Chapter 3 3

MARSHIN ESCALANTE's POV

"MARENG!"

That rude Gabril. Why is it here in my grandmother Inding's house again?

"Let me in, grandson," Grandma Inding said to me.

My face flushed as I left our little house.

"Come on!"

"What the heck, Gabril! I'm not deaf!" puckered when I said and he just smiled.

She is now wearing a white dress and black pans. Isn't there a class this Gabril? My monkey friend is in his third year of college and will soon be an Engineer. If I had just studied we might have been the same year and maybe, I would have studied Culinary Arts. By the way, not lucky. I have also applied for the scholarship several times but I am very unlucky. I don't have p-wit skin but that scholarship is just not for me. Then another we were just in the province.

"Aren't you in today, Gabril?" I asked him.

My friend feels at home so even if I don't invite him to sit down, that's what he did.

"Tomorrow, go to daddy's side-farm, Mareng," he said.

"What am I going to do there?" I asked as I raised one eyebrow.

"Doctors from Manila will come tomorrow and they have a medical mission here in our province. Everyone from Sta. Maria can come. Also, we are the priority in their medical mission. Go, Mareng. There is a free check. -up there and they can give you medicine for grandma Inding. And you'll have a check-up too. 'Isn't it, your stomach often hurts? "

"Often, that's when I'm stressed and just tired," I said and he nodded.

That would be nice and maybe give us medicine for my grandmother.

"Then another, we are really required to go," he added.

I thought about it. Grandma can just because I think it's a pity we're selling in the market tomorrow. Sta. Maria Province has only one market. Those from the other town still come here.

This is an opportunity for grandma Inding. I'll just take care of our merchandise tomorrow.

"Grandma, you just go," I said when grandma entered our small living room.

He put down the boiled banana he was carrying and my monkey friend quickly left it.

"It's just you, grandson. To check that your stomach hurts," said grandma but I turned her around.

"It's you, grandma. I'm in the market," I promised firmly.

"We're closing tomorrow, grandson. Then one more thing, we should all be able to go. It's only once like this, Marshin."

"Yes, Mareng! You two and grandma Inding. Don't worry, I'll write your name on the first list," Gabril promised with a smile.

"That's what you shouldn't do, Gabril! Grandma and I are going," I surrendered and her smile widened even more. Then he continued to eat her.

ATOPW

Chapter 3 (2.3)

CERVIN RAESON VESALIUS's POV

WELCOME TO STA.MARIA PROVINCE. Five words and twenty-five letters immediately appeared to us when we finally arrived Sta.Maria Province.

The trip from Manila to this old province is also seven hours. I immediately felt tired even though I was just sitting inside Kierson's car.

"Finally, I can rest well," said Taki and he was the first to get out of the car.

There were only three of us in Kierson's car. Me and Taki. Kier was also the only one driving here. He also did not want to trade with us.

I went downstairs and followed as my companions looked on. We are ten doctors here, with five nurses. They were riding in two vans.

I roamed my eyes around, well, the surroundings were very green. Quiet but beautiful surrounding.

The breeze is also nice and only a few people live here. It was already afternoon because we arrived so maybe the sunshine isn't so painful on the skin anymore.

"Good afternoon," a muscular man greeted us immediately and he had fellow bodyguards.

"I am the barangay captain, Manuel Santa Maria." That explain, why.

Taki was the one who talked, especially since he is the team leader here in our medical mission.

There's a tent where we can rest and are ready for tomorrow. Lerv's hospital can afford to give us a budget for one week of this team.

But because the mayor and their barangay captain are showing off their elegance here, they are the ones who take over everything.

So are those in politics, right?

"I'm dead, tired," Kierson said and he groaned, too.

We were in the same tent and we could have five of us inside. But because Kier didn't want to be with anyone else, there were only three of us in the same tent.

"Where is Dr.Cervin, by the way?" question of who was outside our tent.

I was lying on the bed-fold and I glanced at Kier with his eyes already closed. No one cares about the person outside.

"Who was that, Kier?" I asked crookedly.

"You fans," he lazily replied while still closing his eyes.

"Dr.Cervin? Yuhoo! Sweetheart! I have your drinks, here. Can I go in there?" What the h-ll? It's Dra.Georgina!

F*ck! I forgot that she's one of the doctor in this field.

"Come on, Cerv. Let your fans in," Kier said smiling and I circled him.

"F*ck you!" I kissed him and took a blanket to the side then I covered up.

"It's okay if Dra. Georgia and I do something here?" Kier asked me with his signature smirked.

Georgina is one of his fling and I know, they are f*cking each other. But his woman wouldn't even let me go.

"You are so disgusting, Kier. Get out!" I said to him in disgust and I heard the sound of him lying down then he laughed.

"Babe, Dr.Cerv is asleep. You just brought me," Kier said to the woman.

"Oh? Okay?" In the tone of his voice he seemed disappointed. Tsk.

"Are you free tonight, babe?" Kier is actually flirting with her.

That naughty Kier. Is this how his body heat is carried? What the h-ll. Call it Lervin.

I got up and took out my phone but I was just shocked when I saw there was no signal.

ATOPW Chapter 3 (3.3)

I PROMISED to my daughter that we're going to video call once I'm in Sta. Maria Province. But how? If there is no signal here?

Because I was frustrated I just lay down and fell asleep.

The next morning we immediately prepared for our medical mission. We will start by 8 am in the morning. And even without 8, there are already many locals and that's amazing. This is really the case when in the province, early.

"Dr.Cerv!" I silently cursed when Georgina hugged me.

My hands quickly removed his arm from my waist.

I could still hear Kier's laughter.

"Dra.Georgina, may I remind you that we are in the middle of our medical mission? Please, be professional," I said emphatically and I could still see the pain in her eyes.

"I am married, you know that."

"But, she's missing right? So I don't see her anymore," she said smiling.

"No," I moaned.

"Well, let's see," he said and left in front of me.

"That b-tch," Taki whispered.

"Don't worry, I'll tell that one," he said.

I sat down in my seat and someone stood next to me who must be Taki.

This medical mission is not Kier's field. Therefore, he's free to go, wherever he wants.

"What is it?" I asked the man without emotion.

He's wearing his white v-neck shirt and black pans. He looks decent and it looks good.

"Can they be listed first?" he asked innocently and just frowned at me.

"This is first come first serve, our priority is the first in line," I said and they shook their heads.

"One of them is a senior, then he has heart disease. The second, well, he is still young but he also has a disease," he explained.

Okay, we prioritize the senior especially if it's sick.

"Okay," I said as I cleared my throat.

"Thank you, here are their names," he said while handing me a piece of paper.

"Indina V. Escalante, 70 years old. Widow. Marshin V. Escalante, 20 years old."

Marshin? I feel weird about reading her name.

After that conversation with stranger he said goodbye immediately. I waited for them but it was only 12 pm in the afternoon that they did not arrive. We called their name several times.

"Indina V. Escalante," Taki and I's nurse assistant called and an old woman raised her right hand.

The nurses quickly supported it and sat it across from where I was sitting. She's 70 years old, but it seems, she's still strong.

"Indina V. Escalante?" I said his name.

"It's me, son," he said with a smile.

I check her blood pressure and it's normal. I put my stethoscope on his heart and I could hear his faint heartbeat.

"You seem to have a heart disease, grandma?" I asked him and he nodded.

"But I don't need medical treatment. Because I will only be in the world for a few days, son," he said meaningfully and my eyebrows met.

I often encounter scenes like this. But I'm still not used to it. How can someone predict their own deaths?

"My grandson needs that more, someday."

"Are you drinking any maintenance?"

"No, but I have a medicine that's not maintenance." he said and shook his head.

"What's wrong with your grandson, grandma?"

"Her stomach hurts, son." "Ah ..." that's all I could say.

"I'll just give it to--," I didn't finish what I was about to say when I was suddenly confused.

I stood up in shock and when I saw what kind of tire the people of Sta.Maria had created.

"It's just a cat fight, Dr. Cervin. He's said to be the mayor's son and Mareng?" promise of our fellow nurse.

To be continued...