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THE MISSION
The small room at the back of the Mission was humid and sticky. Antonio lay in bed watching the ceiling fan spin, mesmerized by the quiet humming. The lightning flashed through the window casting eerie shadows against the wall. The wind whipped against the shutters smacking them against the outside wall as the rain pounded the window. Antonio closed his eyes in an attempt at sleep, but could only see Gabi running so upset from his hospital room. He wondered if Ricardo had found her yet as he checked the time on the clock. "2:15," he thought to himself as he pushed his hands through his thick hair. Antonio jumped from the bed when the phone rang. One of his parishioners was ill in the hospital and he assumed she must have taken a turn for the worse. "Hello, Father Torres," he said quickly. The static on the line was heavy from the storm. He could hear a man’s voice yelling on the other end. "I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. You’ll have to speak up." "T, it’s Ricardo. Can you hear me?" Ricardo was shouting into his cell phone. "Ricardo?" Antonio’s heart rate began to pick up. Why would Ricardo be calling me now... "Antonio, it’s Gabi. There’s been a car accident," Ricardo said with fear in his voice. Antonio’s stomach twisted into one big knot. What had she been doing driving in weather like this? Was she crazy? "T, I’m on my way to the hospital. They just called me. Can you..." Antonio shouted to Ricardo, "I’ll meet you there." Antonio hung up the phone and searched frantically for his jeans. He nearly fell over pulling them on as he reached for the white t-shirt hanging on the chair. He pulled it on hurriedly, grabbed his raincoat and keys and rushed for the door. THE HOSPITAL Ricardo stood nervously near the emergency room doors. "What was she thinking...where was she going?" he said out loud. People standing nearby were throwing him glances as he hit his fist against the wall. The doctors told him he would have to wait to see her, they were stabilizing her condition. Ricardo began to pace anxiously as the storm continued to rage outside. The large doors opened as a gust of wind blew into the waiting area. Antonio ran in looking quickly for Ricardo. He headed over and put his hand on Ricardo’s shoulder. Ricardo turned around to see his brother soaking from the rain. "T...I’m so glad you’re here. They won’t tell me anything. They won’t let me see her." Antonio turned around scanning the room for a doctor or nurse who could help him find out about Gabi. "Ricardo, what happened?" "They said she was driving north on the 125. They weren’t sure what happened. The trucker said he blew the horn when he saw her heading straight for him. Her car swerved and she skidded from the rain. She slammed into a tree." Ricardo put his head in his hands. "The 125," Antonio thought to himself. She was leaving town again. "Ricardo, did the police tell you anything? Did they say if she was..if she was." Antonio couldn’t finish. "Spence told me it took them 20 minutes to get her out of the car." His voice cracked as he recounted the detail to his brother. Antonio felt his heart sink in his chest. This couldn’t be happening...why had she been leaving again. "Oh, T. I don’t know what I’ll do if she...I love her so much, man. I can’t lose her." Ricardo pulled himself away from Antonio’s grasp and began pacing the room once again. Antonio pushed his soaking hair back and headed for the nurses’ station. "Please, I’m trying to find some information on Gabi Martinez. She was in a car accident." Antonio was pleading with the woman behind the desk. The nurse was trying to comfort him. "Sir, as I told your friend...there isn’t anything I can tell you. You just have to wait for the doctor to finish with her. I’m sorry." Antonio felt his frustration growing. How could they not tell them anything? He slammed his hands on the desk, startling the nurse. "I’m sorry, I just...she’s my brother’s fiance and we’re very worried." Antonio said apologetically. "I understand. I’ll let the doctor know you are waiting." The nurse turned from the station and headed into the ER. After what seemed like forever, Tyus came into the waiting room. "Ricardo, Antonio...I’m glad you’re both here." Antonio turned quickly from staring out the window and walked over to Tyus. Ricardo got up from his seat and stood next to Antonio. They both fidgeted waiting for Tyus to deliver the news. "Gabi was in a very serious car accident," Tyus began. "Her car collided with a tree on the 125...if the tree hadn’t stopped her, she would have careened over the cliff." Antonio’s stomach knotted again just thinking of what could have happened. "She was very lucky...she was wearing her seat belt and her airbag inflated on impact." Ricardo heaved a sigh of relief as Antonio silently thanked God. "Gabi was unconscious when she arrived. She had a nasty cut on her arm from the driver’s door and her left leg is bruised quite badly, but no broken bones." Ricardo looked anxiously to Antonio who was as relieved as he was to hear things seemed to look good. Tyus continued nonchalantly, "My main concern now is making sure the baby didn’t suffer any trauma." Ricardo’s eyes snapped to Tyus’ face. Antonio had been looking to the floor when he heard the words. He raised his head slowly to look at Tyus. "Baby?" Ricardo said with a puzzled expression. Tyus was surprised by Ricardo’s reaction. "Ricardo, Gabi is three months pregnant. I assumed...I mean, I figured..." Tyus wasn’t sure what to say. Ricardo turned to Antonio, the smile growing on his face by the second. Antonio looked at his brother’s excited expression. Antonio realized this was a surprise to them all. "T, I’m gonna be a father...Gabi’s having a baby. A baby? A BABY!" Ricardo grabbed his shocked brother, hugging him tightly as he laughed. Antonio couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He closed his eyes trying hard not to imagine Gabi pregnant with Ricardo’s child. "I need to see her Tyus," Ricardo pleaded, breaking his hug with Antonio. "Please, Tyus. I need Gabi." "Sure, Ricardo. All of the tests so far show the baby is doing just fine. I want to keep her here for the next couple of days for observation, but we can all thank God for this miracle." Ricardo shook Tyus’ hand vigorously. He turned to Antonio who was still trying to let it sink in. Gabi is pregnant - with Ricardo’s baby. "Let’s go, T. Let’s go see Gabi and my baby!" Ricardo beamed as he put his arm around Antonio’s shoulder and pushed him in the direction of Gabi’s room.
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