CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The Aftermath
November 1, 2015; Sunday
Azulan City Police Station
11:17 am
Clyde had no idea how he still got the strength—physically and emotionally—to volunteer to go to the police station first when everyone around him had been urging him to go to the hospital. Ang alam niya lang, bukod sa kagustuhan niyang makatulong na malutas agad ang kaso, hindi rin siya handang alamin kung may mga kaibigan siyang hindi pinalad na makaligtas. Hindi niya gustong masira ang magaganda nilang alaala, kung saan nakangiti at masaya sila, at mapalitan ng hitsura ng kahindik-hindik nilang sinapit sa kamay ng mga salarin.
It felt a lot like cowardice, but it was the only way he could protect his sanity. It was that one instance of selfishness he thought he could let himself have.
"Sige, hijo. Iyon na lang muna. Tatawagan na lang namin kayo kapag may karagdagang katanungan," sabi ng pulis na kausap niya. Clyde could see the look of pity in the man's eyes. "Salamat sa kooperasyon. At. . .nakikiramay ako."
Walang ibang nagawa si Clyde kundi tumango at tumayo. Even after several hours since they had been rescued, he still felt numb. In fact, he couldn't really remember what happened once Shem's uncle burst through the doors of the room they were trapped in. Ang tanging nasa isip niya lamang ay ligtas na sila. Kahit ilang beses na siya nakapanood ng mga horror movies... Maski nasanay na siya dahil sa mga pambubugbog ng kanyang ama, nanghihina pa rin siya tuwing naaalala niya ang mga dugo sa hagdanan at paglabas ng mga katawang natatakpan ng puting tela mula sa retreat house.
It was one of the reasons why he chose to go with the police first. What's a few hours of ignorance? Ngunit ngayon, hindi na siya makakatakas.
"Alam. . ." Muli siyang lumunok upang tanggalin ang pamamaos ng kanyang boses. "Alam niyo po ba kung saang ospital dinala ang mga kaibigan ko at kung paano ako makakapunta doon?"
Unlike Santa Filomena, Azulan City was at least two times larger. Clyde barely left their own town so he knew he'd get lost if he tried to leave on his own. Bagamat iilan lang naman ang ospital sa siyudad, wala rin siyang sapat na pamasahe upang puntahan ang lahat ng mga ito.
"Sa NHMC, hijo," sagot ng pulis. "Sandali. . ." His gaze roamed around before settling on another police officer. "Loberes! Nandito pa ba yung pamangkin ng Hepe ng Santa Filomena?"
"Kakapaalam lang sa Tito niya, pupunta na raw sa ospital."
Dali-daling siyang nagpasalamat sa pulis bago lumabas ng istasyon upang habulin si Shem. The wild winds of Azulan blew past him as soon as he walked through the station's doors. Clyde spotted Shem soon enough—who still hadn't changed from his blood-soaked clothes, making him hard to miss—walking towards a car.
"Clyde," pagbati nito sa kanya. It amazed Clyde how one word could convey how drained and exhausted his friend was.
"Pwede ba akong sumabay papunta sa ospital?" tanong ni Clyde.
Shem silently gestured towards the passenger seat, as if to say, knock yourself out, before getting inside the driver's seat himself. Clyde immediately obliged and soon found himself watching cars and trees pass by as they drove towards the hospital. Sinubukan ni Clyde na kausapin si Shem—if only to get some semblance of normalcy—ngunit kaunting salita lang ang isinasagot nito at nanatiling naka-pokus sa kalsada.
Sandaling napasulyap si Clyde sa kaibigan. He wasn't able to get all the details of their rescue while he was at the police station. But he heard enough to guess why Shem was retreating into the confines of his own mind.
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