“Oh my God,” Lucía whispered, tears immediately filling her eyes. “I can’t leave you like this. I don’t care what I promised. No human being should have to suffer this way.”
She knew Daniel would be furious. She knew she was breaking the one rule he’d insisted was unbreakable. But in that moment, her compassion and basic human decency overrode everything else. She made a choice to act from her heart rather than from fear.
Moving quickly, she went to the bathroom and began preparing what she’d need. She filled a basin with warm water, testing the temperature carefully with her elbow the way she’d seen nurses do in movies. She gathered clean towels from the linen closet, found fresh pajamas in Rafael’s dresser, and collected everything she’d need to provide basic care.She approached the bed gently, her movements slow and careful so as not to startle him.
