STAY AWAKE ARA

“So, you’re like the modern-day sleeping beauty?” he asks.

“I guess?” she muses.

“You’ll gonna need a prince. Lucky for you, I’m here,” his lips curve into a mischievous
grin.

“Oh, really?” she chuckles.

“Yup!” he says with a nod. “Just do me a favor,” he adds, leaning close to her.

“What favor?” she asks.

“Stay awake,” he kisses her forehead and stares at her lovingly. ”Stay Awake, Ara.”

Kalix is a mischievous child who likes to run away whenever it is time for an injection.

He would run in the hospital hallway until he met Ara, lying in her bed, sleeping like a

doll, she has a rare disorder called "Narcolepsy" that causes to sleep for long periods of

time. That day, Ara awoke for the first time, and Kalix saw her for the last time. Kalix is

still at the hospital after 7 years, doing his routine of running away from nurse Leo, the

nurse can't do anything. Going back to his room, he noticed that the vacant room is

now being occupied so he got curious and opened the door, then he saw a girl sleeping

like before, a Deja Vu, not knowing it was Ara, after a while it was dinner time so

cooper called Ara to eat because they eat together on the floor, Ara saw two other

patients, krisia and Jon.

Kalix likes to tease Ara, and it's become their routine; they're like frenemies. They even

visit Manong Taguro's mamihan, where Kalix promised to eat bulalo 100 times before

passing away. Ara heard Kalix cry for help for the first time after months of staying, not

because he is in danger, but because he is receiving treatment for myeloma. Despite

being told not to; Ara went to the room. Kalix was initially hesitant, but he allowed Ara

to hold him. After that, Kalix asked Ara to stay awake for him, to which Ara replied, "I'll

try, but to be honest, I have this habit of disappointing people lix" And at every check-

up, they are together, accompanying each other and believing that everything will be

fine. So, when things became difficult, Ara made the decision to take the pills with no
assurance that they would be effective. Things went smoothly at first; she no longer felt

sleepy, but things took a turn when she slept again for 8 months as a result of the pills,

and the effect cost her, her life.

After realizing that her time is almost up, she enjoys them to the fullest rather than

complaining; even though she can feel the pain, she tries to enjoy every moment until

she can't. "I'm tired. I'm sleepy. Is it okay if I sleep?" she asked. Kalix replied, "You can

sleep now, Ara."

A year has passed, but Ara is still in a coma; the doctor said she was brain dead when

she was rushed to the hospital, and it is only the machine that keeps her alive;

however, Kalix remains hopeful that Ara will awaken. Kalix illness returned after 2

years; he no longer wants to have treatment because he knows it will return; his body

frame changed drastically; 3years later, Ara is still brain dead; Kalix still believes Ara will

wake up so he can say goodbye, until he saw Ara while lying in bed, smiling at him and

asking him to live long, but Kalix said he is ready to go.

Friends who saw him outside talking to someone said that when someone is about to

die, they see someone close to them who has already passed, and that is when they

realized Kalix is no longer moving. Doctors attempted to revive him, but "Kalix Alvarez.

Time of Death, 9:30 PM." And then, at the parents' confirmation, they turned off the

machine that interprets, "Ara Tanya, Time of Death: 9:32 PM."