Chapter 14

LARA

I was at the hospital so Gabriela could rest, because it was clear she hadn't slept at all, and of course, as her mother, I'm worried about her. Shortly after she left, a doctor appears, which makes me suspect something isn't right. It's strange they're around here at this time, especially since she was the doctor who treated my mother-in-law whenever we went to the hospital with her which in the last couple of months was quite often.

"Hello Lara, I'm afraid I don't have great news and not very good news." Monica said when she sat next to me. "What's wrong, Monica?" I asked for

"I didn't want to tell this to your daughter and the boy who was with her, but the disease is progressing too quickly, it seems the medications she's taking at home aren't working. We're going to keep her in the hospital for a couple of days to see if we can find any medication that will slow down the disease a little, but taking into account she already changed medications many times due to the long time she has had this disease, I think she doesn't have much time left."

"How much time are we talking about?" I asked, "Four months maximum." This really wasn't good. Thank goodness she hadn't told Gabriela, because I'm not sure how she was going to react, I don't think she would like it too much. I would have to call Sergio to tell him, he have to know, for the moment it wasn't necessary for Gabriela to know, rather, she didn't have to know.

"I have to tell Sergio." I said more to myself than to her, "Yes, it's something he should know. Also, if things are going the way they have been in the last couple of months, you're going to spend a lot of time in the hospital, you should prepare yourselves for that." The doctor responded "Ok."

"Well, I'm leaving so you can call both Sergio and your daughter." She said, getting up and starting to leave the room, but it was at that moment when Monica turned around that what she said at the beginning of everything came to mind, that Gabriela was with a boy, which is impossible because she's single and as far as I know, Marcos was at home taking care of Mario and María.

"Hey Monica, can I ask you a question?" I asked before she go out completely. "Yes, of course." She responded "Who was Gabriela with?" I asked curiously, because Gabriela didn't tell me she had had someone with her while she was here. "With a boy, I couldn't say who it was, but he was taking care of her."

"I guess it was Marcos or his brother." I said, shrugging my shoulders, "From the times I saw them, I can tell you he wasn't. It's another person." She assured and I frowned. "So, who will it be?" I whispered "I don't know, I think it was her boyfriend or something."

I don't think Gabriela has a boyfriend. If she had one, she would say it or we would find out from her siblings, but if she has a boyfriend and we don't know, it can't be, I see it as complicated. "I don't know, it doesn't matter at this moment, as long as I help her."

"She seemed a little more animated with him." Mónica stated and a small smile appeared on her face "Well that's the only thing that matters to me. I'm going to call Sergio." I said, looking for my cell phone in my bag. "Ok, if you need me to tell him something, don't hesitate to call me."

"Ok." I confirmed "See you, Lara." She said goodbye "Bye Mónica and thank you for not telling Gabriela." I'm grateful, because being the way Gabriela is, she would end up worrying more about that and would not enjoy the time she had left with her grandmother. Furthermore, since the course started, she seemed more nervous, and the last thing I want is for her anxiety to return.

"She seemed a little upset at that moment, it was best not to tell her." At that moment she left and I left the hospital so we could talk more calmly. I'm going to call Sergio first because I'm sure he would be waiting for me to tell him something about his mother and it doesn't take him too long to answer.

"Hello honey, we need to talk about your mother." I said "Is she ok?" He asked and I denied "Not much. From what Monica said, the medications stopped working and they don't think they will find any that work, you know she took a lot of medications to stop the disease."

"But it will move faster this way." He responded and I nodded "I know and they know, that's where the bad thing is." I answered "What's wrong Lara?" He asked, "Mónica said she has at most four months left and seeing of how the disease is progressing, they believe she'll come to the hospital more for emergencies like this."

"I understand. Do you know when she will be out of the hospital?" My husband asked, "In a couple of days, they were going to try to find a medication that would slow down the illness a little and to see how the head thing progresses."

"And Gabriela, how is she? Does she already know what happens to her grandmother?" He asked, "No, she doesn't know." I assured him, because I know he had the same concern I have. "It's better to keep it that way, I don't want to see her with anxiety again."

"I think the same, it's better if she enjoys the time your mother has left than thinking about what is going to happen." I admitted, "Yes, and how are you?" he asked, "Tired and thinking about how to keep Gabriela from finding out."

"She won't really know, but why don't you go to sleep?" He asked and I sighed, because it's something that sounded really good. "Gabriela isn't here, I'm not going to leave your mother alone." I said and I could almost see how he was frowning. "How is she not there?"

"She didn't sleep much the other day, much less while she was here. I decided it was better for her to go home and rest." I responded, "Yes, I can imagine it, but do you think she will rest at home?" My husband asked and I shrugged, because when it comes to sleeping, she doesn't usually do well, at least when she's stressed about something. "I don't know, but I hope so."

"Well, let's talk then, I have to go to sleep." He said "Go, you have to rest." I responded "You too, try to rest for a while, ok?" He asked and a smile appeared on my face "I will, don't worry." I assured him, "Bye honey."

"Bye Sergio." We hung up and I went into the hospital to go see Rebeca. When I arrived, I made sure she was asleep and sat in the chair falling asleep a few minutes later.

When I woke up it was around ten PM and I decided it's better to call Gabriela to see how things were going and tell her she didn't need to come, that she should stay home, I don't know if I's going to be able to convince her, but I'm going to try. I dial her and when she answers I discover that it is not her, but it's Marcos.

"Hello Marcos, is Gabriela there?" I asked, trying to hear if there was any commotion on the other end of the line. "No, she's not here, he's sleeping. Do you need her for something?" He asked and I denied, "No, it was just to tell her not to come, that I'm staying." I responded, "Oh ok, I'll tell her."

"Do you know if she has slept?" I asked, "I woke up around six in the morning and she was awake, so I doubt I slept." He responded and I sighed, because that suited my daughter better. "Well, let her sleep, she needs it, are they at your house?" I asked "Yes, she has de intention to go to your house, but since I saw her tired, I told her to stay here."

"I understand, thanks for taking care of her Marcos." I'm grateful, it's something he always did, and for that alone, I would be grateful for the rest of my life. "You're welcome, it's the least I can do." He responded, probably with a smile on his face. "Mario and Maria are being good, right?"

"Yes, they are doing good." He assured, "I'm glad, I have to leave you, if Gabriela wakes up try to prevent her from coming here, ok?" I asked, because if there's anyone who might be able to convince Gabriela to do something, it's Marcos. "I 'll do it, don't worry."

"Thank you, bye Marcos." I said goodbye "Bye Lara." I hung up and sighed somewhat relieved that she's asleep since she had to rest what I hadn't rested in the last couple of days instead of worrying about everything, it's something she always did, even as a child, but right now I'm curious to know who it's the guy she was with yesterday and I started thinking about his friends, who of them could be, which would give me a few hours to think about.