Remains in the Sand | Los Quiros Series Book #01

32

RITS; Chapter Thirty-two

"Okay kalang?"

I heaved a deep sigh ng halos hindi ako huminga buong meeting. Hinila ko ang upuan ko't kaagad na naupo. Nangangatog ang binti ko. 

"Please... Leave me alone for now, Eon." Napapikit ako ng mariin. 

Narinig ko ang magkalong ng kaniyang heels sa tiled na sahig hanggang sa marinig ko ang pagsara ng pinto. 

Doon bumuhos ang mga luha kong kanina ko pa pinipigilan.

What I thought would be a job that'll just take a few experiences and learnings to go through, almost took my bare sanity while trying to fix everything sa ilang linggo ko palang na pag-subok. 

Pero hindi ko magawang ipagtanggol ang sarili ko. I don't want to stain the Los Quiros' after my profanities... Or after confronting investors. Masakit mapaghinalaang masama kahit yung intensyon ko lang naman ay pamahalaan ang Ospital... Ang sakit sa pakiramdam na pinagdududahan nila ang pagkatao ko. But in the end, I had to act like everything didn't affect me... That in fact, I haven't heard anything, dahil alam kong ako rin naman ang talo kapag papatulan ko sila.

Mabigat, pero siguro sarili ko muna ang aatupagin ko. 

Basta't alam ko sa sarili kong wala akong ginagawang masama... Na hindi ako nanlilinlang ng kapuwa, wala na akong dapat na ikabahala pa sa mga sasabihin nila. 

"Hindi kana madalas dito ha! I'm starting to think that you'll renew your medical license."

Marahang tinawanan ko si Chrion saka tinanggap ang inilahad niyang tubig. Tama nga siya, madalang nalang akong pumunta sa lab at tuwing gabi pa, kung kailan halos wala ng tao at madilim na. 

Lately, the entirety of the lab just brings solace in my heavily throbbing system. Just inhaling the air coming from outside taught me how to breathe again... And I learned to appreciate the silence filling the corridors and every corner there is. Na siguro, kahit saan man akong lugar tatangayin ng buhay, I would always choose to go back here. That when things get heavy, I would always choose to be here than elsewhere.

"May chance ba?" Hinawakan kong maigi ang mug. Ini-angat ko ang aking tingin at nagsalubong ang aming mga mata. "I mean, ang labo. Ang labo ng buhay ko."

"Malabo siguro ngayon kasi you're on the stage of figuring out. Give yourself some time. Clarity will for sure show up at your front door giving you a warm embrace." 

Several days have gone by and I wished that everything at work would be too. Ilang meetings ang dinadaluhan ko sa isang araw pero parang wala namang improvements sa Ospital, except that we've been setting the standard in quality and excellent service. 

But despite the heavy workload on my shoulders managing the Hospital, I make sure na may oras akong inilalaan sa lab. Dealing with corpses, trying to figure out the cause of their deaths really puts a sense of accomplishment in my being. It felt so fulfilling to be working with what I truly love, after a long time of being seated at the Hospital, acting all regal, facing illiterate men.