Project LOKI ③

Chapter 46: Shades of Grey IX (Grey Mourning)

Tumulong na ako sa pagbubuhat kay Luthor. We stood side by side, with Luthor in between us. May times na muntik nang bumigay ang mga binti ko sa bigat ng walang malay niyang kuya, pero tiniis ko ang sakit para mabuhat siya.

"Is he still alive?" natataranta kong tanong. "May pulso pa ba siya?"

"Yes!" Loki yelled. His eyes were already twitching in pain. "Can you please refrain from panicking? Pati ako natataranta na."

Bawat minuto yata, tinatanong ko kung kumusta ang kalagayan ng kanyang kuya. Kung humihinga pa ba siya, kung meron pa ba siyang pulso. Sorry kung medyo makulit, but I'm worried about him. As he should be too.

We dragged Luthor from the gazebo to the garage where the car was already started and the door was already opened. Nakabukas na rin ang gate. We carefully threw Luthor into the backseat. Pinagitnaan namin siya ni Loki.

The car quickly drove away as soon as we locked the door. Tumingin ako sa likuran, sa iniwan naming garahe, at napansin ang isa pang kotse na akmang susunod sa amin. I saw Odinaire Mendez limping his way to the car with one of his bodyguards—Munroe, I think?—opening the door for him. Mukhang maging sila'y inalertuhan ni Mr. Vasquez.

What happened next was a race against time.

Luthor's getting colder as every minute passed. Hindi pa rin binibitawan ni Loki ang kanyang kamay, patuloy pa rin na nakabantay sa kanyang pulso. His brother was still breathing, pero bawat paghinga niya'y malalim at pabilis nang pabilis na tila hinahabol niya ito. Parang naninigas na rin ang kanyang katawan.

Hindi pa kami pwedeng magpaka-kampante. Hangga't hindi namin siya nadadala sa ospital at hindi siya natse-check ng doctor, the worst could still happen to him. We could only pray that we make it time.

I don't want anything bad to happen to him.

"Not..."

Sabay kaming lumingon ni Loki sa kanyang kuya na bahagyang bumukas ang mga mata. Hinihingal na nga siya pero sinusubukan pa rin niyang magsalita. I tried to shush him, but he wouldn't.

"Not... Mag... gie..."

Luthor closed his eyes again and his head rested on the cushion. I bit my lower lip as I watched him struggle for his breath.

"Kumapit kayo, sir at ma'am," sabi ni Mr. Vasquez sa amin. "Baka makagat n'yo ang mga dila n'yo."

He then shifted his gear and the car drove faster than it used to be. Kahit na may mga sasakyan sa harapan namin, nagawa pa rin niyang mag-swerve sa mga pagitan nito. May ilang beses na akala ko'y babangga na kami. That would only make matters worse. Being caught up in a traffic accident was something we couldn't be in right now.

Kahit magte-turn na sa red ang color ng stoplight, Mr. Vasquez went ahead in full throttle. Siya lang ang sasakyan na sumulong. The rest stopped. I bet we no longer cared if that's against the traffic laws. Ang importante'y makarating kami sa agad sa ospital.

"Thank God we're here already!" I heaved a sigh of relief. Halos mapaiyak ako sa tuwa dahil humihinga pa rin si Luthor pagkarating namin doon. Loki didn't let go of his brother's wrist and told us that the latter still has a pulse.

Pagkababa namin sa parking lot, mag-isang binuhat ni Mr. Vasquez ang halos nanigas na katawan ni Luthor. Pumasok siya sa emergency section at doon sinabi sa mga nurse kung ano ang posibleng nangyari. "Nalason yata siya," dinig kong sabi niya.

A gurney was immediately brought in by one of the nurses. Doon dahan-dahang inihiga ang katawan ni Luthor. They wheeled it into the emergency room. Susunod pa sana kaming dalawa ni Loki, but the nurses asked us to wait in the lobby.