“What!” Carmen screamed, not believing her ears.

“Hey, don’t scream at me… I’m just say’in what I saw.” Roddy raised his hands at Carmen.

“Papi said that Anna is a donor? You sure ‘bout that?”

“Si, hermana, si… I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”

Carmen slumped her shoulders, not believing her ears. That was what went down, all during the time that she had been resting. So many revelations, so many new discoveries… most importantly, Anna… Anna was a suitable donor, which meant that Carmen had a chance of surviving the dreadful illness. But what did it mean, what did all of that mean. Why had it got to be so complicated, Anna… Shane… Papi… they were all the loves of her life… She cannot, and would not live if one of them disappeared from her life. But… it seemed that way. A silent tear trickled down her face. She was too shocked at the revelation to understand what it all meant. All she knew was that her life was no longer worth living.

Roddy, who had by that time laid back onto his bed, lifted himself on his elbows to look at his sister. “Hermana…?”

Her head lifted, and through a screen of tears, stared at her dear brother. She had no more words, her mind not working anymore, a sea of emptiness.

Emptiness.

Roddy looked around worriedly, unsure of what he had to do, and was on the verge of panicking, just like he panicked when Carmen fainted. From afar, he heard the ringing of a cellphone. Recognizing it as Carmen’s, Roddy looked over at his sister, still deep in a trance.

“Hermana?” He called out gently, when he was sure that Carmen did not hear him. He leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder. “Hermana… your phone is ringing.” Carmen turned and looked at Roddy, and he was shocked at the emptiness in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

Carmen didn’t answer. She made her way towards her room without so much as acknowledging Roddy, leaving Roddy worried sick.

A beep from the computer caused Roddy to turn his attention away from the empty door Carmen disappeared out of, and realized that Carmen’s had an IM.