CHAPTER 46

Chapter 46

Professional

Today is my first duty in the hospital. I am pretty nervous, but at the same time, I am excited. Hindi alam ng mga kaibigan ko na ngayon ang unang araw ko sa trabaho at ang akala nila ay sa susunod na linggo pa ako papasok. Kaya paniguradong magugulat sila kapag nakita nila ako roon mamaya.

For the last time, I look myself in the mirror and smile when I am satisfied with how I look today. Nakasuot lang ako ng blue checkered dress na hanggang tuhod ko ang haba at one inch na heels. Para madali na sa akin ang pagbihis ng scrub suit mamaya pagdating sa hospital kapag may kaso agad akong i-ha-handle. My hair was a tie in a clean ponytail.

I know my father prepares everything for me on my first day there, but I don’t want special treatment to happen while working with our own hospital.

I want them to treat me somewhat like a regular employee, and I already told him about it. Good thing that he understands me on this matter. Iba kasi kapag nag ta-trabaho ka ng hindi ka tinatrato na espesyal.

Nang okay na ako ay bumaba na ako at baka nasa labas na si Ry naghihintay sa akin.

“Ganbatte on your work, ate!” Yesha cheered me up when she saw me walking downstairs.

She’s eating her breakfast I cooked. Maaga akong nagising dahil excited akong magtrabaho kaya napagdesisyonan kong magluto para sa lahat.

“Thank you! I’ll see you later, Yesh. Do well on your classes today!” I kissed her cheeks and bid goodbye to her.

Hindi ko na siya nasabayan dahil tapos na rin akong kumain at maaga ang pasok namin. Traffic pa naman ngayon papunta sa city. Lumabas na ako at tama nga ako naghihintay na si Ry sa akin.

“Ready for our first work?” he questioned me as his smile was plastered on his face.

Wearing a plain blue polo long sleeve down button and black fitted slacks is Ry leaning on his car while playing with his car keys. His hair was now in a faded cut, and it made him much gorgeous because of his new haircut today. Halatang pinaghandaan niya rin ang unang araw sa pagpasok.

“Oo naman. Kahapon pa ako excited ng pinayagan ako ni Papa,” I answered him with a grin.

Pinagbuksan niya ako ng pintuan bago siya umikot papunta sa driver seat. Papa offered me a car yesterday for me to drive myself going from work kaso ay tinatamad akong magmaneho kaya si Ry ang kinulit ko na sunduin ako dito and at saka pareho naman kami ng hospital na pagta-trabahuan kaya ayos lang din sa kaniya.

“Ikaw? Excited ka na rin ba?” I smirked as I asked him a question, “siguradong hindi ka napipilitan na samahan ako ngayon? Sa pagkaka-alam ko kasi next week pa ang balak mong pumasok?” I added.

“My application letter got approve beforehand, Henzy kaya hindi ako napipilitan na samahan ka ngayon. I am really going there for our work, and yes, just like you, I am also excited,” prenteng sagot niya sa akin at ini-start ang engine ng kotse.

Weird, kasi sabi niya sa akin noon he will going to have a break for one week before working pero nang sinabi ko sa kaniya na mag ta-trabaho ako ngayong araw ay ganoon din siya.

Baka kaya gusto niyang mag trabaho agad kasi roon din nag ta-trabaho ang gusto niya?

I poked his shoulders and teased him, “Baka kaya excited kang mag trabaho dahil nandoon nag ta-trabaho ang babaeng gusto mo?” itinaas-taas ko pa ang kilay ko sa kaniya. My mouth can’t shut up kaya naitanong ko na lang sa kaniya.

“Bakit kung nandoon nga anong gagawin mo?” balik tanong niya at saglit na sumulyap sa akin.

“Weh? Totoo nga? Nandoon talaga? Kaya roon mo rin gusto mag trabaho para makita mo siya?” My curiosity about the girl he likes lightens up on my body.

Ewan ko ba at simula nang dumating kami rito at pinag-usapan ang babaeng gusto niya ay hindi na ako makapali. Yeah, my curiosity about the girl he likes was running on my head constantly. There’s this feeling inside me that I can’t explain why I am curious about her? Why am I suddenly got interested in the girl he likes?

“Bakit? Anong gagawin mo kapag doon na nga siya nag ta-trabaho ha?” His question caught me off guard.

Oo nga.

Bakit nga ba?

Oo nga, Henzy? Anong gagawin mo kapag nalaman mo na ang babaeng gusto niya? Ano ang gagawin mo kapag nakita mo na siya roon? Are you supposed to be happy, or are you supposed to be—

Wait… of course! Ry’s my friend, and I am supposed to be happy with him! Hindi naman sa lahat ng oras kasa-kasama ko siya di’ba? Shocks! What were you thinking, Henzy? Were you almost think of being jealous of that girl? Hindi mo pa nga siya nakikita eh! And you also don’t have feelings for him!

Goodness gracious, Henzy. You’re friends! Stop thinking like that!

“I am gonna push you with her! Duh? Nasa harap mo na nga ‘di ka pa gagawa ng galaw mo,” I rolled my eyes on him and avoided my gaze at him. I look through the window and watch how this place changes a lot, from the tall trees and flowers surrounded to tall buildings and establishments.

Dati, wala pang masyadong mga building dito pero ngayon sandamamak na na kahit pati ang hangin ay nahihiya ng dumaan dahil sa sunod-sunod at matataas na mga establisyemento. It somehow saddens me how everything changes that fast. Na ang mga puno at mga halaman ay siyang nakakatulong sa ating mundo ay unti-unti ng napapalitan ng mga walang kwentang bagay.

“Why are you suddenly being interested in my love life, Doc. Vasquez, ha? Hmm… I smell something fishy here inside the car.” I glance at him when he talks and caught him smirking at me.

Nirolyohon ko siya ng mata at bumuntong hininga ng malalim. “Anong fishy-fishy ka r’yan! Kung ayaw mong sabihin edi ‘wag! Tse! Makikilala at makikilala ko rin ‘yan once na magsisimula na tayong mag trabaho roon,” sarkastiko kong sabi sa kaniya.

I laid my back comfortably on the seat and manipulated my phone. Itinoon ko na lang ang attensyon ko sa cellphone at chineck kung may mga unread emails ako coming from important persons.

Minsan kasi nagpapa consult din sa akin ang mga kaibigan namin sa Seattle ng mga kaso na hawak nila. Kaya kapag alam ko at may stand ako sa case na sine-send nila ay ni-re-replayan ko sila.

Medyo malayo ang bahay namin at ang hospital dahil nasa Fatima kami nakatira kaya medyo matagal pa kami makaabot dahil na rin sa traffic. Mabuti na lang at maaga kaming umalis kun’di unang araw ko pa lang sa trabaho ay late na agad ako.

“Hindi ka talaga makahintay kung kalian ko siya ipapakilala sa’yo, ano?”

Binalik ko na ang cellphone sa bag ng mamataan na malapit na kami sa hospital. I took a glance at Ry, who is grinning from ear to ear, and said, “Ang pa showbiz mo kasi alam mo ‘yon?”

Malalim siyang natawa sa sinabi ko at iniling ang kaniyang ulo. “Handa naman na ako eh. Siya na lang talaga ang hinihintay ko,” sagot niya sa malalim na boses.

Eh handa naman pala siya eh? Why won’t he grab the chance, right? Is he afraid of taking the risk to confess his love for her? He waited for a long time, and maybe now is the right time to confess.

Sometimes, waiting isn’t enough. You also need to do an action about it. Cause if you always let fate controls you, you won’t know you already slipped the chance in the process of waiting.

“Why won’t you confess to her now? Maybe this is the right time you are talking about. If you always wait for her, you won’t know you already slipped your chance,” I stated what’s on my mind.

“Don’t tell me…are you afraid of being rejected?” I added.

“I have waited for her for years already. I have witnessed how happy she is with the man she used to love. I am not afraid of being rejected. I am just afraid I couldn’t make her happy how that man made her happy,” mahina niyang sabi sa akin at tila nag-iisip ng malalim.

“You’re always afraid of so many things, Ry. Why not this time, give it a try? Take a risk? Wala naman sigurong mawawala kung susubukan mo di’ba?” I encouraged him.

“So you mean…you wanted me to confess to her already?”

I nodded, “Yes… confess to her. Try your luck!”

We were already in the hospital. Inaayos niya na lang ang pag pa-parking ng sasakyan niya bago kami bababa. Upon seeing this tall building, my heart race rapidly because of excitement and nervousness, and the electrifying feelings I had traveled on my nerves.

This is it, Henzy… you’re finally working.

Napabalik ang tingin ko kay Ry ng bigla siyang nagsalita, “Bakit, Henzy? Handa ka na ba?”

Naabutan ko siyang seryosong nakakatitig sa mga mata ko habang sinasabi niya ang mga salitang iyon. Akala ko ay iiwas agad siya nang tingin sa akin ngunit ilang segundo na lang ang lumipas ay seryoso niya pa rin akong tinitigan.

Kung ang pagtibok ng puso ko kanina ay dahil sa kaba at excitement ngayon ay hindi ko na alam kung ano ang dahilan dahil mas lalong lumakas ang tibok ng puso ko. We were staring at each other and silence enveloped us. Walang nagtangkang magsalita sa amin.

I was trying to process what he told me. Ako? Handa? Para saan? Bakit bigla naging ganito ang tanong niya?

Habang tumatagal ang mga titig niya ay mas lalong lumalakas ang tibok ng puso ko, kaya naman ay dali-dali kong iniwas ang tingin sa kaniya at bahagyang tumawa para mawala ang katahimikan na namamagitan sa amin.

I laughed to ease the nervousness I am feeling inside, “Handa? Ako? Para saan?”

“Ikaw handa ka na bang pumasok ulit sa isang relasyon?” seryoso niya pa ring saad.

I laugh aggressively at his statement. Ibinalik ko ang tingin ko sa kaniya at nakahinga ng malalim dahil akala ko kung ano ang ibig-sabihin ng tanong niya kanina.

“You know my answer to that, Ry. You know already that I forbid myself. I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Then it’s fixed. I won’t profess my feelings for her.”

Napakunot ako ng noo sa sinabi niya. “Why? Aren’t you afraid that you might slip the chance?”

“She’s not yet ready,” he simply uttered.

“How do you know? Ni hindi mo pa nga siya nakikita eh,” I protested.

“She just states it right now.” Naguguluhan man sa sinasabi niya at nagtanong pa rin ako.

“Huh? Sino?”

“Wala… practice lang ‘yon,” he dismissed and went out of the car.

Samantalang ako ay hindi pa rin makuha ang punto niya. What was that? Why is he being like that? Bakit ang hirap niyang basahin?

“Gusto mong ma late sa unang araw ng pasok mo, Doc. Vasquez?” Pinilig ko ang ulo ko at lumabas na sasakyan.

Right, Henzy. Focus on your work now. You’d be dealing with patients again.

“Don’t mind what I have said earlier. Just focus on your work, Henzy. Fighting on our first day!” he encourages me nang papasok na kami sa loob.

Agad na dumeresto kami sa doctors quartes at nagbihis ng scrub suit. Pagkapasok namin ay walang mga tao pero ang mga libro at iilan na mga pagkain ay nagkalat sa ibabaw ng lamesa. Merong ibang mga pagkain na hindi pa nabubuksan.

Hindi na ako nagtaka pa kasi kahit noong nasa Seattle ako ay ganitong-ganito rin ang eksena. Kahit na kain na kain ka na ay kapag bigla kang tinawag for emergency ay wala ka talagang choice kun’di ipagliban ang pagkain.

Patients come first.

“Kayo ‘yong mga bagong residente di’ba?” tanong ng isang nurse sa amin bit-bit ang sandamakmak na chart ng mga pasyente.

“Yes, we are,” Ry answered.

“Punta muna kayo sa conference room. Gusto kayo i-introduce ni Doc. Vasquez sa ibang mga doctor,” bilin niya sa amin bago umalis.

I already knew about this. Sinabi niya na ‘to sa akin kagabi. That’s why I told him I don’t want any special treatment. Ipapakilala niya lang ako bilang bagong doctor at ‘yon lang.

“Tara na,” pang-aaya ko sa kasama ko.

“Doc. Vasquez and Doc. Fuentabella.” Napaangat ako sa taong biglang nagsalita at nakita na si Papa iyon. He approached us as soon as he saw us heading into the conference room.

We bowed our head and greeted back. Nagtaka si Ry sa inasta ko kasi si Papa ‘yong nakaharap namin. He must have expected that I will talk to him casually.

“It’s your step-dad, right?” tanong niya sa akin ng nauna si Papa sa pagpasok sa loob.

“Yup… I don’t want him to address me as his daughter when working kaya ganoon ang inasta ko,” I explained.

“Good morning, everyone! You must have been shocked when I called you this morning. I just want to introduce the newly applicant residence in our hospital,” he said to the doctors who are waiting inside.

He introduced a brief background us: kung saang paaralan kami nanggaling at kung saan kami nag internship. After that, he welcomed us.

“I want you to welcome. Doc. Henzy Neve Vasquez and Doc. Ryioujie Fuentabella. They are the new resident doctor who applied in our hospital.” Sinenyasan na kami ni papa na pumasok kaya agad namin sinunod ito.

I was all smiles when I enter the room and saw my friends, Renaissa, Zenneth, Althea, and Hannah, shocked by my presence. Saglit lang na napadako ang tingin ko sa kanila at nilibot na ang paningin sa ibang mga doctor. Narito ang mga attending physician, ang mga nag fe-fellowhip at mga nag re-residency coming from a different department.

Pagkatapos ng pagpapakilala sa amin ay balik trabaho na ang lahat. May mga interns agad na na assigned sa akin at may kaso agad akong na i handle.

Hindi ko nagawang makipag-usap sa mga kaibigan ko kanina kasi agad na nagsimula ang trabaho ko. Alam kong marami silang gustong itanong sa akin lalo na at sampung taon na ang nakalipas. They planned to have a welcome party this weeked kasi day off nila ‘yon pero mukhang hindi matutuloy dahil may trabaho ako.

Hindi na rin kami nagkita ni Ry pagkatapos dahil naging busy na kami sa trabaho. Everybody got busy in the hospital.

“We have trauma case here!” Biglang pumasok ang medics kasama ang pasyente sa stretcher na babad halos sa sariling dugo.

“Eighteen years old. Male. Stab wound under 7th intercostal space,” the rescue team announced. One of the interns immediately came to me and assisted me.

He was conscious and alert in his surrounding.

“Vitals,” I asked.

“BP 130/70, temperature 36 C. Respiratory rate, 25, heart rate, 120 beats per minute.”

We immediately transferred the patient into the ICU. Cardiac monitors, blood pressure cuff, and nasal cannula were directly placed on him to help him breathe. I cut his skin parallel to his rib and put the chest tube inside.

I also cut the patient’s clothes to examine other injuries. I examine his head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat to see other complications. All cleared. No lacerations, no hematomas, and no fractures palpitated. His Glasgow coma scale is 15, and no focal deficits.

No pericardial effusion shows in the transthoracic echocardiogram.

“Order a Chest X-Ray on this.” We need to determine if the weapon inside his chest is aimed in any direction because the heart can be potentially injured.

Cause the very least thing we want to happen is he would suffer from pericardial tamponade—which is lethal unless discovered and treated quickly.

Hindi nagtagal ay lumabas na ang result. His chest x-ray results in a left-sided hemopneumothorax. We need surgery on this one.

“Doc. Vasquez. He keeps on complaining about his pain between his shoulder blades. He must’ve suffered from subscapular pain,” another intern informed me.

“Call Dr. Caserial now and prepare the operating room. He needs surgery!” I ordered the intern.

Agad naming inasikaso ang pasyente para ilipat siya sa operating room. I leave the rest for the intern, and I met Dr. Caserial to explain the case to him.

If the knife wound had inferiorly penetrated his diaphragm, there’s a possible chance that he suffers from intraabdominal injuries. And if that is the case, we need to operate on him.

“We need to perform the diagnostic laparoscopy procedure,” he told me after I presented the case with him to the team.

“Did you page Dr. Sandoval already?” tanong niya sa isang doctor.

Napalingon ako bigla sa kanila pagkarinig ko ng apelyido niya. Bigla agad akong kinabahan ng walang dahilan. Apelyido lang naman ang sinabi ni Doc. Caserial pero bakit ganito agad ang reaction ko? Impossible naman na nandito siya di’ba? It’s impossible, really impossible.

And my father knows what he has done to me kaya impossibleng tatanggapin niya ang gagong ‘yon lalo na at alam niyang nandito na ako.

I shrugged off my thought and calmed myself. Relax, Henzy… ka apelyido lang siguro niya ‘yan… Hindi ‘yon magpapakita dito dahil sa ginawa niya sa akin.

“He’s on his way here, Doc. Tinatapos niya lang ‘yong last rounds niya,” Doc. Pineda answer.

Nagsimula ng mag count pababa ang pasyente simula 10 to 1 pagkatapos siyang lagyan ng anesthesia. The anesthesiologist checked the vitals if it was stable before she signaled us.

“Let’s save a life today,” he stated.

He started to make a small incision near the belly button. The scrub nurse passes the laparoscopy to Doc. Caserial, then he inserted the tube through the incision. I assist him in handling the laparoscope and observe carefully if his diaphragm had been penetrated.

He asked the intern why we would need to perform this kind of surgery. “What’s the reason behind this procedure, Dr. Vasquez?” he asked me.

“To determine whether the diaphragm has been penetrated or not,” I carefully answered him.

“What do you see, Doc. Vasquez?” he asked me again.

Pinasingkit ko ang mga mata ako tinignan ng maayos ang nasa screen. Agad kong sinabi ang nakita ko sa screen as he carefully moves the laparoscope inside of it.

“There’s a defect in his diaphragm. There’s a blood clot on the anterior surface of his stomach and left lateral segment on the liver.”

“Dr. Sandoval is here,” the nurse announced.

Napaangat ako ng tingin sa pumasok na doctor at muntik ko ng maigalaw sa maling paraan ang laparoscope ng mamataan kung sino ang pumasok.

My heart starts to beats faster when he walked closer to us. Kahit na naka mask siya ay kilalang-kilala ko ang mga pares niyang mata. His eyes suddenly landed on mine ngunit hindi man lang siya nagulat sa presensya ko.

Bakit siya nandito? What is he doing here?! The nerve of this guy to work here after what he did to me! Kumukulo ang dugo ko pero pinipigilan ko lang ito dahil nasa kalagitnaan kami ng operasyon.

Iniwas ko na ang tingin sa kaniya at itinoon ang atensyon sa ginagawa namin ngayon. Ayokong magkamali dahil lang na nandito siya.

“There’s a defect on his diaphragm. We need to do the open laparotomy,” bigla niyang sinabi nang nakita niya sa monitor ang sitwasyon.

I tried to focus on the patient’s condition and didn’t mind his presence. From diagnostic laparoscopy to open laparotomy.

The operation was a success…After we closed him up ay nilabas agad siya. It’s my first day today, and it was my first operation also. Masaya ako na naisalba ang pasyente and I should celebrate it with myself but I couldn’t when I saw him.

Tangina… bakit sa lahat ng hospital dito pa niya naisipan mag trabaho?

Pagod kong hinubad ang surgical attire pati ang mask at padabog itong itinapon sa basurahan. Naunang lumabas si Doc. Caserial at ang ibang mga kasama namin sa team kaya kami na lang dalawa ang naiwan sa loob.

Ramdam ko ang mga titig na niya sa akin ngunit hindi ko iyon pinansin. Huminga ako ng malalim at lalabas na ng bigla niyang tinawag ang pangalan ko.

“Neve…”

That name… the name he used to call me… it’s been a while since I heard someone calling my second name. Kung dati ay kinikilig ako sa paraan ng pagtawag niya sa akin pero ngayon iba na. The pain lingered inside me when he called me again.

“You don’t have the right to call me in that name anymore,” I stated coldly, not facing him.

“Neve…” he called that name again.

Hindi ko napigilan at hinarap siya. Nanaliksik ang mga mata kong tinitigan siya. The nerve of him to call me in that name as if he didn’t hurt me. How brave of him to face me as if he did nothing at all.

“I told you. You don’t have the right to call me that anymore! And what are you doing here anyway?!” hindi ko napigilan ang pagtaas ng boses ko.

“Bakit ka nandito?” madiin kong tanong.

“I am here for work.”

Kinuyom ko ang kamao ko at bahagyang natawa ng sarkastiko. “Kapal din pala ng mukha mo para magtrabaho dito, ano?”

Alam kong wala akong karapatan para tanongin siya ng ganito. He has every rights to work on his chosen hospital kaso ang kapal lang talaga na dito niya pa naisipang pumasok?

“I am here to work. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Yes! I have a problem with that! After what you have done to me you still have the guts to work here? Ano ‘to gagohan?” I sarcastically told him.

“I got here because I normally applied just like other doctors did, and I am qualified to be here, Doctor Vasquez. Right after I graduated in med school ay dito na ako nag ta-trabaho and no one questioned me about it.”

“Ang kapal talaga ng mukha mo, ano? At dito mo pa talaga naisipang mag apply? Wala ka bang hiya na natitira sa sarili mo?” I disgustingly uttered.

“Personal matters aren’t allowed in work, Doc. Vasquez, especially that we are now colleagues. I hope you can set aside the hate you had with me while we’re working,” kalmado niyang sabi na mas lalong nagpainis sa akin.

Anong pinapalabas niya? Na hindi ako professional sa trabaho ko? Ang kapal talaga!

It’s my first day today and I should be happy about it! Pero dahil sa hindi inaasahang pangyayari ay makikita ko siya ngayon? Is this how fate would play to me?

After ten years ay makikita ko ulit siya?! Hindi ko inisip na magiging ka-trabaho ko siya! Hindi ko inisip na sa iisang lugar lang kami magkikita!

“What are you trying to state here? That I am not professional on my work?!”

“Just like what I told you. Personal matters aren’t allowed. I just want to congratulate you on your first day of work and first operation here,” kalmado niya pa ring sabi.

“And it was glad to be reunited with you in the same operating table,” dagdag niya pa bago ako nilagpasan at umalis sa loob.

Right after I got interacted with him ay agad akong pumunta sa opisina ni papa.

“Pa? What is Reeve doing here?!” I hysterically uttered.

“So, you’ve met already.”

“Why is here? You know what happened to us before, right? Pero bakit mo pa rin siya tinanggap?!”

“Anak relax… I thought you’d be cool about it since you are both adult now. I am sorry if I didn’t tell you about this.”

“Then why?!”

“Kyzyr capabilities and skill are needed here in our hospital. He’s a talented surgeon that everyone will need, anak. He applied normally, and because of his abilities and talents, he got into this job.”

“You both are adults now, and you must act professionally. Kung ano man ang alitan na meron kayo settle it privately and don’t bring it while you two are working. Especially that you are a resident here, and he’s in his fellowship. You two might be together inside the operating room,” he added.

“So be professional. Just focus on your work.”

Ano pa ba ang magagawa ko? Nandito na eh. Be professional. Yeah… I need to be professional, so our work won’t be affected. We’re dealing with the lives of patients here, so I must act accordingly.

As much as I don’t want to work with him, I can’t avoid it. All I have to do is to be professional with him.