Footprints on my Heart

Chapter 8 -- Relèvé

Relèvé

a rise to the toes from the flat foot in ballet dancing

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Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve to go through what I go through, but I remind myself that thick skin grows only on those who can endure hardship, and can make it out alive and strong. What I face now may be difficult, heartbreaking, unfair, but what lies ahead may be worse.

Therefore, all that is happening now is training for what will be ahead. It won't get easier, it may hurt more. But once you're used to certain pain, all subsequent wounds are manageable; once you overcome something that you didn't even think you could, everything else becomes easy. Current pain is a reference point, what lies ahead will seem small and pitiful in comparison.

The sharp sound of the door snapped me back into the real world, and nearly into the ceiling...I hadn't heard anyone come up until....

"Nikki, I've heard from my dad that you were..." I looked up and found Liz gasping for breath as she burst out from my door. Her voice quickly died out the moment her eyes landed on my newly found acquaintance, Darren. "What are you doing here?" She raised her voice as if accusing him of the greatest crime he had ever commit

"Well.. " Darren rubbed the back of his head "Wait, why am I explaining again to you .. of all people? Really" Whisky colored eyes twinkled at her as he smirked. Sarcasm was obviously dripping raw on every blow he said

"Will you stop? If you're looking for sympathy you'll find it between shit and syphilis in the dictionary not here in the hospital."

For a few seconds, Both of them were somehow on a glaring contest. Weighing each others capacity to hold each others glares as long as they could, I don't know but I get the feeling that they go long way back

"Uhh.. Guys?" I said somehow breaking them from their silent death threat. Liz was an old friend of mine , and always seemed to know when I was feeling out of sorts.

Liz finally snapped back to her senses. The intense glare quickly soften as she glanced at my way now "My Dad told me you could go home tonight" Liz' dad, Rommel Yuchengco, is the head of the Orthopedic department at their family-owned hospital St. Anne Medical Center and he has been my doctor as well before he became the head of the said department so it's not a surprise Liz quickly found out about my confinement.

"Pero your shift would end at 11 pa di ba?" I asked. It's not a secret that Liz has been an intern on their hospital for awhile now

"I could talk to Doc Villegas, I'm sure he wont mind" She gently held my hand and then threw an arm around me and gave me a bolstering hug "I'm sorry on what I said to you the other time. I'm not in place to even say those.."

I shook my head "No. It's okay Liz. At least you were being honest. Tama ka naman eh. Asking Travis' forgiveness is just too much. It's all my fault"

"Nik, Don't think that way okay?" She squeezed my hands and took a deep breath before she continued "We spend our lives searching for answers we don't know, and loving people who don't love us back. God has a plan for everyone and everything. You just have to be patient and wait for things .." For a brief moment, I saw how her eyes fell to Darren before she looked away "to fall into place"

Seeing the growing alarm in her eyes, I rushed to set the ambiance at ease. "So.. umm, how did you guys knew each other?"

"Med school" They both said but somehow, it felt like it was just a tiny detail on what is really behind their animosity with each other