Boscha Noceda

Chapter 6: Rough Night

Camila rushed into the hospital after dropping Boscha and Luz off at their uncle's. She didn't need them seeing their father like this. As she met with the receptionist and hurried to the hospital room she was told to go to, her vision started to blur and her body felt numb, as if she were dreaming. She definitely hoped she was. Unfortunately the reality of the situation struck hard when Camila reached the ER, seeing her husband hooked up to an electrocardiograph. He looked her way and gave a weak smile.

"Oye, Querida. Sorry for worrying you."

"It's not me that's worried, Luz and Boscha are damn near terrified." Camila said, before giving a weak smile, "Boscha... knocked someone on their ass."

Manny chuckled.

"That's my girl." He said.

Camila shook her head.

"I didn't even tell you why she did."

"Standing up for Luz?"

"Tch! Lucky guess."

She gently took her husband's hand.

"Now what happened?"

Manny looked off to the side before answering.

"I... guess I overexerted myself. I was too excited to get a new, smaller basketball for Boscha to practice with. I ran to the sporting goods section, and I felt... winded, and needed to sit down. Guess I gotta face facts, I'm not as young as I used to be."

A nurse came in, and she had a look that said everything. She was afraid to say what the clipboard said.

"Mr. Noceda... we... we've run some test and... it would seem you have... stage Three Heart Cancer." The nurse said, "The doctors don't know if this can be removed and... I'm sorry."

Manny was understandably devastated at the news. his eyes darted around the room as he tried his best to process this news. Camila, on the other hand was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"S-stahhh... stage three... how...? In all the times we've been here... that he's been in here... how has this never been detected before now?!"

"I... I wish I could tell you, Mrs. Noceda." The nurse lamented. "At the moment, the best we can provide is chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Hopefully, his heart won't be further damaged by that treatment."

""Wish?" "Hope?!"" Camila's anger came to a boil. "You cabrónas can't even do your jobs right, and because of that, I have to lose my husband?! My two girls have to lose their father?! One of them already lost her parents before and now she has to lose another one? That is just not fair! And all you can tell me is SORRY?!"

Manny grabbed her arm.

"Milly, por favor..."

Camila looked at her husband and the tears poured from her eyes as she finally broke down in his arms. The biggest problem was something neither Camila nor Manny knew how/Wanted to do… tell Luz and Boscha.

"Camila, give me a phone, I'll call my brother and-"

"No, you just rest, it's late, the girls are probably sleeping right now." Camila said, trying to hold back the tears, "Please, let me handle this."