CHAPTER 4
1517 Words
AUTHOR'S NOTE: THE BOOK IS UNDER MAJOR REVISION
Reuben Pov
Through the heavy tinted bulletproof glass wall in my office, I have a clear view of Elise's every move from where I stand. I observed her entering the hospital's main entrance. At present, I am unaware of her purpose there, but I will soon discover it.
"Just gonna watch, bro?"
"Damn! What are you doing here, Velasco?" I exclaimed, startled, as he sat comfortably in my chair, holding a white folder. Hunter Velasco, the new Chief of Police in our town, is also one of my closest friends. He's the one who insisted on putting a heavy, tinted, bulletproof glass wall in my office after a couple of months ago, when an unidentified group of armed men rained bullets down on the municipal hall, severely damaging my office. I got a minor injury from the flying glass shards during the incident.
"Nah! I've been here for a while, you just haven't noticed," he teased. "By the way, take a look at these sketches by our artist. See if you recognize anyone." He handed me the folder, which I immediately took and opened.
"I don't recognize any of these faces," I said, handing the folder back. "Who are they?" I asked.
"They were identified by the sole witness to the shooting here two months ago," he replied.
"Oh, so what's the progress on this case?" I asked, my brow furrowed.
"Sorry, bro, but it's confidential," he said. "Okay, man, I gotta go. I'm heading back to headquarters," he said, standing up.
"I know, thanks, bro," I replied and walked him towards the door.
I slumped back into my chair and rubbed my temples. "What a tiring day," I muttered.
But a smile spread across my face as I remembered something. I grabbed my phone and dialed someone's number.
"Hello, bro, how's the seminar?" I asked on the other end.
"The seminar went well, bro. Actually, I already signed the contract and we got a big discount and-----"
"Terminate the contract," I interrupted him, cutting him off before he could say anything else.
"What are you insane, bro?"
“No, I have a better plan in mind, bro. Just terminate it, ASAP!”
“Alright! I’ll terminate it right away,” he said, letting out a sigh.
“Good, I’ll hang up,” I said with a wide smile as I hung up the phone. It was Andrew Herrera, my old friend, and he’s the municipal agriculturist in his town. Right after I hung up, someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” I said and sat back in my chair.
“Good afternoon, sir, I need your signature on this,” my secretary said, laying down some papers on my desk. “And this one is from the engineering department - it’s the sketch and estimated cost for the bridge project that will connect the two barangays.” I took it from her and skimmed through it.
“Set a meeting with the engineering department tomorrow at 9 am sharp. We’ll discuss the necessary details about the project. We need to start construction as soon as possible.”
“Okay, noted, sir,” my secretary said while writing it down in her organizer. She’s Joanne, my father’s former scholar, and she’s giving her service as a way of repaying our family. “That’s all, sir. I’ll go back to my desk.” She said as she left.
"Okay," I said, turning my attention to the documents on my desk.
ELISE'S POV
"How's Grandpa?" I asked my uncle as soon as I reached the private room where Grandpa was. I quickly closed the gap between us and took his hand, which was free of IVs. I kissed it softly. "Wake up, old man, I'm here now," I said, chuckling because I knew Grandpa hated admitting he was old. He'd always say, "Who's old? Only carabao grows age."
"The doctor said a part of his brain is damaged, either temporarily or permanently," my uncle started. I gasped. "This damage causes unconsciousness, an inability to wake up, and a lack of response to stimuli like pain, sound, and light," he explained.
"When do they think he'll wake up?" I asked, my voice laced with worry.
"They say it usually takes no more than four weeks for him to regain consciousness, and then recovery happens gradually," Uncle Ramon explained. "But if he doesn't wake up within four weeks, he could remain in a coma for years, even decades."
I gasped, a feeling of dread tightening my chest. "Is this my karma, Uncle?" I blurted out, my voice cracking. "Why Grandpa? Why not me?"
"Hija, don't say that. I know God has a plan for all of this," Uncle said, his hand gently resting on my back. "Maybe this is God's way for you to confront your past in this place. It's been thirteen years since you left, Ely, and you haven't been back since that day." His voice held a note of sadness.
"I don't know, Uncle. I'll deal with that when I have to," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt. "For now, my focus is on Grandpa." I gently stroked his cheek, my heart aching for him.
“No Ely, just take a nap.” Tito insisted.
"Okay, you do what you need to do. But don't hesitate to reach out to us if you need someone to lean on, especially me. Your burden is my burden too, remember that," Uncle said, his voice filled with emotion.
"Thank you so much, Uncle. The firstborn niece really has a special place in your hearts, huh?" I said, chuckling lightly with tears welling up in my eyes.
"You're our forever baby, even though you're all grown up," Uncle joked, making me pout. "Go ahead and take a nap. I'll be back in a bit to get some things you might need. I noticed you didn't bring anything with you. Aunt Malou will be here soon too, she's really looking forward to seeing you."
It was then that I noticed I was still in my uniform. "I'll just do it myself, Tito," I said.
"No, Ely, just take a nap," Uncle insisted. "Your Aunt Malou will be here soon, she's really looking forward to seeing you."
"Okay, what else have I done?" I said, sighing in defeat. "I miss her too," I added softly.
After Uncle left, I grabbed my sling bag and headed to the bathroom. I quickly went to the bathroom sink, opened my sling bag, and took out my contact lens case and my eyeglasses. I carefully removed my contact lenses and blinked a few times to adjust to the light. Once my eyes adjusted, I washed my face.
I had to wear contact lenses because I have a vision problem. I have myopia, which means I can see things close to me clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. In short, I'm nearsighted. So, my ophthalmologist suggested I use minus power lenses, lenses with a concave shape, and prescription eyeglasses.
I was jolted awake, sensing someone else in the room. I slowly lifted my head from where I was resting against Grandpa's hospital bed. I was confused because I couldn't see the faces of the two figures on the other side of Grandpa. Then I remembered I had taken out my contact lenses.
"Who are you?" I asked them, blinking rapidly, trying to make out their faces.
"I'm your Grandpa's doctor, and she's his attending nurse. We're doing our rounds," the doctor replied. "Are you okay? You seem a little... off," he added, noticing something was different about me.
"She has a problem with her vision," the nurse chimed in.
"Pardon? What did you say?" I asked, confused. How did she know I had a problem with my eyes? And her voice sounded familiar too.
"I-I was referring to the other patient, ma'am," the nurse stammered, slightly flustered.
"We're leaving now. We just wanted to check on Lolo Menandro's vitals. I have another patient waiting. We won't be long," the doctor said, dismissing me. "Let's go," he said to the nurse. Then I heard their footsteps fading away and the gentle click of the door opening and closing.
I sensed a hint of urgency in the doctor's voice, but I shrugged off the thought and continued searching for my glasses. "Where did I put those? Ah, probably in the bathroom," I muttered, heading in that direction.
SOMEONE'S PERSPECTIVE
"Whew, that was close," I said, relieved as we finally escaped that room.
"Are you okay, hon?" my boyfriend asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Yes, hon," I replied simply.
"She's back now. What's your plan? When are you going to tell her the truth and break her misconceptions?" he asked.
"As soon as possible. For now, I'll let her adjust to being back here," I answered.
"Fine," he said, squeezing my hand as we walked towards the other patients' rooms.
_ tagaIloCosNak
New characters introduces that plays a significant role in the story. Keep reading thank you
- Writer
