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One of the young paramedics nods.
“Don’t be afraid, but yes.”
“But it’s blood? From where?”
“From your lip and your nose. The airbag in your car didn’t work, and you hit yourself against the steering wheel. But don’t worry.”
Suddenly, I hear screams, and I can identify them immediately. My sister! I try to sit up so she can see me and know I’m OK, but I can’t. My neck hurts like hell.
“Please, that screaming woman is my sister. Could you let her through so she’ll calm down?”
“Of course. If you want, she can ride with you in the ambulance.”
Two seconds later, I see my sister in her blue terry-cloth robe. She’s pale. She sees me, and her screams now become howls of terror.
“Oh my God ...! Oh my God! Honey ... what happened to you? Are you all right? This is all my fault! Oh my God ...! When I heard the sirens and saw the car ... Oh God! If something happens to you, I’ll die!”
On seeing her condition, one of the paramedics says, “Your sister’s fine. A car hit her from behind, but she’s all right.”
“Raquel,” I whisper, in pain, “calm down, OK?”
She grabs my hand, and the ambulance takes off.
“Here’s my bag, and don’t call Papá,” I say when we get to the emergency room. “Don’t scare him, OK?”
Still crying, she agrees, and the paramedics carry me in on a stretcher. They do several neck and shoulder X-rays because I tell them that’s where I’m hurting. They also do a hundred other things. I’m tired, in pain, and I want to go home. But everything is slow ... very slow.
When I’m finally released, I’m wearing a brace around my neck, I have a bruise on my forehead, and my lips are swollen. I’m surprised to see my sister, my brother-in-law, and Eric waiting for me.
The first one to rush to me is Eric. I can tell from the look on his face that he’s terrified. He hugs me gently and doesn’t say a word.
“Eric, I’m fine, love, really,” I finally say. My sister watches us; when Eric eventually lets me go, she starts crying again.
“Come on, come here and stop crying.”
Raquel hugs me and cries inconsolably.
“Are you OK?” asks my brother-in-law.
I smile as best I can.
“Yes, and please ... do me a favor and stop arguing. One of these days, you’re going to kill me.”
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault,” says Jesús.
I let go of my sister and take my brother-in-law by the arm.
“Don’t be foolish. These things happen and that’s that. Now you haven’t called my dad, right?”
My sister shakes her head. I’m grateful.
When we leave the hospital, my sister and brother-in-law insist on taking me to their house. Eric insists I go back with him to the hotel. I finally make my stand.
“I want to go home; don’t you get it?”
Eric looks over at my sister.
“I’ll take her home and stay with her.”