A.N.- Again, Spanish is represented in italics font. Also, I apologize for not proofreading this chapter more than once. Please feel free to comment or make editing suggestions.
Hilma and Miguel sit in the hospital waiting room in silence. They stare off in different directions as a TV blares a show that neither one of them are paying attention to. They don’t notice the surgeon, who is followed by a short Latina woman, enter the room. They sit up in surprise as he begins to speak.
“Mr and Mrs Moreno?” He asks.
They both stand as Miguel looks at the doctor and answers in accented English, “Yes?”
The doctor takes a quick deep breath and looks dolefully at Hilma and Miguel. He starts his sentence cautiously. “I don’t want there to be any confusion about what I’m going to tell you. To prevent that, I’ve brought a translator.”
He gestures to the translator and Hilma nods with a nervous look of concern, but Miguel’s face is emotionless.
The doctor looks at them both, but after meeting Miguel’s stony expression he looks at Hilma. “We’ve come to tell you that there have been some complications.”
The translator quickly works and at the end of the sentence Hilma catches her breath. She quickly looks back and forth at the translator and doctor with wide eyes. Frantically she asks, “Complications? Can she speak? Is she able to move?”
Miguel’s stolid face never changes. The doctor continues, “Marquita went into a grand mal seizure during the operation. We think the seizure caused a major spike in blood pressure, which then caused cardiac arrest. We’re going to start tests soon to determine an exact cause.” He looks down as the translator speaks. Both Hilma and Miguel look confused. Unsure of what to say, neither of them speaks.
The doctor then says in a formal, yet sympathetic voice. “I’m sorry to be the one to inform you that Marquita has died.”
When the translator finishes Hilma stiffens and grabs Miguel’s arm to steady herself. He keeps his wife standing while he looks at the doctor. His expressionless face finally changes into one of astonishment as he asks, “She’s dead?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. You have the condolences of all the doctors who were working on Marquita. Someone from administration will meet with you soon to discuss arrangements. Again, you have my deepest condolences.” The doctor is careful with his words, but his sincerity cannot stop Hilma from beginning to wail.
Miguel let’s go of his wife and she sinks to the floor. Miguel looks down at the ground as he breathes heavily before letting his body collapse into a chair. Hilma cries and beats the floor screaming, “Dead? Dead? No. No. No Marquita! Not my little girl! Not my baby!”
The translator steps back from the Morenos, but the doctor stays as he suggests to Miguel, “We have a hospital chaplain.”
Miguel looks up to the doctor with glassy eyes and quietly says, “Just go.”
As the doctor and the translator leave the room Hilma remains on the ground as she shouts, “You weren’t there! You weren’t there, Miguel!”
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