THE GOALS (FILIPINO)

PROLOGUE

This is what I defined life, a long time before. Having my own house, helping my family, providing for them, being a doctor, helping the patients, do rounds, and other stuffs. But then now I’m living with it, I feel like I’m still on my half way to life.

I’ve been through a lot since I got this position. I’ve worked for how many years to earn this position. All my efforts where paid off. Seeing my family happy with satisfies me, seeing my patients recover satisfies me. But then I felt something like...a shallow deep within me.

People come and go for a reason, and at some point in life, they come back for a reason. It may be valid or absurd. When they come, be strong. When they go, be strong. When they come back, still, be strong. That is what you need, you need to be strong.

While I was on my way to my office, things suddenly occupied me. Because of my patient’s case. Her last words before she died made me think of something. Something I was avoiding to think few years ago.

“Thank..you..f-for giving your..best doc”

“No no we’ll work on this, okay? Just cooperate with me. Be brave. Okay?”

The patient has Encephalitis, the inflammation of the brain tissue. The patient was experiencing seizure a while ago, and she’s becoming more weak and weaker. The antibiotics didn’t help her.

“Im glad dying...in this kind of state…Im glad dying doing what I love and taking it in one shot…”

“Mom! Stop talking! You’re not dying!” her daughter shouted and cried even more. She suddenly hold my hand when I was checking her state.

"Doc I know you have been through a lot...you are successful...b-but you're not happy." She told me. 

"I love you anak." She turned to her daughter and thelast thing we heard...

The heart monitor's painful sound...

"AED!" 

"Charge in 200 joules!" 

"Mom! No! No! Mom!!!"

"Please wait outside ma'am."

"No!"

"Clear!"

I look at the heart monitor... no...

"Clear! 

"One more time."

"Clear!"

Tears started to drop in my eyes...No I can't lose a patient...

"Clear!"

"Doc, we can't revive her."

I was crying when they said her time of death...

I really get emotional if I lose a patient...It breaks me.

I will fill in those empty spaces ma’am, for you, and for myself. Thank you. That's what I said when I was in the chapel. Praying for her soul. Then I went to my office, thinking about some things. This day was kind of rough for me, I was not feeling well so I had to go home already, since wala na rin naman akong patients.

I was staring at my bedroom ceiling, thinking about how my life went. I got up and roamed around my house, I have nothing here, I don’t have someone here.

Truly is an empty space.

I came back to my room, tears started to flow. I’m having a good life but I still feel lonely. Memories of us started haunting me again. It been years but then, I can’t still get over him. Geez Anastacia, such a loyal lady.

Kinabukasan, I went to the hospital and check my appointments for today. I finished exactly at lunch time, pero may patients pa ako mamayang hapon. I ate at the cafeteria alone before going back to my office.

My life as a doctor is kind of exhausting but everytime I see my patients recover, all of the hardships are already paid off. It’s not because of the money but because they are finally okay and stable. They’ve been my happiness, my healers, my everything when I first entered this field.

I’ve been broken but they made those pieces reattached again. Kaya even someone left me, they we’re people who came to made me feel like I am still special, that I am still worth it, that I am not alone and they are my patients.

Life is really tough, though I haven't experienced so worst like other’s problems but just by listening at them, I felt how it hurts. When I listen to someone’s problem it made me think na kung ako kaya sa situation nila? Would I be able to handle it? I cant even handle when he...

I got my phone out of my pocket when it suddenly beeped. It was a text message from my cousin, Safiela. I wonder how she’s been doing lately. Well I hope she’s fine. Hindi rin biro ang napagdaanan niya.

‘someone is back.’

that’s her text meesage. Someone is back? Sino naman kaya? Habang nag iisip ako, my phone rang, and my bestfriend Pia, was the caller.

[I have a good news for you, Bonniegirl!] halata sa boses niya na excited siya sa ibabalita pero her good news sounds like a bad news for me, hmmmm. I wonder why.

[Tsh, what it is?”] I questioned and while getting my bottle of tea in my desk.

[Ethan is—

I can’t clearly heard what Pia said coz one of the nurses entered my office. Sinilip niya pa ako kung may ginagawa ba ako, kaya ngumiti ako at sinenyasan na pumasok siya. I didn't bother to end the call, I just placed it on my table.

“Nandito na po yung nagpa set ng check-up sainyo doc.” sabi niya and handed me the folder for the patients information tsaka siya nagpaalam at lumabas.

I was shocked to see the name of the patient.

Acianna Bonnette Guttierez.

It feels weird but its like the child is named after me.

Her second name was like mine, and her last name is…

I don’t know if this is just a coincidence...

But I was more shocked to read her father’s name.

The door suddenly opened and there was a figure of a man. His black well fixed hair, his perfect brows, his pointed nose, his brown eyes, his lips...hat once touched mine.

He looked at me straight in the eyes, like what he used to looked at me. Like how he used to look at me when we we’re both in love.

Someone caught my attention, nang may sumilip sa gilid niya. It was a little lovely girl, her pigtails made her more cute.

I can see features of Ethan in hers

he really is the father.

 DISCLAIMER :

THIS STORY IS FROM AUTHOR'S IMAGINATION, SIMILARITIES WITH REAL LIFE EVENTS ARE PURELY COINCIDENCE. 

WRONG SPELLINGS AND WRONG GRAMMARS AHEAD. 

ILOVEYOU!