Chapter 38

James is tending the bar once again. It was one of those nights that they have a full house. The bar area is full of customers and the staff are very busy. But even so, James did not fail to notice the woman who suddenly entered the restaurant. He frowned upon seeing her. The girl seems quite familiar, though James could not point out when and where he met her. For that reason, he could not take his eyes off her, who stopped near the bar that James is tending. The woman looked as if the world crashed on her. Tears immediately flowed on her face. And then suddenly, she held onto her stomach and her face winced like she was feeling great pain from that part she's holding. James felt worried as the girl walked towards a nearby table. She stopped then called the guy who is with another woman. From the looks of it the two are obviously flirting with each other. And that seems to be causing too much pain to the woman that James is looking at. "Benj..." the woman said weakly. The guy at the table looked at her, followed by the other woman flirting with him. "Mads..." The guy seems worried all of a sudden. "Honey, who is she?" the other woman asked the guy. James could hear what the three are saying, and based on that he has concluded what is happening. The girl might be the guy's girlfriend, or wife or lover, and he's cheating on her. Because of that theory, James got out of the bar area and started approaching the woman he saw. "A friend," the guy named Benj told the woman he's with. "Friend..." the lady murmured, obviously hurt. "I was never your friend!" Then her stomach ached. She held onto it as she bowed because of pain. Because of that scream, the girl caught the attention of the other customers. James knew at that moment that he needs to interfere. He went to the woman. "Miss..." he said to the lady. The woman looked at James, making him finally remember who she is. "You..." he said, recognizing her. The woman frowned, obviously not recognizing James. "Are you okay?" James looked at her stomach she's currently holding. And as if on cue, her stomach ached again. "Aww!" "Are you okay, Madeline?" James asked. "You know me?" asked the woman. James nodded. "How?" Madeline asked. "I'll explain later. But for now, are you okay?" James said. "I'm not," Madeline said, obviously heartbroken. "My stomach is aching, and my boyfriend is cheating on me!" She looked at Benj. James looked at Benj, who was very shocked at what Madeline said. He didn't say anything and just kept staring at her. "How dare you do this to me?! I gave you everything- Aww!" Madeline's stomach ached again. This time, it was too much it made her sit down. "Madeline!" James sat down with her. Benj also tried to help Madeline, but she pushed him away. "Don't touch me!" she said to Benj. "Mads, you need help," Benj said, obviously concerned with her. "Not from you!" Madeline declined. "Aww!" "Mads!" Benj tried to hold Madeline again. Madeline pushed him away again, so James thought he needs to interfere. "Let me," James said to Benj. "Who the hell are you?" Benj asked. "I own the place." Benj was stunned. Even Madeline was shocked at what James said. James looked at Madeline. "And I know Mads." Madeline wanted to ask something, but her stomach ached again. This time, it was so painful she lost consciousness. "Mads!" Benj called out. But it was James who carried her and took her out of Pure Act Café. He immediately took her to the nearest hospital from the restaurant, and it happened to be Tarlac General Hospital. ************************************************************************* Carla just finished attending a patient when James came in with an unconscious woman. She immediately tended the patient. "What happened to her?" she asked James. "Her stomach is aching, then she suddenly fainted," James answered. "Okay. We'll examine her now," Carla told him. James nodded, then went to the waiting area of the ER. Carla examined the woman, who regained consciousness not long after. She was able to ask her some questions that helped them discover what might be wrong with her. "Acid peptic disease," Carla told James. "We need to do some more tests to know the cause to properly treat it." "So, she needs to be admitted?" James asked. "Yes," Carla answered as she nods. "Also because she is weak right now because of the pain and she said she cannot eat properly. Are you her guardian?" "Not really, and I actually don't know whom to call right now." "Is she not your friend?" Carla asked James. "Nope," James answered. "I don't really consider her my friend, and it has been a long time since I last saw her." Carla frowned. "I just happened to know her because of Joshua," James explained. "She's his first girlfriend." Carla was dumbfounded. First girlfriend? She suddenly remembered something. "Madeline?" "Yeah," James said. "Mads." And Carla's suspicion was confirmed. She suddenly remembered her conversation with Ria a while back. "The name's Madeline Tesoro. I think she didn't go to our school because I can't remember knowing her." Carla still cannot get over at what Ria said. She's not Joshua's first love? All the while that's what she thought, as well as the others who witnessed how Joshua tried to persuade her back then. Isn't that the reason she went viral on social media? "Probably, he met her before high school. I made him fill up the slam book during first year. So at that time, Madeline might have been Joshua's apple of the eye. Then you came into the picture, and everything changed." Carla still could not speak. She just sat there staring at Ria. "So I thought, since your name is not what's written there, it's just okay for me to do that. I don't know who Madeline is, and I don't plan on revealing her full name. Anyway, I thought it was okay since it was a long time ago." So this is the Madeline that Ria was talking about? Carla looked at the sleeping patient. She was so weak earlier at the ER. She even gave her medicine for her stomachache. "I already called Joshua." Carla looked at James. They are now in the private room where Madeline was admitted. "He said he will try calling her family. If he could not reach them, then he'll ask her himself whom to call. He's coming here right now." Carla felt like her heart skipped a beat upon hearing what James said. Her mind suddenly went blank. The door suddenly opened, and there came Joshua. If Carla's heart skipped a beat earlier, now it's beating so fast. "And he's here," James said. Joshua looked at James. The latter stood up from sitting on the watcher's bench. Joshua then looked at Carla who suddenly can't find any words to say. "Have you called her family?" James asked Joshua. Joshua looked James. "Yeah." "That's good. So I guess, I could go." James went to Joshua and patted his shoulder. "I'll go check on Pure Act." Joshua nodded. "I'm leaving, too." The two men looked at Carla. "Ahm... I'm done here." She felt her heartbeat speed up. "So, I'm going." "Wait!" Joshua said to Carla. "Can you tell me what happened to her? Is she okay now? What will happen to her then?" Carla suddenly felt something with the concern Joshua is showing for Madeline. What is that feeling? Is it envy? But why would she feel like that? "Acid peptic disease," Carla told Joshua. "We are doing some tests to see what might be the cause." Joshua looked at the sleeping Madeline. "Is it serious?" There's that concern again. Carla doesn't know why, but she hates what she's seeing. "It depends. It could be something that could be treated immediately, or it could be something that would go on for a long period of time. Don't worry, she'll live." Joshua frowned at what Carla said. That's when the latter realized that what she said might be quite inappropriate, especially the way she delivered that with puzzling coldness and apathy. That time Madeline woke up. She immediately saw Joshua when she opened her eyes. "Josh...?" Joshua went to her. "Mads." "You're here... Or... am I dead already and my memories are coming back now?" "You're not," Carla said, quite bluntly. "You're still alive, and you're not dying anytime soon." Everyone looked at Carla, and because of that she suddenly realized what she just had said. "I mean, as your doctor I'm not gonna let you die," she just said. "We're running some tests for you, to know the cause of your condition. For now, we're giving you some proton pump inhibitors and antacids. After your tests we will give you medicines based on the diagnosis. But you also need to help yourself. Proper diet and discipline is what you need now. Please follow all my orders for a speedy recovery. Do you understand?" Madeline just nodded. "Thanks, Doctor Carla." That was Joshua. Carla suddenly didn't know how to react. She managed to nod, though. "Ahm... Hi, Madeline!" James said. "Remember me? I'm James, Joshua's friend." "Oh... I remember now. You're the one who took me here?" asked Madeline. James nodded. "Yes. How are you feeling?" "Better." Madeline smiled. "Thank you." "That's good to hear," James said. "So, I'll leave you here since Joshua is here already. I need to check on Pure Act." Madeline nodded. "Doctor?" James said to Carla. "Yeah." Carla looked at Madeline. "I'll check on you later." She then looked at Joshua. Joshua smiled at Carla. Because of that, she felt embarrassed. She even went out of the room before James, who chased after her on the hallway. "Doctor!" James said when he reached her. Carla just smiled. "What a coincidence, right? Out of all the restaurants, Madeline went to Pure Act." And out of all the resident doctors in TGH, she is the one on duty when James took Madeline there. Carla doesn't know why she thought of that. Maybe it's because of Jame's sudden reflection. "Is it about closure?" That was James. Carla looked at him. "But, they had closure back then," James said. "So, that might not be the reason." They went inside the elevator. "What happened to them before?" Carla asked. "Why they broke up?" James confirmed. Carla nodded. "I guess, it was because of you." The elevator opened, but Carla didn't step out. She just stood there looking at James. The door was about to close if only James didn't hold it. "Oops!" he said, then looked at Carla. Carla seemed to realize what had happened. She got out of the elevator and waited for James outside. "Sorry, I think you were surprised by what I said," James said. "I guess it wasn't all about you. Because that time, their relationship is long distance. Mads is studying in Manila. And then, you became Joshua' crush." Carla couldn't help but think that she still has a part at what happened. "But it's quite inevitable, I guess," James said. "They were far from each other. And we're still young back then. We just started high school." Young and immature. Puppy love. That's just might be the reason. So, she should not feel guilty. If there's someone who should feel guilt, it should be Joshua because he fell in love with her. "I'll go now, Doctor," James said. Carla nodded. "Bye." "Bye." James smiled. Carla just looked on as James went out of the hospital and leave.