"Convict Me, Attorney." (Law Series #2)

PART SIX: IT'S OVER NOW

Almost twenty-four hours had passed since the surgery started. Twenty-four hours and yet, wala kaming alam sa kung ano ang nangyayari sa loob. Kung successful ba ito o hindi ay wala kaming kahit na anong ideya.

They said it would only take six hours. Pero hindi namin alam kung bakit tumagal nang ganito.

Tyler can't stop walking from here and there. Si Courtney naman, nakatulog nalang sa balikat ko kakaiyak sa sobrang pag-aalala.

'Yung tatlong bata, about 18 year-olds, mga hindi rin mapakali.

Ako lang ata ang chill dito na nagbabasa pa ng libro habang umiinom ng milk tea.

"Will things be fine?" I heard one of the kids asked the other kid.

"Let's just hope that it will," the kid answered, trying to be optimistic.

"Will she be fine?" the other one asked.

"OF COURSE SHE WILL."

We all looked at Tyler who suddenly talked.

"My brother may be impulsive but he's the best. My brother's sacrificing his life and career to save your friend, so your friend must live or otherwise Avery will kill her."

I looked at him with sharp eyes.

"'Wag mo naman tatukin mga bata," I said.

"Presence mo palang nakakatakot na," Tyler said. "Tignan mo nga may space pa sa tabi mo pero pinili nila magsiksikan sa upuan."

"'Yun ba yun? Akala ko kasi they were trying to protect their female friend from you. Fuck boy ka pa naman."

His eyes widened.

"Excuse me?!"

"I SAID WHAT I SAID," I said.

I heard the kids laughed.

It was, perhaps, the first time in the whole twenty-four hours that the atmosphere lightened up.

"Ma'am, I'm a fan," the female said.

"You know her?" Tyler asked.

"Of course we do!" the other kid then said. "She's our prof!"

I looked at them.

"So these three are my students?" I asked myself.

Tyler gave them a disapproving look.

"Oh, poor kids," Tyler said, giving them a pity look. "Imagine meeting Avery every day. Ah, I can't even stay with her for five minutes."

But before I can even say a thing as retaliation, the operation room opened and the surgery team went out.

We all stood up and Courtney was awakened.

"Thanks for the hardwork," a familiar voice said. "Go have a rest."

"TRAISE!" Courtney shouted.

"How was the operation?" the kids asked.

At first, Traise had no emotion on his face.

Until a smile curved on his lips.

"She's safe now."

It was, definitely, a relief to us.

"GUILTY.”

It echoed on my mind. Few days after Traise successfully did an operation, Tyler and I faced each other in court.

And I lost.

Miserably.

It had been days since my dad got a guilty verdict, yet my system couldn't absorb it well yet.