It was midnight when Nurse Dy heard his phone ringing. “Yes?” he answers with soft voice.
“Can you go here?” said on the other line.
His expression became clueless; he checked who’s calling him. “Hael, do you know what time is it?” he asked monotony.
“I know, Win. It’s just that I have to hear your report about Grace before I’ll leave the country later.”
“Later?!” he asked.
“Yeah, later, call Rovi but never tell him that you’ll be meeting me.” Hael said then turn off the line without him a word.
“You’re making things complicated for me.” he whispers then sigh.
He looked at Grace and went towards her bed. “Grace, I’ll be going out, I’ll be back before your therapy. I’ll just call Doctor Jimenez to look for you, okay?” he whispered on her ear. He saw her nod as a respond. “Thank you.”
He calls Doctor Jimenez. “Hello?” he said on the line.
“Can you look for Grace? I—” he heard the line cut; all he have to do is to get ready.
He noticed how Rovi rushed into Grace’s room and looked at her. He saw him sighed into relieve. “Nurse Dy, why did you call for me this late at night?”
He looked away. “I have to leave for awhile; she doesn’t have her family here so I have to call you. It’s emergency, I’m sorry.”
Doctor Jimenez smiled. “Okay, when are you coming back?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“It’s already tomorrow, you said.” Doctor Jimenez said monotony.
He chuckled. “Before the time of her therapy, I’ll be right here.”
“Okay, thank you. Take care.”
“Thanks.”
He was walking to see if he could still ride a jeepney when he heard a beep of a car. “Come on, ride in.”
He was shock that Hael was just waiting for him outside. “How come you’re here?” he asked.
“I told you, come here. By the way, how come you didn’t bring your car?”
“My house is just near, walking distance. So, why would I drive if I can walk?”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot. Sorry.” Hael said seriously.
“By the way, why did you call me this hour?” he asked.
“You knew, why… I’ll tell you all the details when we get at the house.” he replied seriously.
“Come in; bear with the disorganized of this house. I haven’t clean yet.” Hael said.
“Haven’t clean yet, uh… All I see how neat and super organized. The missing part is just the shining and sparkling house.” he joked on replied.
“Don’t sit there, come and follow me. Kindly, lock the door.”
He can sense something weird on his friend. “What is this all about?”
“I just want to let you know that I’ll be gone here and I’ll go out of town with my family.”
“Vacation?”
Hael smiled timid. “Sort of… Something liked that, I guess.”
“Don’t tell me you…”
“Spill it out and I’m going to punch you.”
“I get it.”
“Regarding about Grace and Rovi, I’ve done my part. Being a sponsor is a heavy task but its okay because Rovi will be paying me back.”
“Did you talk about that matter?”
“Not yet. Now tell me, how’s her progress and their progress.”
“I see… You just said, you’ve done your part but still you’re plotting something.”
“I just want to know, my precious little kitten has grown now. I don’t know to whom will I give my blessings although I’d like my friend tiger to take care of my precious little kitten, if she’ll be going to choose that puma, I don’t have a choice but to give my blessings because she choice to be under the puma. As a lion, as long as she hasn’t yet choosing, I’ll guide her to the right man.”
“And who do you think is the right man for her?” he asked sarcastically.
“Well, I can’t say that I am… By the way, how is she?” Hael asked.
“You call me this hour just to make me have a report?” he asked.
“Yes. I need to know everything since I’m her sponsor.”
“You really are serious, uh… Well, she’s being motivated. Every therapy she had has a progress. Her health also improves; she can now stand on her own.”
“I see… So, how about Grace and Rovi progressed?”
“Well, they were still in doctor and patient relationship.”
“Hmm… Seems like her memories aren’t coming back, uh… What about the other guy?”
“Uh, that called JL? Well, he still visits although not regular but he can still have time.”
“I see… Is there any progress about him and Grace?”
“Well, on my observation, progressive in the sense that guy is a bit pushy.”
“Pushy? You mean… what?”
“I mean, he’s doing everything to unblock his way while Rovi always blocks him.”
“I won’t give up because I like her and no one can stop me, not even you.” JL says.
“Hmm… That’s pretty shaky, you know but I won’t let you have her because I know one day, you’ll just leave her but I won’t, not today, not tomorrow, not forever! Never will I leave her alone, unlike you.” Rovi declares with conviction.
“Wow, interesting, uh!” Hael commented. “Keep on telling me.”
“Then, you have to pay me because you want me to spy on them.”
“Well, if you want to be paid as a spy at least you have to say it with life not being so monotony.”
He chuckled. “No, I’m just kidding. Okay, I’ll do it just to feed your curiosity.”
Hael smiled at him. “Now, I have favour to ask.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Since, it’s late already and I can’t send you at the hospital, just sleep here.”
“Oh, yes because you left me with no choice, so where’s you flavour there?”
“Well, my family doesn’t know that I’ll be flying out of town and since they doesn’t know, my favour is… will you send me off to the airport?”
“What do you mean, they don’t know? Wait! You mean to say you’re flying out of town without them knowing you’ll be gone?”
“Well, I’ll be gone for at least two or three weeks. Please, keep it to my family and to Rovi.”
He sighs. “What else can I do? Do I have a choice?”
Hael smiled at him.
“Seriously, you left me no choice.”
Hael giggled. “Thank you, Win!”
“What time is your flight?”
Hael smiled. “It’s nine o’clock in the morning.”
“What?!”
“You can’t back out anymore, you already agreed.”
He had no choice. When it comes just the two of them, Hael acts like a child even if he’s two years younger but he likes him when he acts like that because he can enjoy his age like there’s no two years age gap. “By the way, instead of meddling between Grace and Rovi, why don’t you look for someone? It has been years since you had your break up with that girl. Don’t you think it’s time for you to settle down?”
Hael chuckled. “When I find the right girl, I’ll be settling down but for now, I’ll enjoy being bachelor. I’m not in a hurry anyway.”
“Good Morning!” Hael greeted.
“Good Morning. Wow, so early, uh… Don’t you think you get up so early?”
“Early? I woke-up six o’clock in the morning, while you seven o’clock. We’ll be going to travel for about an hour before my flight. Therefore, it’s not early. Now, come and eat. If you want to change, I prepare you some of my old clothes and undies.”
“Wow, thanks for those old undies you prepared.”
Hael chuckled. “Just kidding, that’s new.”
“Thank you for seeing me off here. I awe you one again. I’ll call you when I get there.”
He looked at his friend talking off his sight. “What will I do unto his car? I have his key but well, even if I have my driver’s license with me, I can’t drive his car way back to the hospital.” he said unto himself. He decided to drive off and go home and left Hael’s car at the garage. He changed his clothes into uniform and rushed into the hospital.