The Nurse

I wasn't feeling very well so I had to excuse myself from the office and went straight to the clinic. I complained about my voice getting hoarser than it should and that drinking any liquid or swallowing any food hurts. Then the nurse asked me to open my mouth and stick my tongue out. As she flicked her tiny flashlight on "maga na nga" was all she could say. So got me a slip endorsing me to be checked at a hospital right away. Yes was the only expression I could think of. This would mean me being excused from my daily targets. So I gave the slip to my supervisor, took my things out of the locker and went to the hospital with the nurse as my escort. She ushered me to the emergency room since it was early in the morning and no doctors were available other than those in ER. She took care of everything that needed to be taken care of and left me when everything was already fine. The receiving nurse from the ER asked me a few details so that they could keep my files.

I was then endorsed to a different nurse as the first lady nurse went somewhere after being ordered to do so. I was already weak and almost fainting. My temperature was getting high and I felt I was about to lose consciousness. Then I felt a freezing sensation feel my neck. I was pretty sure it was the new nurse whom I was endorsed to.

“And init niyo na sir ah.” His name is Jake. He’s Chinito, somewhere around 5’7, gwapo and was very fresh looking. As I peeked at his face, my feeling lightened. “Gusto niyo bang i-admit na lang kayo? Para kasing matutumba na kayo anytime eh.” Weak as I was, all I could do was move my head to gesture a yes. So he moved me to an empty bed where he was preparing to insert me an IV. Then he started talking to me.

"San po kayo nagtatrabaho?"
Jan lang sa tabi-tabi. Tsaka wag mo na nga akong i-po. Bert na lang para mas madali I insisted.
"Kakapasok niyo lang po ba?"
Hindi I curiously replied. 11 pa simula ng shift ko, bakit naman?
"Ang ayos pa kasi ng suot mo eh. Mukhang papasok pa lang." I then understood why he was sweet-talking me. While chatting, he was slowly inserting the needle in me. It was f*ckin' painful and I couldn't help but just contain my scream into a moan. All he did was smile at me as if nothing happened.

***

I was on my second day in the hospital and friends just left as the visiting hours already passed. I wasn’t expecting anybody to enter my room anymore apart from the nurse assigned to check me every now and then. Then I heard a knock. It was him. Jake was still wearing his scrubsuit signifying that he still had a shift during that time.

“Kumusta naman pakiramdam mo?” He asked. I was wondering why he bothered to visit me.
I’m fine was all I could say. I had to rest my voice so my inflamed tonsils would have a rest. Napadaan ka?
“I just wanted to see if you’re doing fine. Bago ako umalis, I just want to give you this.” He handed me a card and waved goodbye. Inside the card it wrote: I hope you don’t mind if I visit you. I just wanna see if you’re doing fine. Once you’ll be discharged, can I ask you out sometime?

I closed the card and smiled myself to sleep.

Xoxo
Much Love