Chapter 18
1474 Words
Chapter 18 - Ayan, Napagalitan Pa `Ko ng Pulis Dahil sa `Yo
“Prof. Antonio was looking for me?” I asked our interns, “What for?”
“Nakita po kasi namin kayo pumunta kanina sa kabilang wing...” said an intern.
”Eh, nang umakyat kami, hinahanap ka ni Sir para magpabili ng lunch...”
”So sinabi namin na nakita ka namin papuntang west wing...”
”Why would he ask me to buy him lunch when he doesn’t want me near him?” I asked.
“Ho? Magkagalit po ba kayo?”
“I will go fetch him, then,” I said, ignoring the question as I made my way back down stairs.
I was at the lobby when I saw the commotion. Prof. Antonio was being escorted out of the building by three security personel.
“What happened?” I asked, trailing behind them.
He looked at me, surprised and relieved at the same time. He was sporting a black eye and a bruise on his left chin, and his lab gown was thorn and filthy.
“Who did this to you?” I asked.
His expression turned to one of anger.
“Saan ka galing?! Ba’t ba kung saan-saan ka nagpupunta!?” he yelled at me, then added, ”N-nasaan ang lunch ko?!”
It was then that I saw his bloody knuckles.
“Did you have a fight with Dr. Heathlow?”
“Totoo ba? Na inatake ka ng heat habang magkasama kayo?!” he asked me instead.
“Do you believe that?”
He opened his mouth, thought better of it, then looked embarrassed.
“Where are you taking him?” I asked the security personnel by his side.
“Dr. Heathlow filed assault against him,” said one the guards.
“Did the doctor receive any damages?” I asked, looking at the professor again.
“No, but Sir Eric hit him first,” said the other guard who looked like an alpha. “He simply acted in self-defense.”
“That does not look like simple self-defense to me.”
“Umakyat ka na nga sa taas!” Prof. Antonio lashed out at me. “Ipagpatuloy mo na lang `yang putang’nang experiment mo! `Wag ka na makielam dito!”
Fifteen minutes later, we arrive at the police station where the two guards filed a blotter against the professor.
“Sabi ko sa `yo iwan mo na `ko, eh.” he mumbled as he ate the burger I bought with his left hand.”
“I am sorry, I was not able to buy you lunch. I thought you were still upset with me.”
“Anong upset? Galit kamo, tarantado ka!” he glared at me, ”At sino nagsabing pumunta ka kay Hitler? Porket pinalayas kita, lilipat ka na sa kabila?!”
“Sir, `wag po kayo’ng masyadong maingay,” a cop warned us.
“I simply wanted to test my hypothesis,” I explained.
“P’wes, maghanap ka ng ibang alpha! `Wag `yung tarantadong `yun!”
“Sir!”
“Sorry-sorry!” he apologized to he cops. “Ayan, napagalitan pa `ko ng pulis dahil sa `yo!”
“I am not the one shouting.”
He glared at me.
“Let me see your right hand,” I said instead.
“Ayoko magpakapit sa `yo!” he mumbled.
“It is just your hand, I think you broke something.”
“Wala ka’ng paki.”
“It is your dominant hand. You will not be able to work properly if it is not properly mended.”
He looked hesitant then, and finally showed me his hand. It was swollen. He flinched as I touched him, either due to pain or disgust.
“It seems your pointer and thumb are broken. How many times did you hit Dr. Heathrow.”
He mumbled a reply.
“Pardon?”
“Isa,” he said, louder.
“Then, he beat you up. Were you on the floor when he kicked you?” I asked, looking at the sole marks on his dirty lab gown.
“Wala ka’ng paki.”
“We should file a counter complaint against him. He has no right to go this far.”
I was about to touch his swollen face when he moved back and stared apprehensively at me. I put my hand down.
“`W-wag ka’ng mag-alala, parating na abogado ko,” he mumbled.
“What exactly did he say to anger you?”
He went silent again.
“I want to know, if it is about me.”
He glared at me, then decided to speak.
“Nag-date daw kayo... at pinaamoy mo raw sa kan’ya ang pheromones mo.”
”That’s it?”
”Well, `yung paraan ng pagsabi n’ya, bastos, okay?!” he insisted, “Tinawanan pa n’ya ko... wala daw ako’ng silbi sa `yo dahil beta ako... kaya... kaya sa kan’ya ka tumakbo!”
“I see.”
“Anong ‘I see’?”
“Nothing. And I hope you don’t take the words he said seriously.”
He fell silent again.
“Eric!”
We looked up as a tall man in his late twenties approached us. He looked like an alpha, but seems to be in medication since I could not scent his pheromones.
“Anong nangyari, ayos ka lang ba?” he asked as he fuzzed over the professor.
I glared at him.
“Ayos lang ako, `wag ka’ng OA!” snapped the professor.
“Ayos lang? Nakita mo na ba itsura mo sa salamin?! Ano nanamang kalokohan ba ginawa mo?” he started dusting off the professor who looked sourly at the floor.
“A-hem.” I cleared my throat to catch their attention. The man sized me up and held his hand towards me.
“You must be his colleague, I am Prof. Antonio’s lawyer, Atty. Derejedo.”
“Dr. Aahmes Abdel, I am his personal assistant.”
“Was!” said the professor.
They seem close, but why would a lawyer be so touchy?
“Anyway, don’t you think Louie should know about this? I mean, mukhang pinagtulungan ka, ha? Are you sure it’s just one person?” Atty. Derejedo asked Prof. Antonio.
“Malaki s’ya. Dominant alpha. At `di na kailangan si Louie rito.”
“At nakipag-away ka dahil?”
Prof. Antonio looked at me and fell silent.
“He was actually defending my honor.” Atty. Derehedo looked at me.
“Is that so?”
I told him what happened. We then paid for bail and filed a counter complaint. We went to the hospital to check his bruises and his right hand. His knuckles were broken, his thumb, pointer, and middle finger will have to be put in a cast for at least three weeks. His left eye almost closed due to his bruise. He also has bruises on his back and chest where Dr. Heathlow kicked him. We had all of these documented for the complaint Mr. Derejedo filed against Dr. Heathlow.
“Ano, ayos ka na ba? Ihahatid na kita sa bahay mo.” Mr. Derejedo said when we left the hospital.
“No need, I can take him home.” I said.
“Oh, okay.” He looked amused.
“Ano’ng take me home? Ayoko magpahatid sa `yo!”
“I need to get some things from back home, also, we can not trouble Mr. Derejedo any further.”
“You two are living together?” Mr. Derejedo looked surprised.
“Yes.” I answered.
“No!” Prof Antonio replied.
“Teka, ano ba talaga?” asked Mr. Derejedo with a grin.
“We used to live together.”
“Kaya ko’ng alagaan ang sarili ko!”
”Are you sure?” I asked. “Can you even operate a microscope properly with only one hand?”
Prof. Antonio glared at me even more.
“I will just drop you off and make sure you are comfortable.” I added.
“I leave him to you, then.” Mr. Derejedo said with a smile. “Here’s my card, call me anytime if you need anything.”
“Oy, sandali, hindi ako pumapayag!”
“Sige na, Eric, buti nga nagmamagandang loob `yang kaibigan mo, eh.” he said, placing an arm around the professor, “Buti at may kaibigan ka na!” he added.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Derejedo,” I said, taking hold of the professor’s arm. “I’ll take good care of Prof. Antonio.”
- Writer
