Chapter 57 - Tomorrow they disconnect it - mduno
I sat in the waiting room chair, and once again, I saw the old man who sat next to Raúl yesterday. I couldn’t stop moving. Because of me, he would have a horrible scar on his beautiful body.
"Why do things happen to her?"
I spoke out loud, rocking back and forth in the chair as if I were in a cradle.
"Trust in God."
The old man spoke, and I looked at him with a desire to kill him. What was the point of listening to everyone mentioning the most evil being in the universe? Didn’t they realize it was the meanest thing the church had ever invented?
"Everything has a purpose."
"Well, tell him to leave my girlfriend out of his experiments. If he needs something, he can ask me, but leave her alone!"
The old man smiled, the same smile as Verónica’s. That expression stopped me from punching him in the face.
"I'm amazed by my Lord's wisdom."
"Look... whatever your name is, you seem to have given yourself over to the mental destruction of the world, and that’s fanaticism of a religion. On the contrary, I don’t need it, and I’ve done just fine."
"If you don’t want to anger me, I suggest you stop saying those idiocies. I haven’t paid attention to my girlfriend, who truly matters, so I’ll pay even less attention to a decrepit old man."
"I’m not talking about religion, son. You brought up the subject. I have full faith in God, in Jesus Christ, his son, in his mother, the Virgin Mary, and from personal experience, in thousands of angels."
I laughed at his nonsense. He was indignant and looked at me the way Verónica did. It wasn’t pleasant to be looked at like that.
"Boss..."
When I looked at Rata, he was looking at me with a worried face, and Cebolla was still amazed. What’s going to happen now? I got up and went over to them. The doctor was coming out, and I signaled to my two trusted men to follow me.
"Inés sent you here, Roland. You need to rest a bit."
"I’m not leaving this place until Verónica gets better," I said, looking at Cebolla. "Did your boyfriend call Mr. Fausto or Santiago?"
"He’s not my boyfriend. He’ll be here in a couple of hours with Lorena’s family."
"And what do they know?"
"Raúl told them the truth. On the other hand, Santiago confirmed to his father what you are."
"He’s going to hate me," I whispered.
"We can’t hide what happened when one is dead, and the other is in intensive care. Besides, the damn clinic was surrounded and filled with our people," Rata looked at me differently.
"What the hell is wrong with you guys? Do I have a painted face or something?"
"Rest, I’ll stay while you go home and sleep a bit, Boss."
"Rata..." I said through gritted teeth.
"You look like a madman..."
"I’ll be here if you need anything."
I left them in the hallway. The old man approached us; I didn’t want to talk to that fanatic again. I closed the door as soon as I entered. I looked at her for a long time. I had the bag Inés sent me. There was a complete change of clothes, and I realized I still had the suit on. I went into the bathroom, changed quickly, and with cold water, it was freezing. I dried myself with the sweater I had and changed. When I came out, Rata was watching Verónica.
"You worry me, Roland." I wanted to yell at him to stop bothering me, but he was my friend.
"I’ll be fine, Simón."
He looked at me; I rarely called him by his name.
"Take care of everything because I can’t think straight, and here, secure the suit."
"I know, I’m worried..." Rata’s phone rang, just like mine. There was coffee and a pastry on the nightstand.
"You haven’t eaten anything. I’ll leave it here for when you get hungry. Inés will kill me if you don’t eat."
"I can’t eat here."
"Eat in the bathroom." He took his phone to his ear. I looked at mine; it was Santiago.
"Okay," he said, closing his phone.
"Hello," I heard him sigh.
"They won’t let us in," he said.
"I’m coming out," I said, looking at Rata.
"They’re outside."
Rata spoke, approaching the nightstand, taking the food he had left, and looking at Verónica once more.
"She looks very pale," was his comment.
They were waiting in the waiting room. They stood up when they saw me arrive. The old man was still in the room! Didn’t this old man’s relative die yet? Santiago greeted me more out of courtesy than anything else, and my father-in-law didn’t greet me at all.
"I need to see my daughter, sir."
"She’s still in intensive care."
Don Fausto approached, looking me in the eyes.
"I need to see her. You’re responsible for what happens to her. Use your influence, even if it’s just for a short time."
"Don Fausto..." he raised his hand, and I fell silent, feeling the blood rush to my head.
"I want to see her, and I don’t want to talk to you anymore."
With that, I looked away, focusing on the waiting room. I needed to calm down, and the old man smiled at me once more.
"Rata, talk to Dr. Mendoza and get him to let them see her."
I didn't see Veronica all morning, and my desperation grew. My father-in-law and brother-in-law took turns. When they left, they didn't say anything and just walked away. I saw them talking to the doctor before they left. Rata had told them they could only see her for three hours in the morning, so her father and brother took up all three hours to keep me from seeing her, not even for a minute.
I didn't say anything. I didn't want to see them all day. As soon as they left without saying goodbye, I got up to go see my girlfriend. I heard the old man say:
"You'll be a tough nut to crack, extreme measures."
I looked back, frowning, and continued towards the room. Rata also looked at the old man, frowning, then looked at me with a "Roland, don't go crazy" expression.
Eight days had passed without any change in Veronica. She was supposed to have shown some improvement, but she was still in a vegetative state. The doctors didn't understand it, and I was losing my mind. Her family visited her every morning, taking up the three hours to keep me away. The doctors had been clear about the visiting hours, and only clinic staff were allowed in. What they didn't know was that I was clinic staff.
I ate very little, I hadn't been able to shave my head, and my hair and beard had started to grow. My appearance was a concern to everyone around me; they said I looked like a madman.
I barely ate, surviving on juice and small snacks. Seeing her broke something inside me. I held her hand. Three days ago, they removed the plastic canopy, but she was still connected to so many machines. Why wasn't she responding? I had told her how much she meant to me, but it was all in vain.
Five days ago, her friend Lorena's funeral took place. Raul arrived with swollen eyes from crying so much. The organization... Rata had the Cardenas brothers in custody, waiting for my meeting with them.
However, I didn't want to leave Veronica. I looked at the clock; there was half an hour before Mr. Fausto arrived. He completely ignored me. I had exchanged a few words with her brother, who was still angry with me. He had lowered his guard a bit when he understood why his sister had arrived at the party without my consent.
He relaxed a bit and understood that I never wanted that to happen, I wouldn't have allowed it. He realized that with Veronica, nothing could be taken for granted. I kissed her forehead and left her room. Rata and Cebolla were waiting in the waiting room. Veronica's father walked in, talking to Dr. Mendoza. I clearly heard Mr. Fausto giving an order... WHAT! Over my dead body.
"She isn't responding. I order you to disconnect her. My daughter didn't want to be a vegetable."
"Mr. Fausto, it's only been a week..." the doctor was interrupted.
"She's my daughter, and I decide, so disconnect her!"
"You don't decide anything!"
I shouted. Veronica's father didn't look away when he noticed my presence. The doctor couldn't hide his nervousness; a week ago, I almost killed him.
"I'll kill you first."
"You don't decide over my daughter!"
I pulled out my gun, and Rata took it from me. I looked at him and smiled; he knew he would pay for that offense. The old man who had been talking to me for three hours every day while Mr. Fausto stayed with my Beautiful was also fed up with my devotion. He got up and walked over to us. Veronica's father pushed me.
"I'll disconnect her. If not today, then tomorrow, whether you agree or not."
I saw the desperation in Rata's eyes as he struggled to hold me back. Cebolla lunged at me, and I pushed him back with a strong punch. I launched myself at Mr. Fausto, but I didn't hit him because Santiago intervened and took the blow. I knew I had broken his nose. I still didn't reach my target, and I couldn't get to him. Rata intervened.
"Roland, don't make it worse, please," my friend said.
"Do you think Veronica would like this?"
The old man intervened, clapping at my scene, which made me even angrier.
"Shut up!" I yelled at him.
"Calm down."
Rata said. The old man let out a long sigh and looked at me the way she used to, the look my girlfriend gave me when I did something she didn't like.
"They are not going to disconnect her. Do you understand?" I said through clenched teeth to the doctor. "You know what I'm capable of."
"He's her father."
The old man intervened. Why wouldn't Rata let go of me? I wanted to smash his face.
"It's already decided and signed, Roland."
Mr. Fausto said. I don't know what formed in my chest, a damned impulse to kill everyone and, at the same time, let myself die too. My eyes started to sting again.
"She will be disconnected tomorrow."