Dosage of Serotonin

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Maaga akong nagising dahil hindi naman ako masyadong nakatulog. Bahagyang hinangin ang kurtina kaya napansin kong may kadiliman pa sa labas. Bago tuluyang simulan ang araw ay inilibot ko pa ang tingin sa silid at tipid na napangiti sa itsura nito.

My room had white walls and light oak floors. It was adorned with artificial plants and delicate fairy lights that emitted a gentle, inviting radiance in a soft shade of yellow. To complement the overall decor, my bed linens were a pristine white hue with accents of a pale light brown hue.

Bumangon ako at nagbihis ng knee-length na leggings at sports bra. My hair was also pulled back into a ponytail to prevent the strands from covering my face. Nagtungo ako sa mini dance studio dito sa loob ng bahay na kasama sa mga ipinagawa ko noon.

I played a familiar pop song and started to move my hips. Tinitingnan ko rin ang sariling repleksyon sa glass mirror na nakapalibot sa studio.

My amber-colored eyes, narrow and triangular nose, and pinkish-plump lips matched my heart-shaped face. Dahil sa regular na exercise, toned ang mga braso at hita ko. My stomach was also flat, and I had well-rounded hips.

I danced for another hour before taking a bath to get ready for work. Matapos ang usapan namin ni Calix kagabi, napagdesisyonan naming magkita mamayang dinner. Alam niyang hapon pa ang tapos ko. Kapag nagkasundo kami sa terms and agreements, pwede niya nang tingnan ang bahay sa susunod na araw.

Hindi ako magsisinungaling. The idea of sharing a home with him appealed to me. Sino ba namang may ayaw noon, 'di ba? I kind of liked him. I knew I shouldn't trust him too easily, but a part of me wanted to know how far this would go. Isa pa, kung magkakataon mang bastusin niya ako, alam ko naman kung ano ang mga dapat gawin.

"Yesha!" tawag ko nang makita ang babae. She seemed exhausted and stressed. Halatang katatapos lang ng shift niya dahil palabas na siya ng hospital samantalang ako ay kapapasok lang.

"Good morning, Doc..." namumungay ang mga matang bati niya sa akin.

I frowned. "Why did you give my phone number to Calix?"

Kahit mababasa sa mukha ang pagod ay nagawa niya pang ngumisi. "You're welcome."

"Who gave you the right to broadcast it?" kunwaring pagsusungit ko.

Nginusuan niya ako. "Doc, sinabi kong may kakilala akong naghahanap ng tenant kasi na-open ulit ni Lola Harriet ang topic na 'yon kahapon. Hindi naman mukhang interesado 'yong apo, pero no'ng sinabi kong Rovina Desamero, bigla na lang akong tinanong kung ano ang number mo para daw makapag-inquire siya."

I gasped inwardly. Pakshet, ang ganda ko talaga.

"Bakit? Ano'ng nangyari?" pangungulit ni Yesha. "Mukha siyang nagulat nang banggitin kita."

I was about to answer her when Kaycee, a nurse, came running to me.

"Doc, tawag ka sa emergency department. May nagwawala pong pasyente," saad niya.

I gave Yesha a nod. "Next time."

Tumango rin ang babae kaya iniwan ko na siya roon bago sundan si Kaycee na halatang natataranta.

"Nagtuturo po 'yong patient sa school tapos biglang nagsisigaw. He scared his students before running to the rooftop of the building. Fortunately, he was stopped by the school staff. Nasa ER triage po siya ngayon."

I nodded. I had seen a few of these before. In this case, I would have to examine the patient in the emergency room to see if he hurt himself or anyone else. Nang makita ko ang lalaking pasyente ay punong-puno ng luha ang mukha niya. Some of his colleagues tried calming him down, but he shoved them away.