"Ate kailan ka ulit babalik dito sa atin?" Assi asked me with a teary eye. My baby brother is crying while hugging me. Lumuluha ring nakatingin sakin sina Rei at Reiko habang hawak nila nanay at tatay.

"Ate will be back maybe on December Assi, I promise." Today is June twenty-three at masasabi kong magtatagal na naman ako sa Korea. Yes, doon ang destinasyon ko ngayon. Our hospital chairwoman sent me there so I need to follow her order.

Before I went to the airport, pinuntahan ko muna ang hospital namin. Pagpasok ko ay binati agad ako ng mga nurses kaya tumango at ngumiti lang ako sa kanila ng bahagya

"Madame Chairman," and I bow as a sign of respect.

"Good luck to your mission, Ms. Dieran," she said before smiling at me.

"Thank you, Madame Chairman. I will assure you that I'll be back with a title for our hospital."

"That's good to hear Doctora Lieutenant," she often calls me that way— Doctora Lieutenant.

"I'll go ahead, Ma'am." She just smiled while looking at me.

"Be back." She's already teary-eyed when she ran towards me and hugged me. This isn't new. She's my best friend, after all. I hugged her back, tighter this time.

"I will," then I tap her back as I give her my assuring smile.

"I will be back bestie."

This feels surreal. Noon pinapangarap ko lang na mapunta dito sa South Korea pero ito na ako ngayon at nakatapak na sa teritoryo nila.

Ever since, I have dreamed to step my foot here in South Korea. I don't know, but there is something that pushes me to visit this place.

Mas madali na ngayon ang pagpunta dito sa South Korea dahil sa kasunduan ng dalawang Presidente ng bansa. Kaya naman agad na nakipag-usap ang chairwoman namin at dito nga ang sunod na destinasyon ko.

Choi Ferrando Medical Hospital

Iyan ang nakasulat sa itaas ng building ng ospital. Ramdam ko ang tingin ng mga tao sakin. Halatang bago lang ako sa paningin nila.

Pagtapak ko sa kanilang lobby ay bumungad sakin ang ilang mga nurses para i-welcome ako sa pagdating ko.

Kagabi lang ako nakarating dito pero ngayon ay agad akong nagtungo dito. Time is very important to me. Time can save ones life.

"Welcome to Korea, Doctora Dieran!" Sabay-sabay nilang bati sakin. I bowed my head as a sign of respect to them.

"Thank you, everyone." I formally thank them. They all smiled at me before a nurse told me to follow her. She guided me going to the office.

"Have a sit, Miss Dieran," the chairman formally stated as soon as I stepped inside. As I sat down, the door suddenly opened, and it showed two doctors wearing their laboratory gown.

I really wonder why they need to welcome me even though they don't need to.

"You may sit, Doctora Kang and Doctora Kwon."

"From this day, I want the two of you to take good care of our new doctor. For now, Dra. Dieran is in-charge at surgical ward together with both of you. I'll just tell this matter to Dra. Hwang."

"Yes, sir." they both responded to the chairman with their stoic face.

"For you, Dra. Dieran, you may work now, if you would agree, with them at the in-patient department for the meantime since there are a lot of patients there today. Is that okay? Since you just arrived here last night,"

"It's fine, sir." The three of us stand, and we bowed to the chairman before we get out. According to Chieorlene, Mister Choi owns the hospital, and Mister Fang is the hospital's vice chairman.

"Hi, Miss Rhysia," bati sa'kin ng dalawa habang papunta kami sa in patient department.

"Hi." bati ko pabalik at ngumiti ng kaunti. I don't ont usually smiles that much, only when I am with my family or whenever I'm with Chieorlene.

Sunod-sunod na dumadating ang mga pasyente kaya naman hindi kami magkanda-ugaga sa paggagamot. There was an accident at marami ang nadamay. Iyan ang sinabi sa akin ng dalawang doktor.

"Doc, another ambulance came." Balita ng isang nurse kay Dra. Agatha Kwon.

"How was the damage?"

"Blue." Blue means medical emergency.

"Doc Agatha! Another patient needs you!" saad pa ng isang nurse kay Agatha habang itinatakbo ang isang naka wheelchair na lalaki. Mukhang kailangan din nito ng agarang gamot. Si Dra. Keith Kang naman ay busy sa pag-aasikaso sa dalawa niyang pasyente habang ako ay tapos ko na ang panggagamot ko sa pasyente ko na nagtamo ng sugat sa braso niya. Tapos ko na iyong tahiin.

"I will do it if you will let me," offer ko dahil kitang-kita ko naman na hindi na alam ni Dra. Kwon ang gagawin niya.

"Thank you." Sambit nito at tumango nalang ako. Tumakbo na kami papunta sa ambulansyang paparating. Nang ibinababa na nila ang stretcher ay talaga namang mapapatakip ka nalang ng bibig mo. The damage is very critical. He needs immediate surgery.

"Doc, his vitals seem slow," one of the nurses stated.

"Come on! We need to enter him to the operating room." I commanded as I gave the patient a CPR to give him oxygen and save his vitals. Nakasakay ako sa stretcher para maisagawa ang paunang lunas para sa pasyente. Hindi ko alam na ganito ang senaryo sa unang pasok ko sa ospital. Halos wala pa nga akong pahinga mula sa byahe pero wala akong pakialam. Mas importante sa akin ang trabaho ko.

Nang narating na namin ang operating station ay bumaba na ako dahil medyo bumalik na sa normal ang heartbeat niya. Habang inihahanda nila ang lahat ay nagtungo naman ako sa washing area ng operating station para linisin muna ang mga kamay at braso ko bago mag-umpisa ang operasyon. This thing is a must before doing a surgery.

Pumasok na ako sa OR at nakita kong handa na sila para sa operasyon. Isinuot na nila sakin ang gown at nagsimula na kami.

"Breathing rate 12."

"EKG is normal." EKG is the electrocardiogram of the patient.

"Scalpel," habang ginagawa namin ang operasyon ay napansin kong pinapanood kami ni President Choi mula sa taas ng operating room. Mayroon kasing parang monitor room ang OR ng ospital kaya kung may operasyon ay maaari nila kayong mapanood mula doon. That monitor room is made up of glass so that they can see us clearly up there.

I know the president since Chieorlene gave me a folder to learn who is who before I went here.

"Biceps." They allowed me to do this operation because I am also a surgeon, and I have permission from the Chairman and Dra. Agatha whom to be the one who should conduct this operation.

Hindi naman ako tanga na magpadalos-dalos lang na gawin ang isang operasyon. We still need to get the approval of the higher up if possible.

"Grauge needle." I will take my job better to have a good record here in Korea. Gusto ko rin na makilala pa ang ospital ng best friend ko, hindi dahil sa akin, kundi sa mga magagaling nitong doctor na ginagawa ang lahat para makapagsalba ng buhay mula sa bingit ng kamatayan.

Ilang oras pa ay natapos na namin ang operasyon. Naging successful ito at kailangan na lamang ng pasyente na magpahinga at maaaring tulog pa ito ng dalawang araw dahil sa mga gamot

"Doc Dieran, thank you for taking up my operation. As you see, we have a short time to cure these people. Kamsahamnida," Then she bowed at me. I bowed back and told her that it was the job of a doctor. Maybe we can get along if they have a good attitude, and I know it. They have it both with Dra. Kwon.

"Let's go. Mr. Choi wants to see us at his office." So I followed her. Doctor Kwon has this shoulder-length hair and pouty lips, and her height is fine, but she still wears her wedge that makes her better.

Akala nila ay hindi bibisita ngayon ang presidente pero siguro dahil sa nangyari ay naparito agad siya.

"Agatha! Where are you going with Dra. Dieran?" Biglaang tanong ni Dra. Kang paglabas niya sa isang hospital room.

"Mr. Fangs' office." maikling saad nito at ipinagpatuloy ang paglalakad namin. Hindi talaga uso ang chismis dito na siyang ikinatutuwa ko dahil mas inuuna nila ang trabaho. All of the staff here have their time to talk to each other and chat together, but they can't if they still have work.

To describe Dra. Kang, she has this waist length wavy hair like mine, but my hair is longer than her. My hair is already surpassing my butt and it is wavy, so many people adore it, but I hate how they adore this hair of mine. Dra. Keith Kang also has this blue eye, so I conclude that she is a half American based on her eyes and how she talks. She has the accent of American people.

Dra. Kwon knocked three times before we entered. I saw Mr. Choi is sitting on his chair while talking to someone on his phone.

"Ne...Arasso...ne." and he ended his phone call.

"Have a sit." Sabi niya at itinuro pa ang upuan na nasa harap niya. You know the way Korean people when they offer something like that.

"Greetings, sir. May I ask why you called us, Mr. Choi? Is there anything wrong?" Tanong agad ni Dra. Kwon nang hindi ito makapagpigil.

"No, Dra. Kwon. I just want the two of you to know that you made your job well done a while ago, especially you, Dra. Dieran, during your operation. Thank you for taking care of the patient of Dra. Kwon."

The president is smiling, looking at us. We're sitting on the other side while the chairman is on the left side. Mr. Choi is there in the middle seat.

"It is a job, sir."

A doctor's job is not only to save life but also to help people ease the pain they have been holding.

"It's your first day yet to did great. Now, I'm very satisfied accepting the offer." The offer? I thought they were the one who wanted an exchange doctor from the Philippines? But anyways, sila-sila lang naman kasi ang nag-usap.

"And Miss Dieran," tumingin naman ako sa kanya bago sumagot na may paggalang.

"You can talk Tagalog here freely."

Eh?