Chapter 2 — A Coffee

Alma made it to the third floor, just as the nurse at the front desk had explained to her, asking all the way down the corridor about her mother, Luz Rivas, however, no one knew how to give her an answer, which increased her despair.

She continued walking, looking for someone who could help her, the tears that accumulated in her eyes made it difficult for her to see and just as she was wiping them, she collided with a strong body.

The person she had bumped into threw a folder with the impact and without looking up, in the midst of her desperation, Alma bent down to pick up the trail of papers while apologizing.

Warm hands took hers very carefully, it was at that moment, when she noticed how her hands were shaking and looked up to see who the person was holding her.

"Hey, are you okay?" An attractive man in a white coat looked at her with some compassion.

“Hey... I... I am sorry... I—" She began to babble, trying to control her crying.

“Don't worry, try to breathe. The man crouched in front of her, speaking calmly, trying to reassure her. Alma obeyed, tried to take a deep breath, to exhale calmly, when the man saw her calmer, she continued. "What's your name?" Why are you here?

My name... It's Alma... I... I'm looking for my mother. He let out with a sigh, his voice still breaking.

"What's your mother's name?" The man insisted, genuinely interested in helping that young woman.

“Light... Luz Rivas. Alma answered, feeling tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Very well, Alma. The man began, helping the girl to her feet, taking the folder with the papers already collected from his hands. "My name is Mateo, nice to meet you. He squeezed her hand firmly. "I'm the doctor who's treating your mother.

"Oh, doctor. Alma was surprised and at the same time she felt relieved, she had finally found someone who could help her. "Where's my mom?" What happened to her? How is he? In desperation, he began to blurt out the string of questions that he had felt had been stuck in his throat for some time.

“Don't worry, I've just checked on her, she's stable now and under observation.

"Ah, what a relief. But doctor, what happened to you? I don't understand, I didn't see her this morning because she had left for work very early, but last night I saw her and she was fine.

“Well. The doctor ran one of his hands over Alma's shoulder, pushing her slightly towards some benches on the wall of the hallway, so that she could take a seat, and he sat down next to her. "I understand that she was working when she got a severe headache, seemed to get disoriented and fainted, a coworker brought her, but she had to go to continue working.

“What does that mean? What does it have? It could be work fatigue, right?

"I'm sorry to say no, Alma. I recently received the results from your mother and everything indicates that she has suffered from acute liver failure.

“What? What does that mean? But if she is a healthy woman, she has never suffered from such a thing, it must be a mistake.

“I'm sorry to tell you that although these cases are uncommon, it can happen, a healthy person can suffer from liver disease from different causes. Tell me one thing, haven't you noticed any signs, some unusual behavior in your mother?

"Well, then. She thought about it carefully, the truth is that she hadn't been paying much attention to her mom lately, she barely had time to see her face. Luz left very early to work and Alma came back very late from work, their schedules didn't match much. — Ever since she started working, she was telling me that her head hurt a lot, that maybe she needed glasses because it was possibly about her eyesight, she felt that she was not focusing well.

"Hmm... And at some point, you saw the doctor for that?"

"No, I don't think so..." I was only taking pain pills.

“Mmmm, I understand. I think we have already found the cause of his illness. The doctor nodded, thoughtfully.

“What? Alma asked, surprised.

One of the main causes of this type of insufficiency is the excess of pain pills.

"Oh, it can't be! Again, Alma's eyes filled with tears, Mateo felt sorry for that girl and ran his hand over her shoulders as a way to comfort her. "What can we do, Doctor?" What will happen to my mother?

“Listen, for now she will be stable with the treatment, but in the condition, she is in, she will need surgery, the ideal would be to do a liver transplant, to be exact.

"Then do it, please! The young woman pleaded, desperate.

"It's not that simple, Alma. First, we have to get a donor..." The man began to murmur.

"I can do it!" Isn't it? I can donate. Alma interjected enthusiastically.

"Of course, of course, we'd just have to give you some tests..."

"Then let's do it!" Alma got up from her seat, busy, the doctor looked at her sadly, thinking that it was obvious that this young girl was a sweet and innocent girl.

“Soul... It is quite an expensive surgery, and not only the operation, but they will also face large pre- and post-operative expenses. Mateo blurted out, feeling the girl's enthusiasm crush.

Alma sat down again, running her hands through her hair in frustration. Ah, yes! The money! How could I pay for all that? If only what they earned from her and her mother's work, it was enough to support their family.

*

Edan went up to the third floor again, looking for his mother, with the two coffees in his hands, but she was nowhere to be seen. He took a seat on some benches that he had arranged around the place, he must have waited for her, perhaps he was in the bathroom or possibly, it had occurred to him to take a walk around the hospital.

As he sipped his coffee, he couldn't help but notice the young woman he had seen a while ago at the reception, she was a few meters away, sitting on a bench next to a young doctor, they were chatting and looked very closely, "Could that be why you came? Is that going to be her boyfriend?"

Edan was lost in the scene, trying to understand what was going on between the two, not because he was interested, but because he had nothing else to entertain himself with.

A few minutes later, he saw the young woman get up energized and encouraged, but after the doctor said a few words to her, she threw herself back in her seat, as if she had already lost a battle, without even starting it. "Poor girl," he thought again, perhaps the doctor had given him some bad news.

A few minutes later, Edan saw the doctor walk away, leaving the young woman discouraged. She threw her face against her hands and in the distance, you could see how her body was shaking from crying.

Something that had never happened before, happened at that moment, Edan felt compassion. The truth is that Edan was one of those men who believed that each person forges his destiny and therefore each one is guilty of the life he has, therefore, he had never stopped to pity anyone.

But what could that young lady be to blame for the suffering she was going through at that moment?

Edan felt that he wanted to do something for her, his insides churned when he saw her cry like that, although he didn't know why a stranger had affected him, he guessed that perhaps he was sensitive because of his father's condition.

Edan looked around, pondering, What to do? When he saw on the side of the seat, the glass of leftover coffee that was cooling, the one he had brought for his mother.

Well, it wasn't much, but maybe, a little coffee, could make her feel better.

So, he got up, took the coffee on the bench, and walked over to the young woman who was still covered with her face covered as she cried.

“Hey! Edan tried to get the girl's attention as he stood in front of her.

Alma raised her face, surprised, when she heard a voice nearby speaking to her and saw a handsome man standing, who was holding out a cup of coffee towards her.

"I didn't want to bother you, but I thought maybe this would make you feel better. The man murmured.

She stood there stunned, thinking about how a stranger could come at a time like that to just leave her a coffee, how was the insecurity in those times, what did she know if that coffee was adulterated?

She nodded to the subject and without saying a word, received the coffee, waited for the man to leave, saw him sit a few meters away and when she saw him entertaining himself with his phone, she ended up throwing the coffee in the trash can.