Free The Almost Murder and Other Stories by Theresa Saldaña

room.
    I was relieved to finally pee, then went to wash my hands. I stared at my image in the mirror; it seemed a stranger was looking back at me. I was the color of gray chalk, with a big smear of Mom’s blood on my forehead.I scrubbed my hands and face with antibacterial soap and went back to join Abuela.
    My grandmother was praying the rosary. Drowsy from the rum, I sat down next to Abuela, putting my head on her shoulder. She stroked my hair like I was a little girl and murmured, “She’ll be okay.”
    Moments later, my handcuffed father’s gurney was wheeled in, flanked by two paramedics and the police officers who’d been at our place. I looked away, disgusted.
    The receptionist called our names and we jumped to our feet. She told us we could go back to see Mom. Abuela and I followed a nurse’s aide to Mom’s cubicle. I was relieved to see her alert, sitting up, with her arm bandaged. She looked anxious and weak.
    â€œThirty-five stitches,” Mom said, trying for a smile.
    I grabbed her and cried, grateful she was okay.
    An administrative lady came in and asked Mom if she could speak to a detective. She nodded yes and Abuela took me outside.
    We passed a blue-suited, balding man in the doorway. I peeked back at Mom, who said. “Go,
mija
.” Abuela and I again sat in the waiting room.
    Twenty minutes later, a nurse told us that we could take Mom home in an hour or so. I was amazed she didn’t need to stay overnight.
    After the detective interviewed Mom, he came to the waiting room and introduced himself as Sergeant Ríos. He asked to speak to Abuela and me, separately.
    Abuela asked if I could handle it. I told her I knew what I’d seen and wanted to tell it all.
    I went first and gave Ríos a blow-by-blow description of what had happened. The attack was stamped in my memory forever. He thanked me, saying I’d been brave and thorough. Then, he suggested that I visit with my mother while he spoke to Abuela.
    I walked back into Mom’s cubicle and was relieved to find her looking better, but very drowsy.
    â€œYou get some medicine, Mami?” I asked.
    She said, “
Sí
, it helps,
mija
.”
    Abuela joined us, with Valdo at her side. Both were relieved to see Mom looking less panicky and anxious. He whispered to Abuela that my father was down the hall still shackled to a gurney and that he was going straight to jail.
    A nurse came in with paperwork for Mom to sign, then helped her into a wheelchair. We went back up the same hall. I felt a lot better than I had earlier and said a quick prayer of thanks.
    Valdo and Abuela helped Mom into the front seat and padded her bandaged arm with the brown afghan.
    Mom was asleep before Valdo started the car. Abuela thanked him for all his help. I leaned over, my head on her lap. The nightmare was almost over. Mom was okay.
    When we got back to our apartment, Valdo picked Mom up as if she was a kid and carried her up the stairs. His wife, Blanca, was at the landing between our place and theirs.
    As we passed her, she whispered that Mom’s bed was all ready. Valdo put Mom down gently on her bed in the big bedroom, right off our front hall door. She moaned once, then fell back to sleep.
    Abuela thanked Valdo and Blanca, kissed my forehead. She patted my shoulder, and they were gone.
    We checked on Mom, who was now in a deep, narcotic slumber. Abuela nodded at me to follow her. Just outside the bedroom, we saw the kitchen. Grandma sucked her teeth at the sight.
    Yellow crime scene investigation tapes criss-crossed much of our
cocina
, so that it looked like a scene from
Law & Order
. The stove and fridge were free.
    Weaving around the web of streamers, we made some hot tea and ham sandwiches. I had no appetite, but carried a tray for Mom to her room. We tried to coax her awake but, shrugging us off, she slept on.
    Abuela urged me to eat, but I was too exhausted to obey her. Snuggling in next to Mom, my arm around