Matapos ang ilang buwan na pag hahanda para sa kanilang residency exam, naging successful naman silang nagsi-pasa except for one. Si Terrence.
Isang buwan na ring nag t-trabaho as permanent residents sa hospital ang mga dating interns. Dr Romeo, was given another shot by the chief kaya naman kahit hiyang hiya sya sa mga dating kasamahan na may kanya kanya ng mga cases ay confident pa rin sya sa pag t-trabaho.
"Karylle, siguro naman mas mabait ka kay Anne, hindi mo naman ako pag a-analyse ng mga labs all day diba?" tanong ni Terrence with a hint kay Karylle dahil he was put to work under her for the week
Karylle turned her head to look at him briefly bago ibinato sa direksyon nito yung mga folders na hawak nya.
"It's your lucky day...I've got a big case to do this afternoon." sabi ni Karylle at ngumiti kay Terrence. Terrence opened up the folder hoping na information about the case yung makikita nya. He was wrong.
"Ano to?" he asked.
Karylle faked a smile, "I want you to do my rounds for me, and then pag natapos ka na dun, analyse these results for me. I need them by the end of today." utos ni Karylle bago nag walk away from Terrence.
"You're kidding, right?"
"I don't kid around, Dr Romeo." seryosong sagot ni Karylle with her back still turned to Terrence.
"Maging single ka sana forever." sabi ni Terrence na lalong na bad mood.
As Karylle was walking down the corridor, nakasalubong naman sya ni Anne who tried to talk to her, pero Karylle just glanced at Anne bago ito nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.
"Hey K." sabi ni Anne na humabol kay Karylle.
"I'm busy." she said and offered a smile to Anne at binilisan ang paglalakad.
"Do you want to go with us tonight? We're doing a late celebration sana for passing the--"
"Anne, I'm busy." she said and faked another smile, "Next time na lang siguro." she said before going in her office.
Anne sighed at napailing ng ulo. Ever since kasi nung funeral ni Vice ay hindi na rin nila nakakasama si Karylle. She's a bit better than before dahil kahit papano ay nakakausap naman nya ito ng matino. Although hindi na nya ito masyado nakakasama dahil Karylle has practically been living in the hospital and has been overworking herself to death. Ever since passing her residency, nag focus na sya on doing general and cardiothoracics surgery, kaya naman doble kayod talaga ang pag a-aral at pag t-trabaho nya. Kahit na ilang warnings na ang nakukuha ni Karylle from her friends and family, hindi naman ito nakikinig.
"Karylle?" sabi ni Karen na matapos kumatok ay pumasok sa office ni Karylle.
"Dr Tuazon?" Karylle gave her a nod at sinara yung file na binabasa nya.
"I heard you need an assistant for your big bowel surgery later."
"Ah... Yes, Dr Tuazon, do you have anyone in mind?"
Karen pointed at herself and grabbed the file that Karylle was reading, "I'll give you a hand." sabi ni Karen, "Eto ba yung pasyente?" tanong ni Karen at binasa yung case.
Tumango si Karylle kahit na gulat sya sa offer ni Karen.
"Why are you doing this?" tanong ni Karylle.
"May nag bilin kasi sa'kin dati na bantayan daw kita." sabi ni Karen at ngumiti kay Karylle.
"Oh..." Karylle looked down dahil bigla namang tumahimik si Karen.
"Hindi ko naman akalain na wala na pala syang balak bumalik." Karen said before smiling sadly, "Anyways... I'm in." umupo si Karen sa may tapat ni Karylle.
"Tell me about this patient then, anong plano mo?"
Napalook up si Karylle at tumango na lang, "Right."
--
"Vice, mag dahan dahan ka naman oh." sigaw ni Bea na kanina pa sumusunod kay Vice papasok ng hospital.
Kahit na hirap na hirap sa paglalakad dahil sa panghihina at sa mga injury nito ay patuloy lang si Vice sa pagtakbo papasok ng hospital.
Hinawakan naman ni Chief si Bea sa braso para pigilan na ito sa pag sunod kay Vice.
"Hayaan mo na muna sya." sabi ni Chief Vidanes at napangiti ng makita si Vice na determinado at nagmamadaling pumasok sa loob ng hospital.
"Nasaan ba si Karylle, Chief?" tanong ni Coco na kasunod lang din nila.
"Nandito si Karylle?" tanong ni Bea na parang nagulat.
"Tama pala si Karylle all along, buhay nga si Vice." sabi ni Coco at napangiti kay Chief.
"Iba din talaga ang kapangyarihan ng pag-ibig eh noh?" sagot naman ni Chief na natuwa nung makita yung reaksyon ng staff nya sa pagkakakita muli kay Vice.
"Oh my gosh, Pauline! Kanina ko pa hinihintay yung blood results ni Mrs Torres, ano bang--" tanong ni Anne na tumapat kay Pauline na nakatayo lang at tulala along with the other staff memebrs sa E.R.
"What's going on?" tanong ni Anne at nag look around sa staff nyang nakatulala na para bang gulat na gulat at nakakita ng multo.
"Doc, may multo sa likod nyo." sabi ni Pauline na nakanganga pa rin.
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
"Where is she?" that voice.
Anne had to turn around to confirm the voice that she heard. Her mouth dropped to the floor when she saw who it was.
"Dr... Dr Viceral?!" gulat na tanong ni Anne na pumikit ng ilang beses to make sure na hindi sya nagkakamali sa nakita nya.
Vice smiled slightly at tumango kay Anne to confirm na sya nga ito.
"OH MY GOD!" sabi ni Anne na tumakbo papalapit kay Vice, but Vice shook his head quickly.
"I'm fine, I just need to see her." sabi ni Vice na naintindihan naman agad ni Anne kaya mabilis itong tumakbo papaalis ng E.R. to find the person Vice wanted to see the most.
Anne ran as fast as she could papunta sa O.R. kung saan in the process of doing surgery sina Karylle at Karen. She grinned as she shouted for Karylle's name.
"Dr Curtis, ano ba?! We're in the middle of--" sabi ni Karen na kunot noong tumingin kay Anne, pero Anne didn't let her finish.
"Karylle--"
"Anne, mamaya na please." sabi ni Karylle who quickly turned her head kay Anne at umiling.
"No. You don't understand. You need to come now!" sabi ni Anne with a grin.
Karylle turned to one of the medical students, "Get her out of he--"
"For God's sake, Karylle!" sabi ni Anne at tumingin kay Karen, "Can you please finish her surgery? I'm gonna need to take her out to reunite her with the love of her life."
Tumigil naman ang lahat sa ginagawa nila at napatingin kay Anne who was grinning from ear to ear. Karylle slowly turned her head around to look at Anne again.
"Anong sinabi mo?" tanong ni Karylle.
"Tama ka all along..." sabi ni Anne at ngumiti with relief written all over her face.
Karylle turned to Karen, "Can you finish--"
"Go!" sabi ni Karen who, despite her mask was smiling widely too.
Karylle quickly unscrubbed and rushed out of the O.R. habang ni-le-lead naman ni Anne ang way.
"Anne, nasaan sya?!" aligagang tanong ni Karylle ng makarating na sila sa E.R.
"He... He was just here, guys nasaan na si--"
Karylle roamed her eyes around the E.R. to search for the man she's just been wanting to see again. She could feel tears starting to build up sa mga mata nya dahil ayaw nyang umasang panaginip lang pala ang lahat.
"Karylle ko."
Parang tumigil naman ang mundo nya ng marinig yung boses na yun. Everything went blurry as she soon as she turned around to where the voice was coming from.
There, at the end of the hallway stood her man.
The man everyone believed to have died.
But not her.
Not a single day went by na hindi nya iniisip kung nasaan na ito.
Everyone moved out of the way to clear the hallway para sa muling pagkikita ng dalawa. Naging slow motion naman ang lahat.
Vice, despite looking like he just came back from the dead dahil sa pagka rugged ng itsura nito, tried to be his normal self. He was smirking at her habang hinihintay nya si Karylle makalapit sa kanya.
Karylle held her tears back habang dahan dahan syang lumalakad papunta kay Vice. Kahit na nakangiti si Vice ay napansin pa rin ni Karylle yung pamumula ng mga mata nito, he was obviously holding his own tears back too.
When Karylle finally reached him, kinuha nya ang isang kamay nito at pinatong sa kanang pisngi nya to make sure na totoo ang lahat. She closed her eyes and just let his touch sink in.
"Kung panaginip man to, ayoko ng magising." sabi ni Karylle as she opened her eyes and let her tears fall.
Vice gave her a smile bago tuluyang nag step forward to close the gap between them. He hugged her tightly. So tight na halos hindi na sila makahinga pareho.
Karylle hugged him back and buried her face into his chest as she cried. Vice buried his face into her hair and did the same.
"I'm sorry." paulit ulit na pagbulong ni Vice kay Karylle.
After five minutes ay nag pull away si Karylle to look at him again, but before she could even have a good look, Vice grabbed her face and crashed his lips on top of hers.
The two shared passionate kiss na para bang sila lang dalawa ang nasa room. People around them were just in awe sa napapanood nilang reunion ng dalawa.
"I love you." sabi ni Vice in between kisses and deepened the kiss.
Karylle's tears kept falling kahit na anong pigil nya dito. She pulled away to catch her breath at tinitigan si Vice while holding his face.
"Don't you dare do that to me again." sabi ni Karylle and stared deeply into his eyes.
Vice managed to smile and nod his head bago ito nawalan ng malay. Nanlaki ang mata ni Karylle at sinalo si Vice and managed to slowly bring him down to the ground along with her.
She didn't have to shout for help, everyone got back to their senses at mabilis din naman silang tumulong para mabuhat si Vice onto a trolley to get him checked out.
"Karylle, kami na bahala!" sabi ni Coco na isa sa mga tumulong. He ran to the bay kung saan dinala si Vice para malaman kung anong nangyari dito.
Anne rushed over to Karylle's side to stop her from going anywhere.
"He'll be fine, I'm sure it's just from exhaustion. Hindi naman sya pababayaan nina Dr Martin eh." sabi ni Anne to assure Karylle.
Karylle turned to Anne and smiled, "Totoo naman lahat ng nangyari, diba?"
Anne smiled back and stroked Karylle's cheek to wipe away the tear that was there, "Oo, Karylle. Dr Viceral is alive. Buhay ang mahal mo." sabi ni Anne at bago niyakap si Karylle.
"Excuse me, Chief... Ayos lang po ba si Vice?"
Anne and Karylle both turned around nung narinig yung babaeng katabi ni Chief Vidanes.
"Wag kang mag-alala Bea, hindi namin sya pababayaan dito." sabi ni Chief Vidanes kay Bea, "Ikaw rin hija, you need to get checked out."
"S-sino sya?" tanong ni Anne kay Karylle na nakatingin lang kay Bea with a frown.
Chief Vidanes caught Anne's eyes kaya naman tinawag nya ito.
"Dr Curtis, can you please assist Bea here?" sabi ni Chief ng lumapit si Anne.
Karylle followed Anne kaya naman nagkatinginan sila ni Bea.
"Sino sya, Chief?" tanong ni Anne kay Chief Vidanes at binigyan ng maliit na smile si Bea to try and be polite.
"Sya si Bea Agoncillo..." sabi ni Chief at tumingin kay Anne and then kay Karylle, "She's Vice's co-survivor sa plane crash."
"Oh." sabi ni Anne.
"Chief, wag po kayong mag alala sa'kin, ayos lang po ang pakiramdam ko." pag i-insist ni Bea, "Mas nag aalala po ako kay Vice, mas malala po ang injuries nya kaysa sa'kin."
"You don't have to worry about him anymore. That's my job as his girlfriend." sabi ni Karylle out loud na ikinagulat naman nina Chief at Anne.
Kahit si Karylle ay nabigla din sa nasabi nya. She felt awful after seeing Bea's na parang napahiya.
"I... I didn't mean to-"
"I'm sorry." sabi ni Karylle na mabilis na umalis dahil hiyang hiya sya sa sinabi nya.
"L-let me just do a quick check up, para makasigurado lang tayong walang problema sa'yo." sabi ni Anne to cut the tension bago tumingin kay Bea para i-assist ito papunta sa isang treatment room.
--
Matapos ang halos dalawang oras ay na-transfer na rin si Vice sa sarili nyang room. Karylle was sat by his side habang natutulog pa ito. A few of their colleagues has been to see him, many of them ay involved rin sa treatment nito. With each passing minutes ay lalong nalulungkot si Karylle habang tinitititigan nya ang nobyo. She could only imagine kung ano ang pinagdaanan nito.
She placed her hand on his right hand na currently ay naka-cast. She stared at his wrapped up arm, napailing na lang sya sa magiging epekto nito sa buhay ni Vice.
"Wag kang mag-alala, I'll be here each step of the way." sabi ni Karylle sa natutulog na si Vice.
Thirty minutes na din ang nakakalipas ay hindi pa rin umaalis si Karylle sa tabi ni Vice. Gusto nya kasi na sya ang unang makita nito kapag gumising ang nobyo.
"Totoo nga."
Nagulat si Karylle sa boses na narinig nya. She turned around at nakita si Kaye na nakatayo sa may tapat ng pinto at hindi rin makapaniwala.
"I told you so." sabi ni Karylle na nag biro pa at ngumiti kay Kaye.
"He really did come back for you." sabi ni Kaye na ngumiti din kay Karylle.
"I hope he'll be okay." sabi naman ni Karylle na tumingin ulit kay Vice with a concerned face.
"Narinig ko nga yung diagnosis sa kanya ng mga fellow doctors natin." sabi ni Kaye and made the same face as Karylle.
"Do you think he'll get over this?"
"Hindi ko alam ang sagot dyan, Tatlonghari. Pero may isang bagay akong alam... Yang si Vice, gagawin ang lahat nyan kung may motibasyon sya."
Karylle nodded.
"Ikaw na bahala... I hope he'll be back doing what he does best soon." sabi ni Kaye bago iniwan ang dalawa.
"Narinig mo yun, love? Dapat magpagaling ka agad ah." sabi ni Karylle at hinaplos ang pisngi ni Vice.
"Tingnan mo, best friends na kami ng ex mo." Karylle chuckled after realising how close Kaye and her had gotten ever since the incident.
"Wait lang love ha, tatawagan ko lang pala si Bailey para balitaan sya sa good news." sabi ni Karylle na lumabas ng room ng sandali para tawagan ang anak nya.
--
Pagbalik ni Karylle sa kwarto ni Vice ay nagulat sya ng makitang isang babae na nakaupo ngayon sa may tabi ni Vice.
"Bea, right?" tanong ni Karylle ng makilala yung babae from earlier.
Tumalikod naman si Bea parang tingnan sya. Karylle smiled at her before seeing Bea's hand on top of Vice's.
Para namang naintindihan ni Bea yung tingin ni Karylle kaya agad din nyang tinanggal yung kamay nya from Vice's. Tumayo naman si Bea from her chair at aalis na sana.
"No. You're welcome to stay. Please?" sabi ni Karylle at nag gesture ulit sa upuan to let Bea sit down. Umiling naman si Bea at tumayo na lang.
"I'm really sorry about earlier. Hindi ko talaga alam kung bakit ko sinabi yun, I hope na hindi kita na-offend." sabi ni Karylle.
Tumango naman si Bea at ngumiti as if to say na okay lang.
"Ikaw si Karylle?" she asked kahit na alam naman nya ang sagot.
"I am." sabi ni Karylle at inabot ang kamay nya to shake Bea's hands, "Okay ka lang ba? Has Anne finished with your check up?"
"Oo. Sabi ko naman wag kayong mag alala sa'kin eh. Apart siguro sa gutom at uhaw, wala naman akong natamong malala mula sa plane crash..." sabi ni Bea at lumingon kay Vice at nag bago ang ekspresyon nito.
"Good. That's good." sabi ni Karylle and followed Bea's eyes.
"Gaano kalala ang kalagayan ni Vice?" tanong ni Bea, "Alam na ba?"
Karylle nodded, "He's got few broken bones which doesn't really need any major treatment, but his hand..." sabi ni Karylle at napalook down.
"He's a surgeon, diba? Na-kwento nya sa'kin na ang galing daw nyang doktor eh." sabi ni Bea na napangiti slightly.
"He's a great doctor and an even greater surgeon." sabi ni Karylle.
"So, paano ang kamay nya? Will he--"
Naputol naman ang sinasabi ni Bea ng biglang gumalaw si Vice followed by him screaming Karylle's name.
"Karylle! Karylle!" sigaw ni Vice na parang masama ang panaginip.
Bea and Karylle rushed to his side. Bea watched as Karylle nudge to wake him up.
"Vice! Vice... You're okay." sabi ni Karylle na niyakap ito ng mahigpit, "You're okay, love. I'm here... Ssshh, I'm here." Karylle stroked his hair habang pinapakalma nya ito.
Vice opened his eyes in shock at niyakap tighter si Karylle.
"Karylle?" he said at nag pull away para makita ang mukha ni Karylle.
"Love, you've just woken up, don't worry. I'm here, I'm here." sabi ni Karylle at binigyan ng matamis na ngiti si Vice.
Tumango naman si Vice habang nakatitig pa rin kay Karylle. Napangiti naman sya ng makasigurong totoo ang nangyayari.
"Vice, okay ka lang ba?"
Lumingon si Vice at nakita si Bea. He pulled away from Karylle at si Bea naman ang niyakap bigla.
"B-Bea." he said and smiled in relief ng makita si Bea, "I'm glad to see na okay ka lang din."
Bea pulled away and awkwardly smiled at Vice and then at Karylle.
"Maiwan ko muna kayong dalawa para makagusap." sabi ni Bea who walked out of the room faster than Karylle could even stop her.
Tahimik naman ang dalawa for a minute bago nag salita si Karylle.
"Namiss kita." sabi nito at tumabi kay Vice sa kama.
Inakbayan ni Vice si Karylle using his good arm at niyakap ito before placing a kiss on her head.
"I'm so glad to be back next to you again, Karylle ko." sabi ni Vice at binigyan ng sweet smile si Karylle who was looking up at him.
Karylle leaned forward to kiss him on the lips and smiled back.
Vice turned to look at his right hand na naka-cast ngayon. He lifted it up and showed it to Karylle.
"What did they say?" tanong ni Vice while looking at his arm seriously.
"Siguro it's better na sina Dr Heussaff ang mag-explain sa'yo." sagot naman ni Karylle na binigyan ng fake smile si Vice.
"Karylle, ayoko ng ngiti mong yan." sabi ni Vice who returned his eyes again at his arm.
"Vice..." she shook her head, "Don't worry too much about that, ang importante ay you're safe."
"I self diagnosed myself when it happened..." Vice said and smiled sadly, "Pain, twitching, numbness, temporary paralysis... It's definitely nerve damage, right?"
Karylle looked down at his casted arm before nodding to agree with him.
"Well, there goes my career." sabi ni Vice na natawa na lang.
"Don't say that!" sabi ni Karylle na nag frown kay Vice, "Dr Navarro and Dr Heussaff, they're working on your case, they're two of our best surgeons in the country. Hindi ka nila pababayaan. Hindi nila hahayaang mangyari ang iniisip mo."
"Karylle, alam nating pareho na--"
"Vice! Stop it. Why are you being so negative about this? You should be grateful dahil buhay ka ngayon! You shouldn't be so--"
"Sshh, okay na. Oo na, hindi nila ako pababayaan." he said to shut her up.
Vice looked at Karylle at ngumiti na lang dito kahit na alam nya ang prognosis ng kalagayan nya. He didn't want her to think na nag g-give up na sya. Kahit man lang sa paraan na yun ay makabawi sya sa nobya. He hugged her closer again at hinalikan sa ulo.
"I'll help you get through this. However long it takes, Vice." Karylle said and stared deeply into his eyes.
"I love you." he pecked her on the lips and nodded.