**show jingle; commercial gap
"Rj, okay ka lang?" the floor director came up to Rj to take the mic from him. Rj was about to leave the stage to get ready for the next segment.
"Ha?" Rj is distracted. He had danced up a storm during the show's opening spiel. Not really unusual as he was his 'normal' hyper self but somehow, he was more hyper than usual. He looked like a kid on sugar rush; jumping up and down and moving while just standing in place.
"Okay ka lang ba?"
"Ah..o..o...oo" Rj walked off stage and pulled out his phone from his pocket.
"...pick up, hon....pick up..." Rj said to himself as he held the phone to his ear. His stylist buttoned up Rj's shirt and checked on Rj's over all look. "....ma....tumawag ba sa yo?"
"Sino?"
"Si Meng...tumawag na ba sa yo?"
"Hindi...hindi pa tumatawag" Rj's assistant checks her phones as well as Rj's spare phones. "Si Sam lang...pero andito na sya o...aalis tayo by 1:00pm..."
Rj just let the words pass him. He wasn't concentrating on what was being said. He paced back and forth and tried calling her again...and again. She still didn't pick up. Just when his segment was up, his phone rang. It was her.
"Ma! Kamusta ka na? How are you feeling? Are you okay? Have you eaten? Di ka na sumuka or banyo?" Rj rattled off.
"Babe...wait...wait...ang dami mong tanong...yes, I'm a little better now..."
"A little...?"
"But you have to..."
"I know...I know...o teka, diba sasalang ka na?"
"Ha? Ah...I just wanted to check on you..."
"I'm fine...I'm fine...sige na, work ka na....I'll watch you..."
"I love you. Take care, Mahal ko..."
"I love you, too"
Rj still tried to function as normally as he could. Although he seemed slightly robotic, he tried his best to act and look normal as he could. He rushed to the hospital as soon as his work permitted.
"...did you drink your medicines na?"
"Hmm..." she smiled weakly.
"Don't hide it from me...alam ko..."
"Natatakot nga ako...baka isuka ko or i might go again...." she frowned.
"But you have to try...kahit soup lang....please...for me?" Rj said as he held the spoon and bowl of soup up to Maine.
She nodded and took a few spoonfuls before turning away and holding a towel to her mouth. Rj quickly put down the soup bowl and held up the kidney dish. She vomited the soup.
"...Ma, pwede bang...?" Rj looked at his assistant, a worried look across his face. He wiped Maine's face with the washcloth and caressed her cheek.
"...hindi e...not this time..." his assistant replied.
"Kuya?" Rj looked to his handler who was nearby.
"....sinabi ko na sa kanila na una kang isalang..."
"Okay...." Rj dropped his shoulders, resigned to the thought of having to leave Maine at the hospital while he went out of town for work.
"I'll be okay...go..." Maine said, weakly. She squeezed his hand.
He nodded and with a heavy heart, he left for his out of town work.
Rj would normally fall asleep almost immediately when he rode his van. He wasn't driving so he could rest and relax in preparation for the show. He tried to sleep during the 5-6+ hour journey to the province. He couldn't keep still. His thoughts wandered. His heart pounded. He was anxious and exhausted that it could be seen in his eyebags. He had been awake for almost 24 hours...his mind kept racing to the time he found Maine lethargic and pale on their bed, the day before...
He entered the room and saw that the bathroom door was closed. He went about his business and went out. It was still early in the morning and he was just having coffee and preparing for his day. A few minutes later, he peeped in the room and saw Maine still lying in bed. He gently pulled the door close when Maine suddenly bolted back into the bathroom. Rj didn't see this as she moved when the door was closing behind him. An hour later, he found her still curled up in bed.
"Ma...anong susuotin ko?" He asked. She always prepared his clothes but this time, there were no clothes laid out. Rj nudged Maine and felt that her skin was cold and clammy. A certain scent also reeked. She moaned.
"Ma...are you okay?" Rj moved some stray hair away from her face. She moaned again.
"Ma...Maine...Meng...." Rj called her repeatedly.
"...I've...I've been to...to the banyo....4 times na...." She said weakly.
Rj turned his head to look at the half-closed door of the bathroom. He saw that it was slightly "messy" with a towel thrown haphazardly over the sink. Rj rushed in and the smell of vomit and faeces hit him. He flipped the exhaust switch and returned to Maine. He bent down to lift her.
"No...no....nahihilo ako...." she complained and held her forehead with one hand while her other hand tried to brush his arm away.
"I'm bringing you to the ER....you don't look good na...." He said as he let go and caressed her head.
She shut her eyes tightly as tears began to flow.
Seeing her pale skin, "I'm sorry Mahal, but I need to take you to the ER na...." Rj said as he lifted her and walked out the door.
"It's a good thing you brought her in...she's in the early stages of dehydration....how many times has she gone to the bathroom?" the doctor asked as an IV line was being adjusted on Maine's hand. "She'll have to stay here for at least two days. Blood and lab tests need to be done to determine if she has amoebiasis...what did she eat?"
"...she said she's gone to the bathroom 4 times but I think it's been more than that....and I think she's been going up and down..."
"I see..."
"The fluids we're giving should help re-hydrate her...the blood and lab tests will determine if there are infections..."
"...sige na Mahal, go to work na...I'm okay...Nanay is here, o..." she assured him as he smoothed her blanket with his hands.
"...call me...I'll try to rebook my appointment to a closer venue...." He said. He had an appointment, too, after work, but he wanted to be nearby.
She nodded and closed her eyes. She slept.
That evening, Rj barely slept as he monitored Maine while she recuperated. She hadn't really eaten much since he brought her to the ER earlier in the day.
"Babe...kumain ka na...baka ikaw naman ang magkasakit...may show ka pa bukas..." Maine said as she looked at him. He rested his chin on her bed while he sat on a chair which he pulled up beside her bed.
Rj just looked at her and walked toward the far end of the room to eat his dinner. A few minutes later, he rushed back beside her as she coughed and heaved.
"...it's not amoebiasis..."
"Thank God!"
"...but she IS dehydrated and we need to replace the fluids she's lost...how has she been since?"
"...ayaw kumain..."
"I see...nagdudumi?"
"...dalawang beses..." Nanay, Maine's mom, replied to the doctor. She had come down from Bulacan to care for Maine.
Maine shook her head as the doctor looked at her. "...you have to try to eat a little...maybe some broth...?"
Maine nodded.
"We'll still observe her but for now, please, everyone, rest. Rehydrate as often also. The heat nowadays is really bad and reports say that it's going get worse...iha, I suggest you stay indoors first when you're better...I understand you work outdoors..." the doctor addressed everyone in the room.
Maine nodded, "...sa baranggay..."
"Hmm...stay indoors...try not to be exposed to the sun lalo na sa tanghali...masyadong mainit...food spoils faster sa sobrang init...I think yun yung nag-cause nito e...may nakain ka na spoiled na dahil sa init...or pa-spoil pa lang....tapos, yun, dumagdag nalang yung init ng panahon..."
"....ayoko na mag-banyo..." Maine said weakly.
"Alam ko...kaya I ordered that they give you hidrasec...it's in capsule form...if you can tolerate it, I also recommend some ORS..."
"ORS?"
"Oral rehydration salts...we need to up your electrolytes which you lost from your trips to the toilet..."
"Gatorade?" Rj suggested. He was standing at the foot of Maine's bed, massaging her feet.
"...or Calpis...or Pocari Sweat...water is still the best, though, warm water....stay away from soft drinks and juices muna..."
Rj had barely rested when they got to the venue of the show. He quickly freshened up and changed his attire.
"Den...ikaw na sunod..." the show coordinator peeped into the green room.
"Ah...salamat...salamat...Kuya, pwede bang umalis na after?" Rj acknowledged then turned to his handler.
"Hmm..sige...ako na bahala..." his handler assured him.
Rj entertained and charmed the crowd like he normally did but his thoughts were back in Manila where his love was. He rushed back to Manila as soon as his portion ended. Although he still could not fully rest on the way back, he was somehow assured that she was a little better than when he left her hours before. Her Nanay had been in touch with him and reported that she had tolerated some soup already and was sleeping more restfully for the past few hours – she was restless and complained of stomach cramps earlier. He went straight to the hospital and found her sleeping, her color had returned and her skin was soft and smooth once again.