Suggested Song for BGM: Poison by Rita Ora

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"Love, umidlip ka muna. Today was traumatic tapos you and Tricia are running on fumes na. Aiks is already passed out oh."

It's late into the afternoon, and Risa rubs both of Leni's arms in the effort of trying to provide comfort, as well as to try and get her to stop pacing. The gunshots Y/N had suffered resulted in multiple internal injuries that required immediate surgery, the family tries to watch the surgery unfold through a glass window. But they're more caught up in worries and fears rather than actively observing.

The eldest Robredo daughter is passed out on a chair, her head leaning against Issa's shoulder who is currently fiddling with the hand of the sleeping girl. Worried for her girlfriend who had to witness her best friend risk their life for her and her mother- Issa's shaken up about the whole thing just as much as the rest of the Robredo family is.

Kiko and Ianna stand by the glass window, not knowing what to do in the situation. The image of your still body on the operating table feels so foreign, when you'd be the one starting trouble with them on family get togethers.

Sinta stands alone by the closed door, observing everyone in the room but has her eyes more or less on Jillian's form, seated beside her older sister with a hand rubbing her back in support.

Tricia desperately tries to make sense of how her world is falling apart with each passing second that your eyes remain closed.

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"Heart rate dropping!"

"Fix that clamp! Paki babaan ung dosage ng anesthetics!"

"Still dropping!"

"Sponge!"

"Blood loss reaching alarming rates!"

"Shit..."

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"GUYS!"

Kiko and Ianna's collective shout pulls everyone out of their processing shock. Sinta pushes herself off of the wall and makes a mad dash to get by her siblings' side. Aika's jostled from her sleep, Jillian jumps from her chair due to the urgency of Kiko and Ianna's tones, Tricia snaps out of her stupor and the three sisters rush to the window with Issa following close behind her girlfriend.

Risa and Leni stand by their respective children, hands intertwined and holding on for dear life. Leni has her other hand on the necklace around her neck, eyes shining with nervous tears- A prayer unfolding within her mind.

"Please wag mong hayaang may mawala ulit sa puso namin."

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The air is tense, filled with evenly spaced beeps as the Hontiveros and Robredo families stand within the room. You're lying still on a hospital bed, with skin color too pale for anyone to feel at ease with the uncertainty of your chances.

Aika stands at the head of your bed, knuckles whitened from the harsh grip she has on the bed railings. Tricia stands beside her, both hands occupied with holding your right hand is a loose, shaky grip. Jillian stands behind her sisters with each hand on a sister's back. Leni stands beside her second daughter, a hand on Tricia's shoulder with her eyes looking disturbingly far away.

Risa stands across Leni, her children swarming her sides as she worries about what headspace her fiancé is in at the moment. She wonders, but a part of her knows exactly where the other mother has gone.

"Paano na lang kung pag daanan ng anak niya ang pinag daanan niya."

It's late into the night and you've just been admitted into a room in the Intensive Care Unit's wing. There's a nurse on the far side of the room, enough to give the two families privacy but near enough to be quick should anything go south.

As per protocol each ICU patient is to be assigned their own nurse, never letting the patient alone nor out of their sight until the next nurse comes to take the shift. You arrived at the hospital in extremely critical condition, undergone a 10 hour rocky surgery as soon as you arrived, and now you're hooked up to several machines.

Oxygen, monitors, blood transfusion-

Tricia's blood has been running cold ever since she took note of all the machones attached to you. "Halos life support na lang ang kulang." The thought had hit her so badly that her knees were still weak even after thirty minutes since they entered your room.

"Ma, Tita- Kuha ko lang po tayong lahat ng tubig.."

"I'll come with, snack duty."

Issa smiles at her younger sister in gratefulness. Jillian's got her hands full with keeping her sisters in check, and so she takes it upon herself to make sure they're well hydrated. "Mama's got Tita Leni." She thinks to herself in relief. The President won't be going through this alone.

Risa nods at her kids, smiling at them in gratitude as no one has the energy to expel words at the moment due to the severe heaviness of the situation.

Issa and Ianna make their way to the door with the younger Hontiveros leading the way. The two step out of the room, but Issa hesitates to shut the door- Her eyes locked on Aika's form in worry. Ianna rests a hand atop her's but she can't find the strength to tear her eyes away from her girlfriend.

"They're going to be fine."

Issa closses her eyes and takes a deep breath. She closed the door and slowly the two sisters make their way to the cafeteria.

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A noisy drawn out beep fills the room as doctors and nurses swarm your bed.

Someone wheels in a defibrillator, and the doctor wastes no time preparing the machine for electric discharge.

The room is in chaos, with the Robredo and Hontiveros families being ushered to the far side of the room while hospital staffs yell out signals and orders to each other.

"Clear!"

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You open your eyes and the ceiling is white. Sitting up, you find that what's above you isn't exactly a white ceiling but a clear blue sky with a sun that blinded you on the initial look.

You look around, and you find that you're back at the house of your girlfriend's family in Naga- More specifically, you're in the back yard. Something feels off, the house is quiet which is nothing new. Aika, Tricia, and their mother all have jobs and Jillian's off at college in New York. But despite the quiet, the house always feels homey- Lived in.

This house infront of you feels empty.

Something's wrong and you do your best to remember, for a few minutes with your eyes shut and your head in your hands- Your memories come up blank.

But then something clicks into place and dread fills your being.

You were standing side by side with Jillian, Tricia, and Senator Risa on a red carpet floor. Aika and their mother infront of you, moments away from being sworn into office when you see a ma poised like a snake ready to strike.

You jumped into action, not willing to see your loved ones hurt nor taken from you. The last thing you remember is scorching pain, and a scream ringing in your ears.

As quickly as you can, you stand up and dust your pants off before turning around and taking off running towards the house. "Asaan sila?" All that was on your mind at the moment was finding your girls. You don't know how you got here, but something feels wrong and you don't like how it weighs heavily like a mountain on your shoulders.

Throwing the back door open, you run into someone and you end back up on the grass disoriented for a moment. You rub your head and an outstretched hand enters your field of vision.

"Sakit noon ah, okay ka lang?"

You look up to find a man who bears a face that almost perfectly resembles that of Jillian's.

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"Taasan niyo yung charge, dali!"

Issa tightly holds Aika in her arms, as if she's the only thing keeping the other woman from shattering into a thousand pieces.

Tricia holds on to her mother tightly like she used to, back when she was still a little child scared of a horror movie. Only this time the horror isn't playing out on screen, but in her life infront of her eyes.

Sinta holds Jillian, who has fallen apart herself in trying to keep the three of her family together.

She was supposed to be their pillar until you woke up.

"CLEAR!"

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"Pasensiya ka na at sa ganitong klaseng sitwasyon tayo nagkakilala Y/N."

You and Jesse sit across each other om the living room. You don't know what to say, so you give him a smile while you stay quiet. You look down at your hands rested on your lap, they're shaky and your mind doesn't stop racing with all your thoughts centered on how your girls are doing back in the hospital room.

"I'd like to say muna, that I approve of you and Tricia's relationship very much." Your head snaps up to look ay Jesse, and you see him smiling at you with warmth and acceptance.

"Sinimulan ko silang sundan the moment na tumawid ako sa mundong ito at nagampanan ko kayo nung simula pa lang. Natuwa ako nung nakikita kong seryoso ka sa anak ko, hinintay mong magtapos siya ng kolehiyo bago mo ni ligawan, at pumayag kang maghintay na matapos niya yung Med school bago magkaroon ng official na relationship."

A laugh escapes him, and although it's not much- He makes the atmosphere of the house feel more homey than empty.

"Yung simula niyo ni Tricia, kabaliktaran na kabaliktaran ng simula namin ng mama niya.. Ang saya ko, noong napatunayan na binigyan ng tadhana ang anak ko ng taong mabuti ang puso. Maraming salamat nga pala dahil iningatan at minahal mo silang lahat bilang pamilya."

It's your turn to smile at him now, you see very clearly that the girls' personalities aren't just the byproduct of their mother's. But also that of their father's.

"Maraming salamat po Sir, pero hindi niyo po ako kailangan pasalamatan para doon. If anything ako nga po dapat ang magpasalamat sainyo, at dahil po sa inyo ay may Robredo family na nakapasok po sa buhay ko."

Jesse beams at you, a hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck at the compliment. Your smile on the other hand, doesn't last very long as your heart can't rest with one important question resting at the tip of your tomgue.

"As thankful as I am po to have had the chance to meet you sir, may tanong po ako."

Jesse's eyebrows raise in a silent affirmation, telling you by body language to feel free in asking your question. Your back straightens out of tension,and you take a deep breathe before you speak.

"Pwede pa po ba akong bumalik? I can't leave our family po like that, it was supposed to be a very memorable day, isang araw para magsaya at mag celebrate- Hindi para malungkot at mag alala. I still have promises to keep po Sir Jesse.."

The next smile that Jesse shows gives you hope.

"Siyempre naman, hindi tulad ko na wala na talagang pag asang lumaban noong naabutan ako ng panahon- Ikaw nakaabot ka."

He reaches for your hand, and you comply. He ruffles your hair with a smile and gives your hand a comforting squeeze, the way his wife does to her daughters when they need reassurance.

"Laban lang, anak."

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Your eyes shoot open and when you let out a gasp for air, the doctor and the closest nurse steps back with the defibrillator in their hands.

You cough for a while due to the drynes sin your throat, then you take in the surprised faces of the staff as well as the heartbroken, teary eyed expression of the people across you at the other side of the room.

Your gaze land on your girlfriend, who despite the swollen, red rimmed eyes and the tears flowing down her cheeks- Still looks like the most beautiful woman in your eyes.

"Bakit naman defib? Eh CPR lang galing sa isang Doc Tricia, sapat na."

Tricia is the first to break from her shock, the first to move out of all people in the room. She runs to your side and hugs you tightly, her glasses poking into the side of your neck and her tears soaking your hospital gown. You couldn't care less about those trivial things.

You wrap your arms around her in return, planting a kiss at the top of her head while rubbing circles on her back to sooth her cries. You take a moment to look at her, before turning your attention to her mother who is tightly wrapped in the arms of her fiancé.

You meet her eyes and you smile at her in gratitude. There's a voice that speaks in the back of your head.

"Take care of our family."