Kabanata 4

“Make way!” pagmamadali ng mga doktor, tulak ang matanda patungong emergency room.

“Kindly wait here for the meantime, someone will approach in a bit to ask you some questions.”

Magkahawak-kamay na tumayo ang mag-ina sa bukana ng ospital, habang naghihintay. Palingon-lingon naman si Bailey, nagmamasid sa mga pangyayari sa paligid.

“Ma, I want to roam around,” paalam nito, “Pretty please?”

“Excuse me, are you Ms. Tasha Lane?” tanong ng lumapit na nurse.

Hindi pa nakakasagot si Tasha ay bumitaw na si Bailey bago tumakbo at kumaway.

“Mama, I'm off!”

“Bailey, anak!”

“I promise I won't get lost,” sabay kindat ng bata bago kumaripas ng takbo patungo sa sumunod na hallway.

Sa kabila ng kaniyang pag-aalala ay kumpiyansa pa rin si Tasha na hindi manggugulo ang kaniyang anak. Alam niya ang kakayanan nito at kung gaano siya kadisiplinado, kaya hinayaan na lamang niya ang anak niyang halatang excited maglibot. First kasi niyang makapasok sa loob ng yaong prestihiyosong ospital.

“Uhh, miss, pasensya na sa abala.”

“No… no. Okay lang. He’ll be fine,” saad ng dalaga habang nakasunod pa rin ang tingin sa anak.

“Alright, I would like to ask you a series of questions regarding the incident earlier…”

…

“Hindi ganito kaluwag ang mga nakikita kong emergency room sa documentaries.”

Kahit na balot ng pagkamangha ang katawan ni Bailey ay hindi niya pa rin nakakalimutang maging mindful sa daanan upang hindi maantala ang trabaho ng mga mangagamot sa ospital. Alam kasi niya ang halaga ng bawat segundo, lalo na sa mga kasong nangangailangan ng agarang aksyon.

Nang makarating siya sa gitna ng ospital ay natigilan siya’t napatitig sa malaking estatwang nakatatag sa gitna ng maliit na lawang tila isang fountain.

“Rod of Asclepius. Hindi ba dapat, snake ito na nakabalot sa rod?” Tanong nito sa sarili habang nakahalumbaba, inaanalisa nang maigi ang posibleng kahulugan ng estatwa. “Well, that’s an unusual rod… why does it look like a plant that has a fuzzy-wuzzy feather hat up top?”

“That’s a reed plant,” seryosong sagot ng lalaking narinig ang paghihinuha ng bata, “It’s a symbol of this hospital—Reed General Hospital and Medical Center.”

“Uhh… hello, sir... I mean doctor?” Tumingala si Bailey sa lalaking halos triple ang tangkad sa kaniya.

“Call me Dr. Kael.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Kael. I’m Bailey.”

“Bailey. Nice meeting you too. Where are your parents?”

“Mama’s getting interviewed right now. I just wanted to roam around the hospital… especially since I’m planning to be a doctor soon too. I’d like to know what it’s like to be in a professional setting and immerse myself while I got the chance.”

“Doctor, huh? How old are you?”

“Six. Why? Are you surprised?” ani Bailey habang inaayos ang kaniyang kwelyo.

“Certainly. You already sound like a professional.”

“Well, I don’t know what a reed is though. But based on my observation, I suppose it’s a water plant.”

“Haha, spot on. I wish you all the best, kid. You already got the foundation of being a doctor anyway—being able to form rational evaluations based on keen observations.”

“I appreciate it, Dr. Kael. I know you have work to attend to. You don’t have to waste your time on a kid like me. The world is a much safer place with you on schedule.”

“Alright, I’ll take my leave then. See you around, Bailey.”

Kumaway ang bata bago tuluyang umalis ang sopistikadong doktor.

“Bailey! Akala ko kung saan ka nang nagsuot,” pagtawag ni Tasha sa anak. “Halika na’t uuwi na tayo.”

Nakapinta sa mukha ng dalaga ang pangamba—hindi mapakali ang sarili na parang may iniiwasan siyang makita. Nag-aalangan na sumunod naman ang bata sa kaniyang ina sa paglabas ng ospital.

Sa ‘di kalayuan ay napalingon si Kael sa babaeng tumatakbong lumapit sa batang kausap niya. Napataas ang kaniyang kilay. Bigla niya kasing naalala ang kaniyang panaginip, matapos masilayan ang likuran ng babae sa ospital.

“That’s weird. Perhaps, I’m just tripping,” sabi niya sa sarili bago lubusang tumalikod at umalis.

“Wow, bro!” pag-akbay ni Adrian sa balikat ni Kael, “I didn’t know you could laugh! Got a sweet spot for kids, huh?”

“Why, Dr. Cross? Think I’m a stone?”

“Woah… with those replies, para mo na rin akong binabato. Ouch.”

“Done chatting? I have to go.”

“O diba! Grabe, bro. We’ve been buddies for years and daig pa ako ng random kid,” pabebeng reklamo ni Adrian habang patuloy pa rin si Kael paglalakad patungo sa kaniyang opisina.

“Don’t you have work to do? Go on. I have mine,” sagot niya nang hindi luminilingon.

“Aww. Sir, yes, sir,” mukhang disappointed na pagtalikod ni Adrian sa kabilang direksyon.

Kakaupo pa lamang ni Kael sa loob ng kaniyang opisina ay may nakabuntot na pala sa kaniyang resident physician, dala ang medical reports ng mga pasyenteng bagong pasok.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Reed. May incident report po mula sa emergency department.”

“What's the case?”

“Male patient, approximately fifty-five. He suffered a sudden onset of neurological symptoms at a public market. Witnesses reported facial drooping, weakness in one arm, and slurred speech. The attending emergency team suspects an acute stroke and has transported him for urgent evaluation.”

Sinilip ni Kael ang report. “This report says a first aider was involved? Who recognized the symptoms?”

“Apparently, a six-year-old boy.”

“A six-year-old?” pagtataka ni Kael.

“Yes, doc. Most of the bystanders initially assumed the man was suffering from heat stroke because of the extreme heat. Some attempted to cool him down, suggesting na paliguan daw ang pasyente. Gusto rin nilang painumin siya ng malamig na tubig. However, the child noticed that the man's symptoms were more consistent with a possible stroke than simple heat exhaustion.”

Itinabi ni Kael ang tablet niya at diretsahang tumingin sa resident physician.

“According to the emergency dispatcher’s report, the child initiated a quick test by instructing the man to smile and asking him simple questions daw, like kung anong pangalan niya at ilang taon na siya. The child specifically mentioned that one side of the man's face appeared to droop, one arm wasn't moving normally, and his speech had suddenly become slurred. He also pointed out that the patient seemed confused, which made giving him water particularly dangerous,” dagdag niya.

“And he communicated all that himself?”

“Yes po. He approached the scene and immediately called for doctors around. Upon confirming na walang ibang qualified na suriin ang pasyente, he asked his mom to call emergency services, bago niya personal na inobserbahan ang pasyente while keeping a safe distance, at first. He then coherently described his observations to the dispatcher. When the paramedics arrived, he repeated what he had witnessed, including the bystanders' attempts to administer water and the apparent difficulty the patient had swallowing.”

“Did he claim to have diagnosed the patient?” Bumakas ang matinding interes sa mukha ni Kael.

“No, doc. Kabaligtaran pa nga. He explicitly told the dispatcher that he couldn't confirm the diagnosis, but that the sudden facial asymmetry, arm weakness, and slurred speech were warning signs of a possible stroke. He emphasized that the patient needed immediate professional assessment rather than being treated for presumed heat stroke alone.”

Wala nang masabi si Kael. Lalo na’t napakahalagang ma-differentiate ang dalawang posibleng kaso. Ang heat stroke ay isang life-threatening emergency na sanhi ng mapanganib na labis na pag-init ng katawan, habang ang stroke naman ay may kinalaman sa pagbara ng daloy ng dugo sa utak o kaya ay pagdurugo sa loob nito. Bagamat may mga sintomas na nagkakapareho, ang biglaang paglaylay ng mukha, panghihina ng isang bahagi ng katawan, at hirap sa pagsasalita ay ang classic warning sign ng stroke. Hindi dapat hulaan ang alinman sa dalawang kondisyon na ito, at ang suspected stroke ay nangangailangan ng agarang medikal na pagsusuri.

Higit sa lahat, napansin ng bata na hindi porke't iyon ang sabi ng marami ay iyon na ang tamang paliwanag—at sapat ang alam niya para sabihin ang kaniyang mga nakita nang hindi nagmamagaling na alam niya ang lahat.

Napasandal ang doktor sa kaniyang upuan.

“A six-year-old recognized the warning signs, questioned the crowd's assumption, and gave the dispatcher a coherent account of the patient's condition? Do we have a name?”

“Bailey Lane po, doc. Actually, he and his mom accompanied the old man all the way to the hospital. That kid even remembered kung anong oras mismong nag-collapse ‘yung pasyente,” sagot ng resident physician.

Parang may bumbilyang umilaw sa utak ni Kael nang kaniyang maalala ang batang may maluwang na salamin na kausap niya kani-kanina lamang.

“Bailey Lane, huh? You got their contact, right? I’ll have Jon arrange a meeting with his mother,” ani Kael, bunga ng kaniyang pagninilay-nilay. “I'd like to learn more about his interest in medicine. If he has a genuine aptitude, perhaps we can offer him appropriate educational guidance through our outreach program.”

“Yes po. I’ll reach out to the nurse who talked to Ms. Tasha Lane, then, babalikan ko po kayo later para sa contact info niya. Una na po ako, doc.” Sa pag-alis nito, napabaling naman bigla ang atensyon ni Kael sa pangalan ng ina ng bata. This time, pangalan naman ang tunog pamilyar sa kaniya.

“What is this feeling? Did I happen to forget something from the past?”

Sinungkit niya ang kaniyang phone sa bulsa. “Jon… I want you to dig up that incident.”

“Hello, sir. What incident, sir?” pagtataka ng kaniyang butler.

“THAT incident.”

“Understood.”