Meadow Valley book series- Everything's changed

Chapter 2: Tragedy Strikes pt. 2

After some time had passed, some medical personnel came out into the waiting room and called out "are the parents of Carlos Gonzalez here?" Ana's grandparents stood up and said, "We are the parents of Carlos Gonzalez and these are his children." They spoke with such a heavy Spanish accent. Then the woman looked over in their direction and said "come follow me please." They all walked through the big double doors to only be escorted to another waiting room.

They spotted their mom on the other side of the room. Lisa was crying as she was talking with some hospital social worker. Immediately they all went over to where Lisa was sitting to see what was going on. When suddenly, a handsome young doctor came over towards them. He was dressed in blue scrubs and looked as if he just walked straight out of surgery. As he approached Lisa. Ana sensed it was more bad news. Before he could even get the words out of his mouth. Lisa collapsed into the young doctors' arms. Nurses were rushing over to try to wake Lisa up from her spell as they lifted her to a nearby chair.

The young doctor looked as if the weight of the world was upon his shoulders. He turned to the grandparents and asked if they were Carlos' parents. He struggled to find the words to say next. The news was difficult for anyone to deliver. The young surgeon looked as if he just got out of medical school. Carlos had passed away on the operating table. He had explained that the doctors had tried everything they could to save him on the operating table. There was just too much trauma to his heart. Nothing more could be done to bring him back.

Ana went completely numb as she watched the reactions of her family members. Abuela dropped into Abuelo's arms and let out a loud moan "nooooooooo". Then she looked over to where her mom was sitting. Lisa's face was pale and her body was a bit lethargic. She was struggling with the shock of the news of her husbands' passing. Jess stood there with her face buried in her hands. Crying uncontrollably. David looked as if someone had just punched him hard in the stomach. He bent over and leaned up against a nearby wall. Ana just stood there in complete silence. As if it were some bad reenactment of a nightmare she was having.

The young surgeon had come over towards Ana and asked if she was going to be alright. All she could think about was how badly she wanted to see her father and pray for him. Ana didn't want him to be all alone without his family by his side. She just looked up at the doctor and asked "can I go see my Papi now?" Almost as if the news hadn't quite registered with her yet. The doctor looked at Ana and insisted that she sit down so he can check her over. "I'm fine. I just want to go see my Papi now." Ana needed to see it for herself. She couldn't believe what the doctor was saying to be true. After a few moments, he took Ana by the hand and escorted her back to another area.

"Wait right here and I'll see what I can do." He walked over to the nurses' station and began to whisper something to the woman behind the counter. The woman behind the counter got up from where she was sitting and came over towards Ana.

"Hello miss, my name is Jackie." She reached out her hand towards Ana's. "You're the daughter of Carlos Gonzalez right?" Ana just nodded her head yes. Jackie told her to sit down in a chair by the front desk. "Wait here. I was just about to go get the family members."

Moments later, the rest of Ana's family came in after Nurse Jackie. She motioned for all of them to follow her into one of the nearby hospital rooms. That is when Ana saw her father lying there. He looked so peaceful as if he was just taking a nap. Ana rushed over to his side and grabbed his left hand. It felt cool to the touch. "Papi, it's me Ana. Can you hear me?" She looked at his lifeless body lying there. In hopes that he would wake up and respond to her voice somehow. Ana was quickly saddened by the fact that there was no response. The only sound she could hear in the room was the sobs of her mother, sister and grandparents.

David tried to come over to comfort her but she pushed him away. She didn't want to be touched by anyone at that moment. "Ana he's gone." Ana was in shock and disbelief. His body was cold. Ana believed that it was still possible for God to do a miracle and bring him back to them. She insisted that they all join hands and pray for a miracle to take place. Ana was completely disappointed by her family's unbelief that it could actually happen. She stood there having enough faith for all of them.

"Please God. Bring him back to us."

Praying that somehow God would reach down from heaven and touch her father's body and breathe life back into him. It was certainly possible. She was witness to many miracles before. Ana knew that God had the power to raise the dead back to life. She had the faith for it to take place right now.

Only God knows why the miracle didn't take place that day. For Ana, this was the kind of pivotal moment in her life that made her question her faith in God. Ana felt as if everything that she has ever been taught and known to be true about God seemed to be all a lie. Or was it? Every word preached from her father's lips about God's healing power and wondrous miracles were they just lies too? Ana grew so numb. Almost as if she had felt nothing at all.