Kapit Bitaw

Epilogue

3rd Person's Point of View

•••

"To the Med students to our front, please introduce yourselves and tell us why you want to be a doctor."

"Hello, my name is Thomas Guerrera, 3rd year in UST Med. I want to become a doctor because I am fascinated with the human body."

"My name is Princess Abad, 3rd year in UP Med. I want to become a doctor because I would like to help others. I would want to make this world a better place." the girl smiled.

"And you?" one nurse asks. "Foreigner?"

"Yes." a girl answered. "My mother married a Filipino."

"Introduce yourself."

"Good morning, my name is Samantha Buhain, 3rd year in UPCM. I want to become a doctor because of past experiences."

"What kind of past experiences?"

The girl smiled slightly, as if she was used to telling this story. "My mother had cancer when she was young. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. She believes she got through it not just because of the treatments but because of the doctors that never left her side since day 1. Thus, this has been my dream since I was young."

Mahinang pumalakpak ang mga mga staff sa loob ng OR. "Nakaka-inspire." sabi ng isa sa tauhan. "We were once like that. We were once like you."

"True. Malayo pa ang mararating niyo. Until then, padayon!"

"Ayan na si doc." sabi ng isang resident doon sa isang sikat na ospital. Biglang bumukas ang mga pinto at agad na tumambad ang hinihintay nilang babaeng doktor. Nilagyan siya ng scrub gown at pinatungan ang kaniyang mga kamay na kakahugas lang ng surgical gloves. May suot suot siyang espesyal na salamin para sa surgery na ito.

Kagagaling lang ng doktor mula sa isang surgery. Kung totoosin, ito na ang huling operasyon na pamumunuan niya. May edad na kasi. Magreretiro na.

"Good evening. My name is Doctor Juliana Angeles, a professor from Neuroseurgery. I will be leading this surgery as we will be performing Laminectomy today. My first assistant will be Doctor Ramos. Let's start."

"Scalpel."

Twenty five year old, Samantha Buhain smiled.

She finally found her.

"It's you, isn't it?"

Juliana Angeles looked at the med student after removing her glasses. They've been inside the Operating Room for many hours. Madaling araw na sila natapos. Juliana smiled, a bit confused. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Samantha bowed a bit. "My name's Samantha Buhain... I'm a Med student from UPCM..."

Juliana nodded for her to go on.

"My mother is Sam Williams. She was a patient you saved when you were stationed in Boston."

Napa-awang ang labi ni Juliana. Oo, alalang alala niya si Sam Williams. Sammie pa nga tawag niya dati 'e. Years have passed. Decades, even. Juliana Lei Angeles is now currently 61 years old. The small wrinkles on her skin can attest to that.