Chapter 28: Wreck

Mindara Manaying

Ever since that day, Yam refused to see us and we could only get her updates through the staff there. Yam’s pregnancy reached the last trimester and each visit to the doctor would confirm that the baby she carried was fine and healthy. Meanwhile on our side, we were still working for the adoption process and fulfilling all requirements needed. It was a tedious one but I believed it would be worth it. However then, there was a thing that bothered me up until now; Yam was not yet aware that the couple who would be adopting her illegitimate child was us. Being ignorance and unsupportive herself had made it impossible for us to make it work with her. Poor thing, she just did not care and had absentmindedly trusted the agency with the responsibility. I wonder if her careless decision would cost her something in the future. Until then, all I could do was to pray for the best of her.

            “Pie, is everything alright here?” Kimhan’s voice startled me. I threw a glance over my shoulder just to get a glimpse of her, making her way into the room.

            “Yeah…” Only then it came to my realisation that I’d been spacing out for quite some time. It has been a long day that I spent hours of installing and setting up things for the baby.

            “You did a great job here.” Kimhan’s so called compliment caused me to flinch inside.  “I mean look, isn’t it your hardwork?” She continued, pointing to baby crib.

            “I appreciate it much for your help.” Kimhan’s laughed at my sarcasm and went silent after the slightest seconds. Things have been odd lately. Just like how cold Yam had become, Kimhan was no different now. She did less talking and most of the time I found that she was spacing out to nowhere. It seemed like even if she’s physically there with me, her mind was not here; I was certain that she was thinking of Yam and the permanent damage she had done.

            “Kimhan?” I called her out. She threw me a look.

“Let’s rest? I’m starving.” I watched Kimhan’s eyebrow arched in questioning gesture before she glanced at her wristwatch. formed into a perfect ‘O’ when she got the track of time. It passed dinner time and she was not aware of it at all. I told you, she was not on the Earth.

“Did you know that you eat pretty a lot lately?” She said.

“Does it also mean you want me to starve to death?” I rolled my eyes at her.

“Let me rephrase that. You’re being over dramatic ever since I first get to know you.” She replied and quickly put her index finger to my lips as to hush me from talking. She knew I would not let her win over that and she successfully stopped me. “No more talking.” She finished it there.

That night, I could not sleep a wink even though my entire form was numb from tiredness. I wondered if whatever I’ve been doing was the right thing to do; am I that well prepared to raise a child, to become a parent? Or it was just the selfish me who wished to torture Kimhan with this cruel condition.

******

It was quite early in the morning when Kimhan knocked on my bedroom’s door and barged in a split second later.

            “What?” Annoyance enveloped me. She could have killed me with that sudden act due to heart attack. She was not even sorry for her careless act.

            “Pie, get up. Yam…she’s in labour room!” Kimhan rushed. The annoyance in me turned into panic just because I saw Kimhan so. It’s the time already? I was confused but couldn’t think much.

            “Pie, hurry up!” She said once again when she saw me froze there.

            “What happened?” That was all I could ever ask.

            “I don’t know too.” Kimhan frowned. I sensed something unpleasant about it and I knew Kimhan could feel it as well.

******

An hour had passed yet there was no news from the inside of the OT. Kimhan had been pacing along the cold lonely hallway like mad. She just couldn’t sit still for what she already acknowledged; Yam was battling between death and life inside there. We have been informed that Yam had experienced some moments of contraction as she was about to give birth. It was not supposed to be the time yet but perhaps there must be some wrong calculation from the beginning. Who knows?

Then after it felt like eternity, someone came out from the OT looking for Yam’s relative. I overheard their conversation and there it was, Kimhan was being asked to decide the hardest decision. Save the mother or the baby?

            “Please save the mother,” I saw she gulped in guilt yet I knew what was coming. The doctor nodded and went back in. Kimhan hurriedly made her way to my direction, looking tired and restless.

            “Pie, I’m sorry.” She began. I was about to question her purpose when she immediately continued what she supposed to be saying. “I want them to save Yam instead of the baby.” She sighed. “No, it’s not just a baby. She got twins, Pie. The babies…they might not survive.” Kimhan stammered when she spoke that.

            “I’ll do the same thing if I were you,” Kimhan was not expecting that I would say so. She must think I would be upset but I wasn’t.  “You’re doing the right thing. Don’t worry.”

            “Thanks Pie. Thank you for your understanding.”

An hour to another, we heard nothing new from the other side. With each minute, it felt like the hallway had turned into a giant freezer. It was cold. Unlike me, Kimhan see