Code: ICE (Code Series #1)

Chapter 43: I'm no longer Ice

Naalala ko ang sagot ni Izen kung ano nga ba ang nangyari during this weekend. Napansin ko rin iyon kaninang umaga.. that there's something happened during the weekend and it changes Ice's world. She was open.. She became open at some point. It made me wonder, ano nga ba ang nalaman niya tungkol sa kanyang sarili?

Pumikit na lang ako ng mariin. Tikom ang bibig ni Ice habang may bahid ng ngiti ang kanyang mga labi.

Wala siyang balak magsalita. Hindi siya sasagot. This girl is not just brave.. she's stubborn too. A hard headed girl.

"Ice.." I mumbled trying to say something pero sa huli, itinikom ko na lamang ang bibig ko.

Pagkatapos ng isang buntong hininga, tumalikod na lamang ako at nilisan ang silid.

Dumeretso agad ako sa kinaroroonan ni Sir Harris. Malapit lamang iyon sa kinaroroonan ni Ice. Pagpasok ko pa lang, bumungad na sa akin ang mga naglalakihang monitor. Pinapanood iyon nila Sir Harris at naroon sa may pinakamalaking screen at ang footage kung saan mismo naroroon si Ice. Halos hindi siya gumagalaw sa kanyang pwesto.

"Sir.." I call him. Nakatitig lamang siya sa pigura ni Ice na tila maglalaho ito roon kung hindi niya tititigan. Kung magpapatuloy ito, wala kaming ibang choice kung hindi i-torture si Ice. I don't want that to happened. And surely, Sir Harris don't want it too. At some point, Sir Harris cares about her too. He maybe brutal and cold for gaining Ice's trust and breaking it, alam kong hindi niya rin iyon ginusto at sa totoo lang, gusto niyang kunin si Ice upang pumanig sa amin. But damn.. This two are so much alike.

I actually say it before to Anteros and Eros that Ice is the girl version of our keeper.

She's cold too. And she's brutal too. Not to those people that surrounds her but to herself. She doesn't care about herself.

Pumikit ng mariin si Sir Harris at binalingan si Anteros, imbes na sa akin.

"Did you understand her, Anteros?" He asked. Lumapit na lamang ako at binalingan na rin ang tinanong.

"Not really, Keeper. I'm confused. She keep on saying that word.. code: ICE? I know exactly what it means. And when she say, her heart stop from beating, I think she's pertaining about  a cardiac arrest?"

Kumunot pareho ang noo namin ni Sir Harris sa sinabi ni Anteros. I think, sabay nga kami sa pagkunot ng noo namin eh. Di ko masyadong naintindihan ang sinabi ni Anteros.

"Explain further, Anteros." Our keeper commanded.

"We doctors, we have this thing we called therapeutic hypothermia, also known as Code ICE." paunang eksplanasyon niya. "It is sometimes used for people who have cardiac arrest. During cardiac arrest, blood doesn't flow to the organs of the body. The brain may also not get enough blood. The primary goal of Code ICE is to preserve brain function in the wake of post-resuscitation syndrome, a process in which the resurgence of oxygen to previously anoxic brain triggers the release of damaging chemicals. By lowering the body temperature, brain ischemia is decreased and neurological outcomes are improve. That treatment usually lasts about 24 hours." Mas mahabang eksplinasyon.

Naintindihan ko ang sinabi ni Anteros ngunit ang hindi ko maintindihan ay ang koneksyon nito sa sitwasyon?

"I know Ice, she always used metaphors to say what's in her mind." I said as I remember how she talk. Ang lalim ni Izen. She's like an equation that was hard to solve.

"When my heart stop from beating.. I think she's pertaining about her death.. She think she's going to die." Medyo wala halos emosyon na wika ni sir Harris.

Why would Ice will think that way? Bakit naman siya mamatay kung narito siya sa aming mga kamay? Hindi kami pumapatay unless our own life is in risk. I don't think our life is in risk on her hands.