The wheels of the stretcher squeak against the tiled floors. Anim silang nabilang kong kasama ko sa pagtulak habang may doktor na nakapatong sa ibabaw. She is shouting instructions and terms that sound much like foreign runes as she applies more pressure to my mother's open wound. Kasunod nila ang isa pang stretcher na sinasabayan naman ng kapatid ko. Kuya Kiel holds Dad's limp hand tightly, as if the latter would slip away if he let go.
Between the sterile stench of the crowded hallways, white coats surrounding my parents, and my brother's broken sobs, my eyes follow one thing.
Blood. A lot of it flows endlessly out of their bodies.
Bago pa man kami makaabot sa labas ng operating room, noong may pulso pa silang dalawa at pinapalakas pa si Kuya ng pag-asa niya, hinanda ko na ang sarili. Tulala kong tinitigan ang madugo kong mga kamay habang bumubulong ng maikling panalangin.
May the gods forgive them of their sins. May they watch over us.
May they rest in peace.
The glasses glint under the yellow street lights as my grip on it tightens. I keep my other hand firm on the wheel, pressing the gas pedal a little more when the path begins to clear up.
Tanging ang maingay na pagtibok lang ng puso ko ang naririnig ko. Every beat almost rings in my ears, blocking every other sound outside. Nakabukas ang mga bintana sa kotse pero tumatagaktak ang pawis ko.
He had no glasses on.
He couldn't have seen the car coming his way.
"Kuya!" naiiyak kong sigaw habang tumatakbo papalapit sa nakahandusay niyang katawan. Hindi ko pa napansin kaagad ang mga taong pumalibot sa 'min dahil abala ako sa paulit-ulit na pagsampal sa pisngi ni Kuya Kiel.
His eyes roll back, breaths running shallower by the second. "Don't just f*cking stand there and call an ambulance!" I snap at a woman standing closest to me, frozen as she stares at my brother's unconscious figure and my bloody hands.
I swallow my fear and press against his fresh wound with my entire body weight. Apply pressure, I chant in my head, not even caring anymore if the man responsible for this mess only stares at me in shock as he's confined safely inside the vehicle that sent my brother flying towards a metal pole a while ago. Keep applying pressure.
"Stay awake," I plead as he responds in slow blinks. "I can't lose you, too. Keep your eyes open. Please."
"Please..." mahina kong bulong sa sarili habang papasok sa emergency room ng Baguio Gen. My heart all but leaps out of my chest when someone taps my back. I turn to see Eri's face painted with worry.
"Sinundan ko sila rito," aniya at pinisil ang braso ko. "Ace, calm down, please."
"Where did they take him?" I ask instead, eyes roaming the busy floor and paying close attention to every occupied bed. He's here somewhere.
"His glasses are—" pinakita ko ang salamin kay Eri na pilit pa rin akong pinapakalma "—I brought it with me. I-ibabalik ko 'to, kailangan niya 'to."
"Ace—"
"H-he wasn't wearing his glasses when he left. He c-couldn't have seen the road when the car hit him—" natigilan kaming dalawa nang may stretcher na dumaan sa harapan namin. Tinatakpan ng puting tela ang pasyenteng nakahiga roon, at madugo ang kamay niyang nakalaylay sa gilid na muntikan pang dumaplis sa 'kin.
A body. Bloody and dead.
The sleeves of my white suit are drenched in red.
"Stay awake. Help is on the way, you hear me?" Muli kong tinapik ang pisngi ni Kuya. "Don't you dare close those eyes!"
YOU ARE READING
Off Script (Horizon, #1)
RomanceAraceli Valderama has it all: a much-anticipated movie, a loving fiancè, and a chance at a life away from chaos after moving to Baguio City. But when a landlady's mistake forces her to be roommates with the impudent Nathaniel Spencer, her worst crit...
