Hindi malayo ang bahay namin sa school. Three kilometers away lang ang campus namin kaya mabilis lang ang biyahe. Nakamotor pa kami kaya mas mabilis.

Nauna akong bumaba. Itinukod ko ang okay na paa ko sa kaliwa at saka ko marahang inalis ang kanan. Nakataas lang 'yon at pa-skip-skip lang ako ng lakad para hindi magalaw.

Monday kaya ang iniisip ko, wala pa sina Popsie. Wala pang 8 ng gabi kaya alam kong wala pa sila sa bahay. Nakasara ang mga kurtina sa sala. Sarado rin ang bintana ko sa kuwarto. Wala rin ang kotse ni Popsie sa carport kaya nga nakaparada agad si Kelley.

I walked toward the kitchen's back door para sana doon pumasok kaso ang hirap kumuha ng balanse. Kada galaw ko, sumasakit. That kind of pain na sa right ankle lang naman ang masakit pero biglang may sasakit sa left ear, may kikirot right rib. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ang daming sabay-sabay na sumasakit, and my mind was forcing me to go to the hospital as soon as possible kasi inaatake na naman ako ng anxiety na baka late reaction lang ang katawan ko sa pagbagsak sa field at sa clinic sa school.

Bumalik ako sa motor. Kelley looked puzzled. He even stopped parking my scooter so he could watch me take it again with all the remaining energy I had in my body.

"What?" he asked, raising both of his arms.

"I'll go get that x-ray shit. Ang sakit ng katawan ko, like, for real."

"Right now?"

My whole face was screaming 'Don't ask stupid questions, asshole.'

I grabbed the pedal of my scooter, but Kel shooed my hand away.

"You can't drive, Nalani. Sige na, sasamahan na kita."

"Nalani, your face! Binigyan ba kita ng karapatang tawagin ako sa second name ko?"

"Sakay na."

"You know what? I hate you so damn much."

"Sakay na," mas strict na niyang utos.

"I don't like."

"Ayaw mo, ha?" Bababa sana uli siya sa scooter ko pero inawat ko na siya.

"Fine! Ito na, sasakay na!" I carried myself on the back part of my scooter's seat na kaya ko naman pala kung tutuusin.

OA ba 'ko kung gusto ko nang ngayon magpa-laboratory?

Okay, namamaga ang ankle ko. But still, ayokong mag-rely lang sa ankle ko mismo kung ang daming sumasakit na parts ng katawan ko.

Mamaya, may need na palang operahan sa 'kin, hindi ko pa alam. And besides, if I hypothesize that this is a zombie bite, I should prevent shit from happening.

"Where to?" tanong ni Kelley paglabas na naman namin ng subdivision.

"Pasay. Magpapa-x-ray na 'ko. Do'n malapit sa MRT."

"Saan specifically?"

"Mag-drive ka na lang. Sasabunutan na lang kita 'pag mali ka ng daan."

Nilingon pa niya ako sa likuran para lang tingnan ako gamit ang judging face niya.

"Eyes on the road, stupid!" I yelled at him. My gosh, bakit ba kasi siya ang kasama ko?

From West, bumiyahe kami papunta sa Pasay. More than one hour ang biyahe, traffic pa. May diagnostics and medical clinic ang family namin doon kaya puwede akong magpakuha ng lab test para ipa-bill na lang nila sa office ni Popsie. Ayokong gastusin ang allowance ko para lang sa lab test.

The whole center was wide. Ang daming tao sa loob na may kanya-kanyang dala na brown envelope. Most of these were taking their lab exams for employment and school requirements since this clinic is an accredited partner of some schools in the Metro and South.

Kelley's hand was resting on my back. My left hand was on his shoulder, and I must be thankful na saktong ilalim ng ear niya lang ang height ko kaya hindi mahirap kumapit sa balikat niya.

Pumunta kami sa information desk para magpakuha ng form.

Good news, slash worst news: Cody was there, taking the forms for the patients.

"Wow, it's nice to see you here, Chi."

Uh-huh? Nice to see me, but his eyes were locked on Kelley? Very convincing.

Cody is my second cousin. Eldest of Daddy Coco, and he looked like his tall, fair, and Asian heartthrob version. Senior High immersion niya ngayon dito sa clinic, pero mukha na siyang regular employee rito. Probably because he was acting like he owned this place. Feel na feel niya ang pagbibigay ng form, as if namang tatakbo siyang mayor dito sa clinic.

"I had an accident," I told Cody. "May dati na 'kong record dito."

"Alrighty then," Cody said, fake smiling at me and Kelley. He took a form na kalahati ng size ng copy paper, isang maliit na pack na tinitingnan ko kung ano ba, and he asked me some weird questions. "Name?"

"The fuck are you talking about?"

"Name, please," ulit niya sabay taas ng kilay sa 'kin.

"Chyril Nalani K. Mendoza. Pinsan ba talaga kita?"

"Wait a moment, ma'am. I'm checking your record."

Gusto ko nang ibato sa kanya ang touchscreen computer na pinipindot niya.

"Age?"

"I'm eighteen and older than you, muppet," I replied.

"First day of last menstruation period?"

My brows met instantly. "Need ba niyan?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Last month."

"Exact date, please."

"Just put February 10, okay?"

"Wow, more than six weeks na pala. Zero two and ten, owki . . ." He wrote that somewhere on the paper. "Let's take your weight and height."

My gosh, ang daming ritual.

Cody was busy typing sa monitor. Kel pulled a random chair sa may gilid ng desk na for patients na naka-wheelchair. Then he kneeled on his left leg para tulungan akong hubarin ang sapatos kong natitira.

"Pinsan mo 'yon?" usisa ni Kel.

"Hindi ko na siya pinsan ngayon. Tinatakwil ko na siya. Put my shoe here." I pointed to my side.

Kelley chuckled and shook his head. He helped me stand above the large scale.

I really assumed na napapansin na siguro ni Cody kung ano ba ang dapat kong ipa-check, but he was there, looking at the huge round measuring scale na ka-height ng waist ko at saka siya nagsulat sa form ko.

"You're 70.2 kilos?" Cody asked. "You're fat."

"Shut up and get my lab schedule."

He pulled something from the scale, and he measured my height. "You're 176.5 centimeters already. You're getting taller, huh?"

Cody's height was enough to give him an instant pass as an adult kahit sixteen pa lang siya. He's eight inches taller than me, and he's taller than Kelley too.

Bumalik kami sa information desk kahit na hindi ko alam kung bakit kailangan kong magpakuha ng weight and height.

"Ladies' room, left hall, last door," utos ni Cody at inabutan ako ng something na nasa violet na pack.

Lalo naman akong nagtaka kaya binasa ko kung para saan.

Pregnancy test kit.

The fuck is this shit?!

"I had an accident, muppet!" I yelled at him, and there he was, nodding like he understood what I didn't!

"Yeah. I won't tell anybody." Nag-wink pa siya!

"X-ray ang need ko, hindi ito!" Ibinagsak ko sa desk ang PT kit.

"Chi, dangerous sa baby ang radiation. We have here the examination called ultrasonography, not X-ray."

"Look at my foot, stupid!" I pointed to my sprained foot, and Cody peeked from the other side of the information desk.

"Oh! What happened?" He then looked at me, full of concern in his eyes.

"Because I had a fucking accident, muppet. That was what happened. Kaya kailangan ko ng X-ray."

"That's sad. Pero mag-take ka pa rin ng PT. Just to make sure na walang liability ang clinic na 'to once na may mangyaring masama sa baby mo."

"The fuck are you talking about? Walang liability, e clinic ng family natin 'to?!"

"You're still an outpatient, so there, take that test. Inform mo 'ko sa result before ko ipa-ready ang radtech."

"I hate you."

Instead of talking to me, tinapik lang niya sa balikat si Kelley at tumango na naman. "Dude, thank you sa moral support kay Chi. She's annoying pero puwede siyang daanin sa asado siopao and xiaolongbao." Then he took his phone and my form saka niya kami iniwan.

I'm doomed.

I took that fucking PT para lang patunayan kay Cody na hindi nga ako buntis! Ni wala pa nga akong first kiss, paano ako mabubuntis?!

Hindi ako sure kung paano pa titingin kay Kel dahil sa kahihiyang ginagawa ni Cody ngayon dito sa clinic.

Gusto ko lang namang makalibre ng 440 pesos para sa X-ray!

"Negative?" tanong ni Kel paglabas ko sa restroom.

"Of course, negative. As if namang may boyfriend ako, duh?"

"May nabubuntis ngang single," natatawang sagot niya.

"Sila 'yon." Itinukod ko ang kamay ko sa pader para maglakad, pero kinuha agad ni Kel ang isang kamay ko para ipatong sa balikat niya.

"Bilisan na lang natin para makauwi na 'ko."

"Oh, wow, sa 'yo pa talaga nanggaling 'yan. As if namang pinilit kitang pumunta rito."

I brought Cody my PT result, and he nodded after seeing the blurry single line on it.

"Hmm, okay. I'm convinced."

Ang facial reaction ko, hindi ko na alam kung ano pa ang itsura matapos makita ang ginagawa niya.

Inayos pa niya sa mas mababang desk sa gilid ng information desk ang PT result ko saka niya kinunan ng picture.

"Why are you taking a picture of it?" I asked, confused.

"Proof."

"Proof for what?"

"Para . . . puwede ka nang magpa-X-ray. That means safe ka para ma-expose sa radiation." Nginitian pa niya ako at binalot ng tissue ang PT saka itinapon sa trash bin na may logo na "pathological trash."

"So what now?"

"Where's your doctor's referral?"

Inilabas ko naman sa bulsa ng PE shorts kong hindi ko pa napapalitan ang note na bigay ng nurse sa school clinic.

"Sa school 'to galing?" tanong pa ni Cody.

"Naaksidente nga kasi ako sa school. PE exam namin kanina."

"Oh . . . okay, sige. I'll buy that."

"Anong you'll buy that? Kita mo ngang naka-uniform pa 'ko!"

Saka lang niya pinansin ang suot ko. Mula ulo hanggang paa talaga ang tingin niya. "Oh . . . oo nga."

I rolled my eyes. Inuna pa ang kung ano-ano bago pansinin ang itsura ko.

"Okay." Itinuro niya ang dulong waiting area. Sa dulong pinto, may double door na may yellow and black radiation logo sa itaas. "Wait na lang kayong tawagin ang name. Dadalhin ko na lang 'to sa kukuha ng test."

"Pakibilis. Uuwi pa 'ko." Inirapan ko si Cody saka ako nagpaalalay kay Kel para makapunta sa waiting area.

I don't trust Cody. Sana lang hindi makarating kina Popsie kung bakit talaga ako napilayan.

♥♥♥

Telegram update: Chapter 26