El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua
The Mask Copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema
The American Rivera
Chapter 05: Tragedy
[The Next Day]
Chris Gathered Some Books From His Locker At School.
As He Shut The Door, He Manny And Frida Staring At Him.
"Oh, Great...You two." Said Chris Glumly
"Hey, Chris...What-Cha-Doin?" Asked Frida
"Going To Class." Said Chris As He Walked Off
As Chris Walked Down the Hall, Manny And Frida Followed Him.
"We, Uhhhh...Heard Your Friends With Zoe Aves." Said Manny
"Yeah...SO!"
"So?" Exclaimed Frida
"So, We`re Wondering Why Your Hanging Out With a Freak Like He-"
Chris Glared At Frida, His Face In her face.
"SHUT UP YOUR MOUTH, GOGGLE HEAD!" Shouted Chris
Frida Froze At Chris`s Sudden Anger.
"Whoa...Take a CHILL PILL, LATELY?"
Manny Growled.
"Chris, Frida Is Right...Zoe Isn`t The Type You`d Want For a Friend."
Chris Sneared.
"Oh, And I Suppose You`d Know All About being a "Good Friend", Eh?"
"Chris, TRUST ME...Zoe Aves Is Nothing But Trouble!"
"WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE!" Exclaimed Chris Loudly
"You Made It Clear Yesterday You Didn`t Want Anything To DO With Me, Anymore!
And You Know What, Manny?...I`M FED UP WITH YOU, TOO!
I`m Tired Of Trying To Prove Myself To a SELFISH JERK And His EQUALLY JERKY FRIEND!"
"Hey, Don`t Drag Me Into This!" Said Frida
Manny Growled.
"Okay, You Know What: I DON`T CARE!
You Can Spend Time With Zoe ALL YOU WANT!...You Two Are SO PERFECT For Each Other."
Chris Glared At Manny.
"And, What Do You Mean By THAT...Rivera!"
"Your Both FREAKS AND LOSERS!"
Chris Growled At Him.
"Oh, Yeah!
Well, You And Frida Are Also a PERFECT COUPLE: Your Both SELFISH JERKS Who Only Care About YOURSELVES!"
Chris And Manny Glared AT Each Other, Gritting Their Teeth.
They Then Turned And Marched Away, Fuming With Anger.
"FREAK!"
"JERK!"
Frida Stood Still, All Alone.
"Ummm...What Just Happened?"
As Chris Marched Away, He Ran Into Spike And His Gang.
"Hey, Gringo...Time For Your Daily Beatin-"
"OUTTA MY WAY, FREAKSHOW!
I`M NOT IN THE MOOD RIGHT NOW!"
As Chris Marched Away, Spike And His Boys Glared At Him Darkly.
"That Little Freak...He Deserves "Special Treatment"."
Spike`s Friends Snickered To Themselves.
As Chris Walked Off, He Ran Into Zoe.
"Oh...Hey, Zoe."
"Chris, I`ve Been Looking For You..."
"What Is It?"
"Chris...I`m Afraid I`m Gonna Have To Put a raincheck On Our "Quality Time", Today.
I`m Going With My Mom And Grandmother On Some "Family Thing" In The City...You Understand."
"Oh...i see."
Chris Then Smiled.
"Okay, Sure Thing...I Can Go At Least a Day Without You."
"You Sure You`ll Be Okay?"
"SURE!
I Can Manage On My Own."
Zoe Smiled.
"Okay...I Guess I`ll See You Later, Then" Said Zoe
Chris Nodded.
"Yeah...See Ya."
Zoe Walked Away, Leaving Chris Alone.
[Recess]
Manny And Frida Walked Outside, When Maria Walked Up To Them.
"MANNY!"
Manny Turned To See His Mom.
"Hey, Mom...What`s-"
"Manny, Honey...I Need You To Go With Chris Into The City."
Manny Sighed.
"But, Mom!"
"Manny, PLEASE!...You Two Need To Spend Some QUALITY TIME, TOGETHER"
Manny Sighed.
"whatever..."
Maria Smiled, She Then Kissed Manny On The Cheek.
She Then Left...Leaving Manny And Frida Alone.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I DO NOT Want To Waste My Day Playing BABYSITTER To That Guy!"
"Then...Let`s Not."
Manny Looked At Frida.
"Huh?"
"Why Don`t We Just Go On Without Him!
He`ll Probably Just Hang Out With That ZOE AVES Like He Always Does!."
Manny Thought a Bit.
"Yeah, Your Probably Right.
The Worst That Can Happen Is I`ll Get Grounded...And, That Happens ALL THE TIME."
"GREAT!
We`ll Totally Crash At The Mayan Arcade Til` We Run Out Of Quarters!" Laughed Frida
[Later, After School]
Chris Sat In Central Park As He Waited On Manny And Frida To Show Up.
"I Can`t Believe I Have To Swallow This...
Manny And Frida Have Been Jerks To Me, And I have To Spend Time With Them!"
Chris Sighed.
"Well...I Guess I DID Lose My Temper Back There.
And, Manny WAS Acting All Concerned Over Me...Even It It Was Ridiculous To Be Suspicious Of Zoey."
Chris Sighed.
"Maybe I Should Apolygise To Him For Being SO Rude To Him And Frida...
Afterall, Just because He`s RUDE And MEAN SPIRITED, It Doesn`t Mean I Have To."
Chris Looked Around.
"That Is...IF THEY EVER GET HERE!"
[Later That Night]
Chris Sighed As He Looked At The Night Sky.
"they ditched me...AGAIN!
Why Am I Not Surprised?"
Thunder Clashed And It Started Raining Down On Chris.
He Yelled Out In Aggravation, Then Got Up In a Huff.
"Oooooooooo...Sometimes Those Two Make Me SO VERY ANGRY!"
Chris Marched Off In The Rain.
He Walked Down The Street And Into The City.
Chris Walked Around For What Felt Like HOURS...
It Was So Dark And Rainy, That He Had NO IDEA Where He Was Going.
Chris Soon Walked Into An Alley, Trying To Take a Shortcut...But Hit a DEAD END.
"Oh, Just Great!
It`s So Dark And Stormy Out, I Can`t Tell Which Way is Which!"
Then Then, Figures Approached Chris.
"Well, Well, Well..." Began a Voice
Chris Looked To See Spike And His Gang Approaching Him.
"Looky What We Have Here, Boys...
The Gringo Has Lost His Way Home...Maybe We Outta "Help Him"."
Chris Gulped Nervously.
"Uhhhhhhh...N-No Thanks.
I`m-I`m Sure The Way Home Will Come Back To Me Eventually."
Spike Approached Chris, His Gang Surrounding Him.
He Punched Into The Palm Of His Hand, His Buddies Starting Wielding Metal Pipes, Crowbars And Chains.
Chris Choked.
"N-Now...About What Happened Back At School.
I`m S-S-Sorry, Spike...I Was Just In a B-B-Bad Mood, That A-All."
Spike Had a Sinister Look On His Face.
"Awwww...Now, That Isn`t Very Nice.
People Shouldn`t Go Around With BAD MANNERS...It Just Isn`t Polite."
Spike Grabbed Chris By His Shirt.
"looks like somebody needs to teach you a lesson..." Said Spike, As His Gang Got Closer.
Chris Looked At Spike WIth Fear In His Eyes.
He KNEW What Spike Had In Mind...Amd, He Knew He Was Powerless To Stop It.
"Now, BEG FOR MERCY...
It Sometimes Helps, But Not Often."
Chris Gulped, But Made a Straight Face.
"No..."
Spike Snickered.
"Okay...a Scream Will Do Just Fine."
Spike Raised His Fist And Punched Chris In The Face, Knocking Him Down.
He Then Kicked Chris In His Chest, Who Fliched As He Held His Ribs In Pain.
Chris Looked Up To See Spike`s Gang Standing Over Him WIth Weapons.
"Boys...Knock Yourselves Out."
Spike`s Gang Snickered Wickedly.
"oh, no..."
The Gang Raised Up Their Weapons.
"zoe..."
[Later]
Spike And His Gang Walked Out Of The Alley.
Their Weapons Were Broken Or Dented And They All Looked Tired.
"Never Saw Anybody Take a Beating Like That..." Said One Punk
Spiked Chuckled.
"Yeah, he Is Pretty Tough...Didn`t Even Scream Or Anything.
But, He Is DEFINETLY Hurting...Heh Heh Heh."
Spike Looked Back At Chris, Who Was Laying Motionless On The Ground In a Pool Of Bloody Water.
"Anyway...Let`s Scram, Fellas."
Spike And His Gang Ran Off.
Once They Were Gone, Chris Raised Up His Head.
His Face Was Brused Up And Covered In Bloody Cuts.
He Groaned As He Crawled On All Fours And Tried To Get Out Of Teh Alley.
Every Bone In His Body Felt Broken And It Seemed His Every Nerves Was ON FIRE With Pain.
It Hurt To Move...Hurt To Breath...Hurt EVERYWHERE.
But, The Pain Wasn`t On His Mind...He Was Thinking Of One ONE THING.
"z-z-zoeeeeeey..."
Chris Tried To Crawl His Way To The Direction Of Zoe`s House, Despite His Pain.
[Meanwhile, At The Aves House]
The FLOCK OF FURY Flew Into The Opening Of Their Tower Base.
They Put Down Bags Full Of Money And Artifact That They Stole.
"Quite a Haul We Got, Eh?" Said Voltura
Lady Gobbler Snickered.
"SI!
Best Night We Ever Had!"
Cuervo Sighed As She Removed Her Helmet.
Volture Walked Over To Her As She Sat Down On An "Egg-Like" Chair.
"Mija...Are You Alright?"
Zoe Sighed.
"Oh, I`m Just Thinking About Chris.
I Don`t Like The Idea Of Leaving Him All Alone..."
Voltura Patted Her Daughter On The Shoulder.
"Don`t Worry...I`m Sure He`s Doing Fine.
Zoe Sighed.
"i hope so...i`m the only friend he has."
Lady Gobbler Approached Her Granddaughter.
"OH, RELAX!
He Can Go ONE DAY Without You...WHat`s The Worst That Could Happen!"
Zoe Sighed Sharply.
"I`d Rather Not Think About It."
[Later]
The FOF Were Back In their Civilian Attire They Were Getting All Relaxed After a LONG NIGHT Of Theivery.
DING-DOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!
"ZOEY!, THE DOOR!" Said Carmelita
Zoe Ran Up To the Door.
She Opened It And Then-
"!"
Carmelita Quickly Ran Over To See What her daughte Was Screaming About.
When She Got To teh door, She Saw Zoe In a State Of Shock And Horror...
And, then She Saw Chris At The Doorstep...All Broken, Beaten And Bloody."
"OH, MY GOD..."
"z-z-zoey?"
Zoe Snapped Out Of Her Shock And Ran Up To Him She Knelt Down And Lifted His Head, Getting Blood On her Hands.
"Chris?
CHRIS!"
Chris Fluttered His Eyes Open.
"Z-Zoe...help me."
Chris Flinched In Pain As His Body Moved.
"MOM!" Shouted Zoe
"I KNOW!, I KNOW!"
Carmelita Quickly Ran Into the Kitchen And Grabbed Her Car Keys.
"WHERE YOu GOI-"
"SORRY, MOM...GOT AN EMERGENCY, HERE!"
Carmelita Ran Up To Zoe.
"Get Him In The Car!"
Zoe Picked Chris Up And Ran Outside.
The Two Aves Women Ran To Their Car And Got Inside.
Carmelita Was AT The Driver`s Seat And Zoe And Chris Were In The Back Seat.
The Car Quickly Pulled Out And Raced For The Hospital At Top Speed.
Zoe Held Chris Close To her.
She Knew He Was In Pain, She She Tried Not To Squeeze TOO HARD.
"Chris...Are You-"
Chris Groaned In Pain.
"WHAT HAPPENED!"
Chris Looked At Zoe.
"m-m-manny and f-frida...
they...d-didn`t show up.
s-s-spike...amd his g-gang, they-"
Chris Hissed Through His Teeth As Intense Pain Surged Through His Body.
"CHRIS!"
"zoey...it`s hurts so much."
"Hang On, Chris...We`re Almost There."
They Soon Pulled Into The Hospital.
Zoe Quickly Ran Out With Chris And Carried Him To The Hospital Doors, Camelita Followed Close Behind.
Zoe Burst Into The Doors.
"HELP!, HELP ME!
MY FRIEND!, HE`S HURT!" Shouted Zoe, Close To Tears
The Nurses Ran Over To her.
"Oh, My GOD!" Said a Nurse Upon Seeing Chris
"GET HIM TO THE "E.R.", STAT!
AND, CALL DOCTOR GONZALES FOR IMMEDIATE EXAMINATION!"
Some Nurses Rushed a Stretcher Over.
Zoe Helped The Nurses Get Him Onto The Stretcher.
Carmelita Soon Arrived To See This.
"Hold On, Chris...Your Going To be Okay!" Said Zoe
Chris Groaned With Pain.
He Clutched Zoe`s Hand Tightly.
"zoe...ey."
Chris Released Zoe`s Hand As The Nurses Rushed Him Down the Hall.
Zoe Followed Them, While Carmelita Stayed Behind...And Took Out Her Cell Phone.
[Elsewhere]
Maria Was Silently Reading a Book In Her READING ROOM.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
Maria Took Out Her Celphone And Answered It.
"Hello?
Oh, Hi Carmelita...How Are Yo-"
Carmelita Spoke To Her.
"What?"
Maria`s Face Soon Became Pale, a Look Of Terror On Her Face.
"HE`S WHERE!
Maria Felt The Urge To Hyperventilate, But Resisted It.
"H-HANG ON, I`LL BE RIGHT THERE!"
As Maria Ran To fetch Her Coat, She Dialed Another Number On Her Phone.
"RUDOLFO!
I NEED YOu AND GRANDPAPI TO MEET ME AT THE HOSPITAL, NOW!...CHRIS IS HURT!"
Maria Was Soon In Her Car And Raced For The Hospital.
[Meanwhile, At The Hospital]
Zoe Was Looking Through a Glass Window As The Doctor And Nurses Examined Chris.
Her Nails Scratched At The Glass, Fear And Terror Ebbing Away At Her.
a Nurse Soon Walked Out Of The Room.
"I`m Sorry, You have To leave."
"B-BUT, HE`S MY FRIEND!"
"I`m Sorry, Miss.
You Have To Stay In The Waiting Room."
The Nurse Eccorted Zoe Away.
[The Waiting Room]
Carmelita Was Sitting At a Chair.
She Soon Saw Maria Run Inside, She Got Up To See Her.
"CARMELITA, WHAT HAPPENED!" Exclaimed Maria
Carmelita Sighed.
"I Don`t Know...I`m Just As Confused As You Are."
Maria Was Trembling In Panic.
"Is...Is Manny, Okay?"
"he wasn`t there..." Said a Voice
Maria And Carmelita Turned To See Zoe, Who Walked Up To Them.
"manny and frida never showed up, chris was on his own...that`s what he told me."
Maria Walked You To Zoe.
"What Happened To Chris!"
Zoe`s Body Shook, Tears Escaping Her Eyes.
"he was...beaten up.
by a street gang...it was spike, a kid from school."
"W-WHAT!"
"my god...there was so much blood.
i`ve never seen him so weak and helpless..." Said Zoe, Who Was Talking To Herself
"B-B-BLOOD!"
Maria Began To Faint, But Carmelita Caught Her.
Rudolfo And Grandpapi Soon Arrived...As Did Nana Aves.
"MARIA!"
Maria Managed To Recover.
She Walked Up To Rudolfo.
"rudolfo...chris is."
Maria Cried, Then Hugged Rudolfo Suddenly.
"oh, my..."
"Maria, What Happened?"
Maria Looked At Rudolfo.
"chris...he was beat by a street gang."
Rudolfo Was In Shock.
"Where Is Manny?"
Maria Sighed.
"he...wasn`t there."
"WHAT!"
Rudolfo Suddenly Reached into His Pocket And Took Out His Celphone.
[Meanwhile, At The Mayan Arcade]
Manny And Frida Were Playing Videogames NON-STOP.
"THIS IS SO AWESOME!" Said Frida
"I`LL SAY!" Said Manny
Just Then, Manny Celphone Vibrated.
He Reached In And Answered It.
"Hello?
"MANUEL PABLO GUTIERREZ O`BRIEN EQUIHUA RIVERA!"
Manny Sighed.
"hi, dad..."
"WHERE ARE YOU!"
"I`m, Uhhhhh...Hanging Out With Chris At The Mayan Arcade." Said Manny
"I Fail To See How That Is Possible...Since Chris Is In The Hospital Right Now."
Manny`s Face Turned Pale.
"H-H-HOSPITAL!"
"GET OVER HERE, NOW!"
Manny Hung Up His Phone.
He Quickly grabbed Frida By her Arm.
"HEY!
WHAT GIVES!"
"CHRIS IS IN THE HOSPITAL!"
It Was Frida`s Turn To be Shocked.
"THE WHAT!"
"WE HAVE TO GET OVER THERE, NOW!"
Manny And Frida Ran Out The Arcade.
[Later, At The Hospital]
Manny And Frida Ran Into The Hospital.
Once At The Waiting Room, They Saw The Rivera And Aves Family There.
"M-Mom?"
Maria Looked At Manny, Her Eyes Red From Her Tears.
She Looked Away, Her Face Obviously Disappointed.
Rudolfo And Grandpapi Were Also Disappointed.
Zoe, However...Had "Different" Emotions.
"MANNY!"
Zoe Marched Over To Manny And Frida.
Her face Had An Enraged Expression, But Her Eyes Were Streaming With Tears.
"You Blasted, No Good Jerk!
How Dare You Come Here, HOW DARE YOU!"
"But, I-
SLAP!
Zoe Struck Manny Across The Face Really Hard.
"All Chris Ever Wanted Was To Be Your Brother, BUT YOU NEVER GAVE HIM A CHANCE!
Admit It!, You Wanted Chris Gone!, Well...ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!
I HATE YOU!, I HATE YOU!, I HATE YOU!"
Manny Was Frozen, Unsure What to Think.
Zoe Then Glared At Frida.
"You...
I Always Knew You Were NO GOOD, Suarez...But, I Never Woukd Of Dreamed You Go THIS LOW!"
"W-What?"
"DON`T PLAY DUMB WITH ME!
I KNOW YOu HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS!
You Just Couldn`t Let me Be Happy...YOU HAD TO TAKE HIm AWAY FROM ME!"
"I-"
POW!
Zoe Punched Frida Hard In the Jaw, Knocking Her Down.
"YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO BE WITH CHRIS, TODAY!"
"Well, What About You!
Aren`t You Suppose To be His Friend Who Hangs Out With Him!"
"I WAS BUSY WITH My FAMILY, TONIGHT!
NOW, THANKS TO YOU AND MANNY...CHRIS GOT BEATEN NEAR TO DEATH BY SPIKE AND HIS GANG!"
Frida Had a Shocked Expression, As Did Manny.
"S-S-Spike?"
Zoe Marched Off And Cried, Carmelita Held Her Close.
Rudolfo Approached Manny, His Face Expressed With Great Sadness.
"Manny, I Am So Very Disappointed In You...
Maria Trusted You To Keep Chris Safe, How Could You Betray Her Like That?"
"I-I-I-"
"Manny, I Have Done Much Evil In My Life..." Began Grandpapi
"But, Even I Wouldn`t Do This."
Manny Hung his Head Low.
Frida`s Head Was Also Low.
Just Then, Doctor Gonzales Walked In.
Everyone Gathered Around Him To Listen.
"How...How Bad Is it, Doc?" Asked Maria
The Doctor Sighed.
"Looks Pretty Bad...
Almost Every Bone In his Body Is Broken...The Rest Look Brittle."
EVeryone Was Shocked At This.
"He Also Lost Quite ALOT Of Blood...
To be Honest, He`s Lucky To Be Alive."
"W-Will He Make It?" Asked Maria
"At This Point, It`s Hard To Tell...
The Best Chance He Has Is AN Immediate Blood Transfusion.
But, Even Then...He`ll Be Lucky If He Lived Through The Night."
Maria Sobbed a Little.
Manny And Frida Felt Ever More Low Than They Did.
Zoe Narrowed Her Eyes.
"I`ll Do It..."
Carmelita Looked At Zoe.
"What?"
"I`ll Give My Blood To Save Him."
Zoe Faced The Doctor.
"Will It Work?"
The Doctor Sighed.
"It Should.
Though, The Process Will be Risky for You...he Has Lost Quite Alot Of Blood.
"Take As Much As You Need...I`ll Take Any Chance If It Means Saving Him."
The Doctor Sighed.
"Very Well...
Come With Me, And We`ll Begin The Transfusion."
Zoe Glanced Back At Manny And Frida And Glared At Them.
"If Chris Dies Tonight...His Blood Will Be On YOUR HANDS.
And, There Will Be NO PLACE On Earth Where You Will Be Able To Hide From Me."
Zoe Walked Away, Leaving Manny And Frida Alone WIth The Other.
Manny Hung His Head Low, Guilt Eating Away At Him.
"my god...what have i done?"
[Meanwhile, In The Emergency Room]
Chris Lay On a Hospital Bed, His Body Wrapped In Casts And Bandages He Had Wires Connected To Him, Which Monioring His Vitals.
And His Vitals Were VERY WEAK, The Line On The Monitor Looking Very SLIM.
Zoe Lay On a Bed Beside Him, Looking On At Him With Saddened Eyes.
She Had a Tube Connected To Her Arm That Was Linked To a Bag Hanging On a Pole Which Had a Another Tube Connected To Chris`s Arm.
The Doctor Walked Over To Zoe.
"You ready For This, Miss Aves?
Zoe Nodded Slowly.
The Doctor Pressed a Button On a Device.
Zoe Winced As She Felt Her Tube Pumped Blood From Her Arm.
She Looked And Saw a Steady Flow Of Red Liquid Travel Through The Tube And Began Filling Up The Bag.
Soon, The Bag Was Full...And Zoe Felt Very Dizzy.
"okay, Now To Proceed With The Transfusion." Said The doctor
a Nurse Removed The Tube From Zoe`s Arm And Quickly Bandaged It.
Zoe Watched As The Doctor Pressed Another Button On The Device.
Zoe`s Blood Began To Run Down The Tube And Pumped Into Chris`s Arm.
"is it...working?"
"Difficult To Say." Said The Doctor
"But, He Seems To Be Holding Up."
The Blood Bag Was Soon Emptied.
a Nurse Removed The Tube From Chris`s Arm And Bandaged It Up
"Now All We Can Do Is Hope He Holds Out..."
"D-Doctor...I Want To Stay Here With Chris."
The Doctor Sighed.
"Fair Enough."
The Doctor Soon Left, As Did The Nurses.
It Was At That Moment, That Carmelita Aves Walked In.
"Zoey, I-
"Don`t Talk To Me." Said Zoe Coldy
Carmelita Sighed.
"Zoe...I`m Sorry."
Zoe Glared At Her Mother.
"You Should Be...
If I Wasn`t Out Stealing Things As The Black Cuervo...Then, NONE OF THIS WOULD OF HAPPENED!"
"Zoe, I-"
"It Was Your Idea For Us To Go Out Stealing...When I Should Of Been With Chris!"
Carmelita Sighed Sharply.
Sure Knew That DEEP DOWN...Zoe Was Right: Chris`s Ordeal WAS Partially Her Fault.
"Zoe...your right.
It Was My Fault, And I`m Sorry."
Zoe Was Silent As She Turned Away.
"mom..."
"Yes, Zoey?"
Zoe Inhaled Deeply, Then Exhaled.
"I Don`t Want To be The Black Cuervo, Anymore...
I Don`t Want To Be Part Of the Flock Of Fury...I Quit."
Carmelita Was Shocked.
"QUIT!
YOU CAN`T QUIT!"
"Mom, The Black Cuervo Almost Got Chris Killed."
Carmelita Sighed.
Then, She Remembered Something.
"But, She ALSO Saved Him That One Day..."
Zoe Looked At her Mom.
"Mija...I Know You Feel Responsible.
But, No One Is To Blame For What Happened...EXCEPT That gang Who Did This."
Zoe Sighed At These Words.
"Zoe...Listen To Me.
Sometimes We Make Mistakes...And, We Can`t Do Anything To Undo It.
All We Can Do Is Move On And Try To Learn From Our Mistakes."
Carmelita Approached Her Daughter.
"Don`t Give Up being The Cuervo...Just Because You Failed ONCE.
If Anything, This Is a GOOD REASON To Keep Being The Cuervo...At Least For Him."
Zoe Sighed Sharply.
She Then Cried a Little.
Carmelita Leaned Over And Kissed Her daughter On The Head.
"I Am Sorry, Zoe...Very Sorry.
I...I Hope Chris Will Be Alright."
Zoe Nodded.
"so do i...i`ll be lost without him." Said Zoe Sadly
Carmelita Sighed, Then Walked Away...Leaving The Room.
Zoe Looked Over At Chris.
She Reached Out Her And And Held Onto His Tightly.
"please don`t leave me, chris...your the best friend i`ve ever had."
Zoe Shed a Tear.
"i`m...i`m sorry."
Chris`s Breathing Was Weak And He Was Out Cold But...Zoe Could Feel Chris`s Hand Tightening Slightly On Hers.
Zoe Smiled, Though Tears Still Stood In her Eyes.
"that`s it, chris...don`t give up."
[Meanwhile, In The Waiting Room]
Manny And Frida Sat Alone At a Chair.
Manny`s Held Was Hung low, As Was Frida`s...Guilt Was Obviously Upon Them.
"what have i done..." Said Manny
Frida Looked At Her friend.
"I...I Can`t Believe The Last Thing I Said To Him Was That He Was a FREAK And a LOSER..."
Manny Buried His Face Into His Hands.
"i am such a jerk!" Sobbed Manny
Frida Sighed Sharply.
"no more than me...
It Was My Idea To Ditch On Him, Remember?"
Frida Shed a Tear.
"Zoe Was Right About Me...I Am a Jerk."
Manny Looked Up.
He Glanced Over At His Mother...Who Was Sitting In her Seat, Trembling.
Manny Sighed.
He Got Up And Walked Over To Her...Frida Followed Him.
Manny faced His Mother, Who Looked At Him.
"M-Mom...I`m...I`m Sorry.
I...I Didn`t Mean For Any Of This To Happen, I Swear!"
Maria Looked At Manny.
Her Face Was Emotionless.
"Tell Me, Manny...Why Did You Do It?
Why have You Been Rejecting Chris So Much?"
Manny Sighed.
"i...i don`t know.
I Guess I Was...Afraid."
"Afraid?"
"Yes...Afraid.
I Was Afraid He Was Going To Replace Me As Your Son."
Maria Sighed.
"Manny...YOU-ARE-MY-SON!
I Will Never Stop Loving You, YOU KNOW THAT!"
Maria Exhaled Deeply.
"But, There Is Something You Need To Understand...
Chris...He Doesn`t Have a Family Of His Own.
Unlike You, He Grew Up All Alone...Without a Mother, a Father OR Any Friends."
Maria Sighed.
"He Doesn`t Even KNOW Who His Parents Are...Or His TRUE NAME.
See, His Real Family Are a Mystery To Him And He May Never Know Where He Came From."
Manny Looked At His Mother In Shock And Awe, As Did Frida.
"Manny...When I Adopted Chris, I Did It So He Could HAVE A FAMILY.
So He Could Have a REAL HOME And Not Live On The Streets As AN Outcast..."
Maria Placed Her Hand On Manny`s Shoulder.
"Manny...I Will ALWAYS Love You, Your My Son.
But, I Also Love Chris...Just As Much As I Love You."
Manny Sighed, His Head Hung Low.
Maria Touched Manny`s Chin And Brought His Face To Hers.
"And He IS Your Brother, Manny...
Not By Blood...But, By Love."
Manny Sighed He Shed Some Tears.
"I...I Know That Now, Mom." Said Manny, His Voice Breaking
"I`m So Sorry!"
Manny Hugged His Mom And Cried In her Chest Maria Hugged Her Son, Comforting Him The Best She Could.
"i know, manny...i know."
Frida Sighed Deeply.
She Never Knew Of Chris`s Tragic Past...Which Only Deepened Her Guilt.
"i`m sorry, chris...i am so sorry." Whispered Frida To Herself.