“Security guards!” Rodrigo shouted, loud enough for the two uniformed men at the end of the hallway to hear. “Sir, let me explain.” Daniel stepped forward and raised his hand in a peaceful gesture. “I don’t want money, I just want help. Help.” Rodrigo almost laughed at the irony. “You’re still a child; you can’t be older than 13.”
How do you plan to help when even the best doctors in Mexico City can’t? “12,” Daniel corrected. “I’m 12, and I learned this from my grandfather. He had a similar problem.” The guards were only a few steps away when something unexpected happened. The door to room 412 opened and Nurse Consuelo appeared, holding Mateo’s hand.
The blond, pale, and frail boy in the wheelchair stared at Daniel intently. For the first time in two weeks, Mateo was interested in something other than the bedroom window. “Wait.” Rodrigo raised his hand, stopping the guards. He went over to his son and knelt down beside the wheelchair. “Mateo, what’s wrong, son?” But Mateo didn’t look at his father.
His tired, sunken blue eyes were still fixed on the boy in the cap. “Your son sees something in me,” Daniel said gently. “Children sense it when someone understands what they’re going through. This is absurd.” Rodrigo stood up. “You don’t know anything about my son. I know he’s not eating because he’s in pain.” Daniel continued to ignore Rodrigo’s harsh voice. “It’s not his stomach that hurts, it’s here.”
He touched his chest. The more people pressed on him, the stronger it became, until finally it seemed impossible to swallow anything. Rodrigo felt a lump in his throat. How could this street kid describe so perfectly what it had taken the doctors two weeks to even suspect? “My grandfather stayed like this after my grandmother died,” Daniel continued, his voice laced with ancient sadness.
To see the full cooking times, turn to the next page or click the Open (>) button and don’t forget to SHARE with your Facebook friends.
For complete cooking times, go to the next page or click the Open button (>), and don’t forget to SHARE with your Facebook friends.
