Lead the Way Read Online Free PDF Page A

Too young to be hurt so badly.”
    “Auntie, I can’t imagine how I would deal, if I were in her shoes.”
    “That’s why she hired me – to pick up groceries and stuff like that.  I see her everyday and it breaks my heart.  I think of her like my very own daughter.”
    “Does she see anyone about what happened, like a Doctor?”
    “She used to, but she feels like it stopped helping, so she quit.”
    “Well, I hope that one day she will be able to heal and hopefully get back to living a normal life.”
    “Me too, Mi hijo. Me too.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
     
    Gabriel is woken from a deep sleep.  He’s trying to figure out why he woke up so suddenly, when he hears his name being called.  He recognizes his Aunt’s voice immediately and jumps out of bed.  She sounds like she’s calling him from outside and something in her voice doesn’t sound right.
    He runs to the front door and opens it.  He finds his Aunt lying on the ground, grimacing.  “Rosa, what the hell happened?”
    “I slipped on the ice.  I don’t think that I can get up.”
    He tries to pick her up, but the pain is too unbearable for her.  He kicks himself inside.  He meant to ice the sidewalk before he went to bed, but he was so tired, so he just went to bed.  He’s mad at himself.  He knows better than to put things off.  His Aunt lying on the ground in excruciating pain is more evidence that procrastination is never a good idea. 
    “Aunt Rosa, I’m so sorry.  I meant to ice the sidewalk.”
    “Gabriel, it’s not your fault.  If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s Mother Nature’s fault.”
    “I’m going to call an ambulance.”
    “Yes, Mi hijo.  Do that please.”
    It takes the ambulance ten minutes to get to the house.  He has never been so happy to see someone in his life.  Seeing his Aunt lying on the ground, shivering from the cold, is more than he can bear.  He winces when they put her on the stretcher and she calls out in pain.
    “Auntie, I will meet you at the hospital, okay?”
    “Okay.  Don’t worry Gabriel, I’m fine.” 
    His concern must be written on his face.  He watches the paramedics load his Aunt into the back of the truck and he makes his way back to the house.  He gets dressed, grabs his coat, and jumps into his vehicle.  He drives as fast as he can without speeding too much to get to the hospital.  He doesn’t want his Aunt to have to go through anything alone.  He wants to be by her side.  Why she fell is his fault after all.
    He pays for parking and makes his way into the Emergency Department.  He hates hospitals.  They smell crappy and they’re full of doom and gloom in his opinion.  In his experience, nothing good has ever come from a visit to the hospital.  Today is no different.  He doesn’t have to be a doctor to know that something seriously wrong happened to his Aunt.  The symptoms of pain that she was exhibiting were very real. 
    The clerk at the desk points him in the direction of his Aunt.  He makes his way to find her, trying not to look at the faces of the other patients.  He doesn’t want the looks of their pain and agony imprinted on his mind.  He finally finds his Aunt.
                  “Hi, Auntie.  How are you doing?”
                  “I’ve had better days.”
                  “No kidding.  Have you seen the Doctor yet?”
                  “Not yet.”
                  “Hopefully, it won’t be long, but you know how hospitals can be.  You have to wait forever.”
                  “Gabriel, you don’t have to stay with me.  I’ll be fine on my own.”
                  “Don’t be silly.  I’m going to stay as long as it takes.”
                  “You’re a sweet boy.”
                  After an hour and half, a doctor finally comes to see them.  “Hello,