Chapter 39 | Trap

The next days after the kid's death, named Renz Lipata, the same cause of death in the hospital increased. Bukod pa roon ay may mga issue ring lumitaw na kesyo nagkamali sa pagpapa-inom ng gamot sa pasiyente.

Tila ba araw-araw ay may bago akong problemang aayusin gayong hindi pa nasasagot ang kamatayan ni Renz.

Because of the sudden attack of issues, I set an urgent meeting with the higher officials involved. Sa ibang branches naman ay maayos, dito lamang sa Pilipinas ang naging komplikado.

"Mr. Fortelleza, we can't just tell their relatives the truth without enough evidences. Nothing will be valid to a mourning family, they will still blame the hospital for their member's death and the best thing we can do while investigating is to keep this to them as a secret," Mr. Santiago, the oldest official argued.

"I agree, in Renz Lipata's case, the fingerprint found on the plug was his. He also had suicidal issues before he got admitted and that explained it. He killed himself—"

"But the nurse, he was there when that happened. Why didn't he stop him? I can't believe this and I want to expand the investigation more. If we won't solve the present cases, then we can't provide a secured environment for the future anymore. Someone is working behind this, I can feel it—"

"We assessed every nurses and doctors as you ordered us to, we filed a report and I assume you already read it—"

"Yes, I did but I can't trust fully the results," I pointed out.

"Lahat ng kaso ay direkta sa atin ang tama. Mula sa mga gamot, kagamitan at kahit sa sekuridad—sa atin ang sisi. Even if we try justifying, it won't sound reasonable. Keeping the cases far from the people to save the hospital's reputation is the best thing we can do while investigating everything."

Napapikit ako dulot ng kaguluhan.

"And what's the use of telling it to the relatives, to set their hopes up that we'll find justices for them? We aren't sure of that, Mr. Fortelleza," the head of the surgeons argued too.

"We won't turn our backs on the cases, we will work without them knowing. Once we figure out things, we'll tell them the truth. Today isn't the right time to expose everything, Mr. Fortelleza."

"It's the hospital's reputation at stake," they told me.

Ngayon ay mag-isa akong naka-upo sa aking opisina at pinag-isipang mabuti ang mga susunod na gagawin. I read reports but it seemed like everything was neatly done dahil wala akong napansing kamalian mula sa iba—talagang ang hospital ang pinamukhang mali.

The photo of the nurse from Renz Lipata's room was scattered on my desk... and there I noticed his uniform.

Uniporme nga ito ng aming mga nurse ngunit nakatakas ang telang suot niya sa loob.

"Fuck," napamura ako dahil ngayon lamang iyon napansin.

He dressed up as one of our nurses and went inside the kid's room. He might used the kid's hands to unplug the machine.

Kinuha ko ang compilation of nurses na madalas bumisita kay Renz at tinandaan ang bawat pangalan. Sunod kong tiningnan ang recent assessment ng mga nurses nitong nakaraan lamang ginawa.

Lahat ng nurses na bumisita kay Renz ay na-assess bukod sa isa...

Gareon Santos

I read his data for almost an hour, trying to get to know the missing nurse. Nang hindi nakontento ay tinawagan ko na si Fred.

"Bakit, tol?" he asked when he answered my call.

"Busy ka ba?" tanong ko.

"Ayos lang, bakit?"

"May kilala kang tracker, 'di ba? May kailangan lang akong impormasyon," I immediately said.

"Oo, kaya niya 'yan, bigay mo lang ang pangalan," he told me.

"Wala bang bayad 'yan?" natatawa kong tanong.

"Mayro'n, malamang!" he hissed, "hihirit pa ng libre."

I chuckled and said, "Alright, send me his price as you sent him the names. Gareon Santos and his family, tol—"

"Puta, buong pamilya. Anong ginawa niyan sa 'yo?" he asked me.

"Nawawalang nurse. Nawala siya noong namatay ang pasyenteng inaalagaan niya," I answered.

"Tumakas?" he asked.

"Hindi ko sigurado pero ang bilis ng pagkawala niya, ni-walang naiwang traces, parang planado at malinis naisagawa. May nag-disguise as him bago namatay ang pasiyente—"

"Kaya ang iniisip mo ay baka may ibang taong ginamit si Gareon upang patayin ang pasiyente?" he asked.

"Oo at sila ang may pakana ng pagkawala ni Gareon," I answered.

"Damn, what's happening on your security? Anyway, I already sent him the name. Sasabihin na lang niya ang presyo kapag nahanap na ang mga kailangan mo," he told me.

"Salamat. Ang daming gulong kinakaharap ng hospital ngayon, ni-hindi pa tapos ang buwan," I ranted.

"I sent him your email address, hintayin mo na lang. Hindi naman 'yan inaabot ng isang araw. He works fast," Fred said.

"Sige, baba ko na 'tong tawag, may kumakatok," I told him and immediately dropped the call.

"Pasok," I ordered.

A member from the surveillance room entered my office with the footages I requested for the other cases.

"Ito na po iyong mga hiningi ninyo," he informed me and handed the files.

Kinuha ko ang mga iyon at hapyaw na binasa ang kanyang pangalan.

Jigaian.

"Wala ka noong nangyari ang kaso ni Renz, hindi ba?" I asked him.

"Opo, wala po akong pasok no'n," he answered.

"Okay, thank you for this," I told him and he left the office afterward.

I was comprehending another case when I received a notification on my email. Dulot ng pangangailangan ay agad ko iyong binuksan, laking gulat ko nang nilalaman nito ang halos lahat ng gusto kong malaman.

A deeper investigation to widen my perspective. I immediately clicked for the files to download, sabi kasi ng tracker ay may oras lamang ang mga iyon upang hindi makuha ng iba.

He grew up on a poor family living under the bridge. He was fortunate enough to be the first member of his family to held a profession.

Gareon D. Santos graduated from University of Santo Thomas under a special scholarship program dedicated for aspiring nurses.

That program aimed to help the students financially and only picked those outstanding students from different schools.

"Lucky bastard," I whispered.

Anong programa at sino ang na sa likod nito? I scrolled down a bit and saw about the scholarship program... and it was sponsored by the Zorron.

God damn it.

He was a scholar under the name of Zorron.

Tila ako nanghina sa nabasa at tila pa nagbago ang aking iniisip.

Dominiko Zorron didn't like me even before. Hindi niya nagawang ipakulong ako sa muntik ng pagkuha ko kay Mia noong nakaraan. What if this was his way of... revenge?

What if Gareon was really the nurse who used Renz's hands to unplug the fucking life support and no one disguised? And he only had another shirt below his uniform to escape without no one noticing?

Kung si Dominiko Zorron nga ang na sa likod nitong lahat at inutusan niya si Gareon, bakit pa nila pinapasok si Mia sa hospital?

If he, Dominiko Zorron, still hated me, why did he trust the hospital of his daughter?

Kalokohan.

Were they only using Mia as a cover up? Mia's condition wasn't even severe to take the VIP treatment, as I said before.

Did I let myself go inside of their trap again?

Tangina. Why was everything always connected to them?

"Sir," my secretary went inside.

"Pagkain po galing kay ma'am Thera Mia Zorron," he told me.

Great.

If I didn't know any of these things, I'd accept the food Mia gave me but now things seemed complicated and I couldn't trust anyone including the woman I loved.

Just great.

"Sa 'yo na lang, I ordered mine," I said back that made his eyes blink a couple of times.

"Sigurado po kayo, sir?" he asked me.

I nodded and answered, "Don't accept anything next time from her or her family."

"Okay po," he trailed off and went outside.

Before he could even close the door, I heard Mia's voice from outside saying, "He didn't like it?"

I sighed, I probably offended or pained her because of what I did... but I had enough confusions already.

If I loved the right person, then why did everything feel wrong?