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When they arrive at the hospital, Yenedith tells Charles that she won't take long since she just plans to leave the bouquet of fresh flowers they bought on the way, but minutes pass and she doesn't return, so he decides to check on her. When he approaches the private room at the hospital, he sees the young Gem's mother sitting on the side of the bed hugging her. — She's awake! — says the woman with tears in her eyes.
— That's great news, I'll call the doctor! — he says and walks back to the exit, but sees Yenedith coming in with him.
— Do you know where you are? — the doctor asks once he approaches her.
— I think... in a hospital? — Gem says hoarsely after looking around as if she can't focus her gaze on one place.
He asks her more questions about her name, age, where she comes from, and her family, to which her mother nods to confirm that she is answering correctly.
— Do you remember what happened? Do you know why you're here? — asks the doctor.
— I was at home, I was... with some... some friends — she says, taking a deep breath. The doctor has a neutral expression for those trying to interpret what is happening — I was with my boyfriend.
— Do you remember what you were doing before you lost consciousness? asks the doctor. Her mother seems uneasy with the question.
— No, I don't understand. What am I doing here? What's going on? — she asks, gesturing with discomfort.
— Are you in pain or aches?
— Yes, it hurts... my stomach hurts — says the young woman, moving both arms to touch her belly and shaking her feet a little, trying to get comfortable in bed. Which helps to rule out one of the questions.
— All right, open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue — says the doctor. He takes his stethoscope to illuminate the beginning of her esophagus and a small wooden stick to press her tongue — There doesn't seem to be any inflammation. Do you have difficulty swallowing saliva or does it hurt? — he asks, to which Gem shakes her head — Gem, I'm your doctor. My name is Mauricio Fajardo. I'll be monitoring your recovery over the next few weeks, okay?
— Yes — she replies.
Dr. Fajardo shines a light on her corneas and asks her to follow his finger, which she does — Can I talk to you for a moment? — the doctor asks her mother.
— We'll be here with her — Yenedith remarks, seeing the woman's worried look toward her daughter. She watches them leave and moves closer to Gem, who is staring at the ceiling — Hello, Gem. How are you? — Yenedith asks, taking her hand — I'm so glad you're awake.
— What? Who? — she asks.
Yenedith frowns and immediately feels a knot in her throat. Charles shakes his head to tell her to stop talking, but she says again — We've been best friends for a year now. Don't you remember me?
— Yenedith?
— Yes! — she replies, her voice limited by the urge to cry. She takes a deep breath and doesn't let the tears fall — I thought you wouldn't wake up from the coma. You have to know that we are with you and we support you in your recovery and rehabilitation.
— Rehabilitation? — she asks — But I've been rehabilitated for a year and eleven months. It'll be two years in May.
— She seems to be between asleep and awake, it's better not to say anything else to her — Charles says, but his girlfriend doesn't seem very convinced to stay quiet — Yenedith, you might confuse her — he insists.
— I have to tell her mother, the doctor will know what to do — Yenedith says and walks toward the door, but stops when she hears the voices.
— Besides the lack of oxygen to her brain during the time she was without vital signs, it's possible that the overdose caused damage beyond what we know so far — she hears the doctor say — She seems quite disoriented, she doesn't maintain eye contact, and seems to be rambling between her memories. It's a clear sign of amnesia.
— And how long will it take for her to recover her memory? — asks the mother.
— I can't give you a precise answer. She seems to have lost parts of her memory prior to her overdose, not complete fragments of her life — says the doctor — It's possible that mental agility exercises or simply spending time with her closest loved ones will help her recover those lost memories.
— But doctor, I can't wait that long! — protests the mother — We have to do something before she reaches twenty-four weeks.
Yenedith covers her mouth, entering a state of confusion upon hearing these words, but she remains silent to continue listening to the doctor — Mrs. Goldstein, I have already informed you of the patient's rights. You cannot make decisions about your daughter's body, especially now that she has woken up. If the pregnancy had been a risk to her life, it would have been terminated without requiring her consent or yours, because that is the law.
— That baby will come into this world to suffer. It will be born an addict. Don't you understand, doctor?! — protests the woman, lowering her voice almost to a whisper — My daughter would never be a good mother to that child. She can't have that baby.
To Yenedith, they both seem to have fallen silent, but what is really happening is a negotiation about what can be hidden in a medical file and what must be kept according to Gem's mother's wishes.
— Are you aware of what you are asking me? That would cause me to lose my medical license! — says the doctor indignantly. You can hear his footsteps receding and the sobs of the desperate mother who only wants the best for her daughter, according to her best judgment.
— What's going on? I thought you were going to talk to her mother — Charles says as he approaches. Seeing her so upset, he caresses her cheeks as a gesture of support.
— I need some fresh air — says Yenedith.
At that moment, Gem leans over the side of the stretcher to vomit on the floor. This triggers an uncontrollable crying fit in Yenedith, but she restrains herself and quickly leaves the hospital room, passing by her mother's bedside.
When they reach a green area in the hospital's common areas, Yenedith manages to calm down enough to speak — Not only does she not remember what happened, she's also pregnant — she affirms — It's probably the result of her rape.
— But what...? How can you be sure of that?
— Her mother argued with the doctor about not waiting until twenty-four weeks to proceed with an abortion without her consent — says Yenedith — She couldn't have gotten pregnant earlier if she's not that advanced, right? She must be about twelve or fourteen weeks pregnant. What does her mother plan to do if she doesn't dare tell her the truth? Surely, if this doctor doesn't agree, she'll find another one to remove the fetus so she doesn't have to tell her that she was attacked. Attacked by multiple men! Attacked by men in her own home! She was alone! I left her alone, I pushed her away after...!
— Yenedith, Yenedith... that's enough! — Charles holds her back, grabbing her by the shoulders — You act as if you ever had a choice in any of this.
— But she's my friend. What can I do for her?
— Listen to me... take a deep breath — Charles says, taking her face in his hands — Nothing, you can't do anything. Nothing but wait for the doctor to tell her everything when he informs her about her physical condition and wait for her to make a decision herself. You're not her savior, you couldn't save her from drugs, or from what happened to her, and you can't save her from her horrible mother either.
Yenedith shakes her head and bursts into tears. Charles quickly hugs her to his chest, holding her back and head firmly to comfort her until he has no energy left and neither tears. He takes her to the house of his young boss.