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Charlie relaxed a little more on the rest of the drive through the city to the hospice, while Will’s mind turned to Carlos. He’d spoken to the man almost every day since they left Buenos Aires, and he’d chatted with the doctor who’d replaced him, getting regular updates on Carlos’s condition. His health had deteriorated again, but it appeared they’d managed to stabilize him for now. Time was running out.
As they pulled up to the hospice, the quiet building was bathed in warm sunlight against a crystal blue sky, almost making it seem like summer, if it weren’t for the somewhat chilly temperatures. The second they parked, Charlie hurried to Will’s side of the car and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him tight into his larger frame as they walked up to the front doors.
Olivia greeted them warmly as usual, even if she was a little surprised to see them both again. Will explained that he’d come back for a final visit before he left town. She wished them well and even came out from behind the front desk to give him a hug.
Walking down the hall, Charlie threaded his fingers through Will’s and squeezed, offering up a compassionate smile. He was glad Charlie was there. Will had seen death plenty in his life. It was part of his job, but it didn’t mean that he’d ever grow entirely numb to it. Carlos was still too full of life and passion to go now, but he knew the man had made peace with his death. He was eager to see his wife. And just maybe, close out a lost chapter of his long existence.
The door to Carlos’s room was open and his TV was on. Some insane game show was filling the screen in a riot of colors and activity. Will needed only to glance at Carlos to see that he wasn’t doing well. What color he’d had in his face had left entirely while his eyes and cheeks appeared even more sunken. A tube for oxygen was directly under his nose. It was good that it wasn’t a full mask, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was coming very soon.
Forcing a grin on his lips, he knocked on the doorframe. The noise jerked the old man’s eyes to him and his expression morphed into one full of delight. He laughed and waved a withered hand at him, beckoning him inside.
“Dr. Monroe! Come in, come in!” he rasped.
“I hope you don’t mind that I brought Charlie with me,” Will said, grasping the man’s hand in greeting.
“I was expecting him.” Carlos winked up at Charlie, his grin growing a little devilish. “It’s easy to see he knows a good thing when he sees it.”
Charlie placed a hand on Will’s shoulder and squeezed. “Never letting this man out of my sight again.”
“We won’t take up much of your time. I just wanted to talk to you about the DNA results,” Will informed him as he settled in the chair by the bed. Charlie continued to stand just behind his shoulder, a silent wall of support that Will appreciated more than he could explain.
Carlos settled on his pillows and drew in a few shaky breaths before he finally nodded. “Give it to me straight, doc. It’s okay if it came up negative for a match.”
“The test results are positive. Catalina Perez is, in fact, the daughter of Martina and the niece of your wife, Emilia,” Will answered quickly, forcing the words past the sudden tightness in his throat. “You found her. You found your wife’s niece.”
Tears immediately glistened in Carlos’s eyes, and he struggled to draw in air. Will jumped to his feet and grabbed a couple of tissues from the little pastel box on the nightstand. He handed them over to Carlos while he pulled over the full oxygen mask. With Carlos choked up, the man wasn’t going to get enough oxygen, but before he could get anything settled, Carlos was waving him off.
“Sit down. Sit down. I’m fine. I swear. I’m fine.” His words were breathless and halting, but still strong.
Will hesitated for a second before returning the mask to a hook and sitting in his chair again. They sat in silence as Carlos wiped at his eyes and nose, the smile never leaving his thin lips.
“You said on one of our calls that you saw her? You talked to her?” Carlos pressed when he could.
“I did. She looked to be in good health. She was a very strong, confident, intelligent woman. I was very impressed with her,” Will happily described.
“Very no-nonsense with a good sense of humor,” Charlie added.
Carlos closed his eyes and sighed. “Sounds just like her aunt. Wonderful.”
“I sent her an email, giving her the results of the test as well. I don’t know if she’ll come visit you. With her husband and son being the way they are…” Will’s words drifted off. He didn’t know how much Carlos might have hoped to meet Catalina before he died, but he wanted to set some realistic expectations. It simply might not be safe for either of them.
