Chapter 90: HIDING THE TRUTH

Liam’s P. O. V.

“D-Diane, are you okay?” I knew she was not and yet, I still asked her. She just smiled at me before she lost her consciousness. “No, Diane… open your eyes, please!”

Goddamn it!

This was all my fault. Kung hindi sana ako nagmadaling makasal kami, kung hindi sana kami agad na umalis ngayong gabi… hindi sana ito mangyayari. I should have checked the car first before using it. But how did it happen? Nakarating naman ako nang maayos sa bahay nila kanina at katatapos lang ng preventive maintenance ng aking kotse.

Ilang saglit lang ay may mga tao nang rumesponde sa nangyari sa amin, kasama na ang pamilya at mga kaibigan namin. Inaantok din ako sa tindi ng aking mga sugat at pinsalang tinamo… pakiramdam ko nga ay nabalian pa ako ng buto, pero pinipilit kong magising dahil si Diane lang ang importante sa akin ngayon.

They helped me to get outside my severely damaged car while Diane was still inside of it. Hindi nila pwedeng basta-bastang ilabas ang katawan niya sa kotse. I thanked God because soon after, an ambulance came.

Maingat na nilabas ng rescue team ang katawan ni Diane habang walang katapusang tinatambol ng kaba ang dibdib ko. Immediate family members lang ang pwedeng sumakay sa ambulansiya, kaya pamilya lang ni Diane ang kasama ko. Ate Shey and the rest of our company advised us na susunod na lang sila sa ospital as soon as possible.

Diane’s mother and siblings were crying. I was holding her hand while controlling my tears from falling. One nurse insisted that she would apply an immediate first-aid into my wounds but I just didn’t care. I knew that I got a head injury and bone fracture as well, but all I cared right now was Diane’s safety.

“Diane, please… not now! Please don’t leave me. Ikakasal pa tayo, ‘di ba? Bubuo pa tayo ng sarili nating pamilya.” Tears were running down my face when the rescue team transferred her body from the ambulance to the hospital.

I was still holding her hands while keeping my pace at the same velocity rate of her stretcher. I didn’t mind the nurse who kept on saying that I should also be given an immediate care and medical attention.

Wala na akong pakialam kung hindi ako agarang gumaling, Diane only matters to me. Ilang saglit pa ay unti-unti ko na ngang nararamdaman ang sobrang pananakit at bugbog sa katawan ko, pero hindi ko pa rin iyon binigyang pansin.

They took Diane to the operating room and I, along with her family, remained outside and was left nothing to do but wait on her progress. They let us see Diane but just after a few seconds, she was already being revived with a life defibrillator. I even heard the doctor told his assistant to dose the current to two hundred Joules.

There was a straight flat line on the screen, kung kaya’t lalong nag-iyakan na rin ang Mama niya at mga kapatid.

“Clear!” Narinig kong sabi ng doktor. Sa pagtaas-baba ng katawan ni Diane dahil sa electric shock na nilalapat dito ay lalo lamang akong hindi makapaniwala sa mga nangyayari.

“Anak, lumaban ka! Alam kong kaya mo itong lagpasan,” umiiyak na sabi ni Mama Cecille.

“Ate naman, ang saya-saya lang natin kanina. Makikita mo pa akong ga-graduate na Cum Laude at maging isang matagumpay na engineer, ‘di ba?” Si David.

“Ate, aayusan mo pa ako. Gagawan mo pa ng mga damit ‘yong paper dolls ko. Sabay pa tayong kakain ng adobo. Gumising ka na, please!” Si Denise.

“No! Please, Diane… please don’t give up!” I told her. I opted to hold her but the nurses wouldn’t allow me to do so.

It was all my fault why Diane was here. I shouldn’t have rushed things. I couldn’t control myself anymore that before I noticed it, I had already punched the wall. I broke my fist which added to my injuries but then again, I just didn’t care at all.

I thanked God when Diane’s vital signs became stable but soon after, she suffered seizure that made her heart monitor produce again a flat line. That was when the nurses advised us to leave the room and just wait outside.

The beeping sound that I heard made me freeze with anxiety, that I couldn’t think straight anymore. I drowned in fear, most especially when the doctor told his assistant to dose the current higher to three hundred Joules.

‘That was too high! Can Diane’s body withstand that three hundred Joules?’ Terror stabbed my heart with that thought. Gusto kong mangialam sa doktor pero wala ako sa posisyon.

I didn’t want to leave Diane in the operating room. I just wanted to stay beside her and watch her open her eyes again. I couldn’t afford to lose her, and if something bad would happen to her, I would never forgive myself. I was so selfish.

It was all my fault because I was the one who did this to her. Right in front of me was the consequence of hiding her the truth!

“Liam, aksidente ang nangyari. Wala namang may kagustuhang mangyari ito. Huwag mo sanang sisihin ang sarili mo. May mga sugat kang natamo at kailangan mo ring magamot sa lalong madaling panahon,” sabi ng mama ni Diane na mukhang nabasa ang iniisip ko. Mugto pa rin sa kaiiyak ang mga mata nito.

“Okay lang ho ako, Ma. Sasamahan ko po kayong maghintay ng resulta rito. Magpapagamot ho ako mamaya kapag nasiguro kong ligtas na talaga si Diane,” sabi ko sa kanya.

“Huwag kang mag-alala, Kuya Liam. Palaban si Ate Diane at mamaya lang ay alam kong gigising na siya. Hindi niya tayo iiwan,” namumula ang ilong na sabi ni Denise.

Yumakap sa akin ang bunsong kapatid ni Diane at niyakap ko rin naman ito pabalik. Saka ko nakita sina Ate Shey na humahangos papunta sa direksiyon namin. Bukod sa mga orihinal na kasama namin ay may kasama rin siyang mga pulis.

“Liam, ano ba ‘yang mga sugat mo? Bakit hindi ka pa nagpapagamot ha? Baka kung mapa’no ka pa niyan! Si Diane, kumusta na? Nandito nga pala ‘yong mga pulis na nag-imbestiga sa nangyaring aksidente kanina,” sabi niya bago niya ako mahigpit na niyakap.