"What happened?" one of the paramedics looked at her and asked, while the others lift Dee in a stretcher and brought her inside the ambulance.
"I… I don't know… We… we were talking, then… then I said goodbye, and just before I left, I heard something and the next thing I know she... she was lying there…" she tried to explain, her body still shaking.
"Okay, I understand. Are you a family member / a close friend? Will you accompany her to the hospital?"
"No... I... I'm just an acquittance…" she replied.
"I see, don't worry, we'll take her in the hospital and inform her emergency contacts. Thank you so much for your help." The paramedics said.
But before they can leave. "Wait, wait please… I… I'll come… I'll come with her." She said, not sure why she suddenly felt the urge to be with Dee. This was the only time she ever rode an ambulance again, after her mother died. All the feeling she felt during those time suddenly came back, the surrounding… the sound of the siren… the machine inside the ambulance…she vividly remembered…
*******************************
(FLASHBACK)
"Mom… mom… please wake up… please… I'm begging you… please" she cried as she held her mother's hands while they're inside the ambulance.
Earlier, she was just talking and arguing with her mom about their current situation.
"Mom, please, let's just leave Dad. He's basically a shell, he doesn't care about us, he doesn't care about you. He's just drowning himself everyday with alcohol. He's not helping us with the bills. We barely make ends meet from the small money we earn from doing other's people's laundry." she plead.
"Marge, even if all you said is true, we can't leave. We need to stay here, we don't have anywhere else to go. And even if your father is a drunkard, he doesn't hurt us, you can actually consider yourself lucky." Her mom calmly answered.
"You mean not yet! He's a ticking time bomb Mom. He doesn't hurt us now but he's already throwing things, breaking things, starts to act up when there's no more alcohol or food."
"Just stop Marge! Just get those baskets and help me finish Mrs. Carlos' laundry so we can buy some groceries later."
She didn't move right away but eventually gave in because even though she's right, her mother is still telling the truth.
"Mom… where do you want me to put these baskets?" Marge called. "These are really heavy… do you think Mrs. Carlos will…." she dropped the baskets and run towards her mom as she saw her lying on the floor…
"Moooommmm!!!!"
*******************************
(PRESENT TIME)
"Excuse me Miss."
"Ah, yes?" she answered as she saw the nurse in front of her.
"Are you the family member of Ms. Ferrer?"
"I… I accompanied her here, but I'm actually just an acquaintance. Is… is she fine? Is everything okay? What is happening? she asked, worried that whatever happened to her mom will happen to Dee as well.
"Ah no, no… she's okay… she's out of danger. She was actually moved to a private room there. The doctor is looking for her family so he can discuss what happened and her current situation." The nurse reassured her.
Before she can say anything, she heard a noise in the nurse's station wherein 3 women arrived, all in suit and looking terribly worried.
"Hi, excuse me… I'm Raine Zulueta, I'm looking for Dina Ferrer, someone called that she was admitted here?"
Before she knows it, the 3 women where walking in her direction.
"Hi, the nurse told us that you were the one who accompanied our friend. Thank you so much for helping her. I'm Alex by the way." The woman said.
"It… It's no big deal, it was just a coincidence that I was there. Now that you're here… I... I should leave." I said trying to get out of their way.
"Oh, wait, here, take this. It's not much but it's for the cab and for your effort…" the woman said trying to give her some money.
"No, no… you don't have to, and I don't need it," Marge strongly declined.
"I insist. It's for your trouble, especially you don't know our friend..."
"No, it's okay, it's not like that… I… I should leave." she repeated.
"Wait, Miss?" the other woman called. "By any chance, are you… are you Marge... Margie Tuazon?"
"How… how do you know who I am?" Marge asked, surprise that this people know her name.
"Oh, thank God…She finally found you." She heard the woman exclaimed before hugging her tightly
"Thank you… thank you so much… Thank you for saving her…" the woman whispered to her.
*******************************
Dee opened her eyes, but slightly blinded by the lights. She looked at her unfamiliar surroundings, seeing an IV bag connected to her arm. "Hospital, what is she doing in a hospital?" she asked herself, feeling disoriented. "Wait, where is Marge… they were just talking… but then she heard Marge saying goodbye again… telling her that she won't see her anymore and suddenly, she felt everything was spinning and now she's in a hospital." Realizing that Marge is gone again, she stood up instantly, attempting to pull out her IV.
"Oh my God, Ms. Ferrer… please… don't do that…please calm down, Ms. Ferrer." the nurse screamed in terror.
Suddenly she saw Alex and Pat rushing to her.
"Dee, please calm down, listen to the nurse." Pat said as she saw, what's she was doing.
"Pat, I need to get out of here. Please, I can't stay in this hospital. I need to go, I need to go see her. She's leaving. If I can't get to her immediately, I won't be able to stop her. She'll be gone and I won't be able to find her, please Pat." She explained. Pleading that they'll let her go.
"Dee, come on… You don't have to do that… Don't do this to yourself." Alex chimed in.
"I need to do it. Don't tell me otherwise, Alex." Dee shouted to them. "If you won't help me, then leave me alone. I don't need you here. I didn't ask anyone of you to be here, so get lost!" she screamed at them. They don't understand what she's feeling. They don't understand where she's coming from… They don't know how painful it is to lose the one you love… to see them slipping out of your hand, time and time again.
"Dee… don't be like that… we were worried. We rushed here in the hospital after we heard what happened." Raine softly explained as she entered the room.
"Raine…I'm sorry… but I got to go… whether everyone agrees to it or not." she replied in finality, successfully pulling out her IV. If it was under normal circumstances, she will be elated that her friends came for her. But this is different.
But before she can get to the door, the woman she's longing to see appeared right before her eyes.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Marge sternly said, looking at me intently and annoyed.
"M…Marge, you're here…" she gasped, not sure whether she's dreaming or if this was all real.
"Did I here that correctly? You don't need anyone? Really? And yet you put yourself in a position wherein you are troubling everyone?"
"I... I didn't mean…"
"You didn't mean?... You didn't mean to trouble the nurses who are just doing their job? You didn't mean to trouble your friends, who by the looks of it, rushed and dropped whatever important thing it is that they're doing, just because they heard you where admitted in the hospital?" Marge continued to berate her.
"I… I'm so…sorry..." she softly said, calming down and realizing that her behavior was unacceptable.
"Sorry?... Yeah, you should be. Now, get the hell back to your bed and don't cause trouble for everyone!" Marge ordered.
"Yes, I will… I'm sorry again…" she said lowering my head, before following her order.
The room was silent until she heard Alex laugh… She looked at her scornfully signaling her to stop.
"I'm sorry… I just... This is the first time that I saw you like this, Dee. Usually, you are the one scolding us" Alex trying to explain in between laughs.
"Shut up Alex!" Raine and Pat ordered in unison.
Good thing, the doctor suddenly entered the room.
"Hello there, good to see that everyone's lively and okay." The doctor happily greeted everyone.
"Okay, Ms. Ferrer, I see that you've taken out your IV. Normally, I prefer that you waited and finish it, but seeing how you are now, I take it that you are better than I expected. Initially, when you were brought here, we were afraid that you had a heart attack or seizure. But after checking the result of your tests, it seems that it is not the case, and currently, you are not in a critical condition. However, the test also showed that you were severely dehydrated, your blood sugar dropped, and you are also anemic. This means that you are not taking care of yourself properly. Were you able to rest or eat in the last 48 hours?" the doctor asked.
"No Doc, because of work and my current situation, I haven't slept properly in the last 48 hours and I… I haven't eaten anything, I think." She honestly answered. Not looking at Marge as she's afraid that she will scold her again.
"There you go. I strongly advise that you stop this practice. I prescribed the medicine that you need to take and vitamins that will help you recover. I also advise that you take a few days off to work to help yourself recover quickly. Now, you can opt to stay here in the hospital till you are fully recovered or I can allow you to go home, as long as you have someone who can look after you." The doctor explained.
"I… I prefer to go home Doc, I… I don't like staying in the hospital as much as possible." She strongly answered. Worried that if she stayed here longer, Marge will have the opportunity to leave again.
"Okay, I understand but, who will look after you?"
She didn't know how to answer but suddenly, she heard Marge's voice.
"I will Doc, I can look after her and take care of her until she recovers." Marge said surprising her and everyone.
"Okay, that's good then. I'll let the nurses process your discharge papers and they will let you know once you are good to go. Sounds good?
"Yes Doc, thank you so much." she answered, feeling relieve that Marge will go home with her. They can finally talk properly.
"Okay, have a nice evening ladies."