Chapter 26: Pretty

Malakas ang kabog ng dibdib ko habang hinihintay na bumukas ang elevator door. There was a clicking sound, tanda na narating ko ang ang palapag kung nasaan ang P:RUM team. Balak kong muling isara ang elevator at bumalik sa 69th floor dahil iba ang kutob ko ngunit mas lalo lamang akong natigilan nang makita ang nakatayo sa harap ng elevator.

It was Coco, KL, Nikon, Triangle and Megan. My eyes widen as I looked at Megan. If she’s here, then who the hell is the one that I saw at the 69th floor?! Puto, namamalikmata ba ako?! There’s no way she can be here that fast! Wala na akong pakialam kung ano ang reaksyon ng iba nang makita nila ako. I was too focused on Megan who was standing in front of me.

“Sunny, ayos ka lang ba?” tanong ni Coco nang makita ang reaction ko. Megan also looked at me with confusion at kahit gulong-gulo ang isipan ko, unti-unting nabuo ang isang teyorya sa utak ko.

I immediately grabbed Megan by her wrist at dinala siya sa loob ng elevator. I pressed the door closed at pinindot ang 69th floor. Nang tuluyang sumara ang pinto ay saka ko lamang siya binitiwan.

“What do you think you’re doing? You’re scaring the hell out of me by staring at me with that swollen eyes!” naiinis na wika niya. “What’s up, Sunny? Ano na naman ‘tong naisip mo? You should have rested at the dorm--”

“I think I know where your friend Thea is,” sabi ko sa kanya. I saw her surprised reaction from the mirror in front.

Hindi makapaniwalang napatingin siya sa akin. “What are you talking about?”

“And I also found Stella.”

She looked so confused at maging ako, confused na confused na ako sa mga nangyayari. It only makes sense right? Thea who find Megan so pretty who disappeared at one point in their life and ended up getting a face like Megan. Kahit namamaga ang mga mata ko sa kaiiyak kagabi, siguradong-sigurado ako na kamukhang-kamukha ni Megan ang tumawag kay Stella kanina.

Nakataas ang kilay na hinarap niya ako. “Are you high?” She leaned towards me and smelled my face. “You’re not drunk so you’re probably on drugs.”

Puto, alam kong mukha akong sabog dahil sa kaiiyak ko kagabi pero seryoso ako. I’m not hallucinating or what. I really saw someone who looks exactly like her.

“See for yourself then,” sagot ko.

Nanatili kaming tahimik hanggang sa bumukas ang elevator. Stella and the girl wasn’t in the lobby anymore kaya dinala ko si Megan sa pintong nilabasan ng babae kanina. We passed through the set of posters on the wall, displaying pretty faces and perfect bodies.

“Are you up for another trouble at ngayon ay dinadamay mo ako?” naiinis niyang tanong.

“Believe me, Megan.”

I pushed the glass door open at bumungad sa paningin namin ang isang clinic. The area was wide with lots of equipment na ngayon ko lamang nakita. Marami ring mga nakapaskil na posters at larawan sa dingding. The walls were made of mirrors kaya napangiwi na lamang ako nang makita ko ang namamaga ko pang mata. Puto, mukha akong pinag-trip-an ng sampung bubuyog sa mata.

Pinasok namin ang clinic ngunit walang katao-tao roon. But I’m sure this is where the girl who looks like Megan came from! Megan walked to the side where there was a door. Lumapit ako sa kanya at nang buksan niya ang pinto ay sabang kaming napasinghap.

The place was filled with naked girls inside a glass tube.

“Shit!” mura ni Megan habang iginagala ang paningin sa loob. Kahit ako ay nanigas sa kinatatayuan ko. I didn’t expect this. Why are these girls inside the tubes?

Biglang lumabas mula sa isa pang pinto si Doctor Luther. He cleared his throat as he walked towards us. He looked at me intently as if he’s trying to recall who am I.

“Aha, you’re the girl with that handsome man! Mabuti naman at nagbago ang isip mo at bumalik ka rito. You’ll be very happy with the result, dear,” he said in a friendly tone. Agad naman akong napasimangot. Pusangina, don’t tell me he’s going to explain again to me why I’m ugly?!

“Hindi po nagbago ang isip ko at hinding-hindi magbabago ang isip ko.” Puto, pasalamat siya pinipilit ko pa rin ang sariling maging magalang sa kanya.

“Oh, why dear? Don’t you want to be pretty?” he asked.

I rolled my eyes. “I’d rather be smart.”

He pouted as he looked at me and then shifted to Megan. Napangiti siya nang matamis. “You look very familiar.”

I cut in. “Yeah, she’s someone who looks like Thea-- or should I say Thea used her face for you to copy.”

Doctor Luther tried to recall someone in her mind and he snapped. “Right, Thea!”

Naguguluhang napatingin si Megan sa akin at kay Doctor Luther. “Nandito si Thea? N-nasaan siya?”

“Follow me,” sabi ni Dr. Luther at nilagpasan ang ilang mga tubes na may lamang babae. Walang salitang sumunod lamang kami ni Megan sa kanya. Huminto siya sa harap ng tube kung nasaan ang babaeng nakahubad at kamukhang-kamukha ni Megan. The glass tube was digitally labeled THEA at mayroong maliit na monitor kung saan naka-display ang mga stats at condition ni Thea gaya ng heartbeat rate, sugar level at iba pa.

Megan stepped forward at halos hindi makapaniwala sa kanyang nakikita. She touched the tube as she stared at the girl inside. Bahagya kong sinulyapan ang katabing tube kung nasaan si Stella.

“And this is Stella,” wika ko at tinapik ang tube. Megan took a glance at halos hindi na humihinga dahil sa kanyang nakikita.

“Kanina lang ay kausap ko si Stella, why is she in this tube?” tanong ko kay Doctor Luther. “I even saw Thea.”

Sinulyapan niya ang suot niyang wristwatch bago sumagot. “That’s because it’s time for them to rest. Pinatawag ko si Stella kay Thea kanina dahil lumabas siya ng clinic.”

Megan breathed out harshly as she tried to understand the situation. “Rest? Why? And why are they inside these tubes?”

“These girls undergone extensive surgeries and it will take time for their body to adjust to these changes kaya kailangan nilang magpahinga nang matagal. These tubes provides everything they need at kung ano man ang reaksyon nila sa pagbabagong naganap sa katawan nila, we’ll be notified at nang matuonan namin ng pansin.”

Hinablot ko ang kwelyo ni Doctor Luther at nanlilisik na tiningnan siya. “What do you think you’re doing to these girls? Sa tingin mo ba mga barbie doll sila para ganituhin mo?”

He raised both arms in surrender. “They all come to me and I didn’t perform any operation without their consent. I can show you the waiver that they signed.”

Naiinis na binitawan ko siya. Megan also looks mad as she looked at the bodies inside the tubes. They stood perfectly inside the large tubes with their perfect physique. “What are the complications as they undergo this process?”

“None unless they break their resting schedules,” Dr. Luther replied.

“Bakit ninyo ‘to ginagawa? Paano kung hindi maging successful ang operasyon? Paano kung may epekto ito sa kanila psychologically?” I am sounding so hysterical right now. Nababahala lang naman ako sa mga babaeng nandito ngayon.

He gave me a sweet smile. “Sa katunayan ay ako pa ang tumutulong na mawala ang psychological complications ng dati nilang hitsura sa kanila. These girls are insecure and lonely because they think they’re not pleasing to the eyes. This caused them to develop depression but because I have a solution, I was able to cure their insecurities. They’re no longer the inferior people they think they are.”

Just like me, Megan doesn’t seem to understand the doctor’s point. Yep, he cured their insecurities about how they look pero base sa nakikita kong ugali ni Stella kanina, he also made them as someone they weren’t! Iba na ang tingin nila sa sarili nila.

“I’m not trying to question your credibility as a surgeon pero paano kung magkamali ka? Are these girls your experimental clients? You looked young.” Megan asked.

Doctor Luther smirked. “That’s because I am a success product of my skills.”

I rolled my eyes. “That doesn’t guarantee it.”

“Dear, I just look young but I’m old. You’re Megan Galendez right? I am the same batch as your parents,” wika niya kay Megan na ikinagulat naming dalawa. What the hell? So ibig sabihin ay matanda na nga siya?!

“Kilala mo ba ang papa ko? He’s Mozart Gallego!”

Doctor Luther nodded. “Yup, Mozart and I are on the same class. Madalas ko siyang hinahamon ng face-off sa CLC noon pero hindi ko siya matalo-talo. He’s the less serious one when it comes to protecting his spot but damn, I cannot defeat him that’s why I wasn’t able to become part of the Royals.”

Megan crossed her arms, still being cautious with the doctor. “Still, it doesn’t guarantee it.”

“How about Doctor Aaron of P:RUM team? He looks young right? Thanks to my mighty hand,” sagot niya at ginalaw-galaw ang mga daliri.

“I'm still not convinced,” sagot ko.

He fixed his glasses and looked at me intently. Matagal niya akong tinitigan at puto, naaasiwa na ako. He kept his hands inside his pockets. “Then let me tell you a secret. It’s about my first successful operation.”

Megan and I stood still and anticipated his words. His lips formed a mischievous smile as he lowered down his voice. “My first patient is Hilary Celdran-Moran. Now she’s a totally different person.” Mas lalo pa niyang hininaan ang kanyang boses. “She’s now Venna Ruiz.”

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