THE REUNION ł KathNiel Fanfiction (Arboleda Series #1 - COMPLETED)

veintisiete

- Margaux's POV -

[A/N's Note: Puro point of view po muna ni Margaux for the following chapters, kasi nga, coma si Rico. So, hindi ko muna lalagyan ng kung kaninong POV man ang chapter na 'yon because by default, si Margaux na agad 'yon unless stated otherwise. Thank you!]

It's already 3 in the morning and I'm still here in the hospital, loitering. Kahit pa 6 inches ang takong ko ngayon wala akong pakialam, because the truth is I feel numb. I feel empty. I am now walking towards the ICU. I looked at the big window separating love from me and I there I saw him inside a sterile room with all kinds of equipment surrounding him. Kahit gusto ko umiyak, wala na akong maiyak.

I sat down by one of the chairs adjacent the ICU and put my face on my palms. Naramdaman ko namang may umupo sa tabi ko at doon nakita ko si Nadya. Nakapagpalit na siya ngayon.

"Hey." she said.

"Hey." I managed to say.

She looked at Rico. "Look, I know how hard your situation is right now, but please. Can you at least change?" I looked at her and noticed she was smiling slightly. I looked at the paper bag she was holding afterwards. I took it.

She smiled again. "Do you want me to accompany you inside the bathroom?" she asked.

Umiling ako. We walked towards the nearest bathroom and before I walked in Nads sat down on a chair. Pagkapasok ko, tumingin agad ako sa salamin. Wala na ang lipstick ko ngayon, my perfectly straight hair was now a mess and some strands have already escaped the bobby pins I placed earlier. Nagkalat din ang mascara sa pisngi ko.

I placed my bag by the sink and took out the makeup remover pads I have with me. I removed everything from my face and splashed it with cold water afterwards. I looked at my hands and washed away blood from it. Tinignan ko pa ang katawan ko kung mayroon pang natitirang bakas ng dugo at tinanggal ang mga ito.

I zipped off my gown. Tinupi ko ito at pinasok sa paper bag. I slid into a mustard-colored oversized sweater and a pair of white square pants that Nads packed for me. Nakaramdam naman ako ng kaunting kaginhawaan nang matanaw na may flats na dinala ang aking kaibigan. I removed my heels from my feet and gladly wore a pair of tasseled Ferragamo loafers.

Nilagay ko muli ang aking bag sa aking balikat at lumabas na. When Nads saw me, she smiled. "There, you look even more better. In five hours, you can go inside the ICU. I asked the nurse and...she told me visiting hours are strictly implemented and the earliest would still be at 8am."

I nodded. "How's Patrick?"

"He's fine. Tito and tita are on a plane back to Manila from Chicago. They'll probably be here by tomorrow. Hey, do you want to go down? To the café?"

"Let's go."

Habang pababa kami, natuklasan kong siya na lang pala at ako ang natitira sa magbabarkada at umuwi na ang iba. Kasalukuyang natutulog si Patrick ngayon kung kaya't naisipan akong puntahan ni Nadya.

We decided to sit in a table for two with plush chairs. Nads did not bother to ask me kung ano ang gusto ko dahil I just know...kabisado na niya iyon ng buong-puso. I decided to scroll through my phone. Tadtad ito ng mga mensahe mula kay daddy, mommy, ate at kuya.

"Little sis, tapos na duty ko sa hospital. I am already home. Call me if you need anything."

"Sis, I'm always here, call me whenever you want."

"Nakakain na ba ang princess ng daddy?"

"'Nak, I sent you clothes. They're with Nads. Stay strong ha. And take care of yourself."