Riding My Father-in-law (English)

Medical mission - 1

Adeline

The cold morning breeze swept early across the vast parking lot of Fraser Medical Center. According to the guard, two large coasters and a cargo truck packed with boxes of medicines, vitamins, medical equipment, chocolates, candies, and emergency kits had been lined up since the crack of dawn.

I stood by the side holding my duffel bag, stretching my neck slightly as I tried to hide how sleepy I was. Despite staying up late from sheer excitement last night, my whole system was wide awake. How could I sleep when I’d be spending the next three days in the same place as the man whose every glance almost made my heart

I adjusted my jacket and black jeans. Moments later, a black SUV pulled up next to the coaster. Matthew stepped out wearing a simple navy blue jacket over a casual shirt, which highlighted his tall, broad build even more. It was as if a sudden gust of wind naturally parted the crowd around him whenever he appeared. Dr. Samantha Cruz followed right behind him, smiling while talking on her phone.

My blood boiled slightly. Did they really have to arrive in the same car?

"Good morning, everyone!" A formal yet captivating voice rang out from the front of the bus.

Everyone looked toward a woman wearing a blazer and slacks. She was tall, with a noticeably shapely body, and her hair was neatly styled in a bun. She held a clipboard in one hand and a megaphone in the other.

"Is everyone from the volunteer team here?" she asked, scanning the crowd.

I nudged the nurse beside me, Nurse Sarah. "Who's that?" I whispered.

"Ah, that's Ms. Karen. She's Dr. Matthew's Executive Secretary," Sarah replied while tying her hair back. "She's been with the Fraser family for a long time. She manages all of Dr. Matthew's schedules when he's at the hospital, as well as special projects like this one."

My eyes narrowed slightly. Aside from Dr. Samantha, Matthew also had a gorgeous, sexy secretary? This cold-hearted guy was truly surrounded by beautiful women.

When Matthew and Samantha approached the group, Ms. Karen began speaking through the megaphone for the final briefing before departure.

"Attention, team. Before we board the vehicles, I’d like to run down a few important reminders," the secretary began.

"Our destination is Barrio Sta. Ibanez in the Mountain Province. Beyond the municipal hall, the roads will be rough, so please make sure your gear is secured in the cargo truck. As you all know, this annual activity is the Gabriel Fraser Memorial Medical Mission."

Sec. Karen’s tone softened, becoming more serious and respectful.

"We hold this every year around the anniversary of Dr. Gabriel Fraser's passing. It was his lifelong advocacy to bring medical care to underserved rural communities. Dr. Matthew Fraser and the FMC board are continuing this legacy in his honor."

I nodded along while listening. But as I looked at Matthew standing straight with his eyes fixed quietly on the ground—a sudden thought crossed my mind.

I straightened up and leaned close to Nurse Sarah again. "Hey... just asking. How did Gabriel die?"

Sarah sighed and lowered her voice. "Car accident. Two decades ago. His wife, Dr. Mayumi, was with him in the car. Neither survived the severe impact."

I froze. This was my first time hearing that Marky had relatives who died in an accident. Marky was always so secretive about his family; all he ever wanted was to s*x around with me. My brain quickly connected the dots. If Gabriel was Matthew's brother, and he and his wife Mayumi both passed away... then that meant...

Could Gabriel and Mayumi be Marky's real parents?

Does that mean Matthew is actually just Marky's uncle who adopted him because there was no one else left to care for him? Whenever I asked Marky about his parents, he’d always dodge the question. I honestly thought Matthew and Marky's mom were just separated.

I looked over at Matthew. His serious face, his cold eyes... how many secrets was he hiding behind that quiet persona? Was this why he was so strict with Marky?

I stood dazed in the middle of the parking lot, trying to piece together the revelations.

Slap!

"Ouch!" I let out a soft groan as Sarah smacked my side.

"Adel! We're supposed to walk over to the coaster now; why are you zoning out? You'll get scolded by Dr. Fraser if you're not careful," Sarah whispered warningly.

I shook my head to clear those thoughts away. I quickly grabbed my bag and joined the queue of residents and interns boarding the coaster.

The trip to Mountain Province was long and exhausting. From the paved highways of Manila to the winding, steep mountain roads, we traveled for nearly seven hours. As we climbed higher, the air grew colder, and the scenery shifted to towering pine trees and dense fog outside the window.

Upon reaching the town proper, our vehicles pulled straight up to the Municipal Hall, where the Mayor and the local tour guide/coordinator, Mang Ben, were waiting.

"Good afternoon to you, Dr. Fraser, and to the entire team from Fraser Medical Center," the captain greeted warmly, shaking Matthew's hand. "

The gymnasium beside the hall is ready for us. We've also notified three neighboring barangays. A lot of children and elderly folks are waiting for you."

"Thank you, Capt," Matthew replied in a cold yet formal tone.

"I hope our mission goes smoothly over these three days. Mang Ben, please guide our team in unloading the gear."

"No problem, Doc. The tables and dividers inside are already set up," the tour guide assured.

Everyone got off the coaster and immediately got to work. There was no time to act spoiled. As the youngest intern in the group, I was assigned right away to carry heavy-duty plastic boxes from the cargo truck to the gymnasium.

I carried a large box filled with antibiotics and paracetamol down the concrete pathway. It was heavy, but I forced my legs to stay steady. I didn't want to give Matthew any excuse to call me dead weight and send me back to Manila.

As I walked, I caught sight of Matthew a short distance away. He was talking to the resident doctors while holding a floor plan of the gymnasium. I quickly cast a glance his way, hoping he would look at me even for a second—or at least see how hard I was working carrying heavy boxes.

But he didn't even turn his head in my direction. It was like I was invisible. His eyes remained fixed on his papers, as if nothing else existed around him except his work.

I pouted. So cold. Not even a quick "Good job, Adeline"? Ugh!

Setting up the facility went quickly. The gymnasium was divided into five main sections. Ms. Karen instructed me to help out at the Triage and Pharmacy stations since those had the highest crowd traffic.

"Intern Adeline, make sure the patient queue numbers are strictly in order. Don't let the line turn chaotic," the senior nurse reminded me before the first wave of locals came in.

"Yes, Nurse," I replied as I pulled on my medical gloves.

Official consultations began at exactly one in the afternoon. The area outside the gym quickly filled with people. Most of them had walked for hours from high up the mountain just to be seen by a doctor.

At the initial Triage, my hands moved swiftly. I checked the blood pressure of the elderly and took the temperatures of crying children who were terrified of the white coats.

"Well, look at how hardworking this intern is," I heard a resident doctor comment while watching me. It was Doc Fuentebella—who was insanely handsome. I actually had a crush on him at first, but ever since Daddy Matthew showed up, I’d completely moved on.

"Thanks, Doc," I replied with a smile.

"I thought Miss Montemayor was just a display ornament here at the hospital, turns out she actually knows how to work," he teased.

I laughed at his remark, riding along with the compliment. But then, I felt a chilling presence behind me. When I turned around, Matthew was standing there holding a clipboard, doing his rounds across every station.

Our eyes met. I lifted my chin and flashed him a proud, confident smile. However, his face remained entirely expressionless. He merely gave a slight nod to the nurse beside me and immediately turned around to head toward the Pediatric Section.

Dang it. He plays so hard to get!

I let out a soft sigh and went back to logging names.

Over at the pediatric area, Dr. Samantha and the other pediatricians were swamped. Many kids had coughs, colds, and signs of malnutrition. Watching Samantha interact with the children so gently and warmly made me shrink back a little. She's pretty, she's a doctor, and she's great with kids. She really wins in everyone's eyes.

Still, I wasn't going to back down. Every time a child finished their consultation and came to the pharmacy to claim their vitamins, I gave them a small piece of candy or a coloring sheet I brought from my bag.

"Here you go, kiddos. These are imported candies, all the way from the US," I bragged, since the candies and chocolates provided by the mission were just the cheap local ones.

"Thank you, Ate Ganda [Pretty Big Sister]!" a five-year-old girl said, holding her multivitamins and candy.

"You're welcome, baby! And I love that you call me Ate Ganda! If you keep calling me that, I'll definitely bring you even more treats when I come back."

"Really, pretty lady? Will you come back? You're the prettiest and sexiest lady we've ever seen!"

"Yeah, there's no one like you!"

I laughed...these kids were such smooth talkers!

"Just make sure you take your vitamins and eat your veggies, so you grow up strong, okay?" I smiled, gently patting her cheek.

When I looked up, I saw Matthew standing a short distance away, leaning against a pillar while drinking water from his tumbler. He was staring right at me. This time, his gaze wasn't cold—there was a subtle hint of wonder and depth in his eyes as he watched me interact with these children.

The moment he realized I caught him staring, though, he quickly averted his eyes and walked off toward the minor surgery station.

I don't know why, but my heart suddenly skipped a beat.