He kept an eye on Naomi’s vitals showed on the screen. So far, it is stable and she started to gain consciousness also. The nurses brought the baby bags Lorenzia delivered. The doctor called up his attention, “Doc JL, we are about to deliver your daughter. She does not look healthy”. JL went near the doctor and witnessed how they deliver his daughter, Luna. He saw how she looked; the doctor allowed him to carry her in his arms.
He went near his wife and showed her how their daughter looks. Naomi is still groggy and weak but she saw her daughter’s crying face, still covered with her own blood. JL’s assistant took a photo of them three while the doctors are processing their son’s delivery.
“Her vitals are getting unstable” the anesthesiologist reported. JL cleaned her daughter and swaddled her with Naomi’s chosen clothes. He did the first diaper wear as the symbol of his fatherhood. He carried her back to his arms and is about to give her first dose of milk when Luna tightly held his finger. He looked at her first smirk; the assistant photographed every single moment using JL’s phone.
He laid down his daughter in the baby bed to be examined before attending to his son who just got out from his mother’s belly. He did the same thing he did for Luna earlier. The beeps of Naomi’s heartbeat in the screen started to go slower but the doctors are keeping it under control. He laid down Joachim beside his sister Luna when one of the pediatric nurses shouted, “Code blue for baby girl Tiueco!”.
JL wore his stethoscope and attended to his daughter. Her daughter is not breathing normally. Luna’s heart started beating slow. He revived her by giving her his air as he pumps down his daughter’s chest using his thumbs. His heart started to beat fast and sweat started falling despite the cold atmosphere the operating room brought. He kept on pumping his daughter’s chest until he felt his co - surgeon’s hand in his arm.
“Doc JL, your daughter suffered a head damage. We saw it right away the moment she got out of Miss Nievez’s belly. This is also expected because of the fracture your wife experienced earlier” the surgeon said. For him, it feels like time paused when he checked the clock. “T-time of death… e-eleven thirty - one a.m.” he weakly said after witnessing how Luna’s heart stopped beating.
JL carefully carried his daughter in his arms and made their noses touch. “Luna, thank you for making me experience how a girl dad feels… even just for a little while” he whispered and pecked a kiss on her forehead. “You are as beautiful as your mom. I love you more than anything else” he added before he surrendered her body to the pediatric nurse. He slowly watched the nurses go further away while carrying his daughter.
He hasn’t recovered yet from Luna’s departure when Naomi’s vitals started to get abnormal. He felt like his body needs to be torn in two to attend to both his wife and his kids’ needs. The pediatric nurses already placed Joachim in the NICU and so JL had the chance to save Naomi. He volunteered to revive his own wife whose stats are almost on the flat line.
With his might he gave her his air and pumped her chest to revive her. Tears and sweat rolled in his face as he do his duty as a medical professional and a husband to his fighting wife. “Stay with me please, I can’t raise our kid alone” he said while continuing to pump her chest. “Please, love… I am begging you…” he said in between sobs.
He tried and tried until a heartbeat showed in the line. He gasped for air and hugged her, “Thank you for coming back. Do not dare to leave me again. Stick to your promise” he said, kissed her forehead, and allowed the doctors to do the rest of the procedure.
He got outside of the operating room and weakly sat down in the waiting area. After a while, he saw his parents together with Lorenzia and Fonsi coming to his way. His mom stood in front of her and asked, “How is everything? Where are my grandkids?”. Instead of saying a word, JL hugged his mom on her waist like a kid.
There he let his tears flow after minutes of holding it back inside the operating room. “Mom, I failed” he simply said while letting his tears flow. Julianna calmly replied, “I don’t understand. Tell us what happened”. JL answered, “Naomi is in a critical condition, Joachim is still unstable in the NICU, and Luna…”. Julianna’s eyebrows raised, signaling her curiosity. “Luna suffered most of the damage. She left right away after she was born” he added to finish his line.
She caressed her son’s back. The only son she has is now a father of two, and one has passed. Lorenzia bawled in tears while Fonsi started comforting her. “Mom, how can I be so careless? I promised them that I will keep them secured no matter what happens but, in the end, I failed. I don’t know how to tell Naomi about this. You know she badly wanted to have a daughter” he continued venting out to his mother.
“JL, it is not your fault that things like these happened. There is nothing or no one to blame” she said while hushing down her son. Truthfully, a man will always be in need of his mother’s care. His dad patted his shoulder, “Things will be alright, son. Just keep moving forward” he said.
Fonsi talked to him after storying what happened inside the operating room. “Luke is currently in jail now. The crime is being investigated. Do you want to come over to the station now?” he asked. JL gave a serious look and answered, “Let’s go. I want Luke to pay for what he did to my family”. With that, Fonsi, JL, and Lorenzia went to the police station to see how things are going on for Luke.
JL entered the station to talk to Luke. A platform divided them as they converse. Luke initiated, “I did not expect you to pay me a visit, JL Tiueco. Are you here to blame me? Accuse me? Or sentence me to death?” he asked. JL gritted his teeth; his patience is abused until there is nothing left for him to spare. “If only I can do it all” he answered with arms crossed.
He opened his phone and showed it to Luke. “Look at these, Naomi finally gave birth. Everything went roughly because of your doing” he shared as he swiped from one photo to another. “Do not blame me for your failure in keeping on track with your wife’s pregnancy” he said that made JL triggered. He scoffed, “Do you think it is my doing? How about you ask yourself what you did earlier for it to result like this?”.
“That is your bad karma after stealing everything away from me!” he said with anger. “You still haven’t moved on with that? Luke, it is about time you should learn that not everyone you want, you will get. My daughter died right away after birth because of you! Why did you show up this time? To take Naomi with you again? Sorry but I am not allowing it!” JL replied.
Luke evilly laughed with a clap, “That drama is so catching. You are really nice at making other people pity you!”. JL smirked, “I wish conscience and regret will soon eat you. Someday you will understand how things work according to how it is planned. You will soon understand that not all things should be controlled” he said and left the room.
He went to Fonsi and requested, “Make everything possible for him to get rotten in jail. Take Lorenzia as my lawyer”. He slowly nodded and brought him to the next two jail cells where Blake, Yilmaz, and Amber are located. He saw how miserable their life is in the jail. “I don’t think if I can forgive you three after causing a big mess to my family” he said while looking at them coldly.
Yilmaz threw a cigarette butt and asked, “Why? What did we do to you?”. JL chuckled, “You teamed up with Luke. Lukas Fuerte who is the reason why my dreamed family turned into chaos! I should blame you all for killing my daughter but I guess I do not have enough time for that”.
Amber sobbed with an apology, “Doc JL, I can’t stay here. There are only few semesters left before I can get my license. Please accept my apology”. JL looked down at her and replied, “Rot in jail. You don’t deserve to get your degree after being involved in this crime. Besides, your apology will not bring back my daughter’s life”.
JL went back to the hospital and saw his parents glancing at his son from afar. There are smiles and worries in their faces as they witness how Joachim is filled with tubes in his body. He is a premature baby and it will take months for him to fully develop some of his organs. “He took after you, JL. You gave us a grandkid that looks like your replica” his father said.
A nurse approached him to sign the birth papers. Now he is holding three sets of fill up sheets; two for the birth certificates and one for a death certificate. He held the pen and built up his courage before filling it up with their information. The way he wrote Luna’s name in the papers still made him feel unusual. ‘Luna Noemi N. Tiueco’ a sweet name he adores. He sighed as he affixed his signature on his daughter’s death and birth certificate.
“Your name is so beautiful, Luna. Your mom perfectly crafted it” he said in his mind while his eyes are focused on their first and last photo. “Doc JL, we want you to fix your daughter’s burial schedule in the hospital’s chapel before your chosen date of interment” the staff said. JL just nodded and prepared what he needs to prepare for his daughter’s peaceful rest.
He went back to the condo unit and fetched some of his babies’ things. The living room is tidied up by the room service crew and it left no signs of the tragedy that happened earlier. He opened the nursery’s door and roamed around it. There are so many stuffs waiting for Luna to come home but unfortunately, those things will be left unused.
He proceeded to the wardrobe and pulled out the favorite dress Naomi picked up for their daughter. It is made with flower patches and soft cottony white fabric partnered with a flower crown headdress. He pulled it near and hugged it tight; he planted a kiss on it and placed it inside his bag together with few more necessities.
When he got there, the staff already made him prepare the process but he replied, “Please, let us wait for my wife to get conscious first”. The other staff members contradicted, “But Doc JL, if we do that, we will just stress out the patient”. JL shook his head in disapproval, “She will only get to touch, feel, and see our daughter once and for the last time, so please give her a chance”.
The staff just nodded and watched him go to Naomi who is now in a stable case. He held her hand and talked, “Please get up now. Our kids are waiting for you. Especially our daughter, Luna”. He kissed her hand and hoped for her to regain consciousness now. He can’t believe the fact that his son’s birthdate is also his daughter’s day of death. He does not know if he can celebrate each year of his son’s birthday after witnessing the whole tragedy in his eyes.
He turned on the television and watched the news. Luke’s name is on the top searches in the local and foreign news online. He is contained in the headlines together with his allies also. Suddenly, Naomi’s phone rang from the bedside table. He quickly answered the unregistered phone number. “Naomi my daughter, are you alright?” Therese’s voice is heard by him on the other line.
“I’m sorry Mrs. Nievez but Naomi can’t talk to the phone right now” he said. Therese started to panic now as she replied, “Why? And who are you?”. He exhaled as he answered, “I am JL Tiueco, your daughter’s husband. She just gave birth and she is now resting that’s why”. He heard the line dropped and so he did not mind if they believe him or not.
“Please be well, love. We still have a lot of things to settle” he said while holding her hand.