Chapter 3 - The Hospital Scene
The next morning, Carmen arrived at the hospital for her daylight shift. She had requested a transfer from the night shift to establish a healthier routine, and her supervisor, seeing her pale face and dark circles, had gladly accommodated her.
As she walked through the bustling corridors of the emergency room, the familiar smells of antiseptic and floor wax usually grounded her. Today, they did nothing to calm her racing mind.
She spent the first four hours of her shift in a daze, checking vitals, administering medications, and comforting patients, all while her mind spun. Why would the bank need her? Why did her mother say her name was on the paperwork?
At noon, Carmen took her lunch break in the hospital’s small cafeteria. She sat in a corner booth, staring at a cup of black coffee.
"Excuse me, Nurse Carmen?"
Carmen looked up. One of the receptionists from the front desk was standing there, looking uncomfortable.
"Yes, Sandra? What's wrong?"
"There's... um, there's a woman at the front desk demanding to see you," Sandra said, lowering her voice. "She's making a massive scene. She says she's your sister, and she's refusing to leave until you come out. Security is already on their way."
Carmen’s stomach dropped. Leticia.
"I'll handle it," Carmen said, rising to her feet.
She walked quickly toward the main lobby. Even before she pushed through the double doors, she could hear Leticia’s shrill, demanding voice echoing off the tile walls.
"Do you know who I am? My sister works here! She is neglecting her family, and I demand to speak to her immediately!" Leticia was shouting at a bewildered security guard.
She looked a mess. The polished, elegant Leticia who always had time for hair salon appointments and brunch was gone. Her hair was greasy, thrown into a messy bun. She wore no makeup, revealing deep bags under her eyes, and her expensive designer blouse was stained with what looked like dried baby formula.
"Leticia!" Carmen called out, stepping into the lobby.
Leticia spun around, her eyes widening. She stormed over to Carmen, pointing a manicured finger directly at her chest.
"There you are! You selfish, miserable coward!" Leticia screamed, ignoring the gasps of the patients sitting in the waiting area. "You think you can just block our numbers and disappear? Do you have any idea what my life has been like the last five days? I had to cancel three job interviews! I couldn't go to the salon! The house is filthy, the kids are crying for you, and Mom is sick with worry!"
Carmen stood her ground, her face hardening. "You had to cancel job interviews? Leticia, you told me you had a high-paying remote job. You told me you were working from your computer every day while I watched the kids."
Leticia’s face flushed a deep crimson. She stuttered for a moment, her eyes darting around the lobby. "That's... that's none of your business! The point is, you abandoned us! You left Mom to do everything, and she can't handle it! You need to pack your things and come back today. We will forgive you for this little stunt, but you have to pay your share of the rent. Mom needs thirty thousand pesos by Monday, or we lose the house!"
"Thirty thousand pesos?!" Carmen gasped. "Leticia, that is more than two months of my entire salary! Why do we owe that much? And why did Mom say my name is on the bank documents?"
Leticia’s aggressive demeanor suddenly faltered. A flicker of sheer panic crossed her face, so quickly that anyone else would have missed it. But Carmen, who had spent her life watching her sister lie, saw it clearly.
"It's just... it's a co-signing thing," Leticia muttered, looking away. "Mom used your name as a guarantor a few years ago to get a line of credit. It's no big deal. You just need to sign some papers and pay the default amount."
"A guarantor?" Carmen’s voice trembled. "I never signed anything. I never gave Mom permission to use my name for a loan."
"Well, she did it to keep a roof over your head!" Leticia snapped, recovering her bravado. "So stop being so dramatic and come home!"
"No," Carmen said, her voice dropping to a dangerous, quiet whisper.
"What did you say?" Leticia blinked in disbelief.
"I said no. I am not coming back. I am not paying a single peso. And if you don't leave this hospital right now, I will have security drag you out and file a restraining order."
Leticia stared at her sister as if she were looking at a stranger. For the first time in her life, she realized she couldn't bully Carmen into submission.
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"You're going to regret this, Carmen," Leticia hissed, leaning in close. "You think you're safe? You think you can just walk away? You have no idea what you've done."
With that final, ominous threat, Leticia spun on her heel and stormed out of the hospital, leaving Carmen standing in the middle of the lobby, cold with terror.
