Wailed

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Xariya's Point of View

"Excuse me, nurse? Was Dainty Gonzales and RD Bautista brought here?" Adrian asked the nurse who was there, I was just listening to them while Nate is still wondering why is he here.

I just took him with me because our parents are not at home and I am worried that something else would happen to him.

"The patient is in the ICU." The nurse answered so my eyes widened. Adrian immediately thanked the nurse and we went to the ICU immediately.

Why did this happen?

When we arrived at the ICU, the three of us saw Mr. Montero and he is with a man with a bandage on his hand. Both of them are sitting and stooping down their heads.

"Mr. Montero." I called him so he looked at us. The man he is with just looked at us and bowed down his head again. He looks so lost.

"I did not expect you to come here." I felt the tiredness in his voice so I was suddenly worried about him.

"I'm Adrian, I'm RD's co-worker. How are they?" Adrian asked immediately.

"Dainty is fine, but my cousin, we don't know yet." Mr. Montero answered and look away.

"Where is Dainty?" I asked worriedly.

And before Mr. Montero could answer Dainty suddenly came out of the ICU while crying.

"Oh, I'm outta here. I'll just by drinks." Nate said behind me and walked away. I just let him because I know that he is not fond of emotional scenes like this.

"Dainty are you okay? How's RD?" Adrian asked when he saw Dainty came out. But Dainty did not answer, she just cried out loud so I went to hugged her.

"RD was one of the three who's most detonated by the bomb, the two with him could not survive, while RD is still fighting." Mr. Montero said hoarsely and my jaw dropped open.

Does that mean RD is in the ICU?

My hug with Dainty tightened because she cried even more. A few minutes later, the doctor inside the ICU suddenly came out and immediately spoke to Mr. Ken Montero.

"The patient is slowly dying." The doctor said so I shivered again. "Too many parts of his body were burned, his body could no longer handle it." The doctor added and I heard Adrian cursing with another man. Dainty cried harder while Mr. Montero is sighing violently.

"Doc, please? Do everything, I'll pay a lot, just save my cousin." Mr. Montero said desperately to the doctor but he still didn't cry, unlike Dainty who's almost wailing.

"Doc! The patient!" Suddenly a nurse shouted there so I immediately looked at what was happening.

The doctors there took the tubes that was attached to RD and the covered the window with a curtain so that we could not take a peek.

Dainty also separated from me and struggled to get inside but the nurses prevented her from entering.

"Open this! Let me in!" Dainty shouted so Adrian stopped her by pulling her from behind. "Wait! I said let me in! Engineer!" Dainty wailed.

Nate came back while drinking some coffee and he looked so shocked by what he was witnessing just. While the man with the bandage looks restless and panicking while walking back and forth.

"What did just happened?" Nate sounds so confused while asking that. I didn't answer him because I do not know how to!

Few minutes later the doctor came out again and based on her face, I can say that things did not go well.

"I'm sorry Mr. Montero, we did our best but the patient's body is too weak." The doctor said hesitantly so Dainty cried again.

"You're just kidding, aren't you? RD is still alive! He can't die. No! Not my Engineer! Please not him!" Dainty said angrily and the man with her and Ken Montero calmed her down.

But I wonder why Ken just doesn't seem to be emotional. Like what he said today that he is RD's cousin, he should be frustrated but Dainty is the one who seems to be mourning more.

"Doc, is he really gone?" Adrian asked sadly as Dainty calmed down for a moment.

"We're really sorry, we'll take his body to the morgue later." The doctor said.

The doctor opened the door and I could see RD's body. I could not even tell if that was him, he was totally burned.

Dainty went inside and hugged RD's body. I turned around because I can't keep up with what I was watching, it hurt my heart, it was too much. And then I saw Ken Montero talking to the doctor. But I ignored them.

Even though I don't really know RD and the others here, I know it hurts to lose a loved one in life.

___

A week passed, Nate, Pau and I are in a coffee shop now, because Pauline wants us to meet. I also introduced him to Nate a few days ago.

"Why am I here again?" Nate asked and drank his coffee.

"Stop asking, the important thing here is we are not paying for what we are drinking." I said so he kept quiet.

"Don't you want to relax? It's so stressful these past few days." Pau said and I agreed.

"I'm not gonna be stress if you don't include me in your walks." Nate complained so I looked at him badly.

"Rather than rot in your house." Pau said and stared at him.

"What's wrong with you, lady?" Nate said that dramatically to Pauline, but my friend here just rolled her eyes at him so Nate started talking to me instead. "How is is that RD, by the way? When will he be buried?"

"I don't have news about it." I answered and sip on my coffee

"Then go and visit him in his place? I'm sure you know where he lives." Nate said with his arrogant tone.

"Wow, do I look like their relative? I can only go there because of Adrian."

"Then go there with Adrian." He said and I am so close on losing my mind.

"He is a busy person Nate, I don't want to bother him." I answered and drink my coffee again.

"But he's RD's friend." Oh my gosh, when will he stop?

"It's embarrassing as RD and I are not close."

"Then visit Dainty or that Montero?" Nate said and I felt like I want to punch him for being so nosy.

"Why are you talking so much?" I said annoyed and he showed me a peace sign, Pau just laughed while watching us. Nate really stresses the hell out me, he does not seem to be twenty-one years old because of the way he's acting.

After we had coffee, we left immediately. While walking to the parking lot they were talking about something, I was just behind them because I was not in the mood to chat.

"Your car is beautiful Nate hahaha." Pau said while riding in my cousin's car.

"Of course." Nate answered with full of arrogance in his voice.

But I am wondering why I'm sitting at the back seat and Pau was next to Nate. Is Pauline his cousin now? I rolled my eyes and ignored them and just looked at the road.

While Nate was busy driving, a motorbike suddenly appeared in front of him and we almost got into an accident!

Nate cursed and got out of the car so Pauline and I followed him. But when we came out we did not find a motorbike or a person, but a black rose on the road instead.

"Why is there a rose?" Pau asked us but I did not answer her.

I just looked around and there was no one else there except other vehicles passing by.

"Xari, it looks like the rose you also received these days." Nate said and showed me the flower.

"Just throw it away, It's late at night, we still have to take Pauline home." I acted not minding the rose and got in the car first but deep inside, I am so tensed.

I don't really feel good about this anymore, first of all, someone always sends me a rose at home and I don't even know who's giving it and how he left it at home without me noticing it, second, we almost had an accident and someone left a rose again.

I feel like my life is in danger and in that case I have to be careful.

"Are you okay, Xari? You look anxious." Pauline asked while looking at me. I just smiled at her and chuckled a bit so she will not be worried.

"Are you sure?" She asked again and I smiled with assurance. She smiled back too before bidding her goodbye and entered their house.

Nate on the other hand is furrowing his brows so I withdraw my look on him and decided not to talk to him.

"Hmm, are you hiding something?" Nate asked when we got home. He is leaning on my room's door while watching all of my actions.

"Of course not! I'm just tired, that's it." I said and turned my back on him.

"My little cousin knows how to keep a secret now, huh?" I faced him again just to glare.

"I said I'm tired, Nate! Just go to your room coz I want to sleep!" I shouted and started pushing him out. He just laughed at let me push him until we got on his room.

My mom even saw us and she looks confused.

"What are you two doing? And why did I hear you shout, Xari?" Mom asked me but it was Nate who answered.

"That was nothing, Auntie. Xari and I are having fun." He answered and my mom seemed to believed his reason so she went downstairs again.

"We'll talk next time." Nate said with finality before entering his room.

_____

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Montero Anthology