The Royal Contract

He could see other families waiting with him in the room, with worried looks covering their faces. Just like him, they still had no news of the fate of their loved ones at the hands of the doctors operating and treating their care.

“How are you holding up?” A voice suddenly becoming familiar to him spoke, making him aware of her presence. “I think you should go home, David, and get some good sleep.” A woman in a white coat appeared in front of him.

Admit it or not, his body was shutting down even without his permission. His brain seemed to fail as he lost most of his body’s function. His lack of sleep must have dulled his senses.

He had been running on adrenaline since yesterday as he prepared for their dinner date. Now, he believed he had exhausted all the remaining energy in his body, worrying about his fiance’s condition.

“I am ok, Roseann. I don’t need to leave. I can’t be away from her.” David firmly answered as he forced his body to straighten up in his chair and face her. “Have you heard anything yet?” He asked his future sister-in-law.

One thing he noticed was her uniform. He still felt awkward after he assumed that Rosella’s sister was a nurse. It was clear he did not know anything about her family.

.....

But now, he was enlightened when she introduced herself when they met at the lobby earlier. Nevertheless, he hoped her knowledge could help her sister in her situation. Because he knew that Rosella would need all the help she could get.

“I know you worry about my sister, but you will not be any help with your condition. You need to eat at least.” She pushed a paper bag and placed it on an empty chair beside him.

“I am not hungry...” But he stopped when he saw a disapproving look on her face.

“A sandwich is in there, and here is a coffee.” She insisted, taking one from the holder and setting it beside the bag while she took the other coffee and sipped on the hot cup.

He had forgotten about eating, suddenly remembering that he did not have dinner since his fiance never showed up. Then, his stomach growled, reminding him that he needed sustenance.

“Thanks.” He appreciated what she was doing, but that was not exactly what he needed. He was still waiting for her answer to his previous question. “But how...” He could not even finish his sentence, much more thinking of eating at a time like this.

“She is still in surgery.” Roseann finally answered his unfinished question. “She has internal injuries that the surgeons need to fix. So they can stabilize her.” She tried to talk to him using uncomplicated words, not wanting to confuse him with the intricate terms.

He did not want to hear those words coming from her. Of course, he understood it clearly. Roseann avoided saying that her sister was still in critical condition and there was still an enormous chance that she would die.

He believed doctors were not much different from lawyers. They were experts in their fields, but when faced with a difficult situation, they would not say outright to their clients, in this case, their patients, that they had lost the case unless they had explored all other possibilities.

But he was not giving up yet on her. Therefore, Rosella could not give up too. She had to keep fighting for him and their love. He needed her in his life. He believed life without her was no life.

“Is she going to be ok?” It was the last question he wanted to ask her, but he needed the answer. “Will she live?” His heart felt like it stopped beating as he anticipated the worse.

He wanted to be more optimistic, like this woman standing before him, but it was hard when he had not seen the woman he loved since she arrived in this hospital. It was not looking promising.

“My sister is still fighting to live. We should be thankful for that for now.” Roseann took the next available seat and looked at him. “I think she would want us to fight with her.”

She grabbed the sandwich, sitting on the chair between them, and unwrapped it. “I have not eaten anything yet. Do you mind if we split the sandwich?” She cut it in half and offered the other half to him.

He could see the persistence in her eyes. She was not taking no. Therefore, he finally took the other piece. Besides, he acknowledged that she was correct. Rosella would want him to fight with her. He could not do that with an empty stomach and a weak body.

He watched Roseann munch on her sandwich without caring about how big her bite was or if someone else was looking. She ate as if her life depended on it.

Rosella was a bit refined compared to her. Then, most women in his life would barely open their mouths when they ate. Either they were watching what they ate, or they barely ate at all.

It was a welcome sight to see women who eat like men. Ok, yeah! It is fun to see a woman who ate like a pig. Not that she was sloppy. It was just that she ate with so much gusto. It was contagious as he took a large chunk of his sandwich into his mouth.

“Thanks again for this.” He mumbled after swallowing another bite. He would not have eaten anything if not for her encouragement. He knew he needed it but did not have the appetite earlier.

“That is ok. I think we both needed it.” She told him with a lame smile on her lips, but her eyes registered defeat before she bounced back on her feet.

Finally, he saw that she was only trying to be strong, but she was as human as him. She might have dealt with a few patients in critical condition and some who probably died, making her immune to this. But not when it was her sister, whom she loved very much.

“You have to excuse me for my lack of manners.” She said, wiping the excess cream on the sides of her lips with her fingers and probably referring to how she ate.

But he got what she meant. Thinking of what other people thought of her must be the last thing on her mind. She must be on her feet most of the time, ready to care for the next person needing medical attention.

As he said, doctors and lawyers were not so much different. Because what they both did could mean life and death for the other person. “I don’t mind. I think I am a slob too. I don’t know how your sister had put up with me.”

Suddenly, he could remember several instances of the two of them together. Those were fun times and moments he never wanted to forget. But he believed it was not enough. They should still have a lifetime to build more memories.

“I think you are a good man. That is what she sees in you.” Roseann tapped him on the shoulder as she stood before him. “Let us keep our hopes high and pray for her successful operation and recovery.”

Was she saying that only a miracle could save her? He was never a believer in anything that he could not see. He had never learned to pray since he did not grow up with a religious faith.

“But I have to leave for a while. I need to make my rounds.” She excused herself, leaving him in the meantime. She promised to return as soon as she could with more information.

He learned that she was still a resident in this hospital. She did not believe she had the luxury to slack on her responsibilities even though her bosses told her to take it slow because of her sister.

Besides, she did not want her sister’s sacrifices of sending her to a reputable school to go to waste. She had to prove to her sister that she did her best. Rosella had every reason to be proud of her.

“She had always been proud of you.” He mumbled but doubted she heard him since she sprinted away from him, seeing that she might be late for her next duty.

Rosella was happy with her family. She always talked about them. But since he did not have the same experience growing up, he could not relate to her. He would listen to her jabber incessantly about them with only half an ear.

Now, he realized his mistake. “I understand now.” He spoke to her as if she could hear him wherever she was. She had loved her family, devoting her life to them. All she asked from him was to learn to value his.

She was afraid that from all the things they had overcome in their relationship, he would fail to become a family man. He was a fair man, a great provider, and a splendid lover, but would he become a good husband and a father?

He discovered he could be the best in everything as a single man. But he had to learn to prioritize family first over everything else if he ever had any plan to build one.

But was he too late as his mind thought of her once again?