calmly ran an initial examination on certain areas of his body based on the shape and color consistency of each segments. Nang masiguro na walang cuts or lumps ang ulo at leeg niya ay nakahinga ako ng maluwag. Nahuli ko pa ang pagngisi niya nang makita ang pagbuntong hininga ko. Tinaasan ko siya ng isang kilay.

"You should start smiling more. Naiganti na kita sa babaeng pinalit sa'yo ng ex mo," aniya.

Natigilan ako sa pagkabit ng stethoscope sa tainga ko. "I'm sorry, what was what?"

"I reversed card your ex. Inagaw ko 'yung babaeng pinalit niya sa'yo. Ah, Geneva, what a hoe."

"You can't be serious," kaila ko.

"Seryoso ako."

Nagsubukan kami ng tingin. "Sino 'yung mohawk guy kanina?"

"He called Dion tropa but he's a younger cousin of his. It's unintentional, nagkainteres din sa'kin 'yung girlfriend ni Mohawk so I juggled my time. Pinagsabay ko sila ni Geneva."

"And at what cost? Ang laking abala ng gulong nangyari sa resto bar. Mabuti na lang walang ibang nasaktan."

"Nag-aalala ka sa kanila na ligtas pero hindi sa'kin na nakaratay rito sa stretcher?" he asked, absolutely offended.

Walang pasintabi kong inangat ang damit niya para tingnan ang abdominal area niya. Fortunately, there aren't any masses or bulges there. Although, there are swelling and inflammation on his left elbow.

"Pagagalingin naman kita ano pang nirereklamo mo?"

He scoffed and that pained him. Buti nga, tawa ka pa, ha. From his reaction I've concluded that he might have fractured a few ribs. He received rigorous blows by a solid stainless steel rings after all.

"Bayad na ko sa utang na loob ko sa'yo kaya 'wag ka ng gagawa pa ng ikapapahamak mo uli," saad ko, inayos ang higa niya sa stretcher matapos siyang i-examine.

"Utang na loob?"

I leaned closer so the paramedic won't hear what I have to say, "Yong pagsalo mo sa cellphone ko do'n sa bangin. 'Wag kang magpanggap na hindi mo naaalala."

"Shouldn't you be thanking me for saving your life? Bakit 'yung cellphone ang ipinagpapasalamat mo? Man, you have your priorities wrong."

Hindi ko siya pinansin at bumaling na lang sa paramedic.

"Miss, may barton bandage ba tayo diyan? I need to immobilize his jaw, ang ingay, eh, ibabalot ko sana pati bibig niya. Sana meron."

"Ah, yes, Doc. Ito p—"

"No, 'wag na. Tatahimik na ako." Pinigil siya ni Yvon na pinamumulahan ng earlobes sa pagkapahiya.

"ADMITTED NA 'YUNG patient sa room 213, Cal," imporma sa'kin ni Karina sa labas ng radiology department. "Bakit nandito ka?"

"Hinihintay ko lang 'yung x-ray result gusto ko makita. Iha-handover ko na siya sa'yo pagkatapos. Ikaw na ang bahala sa kanya."

"Bakit ako?"

Napakunot ang noo ko. "Kasi ikaw ang resident on duty? Nagkataon lang na nando'n ako sa resto bar kaya ako sumama sa ambulance. I'm not cutting my off short, Karina."

"Right," she answered awkwardly. "As much as I want you to take all the time you need to rest, the patient refused my care. Ayaw niya magpa-transfer at nag-request siya na ikaw ang mag-attend sa kanya."

"Ang kulit talaga ng batang 'yon."

"As a fellow resident I should address a patient's refusal of care. Sa'yo na siya," aniya, mapanuksong kumagat sa labi.

"Anong nginingisi-ngisi mo diyan? Tigilan mo 'yan pasyente 'yon at 19 lang."

"19? His records show he's 20," she hooted teasingly.

Nakapamaywang ko na siyang hinarap. "Okay, what's going on, Karina Fonseca? Bakit mo ko pinu-push sa kanya?"

"Look, the guy asked about you. Kung kamusta ka nitong nakaraang mga araw, kung kumakain ka ba ng maayos, at kung nagpapahinga ka ba. He's as nice as a pie, completely harmless plus guwapo pa. Baka lang pwede mo kilalanin?"

"No, I don't do rebound. Besides, he's too young I'm not that desperate." mariin kong pagtanggi.

"He's a full grown man, Calixta. 6 years lang ang age gap niyo."

"And yet some pediatricians will still see him! He hasn't even debuted yet so he's practically a kid. You can't change my mind."

She sighed in defeat, giving me Yvon's patient chart.

"Fine. But if he took advances, you should still do what you have to do with no excuses. Hindi mo siya pwede ipasa sa'kin o sa iba. Otherwise, that would be a failure to conform to our prevalent medical practices standards."

"Fonseca ka talaga. Alam na alam mo kung paano usigin ang konsensya ko by means of unprofessional conducts, 'no?"

"Nire-remind lang kita. Anyways, I have to get going. See you around." Kumindat siya, padaskol na siniksik ang mga kamay sa bulsa ng lab coat at saka umalis.

Napailing na lang ako sa kanya. Somehow, she reminds me of Vanessa's mom. I'm not sure how the two of them are related but she resembles the latters' Hispanic beauty and sanctimonious personality. Ang hirap nila kontrahin dahil most of the time tama sila.

"Hi, Dra. Montalvo ito na." Lumabas ang radiologist na si Doc. Noelle dala ang x-ray result ni Yvon.

As usual, she appears cold and lifeless. Siya talaga ang pinakamailap na doctor ng Highland Medicenter.

"Thank you, Doc. Trademark mo na talaga 'yang straight and expressionless face." biro ko, baka sakaling mapangiti ko siya.

Instead, her hand balled to a fist. Napalunok ako sa kaba. N-Nagalit ba siya? Nagulat ako nang magtakip siya ng mukha at nagmamadaling bumalik sa loob ng radiology room. Naiwan akong nakatanga sa pinto habang nakaangat pa ang kamay dahil hahabulin ko sana siya.

Natawa ang doctors at nurses sa likod ko na nakakita. Lahat kami ay sinubukang makipagkaibigan kay Doc. Noelle pero hindi talaga siya maamo. It's like an unpsoken challenge amongst us now to talk to her. Nakakahiya lang na nakita nila ang failed attempt ko!