Chapter 30: Chapter 30

029

The changing of winds and the way waters flow, life as short as the falling of snow

The sky was clear and the dark already enveloped the place when we reached the hospital deck. I ran as soon as the copter stopped, almost bumping on the ground.

Zee was waiting for me at the stairs. She caught my arms and I fell into her embrace.

"They are doing everything they can for Gem and Var," she whispered as she caressed my back.

I nodded, calmed myself, wiped the tears slowly flowing in my eyes and followed her in the waiting room.

The steps were heavy as we walked through the hallway of our hospital. A lot of things were running inside my mind. It's clouding up my judgment about things that is why I am trying hard to calm myself. I cannot lose myself right now.

There were no right words to describe my feelings. I was shocked. It terrified me. Losing Gem is the last thing and would not even cross my mind. She was young. I still have a lot of plans for her. She's not even half of her life and now there's a chance I could lose her.

Loud hasn't met her yet and I know how happy he would be if that happens. I want them to meet but not like this.

Damn!

"I can't lose her, Zee," I cried as I leaned on Zee's shoulder. It's been hours since they were inside the operating room and I don't know what is happening.

I walked back and forth the hallway, got tired, sat down, cried, and now I am circling the hallway again. I couldn't stop my brain from thinking of all the possibilities that could happen because of the accident.

Var is also inside the operating room. I cannot lose them both. I do not own Var but no, I can't lose him, too. I wouldn't be able to take it if I lost them both.

"Please, save them..." I whispered to anyone who's supposed to listen to me. God, hear me!

"Zee..." I bit my lower lip. "Please tell me, she'll be okay...Var will be okay."

"They'll be okay. So, sit down with me." She tapped the space beside her.

I heaved as I sat down.

"I don't know what to do if I lose Gem...I can't..."

"Sssh..." Zee wiped my tears. "Let's wait and pray."

"W-what is happening? What's taking them long?" I impatiently said. I looked at my watch. It's been hours for the both of them and I am panicking. No, it isn't panic. I am frightened of the results.

"They've been there. Zee, does it mean something is wrong?"

"Have water," Zack handed me a bottle of water. When I didn't accept it, he opened it for me. "Drink and calm down. Everything will be alright."

I heavily breathed as I sipped water. I felt instant relief as it reached my throat.

"Thanks."

"The police want to talk to you," Zack added. "If you are ready. You can talk to them."

"Why do I need to talk to them?" I scoffed. "Can you just - -"

"Ms. Tan."

We were cut off by three uniformed personnel. They walked towards us. One of them, which I assumed was a detective, was holding a notebook he opened when he reached me.

"We are here to talk about the accident. Do you have a minute?"

"Go on," Zee nodded.

"Let's talk here. I don't want to leave the building until I make sure my daughter and Var are fine." I stood up and went to the side where I could talk to them.

They followed me and the guy with a notebook started talking to me.

"Ms. Tan. I appreciate you talking to-"

"Get to the point!" I irritatedly said.

He nodded. "We weren't able to retrieve the things inside Mr. Maquess' car since it exploded."

"Exploded?" I raised my tone.

"Var was driving his Bugatti Veyron when he collided with a truck. The car had some leak which caused the explosion afterwards."

"You mean to say that they could possible be-"

I stopped. I couldn't think about it. I don't want a worse case scenario. The reason I didn't ask Zee about Gem and Var's situation when they got admitted inside the hospital was because I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it.

I wouldn't be able to handle the truth. Aside from that, I don't have medical knowledge. It would just break my heart to see and know what state they are in.

Is that why it's taking them so long in the surgery? Gosh! What are the possible things that could happen if they're caught in an explosion?

"Don't worry, Ms. Tan," he assured me. What's his name again? Well, it's not important.

"According to the witnesses and the CCTV footage from the scene, Mr. Maquess was able to get your daughter out of the car before it exploded."

I felt a sudden relief.

"Although, they obtained certain damages in their body to which I am not the right person to explain that. I am also not here because--"

"Then, why are you here?" I raised my voice. Why can't he get to the point?

"Our investigation leads us to the fact that the truck driver who hit them was under the influence of alcohol," he disclosed.

Oh. What's new? Damn, alcohol! Why do people not understand the effect of driving while drunk? Do they think they are superhuman with powers because they can drive when drunk?

How many vehicular accidents had been reported because the driver was drunk?

I cannot believe people! Can't they just think? Where are their brains?

"So, what am I supposed to do? Can you do your job without asking me?"

He's getting on my nerves.

"The truck driver is here," he replied.

"Is he dead?"

"No."

"Good for him. I might kill him if something happens to Gem and Var."

"You are clearly know that you are in the presence of a police so your words can--"

"Oh," I waved my hand in disgust. I really don't have patience with the police. I hate talking to them, especially when I am investigating a case.

"Cut it. You don't need to tell me how I am supposed to use words and how it can be a threat which can get me a lawsuit or whatever. I am a lawyer," I seriously looked at him and saw the shock on his face. He should have done his research well before facing me.

"I will file a case against him."

"We know, that's why we are here. The family wants to talk to you and apologize--"

I cut him off. Sometimes, it's fun cutting people's sentences especially when I am getting mad.

"They want me to stop my complaints?"

"The son of the driver was sick--"

"Stop!" I faced my palm in front of his face. "My daughter is inside the operating room and I don't know what will happen to her. So, please do respect that I don't have time to hear an apology."

He bowed down his head and tried to reason out but didn't get a chance.

"I want my daughter back, alive. Until then, I don't want to hear anything from you, the truck driver, and his family." I flipped my hair and started walking but stopped to say, "Also, you have to know that a case is filed because the law was broken."

Ugh! I wasted my time.

"How was it?" Zack asked.

I was about to answer when I saw my brother. He removed his medical cap. I ran towards him and bombarded him with questions. He raised his hands and stopped me.

"Calm down!" He held both of my shoulders. "There was damage in Var's lungs that caused it to collapse. But rest assured, I did my best. He's stable right now."

"Oh. Gosh! Thanks. And, Gem? How is she--" I stopped when I smelled the familiar scent of brewed coffee and my heart suddenly raced when I heard his voice.

"Zee, the patient we operated on. Where's her fam--" He stopped upon recognizing me. He blinked, closed his eyes for a moment before gazing at me. This time, I looked away and saw my mother who also froze upon seeing me.

"Dr. Elarde, did-"

"Dr. Tan," I addressed her. "How's the patient?"

She lifted her brows and I saw confusion. I figured out she stopped following my life when she asked, "What is your relationship to the patient?"

"She is my daughter," I quickly said. "Is she okay?"

My mother's jaw dropped. She didn't expect that, so is Loud.

"Dr. Elarde will talk to you about your daughter," My mother said after a second. "I still have a surgery to attend to." She turned to Zee.

"Dra. Zamora, scrub in OR 4."

Zee looked at me and waved. "I'll see you later."

She followed my mother.

I whispered, "Thank you, Dr. Tan."

I don't know if she heard that.

"Dr. Elarde, don't forget to check on my post-ops," My brother Gabriel said. "I'll meet you later, Gab."

I nodded.

The silence was so deafening. For a minute, we just stared at each other. It felt like it's the first time I saw him again even though I saw him at Zee's wedding.

We never talked. He tried talking to me but I always avoided his presence and there's no point in talking to him. We cannot save our love. Like I said, there's no longer an us that needed saving. I ended it a long time ago. Looking at him now, I have never regretted it.

"What happened to him, Dr. Elarde?" I asked.

He coughed. "Uhm..."

He licked his lip, closed his eyes, and heavily breathed before looking at me again.

"She ruptured her spleen during the accident. We tried to save it but we weren't able to since it was badly damaged so we decided to remove it."

"What? I mean, sorry, I suck at medical terms. Can she live without it?"

Loud nodded. "Yes, she can. The spleen is an important part of the immune system. And because the spleen plays a crucial role in the body's ability to fight bacteria, she'll be at high risk."

"Oh."

I gulped.

"Uhm, so she can live with it..." I nodded, trying to understand everything. Ugh! My mind went blank. I don't know if it was because of my daughter or it was because Loud is talking about her daughter without even knowing it.

"I advised you to get her vaccinated and drink antibiotics."

"I see. But, is she okay now?"

Loud nodded and smiled. "Yeah. She is."

I bowed down. "Thank you, Dr. Elarde."

I have to distance myself from him. I have a lot of things to say but I don't know how to say them. Also, I am afraid he'll ask me about Gem, which he did.

"Gab," He held my wrist and stopped me. "Is she my daughter?"

Before I could say a thing, someone called me from behind.

"Gabriella!"

It was Judge Maquess. Oh no. I forgot to call him.

"Where's Var and Gem? Are they okay?" He went to hug me. "Why didn't you call me? Are you okay? Tsk. I just told Var to stay at home. He's not listening to me."

"They are both stable."

"Thank God. What happened to them? You have to tell me everything. Before that, where are they? Where is Gem?" He asked, concerned. Like Var, he treated Gem as his own granddaughter.

Sometimes, I think he sees me and Gem as the family he never had with my mother. I refused to accept his love and care for us before but I had come to realize that the universe gave us love from strangers because we couldn't get it from people we love.

"Gem's in Room-" I turned to Loud and he said number 201.

"I think Var is in Room 202," he added.

"Okay, let's go, Gab!"

Judge Maquess didn't bother waiting for me. He immediately rushed to them.

"Is she my daughter?" Loud asked again. I felt the pain.

"No."

"Then, why?" He faked a laugh. "Why do you have to give her a name that sounds like my second name?"

Oh, he should hear his daughter's real name.

I smiled a little as I remembered the time I was picking baby names for my daughter. It was hard to pick because I don't know what would fit her. I came to believe that there are names given to people that actually don't suit them. I don't even know if my daughter would like the name I will give her in the future.

She did, though.

I named her Diemllana Lou, mixed from Loud's second name which is Diem. Llana from his mother and Lou from Loud's father, Louie.

But there's no way I am going to tell that to him.

"Why? Gabby?" Loud sweetly called my name and for a second I felt like giving in to him again.

I missed him so much.

I didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear. Instead, I told him, "She's now my everglow."