PART 2
By dawn, the story had already been condemned online:
“Single father abandons his sick daughter for four days.”
Blurry photos of the house, the ambulance, and even Lucía’s stuffed animal lying on a stretcher were shared. Thousands of people insulted Diego Morales without knowing who he was, what had happened, or why his daughter kept asking for him.
At the La Villa Children’s Hospital, Lucía woke up hugging Pancho. Nurse Marisol tucked her blanket in.
“You’re safe now, my love.”
Lucía looked toward the door.
“Has my dad arrived yet?”
Marisol hesitated.
“They’re looking for him.”
A while later, Dr. Cárdenas came in with the file in her hand. Officer Elena and Mariana Salgado, a social worker, were with her.
“Diego called me three days ago,” the doctor said. “He was desperate. Lucía had been suffering from abdominal pain for weeks. He wanted to get her tested, but his insurance didn’t cover everything.”
“Desperate how?” Mariana asked.
“He said he’d sell his motorcycle if necessary. He begged me not to let any more time pass.”
Elena frowned.
“That doesn’t sound like someone abandoning their daughter.”
“No,” the doctor replied. “It sounds like a terrified father.”
Mariana checked Lucía’s sweatshirt and put it in a clean bag. In the pocket, she found a folded pharmacy receipt. On the back, written in blue ink, was a hurried phrase:
