The doctor’s expression changed as he looked at her. He paled for a moment and cleared his throat. Then he smiled gently and chuckled. “It’s impossible, Miss Azora.”
But she couldn’t ignore the emotions passing through his eyes. Her doubts deepened even more with what was happening. “Why do you say so?”
“Because of the autopsy. It was indeed a murder case.”
She stared at the doctor for a few seconds before sighing and looking away. “How about Andrie?”
“What about him?” he asked. She noticed his guarded stance, and she subtly raised the corner of her lips.
She smiled again. “Is it possible that Andrie might not be the Andrie you used to know?”
“What are you talking about, Miss Azora?”
Her expression turned serious. “I’m not playing games here, Doc. As you said, Andrie was a sickly child, but look at him now. He’s capable of fighting anyone who crosses him. Isn’t that suspicious?”
“Miss Azora –”
She raised her hands and looked away. She kept her gaze on the plants in the corner. “You said human cloning is impossible in our time. So it’s possible that Andrie isn’t the same person you knew, and that Anthony might still be alive.”
The doctor furrowed his brows as he looked at her. “Are you suggesting that the one who brought you here is Anthony?”
Azora’s eyes widened at the doctor’s question. There was a possibility that what he said was true. In truth, she let the doctor himself give her the truth. As always, she laid the trap in front of him.
Because she never said she suspected the Andrie she met was Anthony. She even tried to push away the possibility so she was surprised when the doctor said it straight to her.
“He is Anthony… right?” she asked, her voice trembling. She sat back in her seat and stared blankly at the doctor.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before he looked away. “You can’t prove it by mere speculation, Miss Azora.”
She laughed. “Right. You’re right.”
The doctor stared at her for a moment before excusing himself. She noticed the tension in the doctor. She wasn’t sure if he knew the truth or if they were both unsure about the speculation they made.
But if it was indeed Anthony she encountered… she took a deep breath and wiped her face with her palms. Impossible!
“Azora,” she heard a familiar voice.
She looked up and saw Andrie. His brow furrowed as he stood and looked at her sitting on the monoblock. His hands were in his pockets.
“A-Andrie,” she whispered his name.
Andrie frowned. He looked over her body and stopped his eyes on both knees wrapped in gauze. His frown deepened.
“Where is he?” he asked.
She swallowed. “He’s attending other patients.”
“Did he tell you something crazy?”
She didn’t move for a few seconds at his question. She stared blankly at Andrie’s face, and in her mind, his face gradually changed. His hair color changed and his gaze softened when he looked at her… just like how Anthony used to look at her.
She blinked as her vision blurred. She swallowed several times to clear the lump in her throat. But she couldn’t prevent her tears from falling down her cheeks. She laughed quietly and quickly wiped away the tears.
“None,” she whispered and tried to stand up straight. She forced herself to stand up straight and smiled faintly at Andrie. “Let’s go,” she said with a smile on her lips.
Andrie clicked his tongue and sighed. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked.
“What’s wrong with me?” She furrowed her brows. “Do I have a problem?”
He stared at her for a few more seconds before looking away. He took a step towards the hospital entrance. She glanced briefly at the room where the doctor was before following Andrie. She still thought about the possibility that her speculation was true.
She was surprised when Andrie opened the passenger door for her. She blinked several times at what he did. She looked at him with a complicated expression on her face. She didn’t know what to feel at that moment.
“Azora,” Andrie called impatiently. “Come on,” he said.
She weakly smiled at him and slowly approached him. But it seemed like he was impatient so Andrie himself approached her and hugged her in his arms. He took large strides towards the car and carefully sat her in the passenger seat.
Azora’s heartbeat quickened. She took a deep breath and shivered with the muscles in her body. And Andrie seemed to notice her reaction so he furrowed his brows and stared at her. His face was just inches away from hers.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked again.
She reached for Andrie’s cheek and stared at him with furrowed brows. “Are you really… Andrie?”
Andrie’s face wrinkled and he moved his face away from her. He quickly closed the passenger door and turned around. Azora looked at his figure until he sat in the driver’s seat.
They were silent for a few minutes, still staring ahead. Andrie broke the silence. “Did he tell you something?”
She looked out the window. “He didn’t say anything. I just… speculated about some things.”
“Things like?” He lazily glanced at her.
She felt the intensity of his gaze on the side of her face. She swallowed repeatedly. She closed her eyes tightly. She thought about things she could do to prove that she was with Anthony and not Andrie. But what does she know about Anthony?
She clenched her fist. She couldn’t think of anything else but how Anthony kissed her. But… could she kiss the man in the car with her? What if she couldn’t prove that the man was Anthony? What if she was wrong? Could she take a gamble on a one percent chance of truth?