On a dark and rather chilling Sunday evening, light rain precipitated over the busy streets of Manila as flocks of people headed back home after their usual weekend family musings. As the clock struck ten, malls eventually started to close their doors and vehicles steadily vanished from the typically crowded highways.

This was, as it seemed, just an ordinary night for many.

Inside, however, the comfort and security of her hospital room, Mary Anne Gutierrez, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, felt otherwise. As she skimmed through her daily newspaper, Mary Anne anxiously waited for her son to arrive. A computer genius who finished a master's degree in Computer Science all the way from California, Jordan Gutierrez was definitely someone Mary Anne was very proud of. Having been in the United States for such a long time, he rarely had time to visit and on this particular Sunday evening, Mary Anne was ecstatic over his arrival. On the other hand, she was gravely troubled about her condition and about how much time she still had left. She wondered immensely whether her son would reach the hospital in time and started to worry about his unusual tardiness.

Then, she heard it.

The glass door on the side of her bed began to slide.

It was, however, just her nurse, about to do another mandatory check-up. Jim was his name. He was quite the gentle nurse and was very polite. He had just finished checking her vital signs.

"Well, Mrs. Gutierrez. It seems everything is going smoothly. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, the pain has subsided. Thank you for asking, Jim"

She liked addressing people by their name. She believed it endeared her to them.

"That's definitely great to hear. If you keep this up, we can get you out of that small bed in no time."

She smiled.

"Well, if you need anything else..."

"Actually, I wanted to ask you if you've heard of any news about my son. He's running quite late."

"Oh, Jordan? Hmm... I can't say that I have but I'll ask around. The other nurses might know a thing or two."

"Yes, please do. That would be very helpful."

"Sure thing! I'll get right to it. It's the least I can do after all you've done for our country."

"Oh, Jim. I have yet to fully accomplish what we set out for this nation. But, thank you for your kind words. I do appreciate them."

He smiled.

"Well, if you need anything else, please just press the little red button on your left. All right?"

Mary Anne nodded and Jim quietly slipped out of the room.

Feeling a bit tired, possibly because of the unknown virus that was slowly invading her system, she laid the newspaper on the side of her bed and momentarily closed her eyes. It was a moment of brief silence. She could feel the pain from her throbbing lungs as she gradually inhaled and exhaled.

After a few minutes, Mary Anne opened her eyes and peered through the open window. Apparently, the raining had already stopped, and the night sky was now regaining its magnificent portrait.

Orion. Ursa Major.

A few of her favorite constellations.

Glancing above the dark omnipotent sky, she wondered if Jordan would ever make it on time. She also wondered if all the things she had done were, in fact, righteous.

As she slowly closed her sleepless eyes once more, Mary Anne Gutierrez took one final breath. Then, departed.

In times of great loss, one comes to a point where he or she must acknowledge that life moves on and that time cannot be brought back, even the slightest.

Perhaps, this had been what the entire Philippines had realized once, on Monday morning, news reporters rushed through the halls of the Makati Medical Center and regrettably reported that at 10:42 PM last night, Mary Anne Gutierrez, beloved Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, died of an unknown virus, at the age of 57.

All the major news outlets were on sight trying to unravel every minute detail that lead to the unfortunate loss. Details were still highly inconclusive but reporters pushed forward. ABL Field Reporter, Janice Chua, began her report with a touching eulogy.

    Throughout her life, Mary Anne Gutierrez had been an advocate of innovation and hope. She, despite all odds, took the nation under her arms and carried it into the new century. She was fearless, visionary and surely going to be missed.

Manila Today Field Reporter, Dan Anderson, slightly addressed some of Mary Anne's detractors as he sympathized with the Gutierrez family.

    Amid the adversary of several politicians she sought out for their alleged corruption charges, Mary Anne Gutierrez stayed true to her nation and to her self as she kept her department free from malevolence and dishonesty. We, as a nation, greatly mourn over the death of such a remarkable hero and would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the Gutierrez family for their loss. May her legacy live on for many generations to come.

Leo News International Field Reporter, Sara Dunwin, detailed some of the medical findings revealed by Gutierrez's chief doctor, George Tan, and his team.

    According to the team's findings, an unknown strain of the AH1N1 virus infected Gutierrez just days after the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, of which she was a speaker. Sources say that although all summit delegates are now being subjected to quarantine, no other attendees appear to have caught the virus. As mentioned by Dr. Tan, the virus, unlike most viruses, seems to not be contagious at all, reassuring the public that there is nothing to worry about. The Department of Health, however, has advised everyone to be vigilant and to always sanitize, avoid direct contact with people and report any symptoms they are experiencing to the nearest doctor. A specialist from the World Health Organization in Geneva is now reportedly on their way to the Makati Medical Center to assist in the investigation.

As the reporters went on, thousands of people began to crowd the streets trying to get a glimpse of what was unraveling. Many of which were Gutierrez's followers who previously urged her to run for president. A couple of the people were colleagues who could not grasp the reality of her death. And a few were citizens who felt that she touched their lives one way or another.

Just as investigators arrived at the hospital to verify reports of premeditated crime, a makeshift vigil began to take place, allowing people to pray for their hero, Mary Anne Gutierrez. A cornucopia of people weeping, reflecting and simply mourning, flocked the entire stretch of the road just in front of the Makati Medical Center, as plaques and banners of admiration were displayed throughout.

    The nation and the world are now grieving over the loss of one of the world's greatest scientists.

Sara Dunwin continued her live coverage.

    A Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Mary Anne Gutierrez had always striven for sustainable development. Through her many contributions to Biology and Physics, she has produced countless inventions and discoveries that, up to this very day, has helped the Philippines and the world, grow faster than ever. While her untimely death was very much unfortunate, officers from the National Bureau of Investigation are now verifying whether or not the incident had been of natural or man-made causes. According to NBI Director Ian Bernardo, based on their initial findings, forms of foul play have yet to be uncovered and as of now, all clues point to just a terrible strain of flu virus which she may have allegedly caught from her trips abroad. At this moment, no new updates have been reported by the NBI or by the medical team.

It was an unwanted tragedy, indeed. And as people watched from all over the world, inside the hospital building, there was one particular man staring at the television screen, at Sara Dunwin's report. He was lean and tall, wore thinly framed glasses, and although appeared to be sleepless, was rather striking in appearance.

As Sara gave her final comments and signed off on television, tears ran down from the young man's dark brown eyes, as he blankly stared at the screen a little longer, trying to absorb everything that was happening. Undoubtedly, we has lost.

"Mr. Gutierrez?", approached Dr. George Tan.

The young man lingered a little further before he realized the doctor's presence.

"Uh, yes. Please," the man replied, "call me Jordan".

"Yes, apologies, Jordan. Are you all right?"

"Yes, just a little tired."

"Well, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you."

"I know you're feeling quite lost right now. You're probably processing a lot. I understand if you might not want to talk."

Jordan thought to himself. How could anyone understand what he was going through? Yes, he was in grief. Probably, in shock, too. But what no one in the hospital right now could feel was the undying regret of not having the chance to say goodbye. If anything, Jordan Gutierrez was guilty for not having arrived on time. He wanted to go back in time, see his mom and tell her how much he was proud of her, how much he appreciated everything. But he couldn't. And now that he realized that painful truth, he wondered how anyone could ever feel the way he did.

"Uhm, Jordan. Are you still there?"

Jordan refocused. He tried to comb through his wavy black hair to calm himself down.

"Yes, yes. Sorry. So, you wanted to talk to me, doctor?"

"Ah, yes. You see, Jordan. Based on our medical examinations, we just couldn't put our finger on the virus that took hold of Mrs. Gutierrez. It appeared to be, well, impossible."

The doctor tried to check if Jordan was comfortably listening. Jordan urged him to continue.

"So we tried to look at other studies and we almost couldn't find anything."

"Almost?"

"Yes," George replied, "there was one research paper we found that had a case similar to Mrs. Gutierrez. It was still highly theoretical, of course, but it stated that, given the right amount of proteins, a virus, specific to only one individual could be manufactured in such a way that it contains itself and cannot spread to other people. Sort of like a personalized drug."

"Drug?"

"Yes, yes. The research suggests that a personalized virus could be injected into an individual to actively treat multiple diseases all at once. It rides on the viral agent and rewrites various cells in order to make the patient feel better."

"But, how is this related to my mom?"

"Well, you see, I believe your mother caught a similar virus in her system that, instead of making her feel better..."

George paused. He tried to cease explaining his theory. Jordan, on the other hand, stayed quiet. He appeared to have realized what the doctor was about to say. And just as George was about to speak further, an NBI officer approached the two.

"Dr. Tan, may I borrow Mr. Gutierrez for a moment?", Captain Carlos Dominguez requested.

"Why yes. Of course, Captain. I need to go back to the lab anyway. If you need anything, I am just a phone call away."

"Thank you, Doctor."

As Dr. Tan departed, Captain Carlos Dominguez invited Jordan to sit with him inside the waiting area.