CHAPTER 1
[ THIRD ]
"YOU ARE MR. PHIL MONTES? Hmmm.. So you are my patient now" tumatangong saad ng doktora habang pinagmamasdan ang lalaking naka-upo sa harapan nito.
Siya nama'y pumunta muna sa kaniyang cubicle ngunit ang atensyon niya'y nasa doktora at sa kausap nito.
"Ms. Kim Montes, her sister" pakilala naman ng kasama nito. Tumango ang doktora.
"Okay, please seat to the other side" turo nito doon sa maliit na salas na kasunod lang ng table nito.
"Please might as well don't interrupt our session but if I told you so, Ma'am. Kailangan niyang mag-focus sa akin at sa pag-uusapan namin, okay? Just please stay there and listen" mahinahong saad nito sa kasama.
Ngumiti naman ito. "Okay.."
Napangiti din ang doktora sa sinaad nito at bumaling sa kaniya.
"Offer her some snacks, will you please?" Tumango lang siya bilang sagot kaya tumalikod na ito at humarap na doon sa pasyente.
"Anyway, mind telling me your story, Mr. Montes" pagsasalita ng doktora.
Siya nama'y binigyan muna ng maiinom ang kasama nito. Agad niyang napansin ang pagtitig nito.
"You are?"
"Her assistant" sagot niya. "Want anything aside from that, Ms. Montes?" Tanong niya dito gamit ang pormal niyang boses.
Ngumiti na naman ito. "No. It's fine" tumango lang siya bilang tugon at bumalik na sa lamesa. Nang maka-upo ay tumingin siya sa doktora.
Nakangiti ito sa harapan ng pasyente na para bang kaibigan lang ang nasa harapan.. Ngunit alam niya, paraan lang ito ng doktora para makuha ng buo ang tiwala ng pasyente.
1 and a half month pass since he was assigned to be her new secretary. Inaamin niyang medyo mahirap i-adjust ang sarili lalo na't hindi niya kilala ang makakasama but as the time goes by, he can now tell that he knew want kind of doctor she is.
A wise doctor, she always smiles to her patients and gently guide them. She seems playful but it's her way to make the patients comfortable.
But.. Behind those bright attitude was a manipulative kind. She interrogates the patients and ask blunt questions. Then, she answered them frankly but ain't an insult to everybody. Like she was just exactly telling them the truth of what their conditions is.
He sigh and get a his small notebook. He has to observe what kind of doctor is a psychiatrist specially because he also want to learn. But the real thing is..
Even if he don't want to, he must want it. He need it to prove something that--
"Voices.." Biglang napaangat ang tingin niya at dumapo iyon sa nagsalitang pasyente.
"Voices? Hmm.. Can you tell me what kind of voices? Like what it sounds like and what did it says?" Tanong doktora at may sinulat sa kwadernong hawak.
"It's sounds scary the first time but as the time goes by.." Sandali itong huminto. "It sounds my guide"
Kumunot ang noo niya.
"Guide? How do you say so?" Tanong ulit ng doktora.
"The voice guide me. I can hear it everytime" hinawakan nito ang sentido at mahinang pinisil.
"It says what should I do. 'Don't mind them', 'Don't care at them', 'Shout at them', 'No one cares about you', 'Leave them'.. A-And worse, i-it keeps telling me that I should kill. 'Kill them brutally', 'Shot them merciless', 'Stab them deathly'.. A-Agh!" Sinapo na nito ng tuluyan ang ulo at umiling iling.
"I-I can hear it clearly! What should I do?! Can I just do what it says para tigilan na niya ako?! S-Siguro nga diba?! Pero sino?! SINO ANG PAPATAYIN KO?!" sigaw nito na para bang may kinaka-usap at may tinatanong gamit ang desperado nitong boses.
Napatingin naman siya sa doktora. Kalmadong kalmado lang ito at nanatiling nakatitig sa pasyenteng mukhang malapit ng magwala. Maya-maya pa ay may sinulat ulit ito sa kwaderno.
"I see.. Anything else?" Tanong nito.
Tumingin naman ang pasyente sa doktora at bigla itong ngumisi.
"Sinasabi niyang IKAW ang papatayin ko! HAHAHA!" at tumawa pa ng nakakaloko.
"Kailangan ko bang sundin?! Ano?! Anong gagawin ko?!" Nagwawalang sambit nito.
"No, you don't need to do it" sagot nito.
"Pero kailangan kong gawin! Magwawala siya at nasasaktan ako! Isa pa.." Bigla ulit itong napa-upo. Nanginginig na ang mga kamay nito na para bang may natatakot.
"B-Baka kunin nila ako! They will abduct me! Those guys! They will kill me!" Nababahalang saad nito at biglang dumaing na para bang nasasaktan.
Muling nagsulat ang doktora.
"They will not, okay?" Saad nito.
"NO!" Malakas nitong tanggi. "T-They can control me! T-They're controlling me!" Saglit itong tumigil bago masamang tumingin sa kaharap.
"W-What's with those questions, huh?! Y-You want to control me, right?! Y-You want to manipulate me!" Tumayo ito at napa-atras.
"Why would I control you? I'm just asking questions" mahinahong sagot ng doktora ngunit marahas na umiling ang pasyente.
"Of course! Anyone want to control someone! HAHAHA! Specially I, Phil Montes! I'm brilliant! I'm own everything! HAHAHA!" parang baliw nitong sagot ngunit parang wala lang ito sa doktora at muling nagsulat.
Siya nama'y nanatiling nakatingin lang sa dalawa. Minamasdan at iniintindi niya ang mga ginagawa ng doktora. Kakaiba ang pamamaraan nito. Masyadong mahinahon at kalmado.
"You owned everything but all I see was you owned nothing" ani ng doktora at saglit pang tinignan mula ulo hanggang paa ang itsura ng pasyente.
Yes, he can also say that. Phil Montes has a long beard like he doesn't care like he's neat or not. Besides, he doesn't look like a wealthy person.
"Are they real or not?" Muling tanong nito.
"It is! I-I can hear them! I can feel it! Day after dawn and nights after midnights! T-They are always watching me! I can feel their stares on me! I-It's scary! I-It's terrifying!" Nanginginig sa takot nitong sambit.
"T-They are real and they are for me!"
"Hmmm.. Very well said then" tumingin ito sa kaniya at bahagyang ngumiti.
"Please assist him to Ares. Just let him there in 10 minutes then we can transfer him at Hypnos. After that, I'll prescribed a medication and therapies then let's see what will happend next" pormal nitong utos.
Kaagad naman niyang inalalayan ang pasyente papasok sa Ares.
"Where are we--"
"Stay at Ares, Mr. Montes we'll talk again later or soon" saad nito.
Inalalayan naman nito papasok sa loob ang pasyente. Humarap siya sa doktora at sakto namang nagtanong ang kasama nito.
"What's with those questions? Amyway, do have an idea about it? What's his conditon?" Agarang tanong ng kasama nito. Ngumiti ang doktora.
"Symptoms are correct. That was really his condition though I have to check everything first before prescribing his medications" saad nito.
Tumayo naman ito at pumunta sa may shelves. "I'll explain it later. Now, just assist him, okay?" Ngiting saad nito sa kaniya at tumalikod na.
Siya nama'y tumango na lamang. Better to wait 'till it's time to know, then.
***
To be continue..