Chapter 34: Drowning
Soundtrack: Don't Forget About Me - Cloves
When I was younger, I used to watch this animated film and I remembered this courageous little character saying 'Just keep swimming'. And right now, those words seemed to be engraved in my mind. In just a moment, I became that little fish silently screaming 'Just keep swimming'. And I wasn't just telling it to myself. I was hoping that the man beside me could hear those words, too.
Mas binilisan ko pa ang paglangoy. Bagama't hindi ko masyadong magamit ang parehong braso ko sa kadahilanang hindi ko maigalaw ang aking kanan at ang isa nama'y mahigpit na nakahawak sa nanghihinang si Ethan, siniguro kong hindi tumitigil ang aking mga binti sa paglangoy upang mabilis naming mapuntahan ang speed boat. Nang dahil na rin siguro sa delikadong sitwasyong ito ay ilang minuto lang at narating na namin ang nakahintong sasakyan. I was able to haul him up to the speed boat and dragged myself up to it. With one last glance to the still, silent, and ghostly yacht, I started the engine and drove fast, far from the area. Halos hindi ko na maituon ang utak ko sa pag-iisip sa mga susunod kong gagawin. Ang tanging nakikita ko lang ay ang puno ng sugat at pasa na katawan ni Ethan na hindi na gumagalaw sa makipot na sahig ng speed boat. Let him be alive. Mas binilisan ko pa lalo ang pagpapatakbo sa sasakyan na tila nakikipagkarerahan na rin ako sa mga alon sa dagat. Sumadsad at halos tumakbo sa mga buhangin ang speed boat nang tuluyan ko itong pahintuin. Sa di-kalayuan ay nakita ko ang pamilyar na kotseng nakaparada at naghihintay sa pagbabalik ko. Nagsimulang dumilim ang tingin ko sa kapaligiran nang itaas ko at ikaway ang aking mga kamay upang kunin ang atensyon ng sakay nito. Agad namang bumukas ang pinto ng driver's seat at saka lumabas at tumakbo sa amin ang lulan nito.
"Oh, Christ! We need to bring him to the hospital!" Malakas niyang sabi habang kinukuha ang isang braso ni Ethan. Nang magsimula siyang maglakad ay agad kong pinigilan siya sa braso.
"We have to–-we have to leave Eremitia. Now!" Habol ang paghinga kong sabi. Nararamdaman ko ang mabilis na panghihina ng aking katawan at kahit ang dalawang armas na dala ko ay tila mas bumigat pa kaysa kanina.
"Kailangan niya ng doktor!" Tutol ni Detective Penber at muling naglakad palayo. Hindi ko inaasahan na agad akong mawalan ng balanse at masubsob sa buhangin. Mabagal at mahirap subalit pinilit ko pa rin na tumayo. Kahit ang mga buhangin ay tila hinihila at pinababagal ang aking mga paa.
Nang maisakay ni Detective Penber si Ethan sa likod ng kotse nito ay agad niya akong binalikan. Subalit sandali siyang biglang napatigil nang makita niya ang sitwasyon ko. Agad siyang tumakbo palapit sa akin at walang sabi-sabing binuhat ako.
"I can walk!" I protested.
Hinakawan ko ang braso niya na nakasuporta sa aking balikat upang hindi ako mahulog. Natigilan ako at napatitig sa aking mga kamay nang bawiin ko ang mga iyon. Dugo? Kaninong mga dugo ang mga ito? I killed people in the yacht and I did it cleanly. But if there were drops of blood from my crimes, the sea should have washed it already. But this was fresh, red blood.
Napatingin ako sa Detective na mukhang naghihintay rin ng aking sasabihin. "You've been shot at your back. We badly need to go to the hospital immediately," sa wakas ay sabi niya nang nanatili lang akong nakatulala.
So this was the reason why my eyes and body were not coordinating with my mind well. I should have known that the Novou assassins rarely missed their shots. I was sure this is going to be bad. Nang maipasok niya ako sa kanyang sasakyan at maiupo sa passenger seat ay agad siyang pumunta sa driver's seat at pinaandar ang kotse. Sa pagkakataong ito ay nararamdaman ko na ang sobrang pagkahilo. Anumang sandali ay maaaring mawalan ako ng malay kung kaya naman minabuti kong gamitin ang aking lakas upang kausapin si Detective Penber.
"We need to leave–now," seryoso kong sabi sa kanya.
Tinapunan niya ako ng tingin habang nagmamaneho. "You're losing blood. Kailangan ko na kayong madala sa ospital ngayon din," matigas niyang sabi.
I had no time and energy to engage in a fight with him and I was really hoping that he would just listen. "Kung gusto mo kaming iligtas, kailangan mo kong sundin."
"But Miss Arturia–"
I could laugh at his sudden formality but I decided to just cut him off. "Eremitia is a territory of the Novou clan," mariin kong sabi.
Mukhang natigilan siya sa kanyang narinig. Maya-maya pa ay inilabas nito ang kanyang cellphone at tinawagan ang isa sa mga contacts niya. I wanted to protest and tell him about why we shouldn't trust people here in Eremitia but right now, he was the most capable person inside the car that could make decision clearly. I couldn't do anything but to trust him. Ipinasya kong ipikit na lang ang aking mga mata nang sa wakas ay mukhang sumagot na ang tinatawagan niya sa kabilang linya.
"Don't drop the call. It's urgent," seryosong wika ni Detective Penber. Kung sino man ang kausap niya ay mukhang wala siyang magandang koneksyon rito. Subalit kung hindi maganda ang turing nila sa isa't isa at magkagayunpaman ay siya pa rin ang tinawagan ni Detective Penber, malamang siya ang taong pinaka-makakatulong sa sitwasyon namin. Detective Penber had connections and no matter how much I disliked him, I had to give him a chance.
"The reaper has been shot. The traitor was incapacitated. We are in the Novou's territory. And I am not Superman to fly both of them out of Eremitia right away. I'm just a Detective. Damn it!" Mukhang nauubusan na rin siya ng pasensya sa kausap niya. He was a clever Detective who was fascinated with puzzles and now, his problem-solving ability was being tested.
"Yes! She's still alive but she won't be in the next few hours if she doesn't see a doctor. She's f*cking losing blood!" He sounded frustrated. Suddenly there was silence inside the car. I knew he was still on the line but someone in the other line seemed to be giving him some important notes.
"I got it," sa wakas ay wika ni Detective Penber. "And I'm not kidding about her being dead by 3 in the morning. I've seen shot bodies before and I knew she wouldn't last long–-Hello? Hello?" Mukhang binabaan siya ng kausap niya. Pinilit kong imulat ang kalahati ng aking mga mata at nakita ko siyang muling tumatawag sa kanyang cellphone. He shouldn't be calling while driving but who would care to discuss about legality right now.
"Am I really that bad?" Mahina kong tanong ko sa kanya.
Saglit niya akong tinapunan ng tingin at saka muling ibinalik ang paningin sa kalsada habang naghihintay na sagutin siya ng kanyang tinatawagan. "You look really that bad. But I'm not a doctor so I can't really announce about the time of someone's death. I just thought that it would do the work." I think I saw a slight smirk in his face subalit agad din iyong nawala sa muling pagpikit ko ng aking mga mata.
"Sascha. I need a helipad near your place..." I wasn't able to hear the whole of it because my mind went completely blank and dark. Maybe I would die earlier than 3:00 in the morning.
Nagising ako sa pakiramdam na may isang pares ng matitipunong braso ang nagbubuhat sa akin habang ang pamilyar na tunog ng helicopter ay pumapailanlang sa paligid. Pamilyar rin sa akin ang amoy na iyon ng isang tao. I could smell his perfume meters away like a cat. I was a reaper so I was good with details. Gusto kong imulat ang aking mga mata subalit walang kahit na anong lakas akong nailabas upang gawin iyon. Unti-unti ring bumabalik ang aking isipan sa kadiliman at kawalan.
"You f*cking need to f*cking live so we can f*cking talk!" The familiar voice said loudly and exasperatedly. And I wanted to open my mouth and complain about the curses. But I couldn't. I just kept on hoping that I could hear his voice again until I was swallowed by complete darkness.
Muli akong nagising sa mga kamay na naglalaro sa aking mga daliri. Kasabay nun ay ang agad na naramdaman kong kirot sa aking likuran. I realized that I was lying on my side and I wasn't just sitting in a car's passenger's seat. Pinilit kong buksan ang aking mga mata subalit kalahati lang ang nagawa kong imulat dahil sa liwanag na nagmumula sa katapat na bintana.
"Hetta! Finally!" Wycliffe's smiling face was suddenly in front of me, blocking the lights.
I managed to smile at him but winced when I tried to move. "Uh. You know I don't like doctors and hospitals," wika ko sa kanya.
Namilog ang kanyang mga mata at sinabing, "Oh, you're not in a hospital. You are in Wycliffe Arturia's laboratory. And I regret to inform you that, you lost ¾ of your body and starting today, you will have machines and metals to work with. I put microchips inside of you that could allow me to set you in a certain program-–"
"You're playing with too many robots," wika ko habang ginugulo ang buhok niya. Ginantihan niya ako ng malalakas na tawa. Inilibot ko ang paningin ko sa silid at nakita ko si Detective Penber na nakaupo sa couch at nakatingin sa akin. Agad na bumalik sa akin ang mga nangyari nitong nakaraang gabi. Pinilit kong tumayo subalit nag-aalala akong pinigilan ni Wycliffe at nagmamadaling lumapit si Detective Penber.
"You can't just move like that and force your body. Your stitches would open up," wika ni Detective Penber.
Nanatili akong nakatingin sa kanya habang dahan-dahang bumabalik sa pagkakahiga. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him. It would definitely be a long, serious talk but I couldn't do it with Wycliffe around.
"Everything I've heard about Detective Penber is real. He's the best detective to work with. He rescued you and Elric from robbers and I couldn't help but be thankful of him," Wycliffe said, with his praises towards Detective Penber. The Detective received it happily and bowed his head like a brave gentleman in service.
I raised an eyebrow toward him and he returned it with a knowing smile. "Elric is resting in the other room. You need to rest, too."
"We need to talk," seryoso kong sabi sa kanya.
"We'll talk after you get your good sleep. Mister and Mistress Arturia are arriving in a bit," Sagot niya. Subalit alam kong hindi ko magagawang matulog at lubusang magpahinga kung maraming katanungan at pag-aalala sa aking isipan.
"Detective?" Muli kong tawag sa kanya.
Muli rin siyang humarap saakin mula sa kanyang pagtalikod. Hindi siya sumagot at hinintay lang niya ang sunod kong sasabihin. "We were in a helicopter, right?"
He grinned and nodded slowly. "Yes, your highness."
I frowned at the title he had gotten used in addressing me. "And I was not carried by your arms.
His smile became wider; he was almost showing his teeth. "Yes, your highness."
As the little probing went on, my heart started to beat faster. I could feel my own hands turning cold as my expectation became wild. Could it be possible? But he hated me. He wanted nothing to do with me. I saw him flying away and leaving nothing but me behind.
"Then who was that?" I finally asked. I held my breath as I waited for his answer.
"I think you already have an idea," he said smirking.
"That's impossible," I whispered almost to myself.
"Arrogance rarely gets a girl but I think he's doing it so well." At that, he went back to the couch.