“The lady said we should only give this to you.”
It had my name written in Elena’s handwriting. I didn’t open it there.
“Where is she?”
“In intermediate care. The doctor can see you first, if you’d like.”
I nodded like an idiot. They led me to a small office where a man in blue scrubs, about fifty years old, closed the door before speaking.
“Are you Carlos?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Dr. Sterling. Elena asked me that, if you came, I should tell you the complete truth.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. “Then tell me.”
The doctor took a deep breath. “The hemorrhage she had wasn’t an isolated event. Your ex-wife has been in treatment for months for invasive cervical cancer. When you saw her a month ago, she was already sick. The red stain you saw that morning was likely a consequence of an active lesion. She should have come to the hospital that very day, but she refused.”