When The Rain Stops

Chapter 17 - Closer To Him

Chapter 17 – Closer To Him

"What time is it?"

"Umm."

"You didn't take Azlan with you at Beastra, right? Where did you leave him?"

Oh? How did he know?

"How--"

"Did you leave him at the shelter?" he took Azlan from my arms. And he still looks mad for reasons that I do not know.

"Uh, yeah?"

"He's still so small, Rain. What if something happens to him there, playing with cats bigger than him. Weren't you thinking?!"

"He's saf---"

"How could you just leave him and go on your date... I'm taking him home with me." Akmang aalis na ito ngunit hinabol ko habang hinihintay nito ang elevator.

"Hoy Archer. Give him back! He's my cat Archer." Pilit kong kinukuha si Azlan sa kanyang braso ngunit iniiwas niya lamang ito habang nakatingin parin sa elevator.

"Akin na kasi Archer. Ano ba! .... Azlan, come on."

"I'm taking him."

"Akin siya Archer. Ibalik mo na kasi. " Inis kong sambit kasi aaminin ko pagod na ako sa pasyal namin ni Vince kanina tas ganito yung bubungad sakin. Ano bang pumasok sa kokote ng taong 'to e pusa ko yan. May tama ata sa ulo si Archer.

"He's mine too, Rain" galit siyang bumaling sakin saka ako tinignan ng masama.

"Archer naman. Ano bang kinagagalit mo? Iniwan ko lang naman siya don kasi wala akong mapag-iwanan. And mababait sila doon."

"Couldn't you have waited a bit longer earlier because I came here but you guys were gone already. Got too excited for your date?"

For the record? I didn't know that he'll come to take him. Wala naman kasi siyang pasabi!!

"I..."

"Of course, you didn't know."

"Fine. Give him back now and I swear that everytime I go out I'll leave him to your care. Deal?"

"Oh so you're planning for a second date, huh?"

"It's not that... Will you just give him back now... I'm tired, gusto ko ng matulog."

"Where will you leave him during school days?"

"Um. Sa shel—"

"No. He'll be with me during school days. I'll give him to you at weekends."

"What? No way. He's my cat Archer."

"I'll not give him to you Rain until you agree."

"Pusa ko nga yan Archer! Bakit ba?!" konting-konti nalang talaga mapuputol na ang pasensiya ko sa kumag na 'to. Ang unreasonable naman kasi ng rason niya saka ano bang pakealam niya e pusa ko yan!

"He's my cat too Rain. I paid for his bills, and we BOTH found him. So he's not just yours." He emphasized the 'both' pero sakin lang naman kasi dapat siya e.

"But—"

"Deal or not?"

"Fine. But, you will let me have him anytime I want."

He silently handed me Azlan before walking in the elevator. Before it closed he stared at me with creased eyebrows.

Second semester is passing by so quick. And we are overloaded with units! Imagine sitting for straight 10 hours listening to lectures and we only have one vacant and that is lunch break. We also started having our return demonstrations in RLE already and there are lots to memorize for the demos to perform. 

The agreement between me and Archer about Azlan is.... not a good idea. Weekends ko nalang nakakalaro si Azlan tapos kapag ang dami pang school works nawawalan ako ng time.

"That's not how it is done, Rain." he's in my condo right now and he came to give Azlan. He's been helping me on my return demos lately. And honestly, I need it. Ang hirap na nga imemorize yung sunod-sunod na step tapos dapat tama pa yung procedure. Terror pa naman ang mga Instructors during Return Demo, konting kamali mo lang sa procedure or hindi sunod-sunod yung step na nagawa mo o di naman ay may nakalimutan ka, i-zezero ka na nila sa procedure na yun or isang puntos lang.

"It's corneal light reflex test, right?"

"Yeah. Hold the penlight approximately 12 inches from your patient's face." he took the penlight from my hand and motioned me to sit down. He demonstrated to me the proper way of doing it to assess my eyes—the parallel alignment of the eyes, specifically.

He bent down and placed the light 12 inches away from my face and he shone the light towards the bridge of my nose while I stare straight ahead.

"Shine the light towards the nose bridge and note the light reflected on the corneas." He lectured while staring at my eyes.

Be, ganito ba naman kagwapo ang tititig sayo for assessment, baka gugustuhin mo nalang maging pasyente araw-araw.

I fought myself not to blush at his stares. I don't know if I'm overreacting but his eyes can really pull you to their mystery and devour your soul, staring at them will have you lose yourself under their spell.

"That's how it is done. Do not shine the light directly at the client's eyes. And don't look at me or at my eyes. Tell your patient to stare straight ahead, not at the nurse or doctor's eyes." He moved away and handed me the penlight to return the demonstration.

He sat and I, again verbalized the procedure because that's how they want us to do, tell them the step first and then perform. And after performing the procedure you gotta tell them also your findings and result.

"I am now going to perform the corneal light reflex test to assess the parallel alignment of the eyes... Hold a penlight approximately 12 inches away from the client's face. Shine the light towards the bridge of the nose while the client stares straight ahead. Note the light reflected on the corneas." I did as I said, but Archer being a stubborn patient stared at my eyes as I noted for the light reflected on his corneas.

"Sir, please look straight ahead and not at me."

"Very well, nurse." I want to shove that smirk away from his face, it's distracting.

"It is normal. The reflection of light on the corneas are in the exact same spot on each eye, which indicates parallel alignment. It is also transparent, shiny, and smooth."

"What are the indications of abnormality?" seryosong tanong nito na animo'y isang propesor.

"The asymmetric position of the light reflex indicates deviated alignment of the eyes. This may be due to muscle weakness or paralysis."

Throughout the semester, he helped me with procedures I cannot do alone and taught me some things I do not know on weekends whenever he comes by to give Azlan and find me doing school works or memorizing procedures. Mahirap kasing mag-practice ng procedures kung wala kang pasyente na kaharap at iaassess, so he offers himself sometimes to be my patient. Minsan kasama rin nito si Sophia kapag hinahatid niya sakin si Azlan at ito ang nakikipaglaro sa pusa kapag nag re-return demo kami.

Second year came and it is now his last year in nursing school. I wonder what his plans are, he's smart and I think he could be a doctor if he wants to.

With all the helped he's giving me with my studies, I grew closer to him even though we still clash sometimes. Abnormal naman kasi yung kuya niyo na iyon, tapos kapag galit siya nangiinis habang nagde-demo ako.

I am struggling with my Pharmacology this second year. Ang hirap intindihin ang mga drugs! Hindi yung cocaine or m*******a ha, yung mga medication ang ibig kong sabihin. Sa mga pangalan palang parang babaliktad na yung dila mo sa pagbanggit sa mga yun, tapos ang dami, at dapat alam mo pa kung paraan saan yun, yung actions and indications niya, mga contraindications, at ang malala ay yung Pharmacokinetics ng drugs.

Do you know that we also have this group of drugs that we call "olol drugs"?

Girl! ako ata yung mao-olol sa mga drugs na 'to. Kainis. Alam niyo kung bakit "olol drugs" tawag sa mga yun? Acebutolol, Atenolol, Betaxolol, Bisoprolol, Carteolol, Metoprolol, and many more OLOL. See? May 'olol' sa huli ng names nila. NakakaOLOL diba? Mga Beta-blockers yang mga yan, Antihypertensive drugs.

Ngayong year nagsimula narin kaming mag-duty sa hospital for Maternal and Child Care, manonood at maga-assist kami sa mga doctors and nurses na nagpapa-anak ganon. Kaunting paalala lang sa lahat kapag nag-shock yung pasyente, ang sabihin niyo ay "the patient is in shock", and not "THE PATIENT IS SHOCKING!" kaloka, nakakagulat ba yung pasyente? Haha

See? Nagjojoke narin ako sa sarili ko. Nakakabaliw ang Nursing!

"What are you laughing at?" napatingin ako kay Archer na nasa harapan ko dito sa coffee table. He's helping me again with pharmacology, and I totally forgot he's here while I was spacing out making jokes to myself.

"Um. Nothing." I stifled a laugh because that corny joke is still lingering inside my head.

"What is it?"