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still in the hospital and legal proceedings were yet not allowed. Using her military privileges, Norma was able to talk to Luis and he explained what had happened. She assured him that they would do everything possible to get him out of there soon. Though they knew it was going to be complicated, she didn’t say anything so that he wouldn’t be more worried than he already was. On Monday morning, Luis had to see the judge who would either impose charges or order his release. That day, Norma and Zina were present in the court room to show their support, although they didn’t know what fate awaited the young man.
    Although the mother and the younger son had already been released from the hospital, the older son was in the intensive care unit. No one knew how soon he would recover. There was talk of two months, but it was a matter of waiting. The woman testified in court that she had lost control of her car and affirmed that she wouldn’t be pressing charges against Luis; yet due to the absence of a driver’s license, the court charged him with attempted vehicular manslaughter since the child was injured. The charges were clear.
    The judge also clarified that after he served his sentence pertaining to the accident, the defendant must report to the immigration service, since the police found a fake ID and a fake Social Security card, which was considered a felony. Such cases should be resolved by a Federal Court judge.
    Luis was taken back to his cell. He was to be transferred to the county jail where he would serve his sentence and he would remain there while his family sorted out the case with the help of a lawyer. With tears in their eyes, Luis and Zina said goodbye with a terrible sense of helplessness and anguish, not knowing what fate had in store for them.
    Immediately, the family moved to find a good lawyer to take on the case. Norma also sent Pablo an e-mail. Pablo wasn’t able to communicate until two days after. Confused, he asked for a clearer explanation of the accident. He could not believe how, just a few days ago, everything was fine and now his life had been turned a hundred and eighty degrees. Already aware of the situation, he gave some ideas on how to solve the case and asked his wife to do everything possible to clarify the situation and get his brother out of jail. He also asked her to avoid telling his family in Mexico, so as not to stress Grandma Andrea.
    Things would not be so easy because the bail was extremely high and there was no money to pay for it. The best thing to do was to save what little they had to pay the attorney’s fees that, they knew, were not going to be cheap. Because of this, they decided to immediately ask family members for a little help to be able to afford Luis’ representation. It would be quite difficult though, because the judge had to wait until the child was released from the hospital in order to reduce the charges. The lawyer reiterated what the judge had said that while the child is still in the hospital, the case would remain on hold and only until he is released, that the final verdict be pronounced. The lawyer also clarified that he would only work on the case concerning the accident and that they should start looking for an immigration lawyer who specializes in deportation as the involvement of fake documents was extremely delicate. In most cases, the defendants were deported after several months of fighting to be set free.
    Pablo requested permission to travel and be with his family throughout the proceedings of his brother, but his superiors did not find sufficient reasons and denied his request. It was not a matter of life or death and his battalion was, at that time, in a very important operation and could not do without him. He had no choice but to follow their orders. However, they allowed him daily communication with his family back in the States to receive updates.
    Meanwhile, Zina could not hide her dismay and helplessness for not being able to do much.