A fire burning sensation erupts into her throat, as if tearing down the soft and tender tissue inside. This is as painful a sensation than she's ever had. She cannot breathe. She cannot move. Standing in the middle of the room, she can only endure the pain. In her mind, she's already dead, her body just waiting for the last bit of consciousness it's clutching onto to be grabbed. Any second from now, she expects death's door to swing wide open. It's the pain and how unbearable it is. How it's unimaginable to survive past it.
A second later, she's surprised as she's still standing. The pain in her throat eases. Laughter erupts from Mariela as she's unable to contain herself, "You should've seen her face," she retorts, "Oh... Saul would love this. Toni, instead of being useless, next time remind me to take a picture."
Toni makes it over to Cathy, "Bellisima! See, I told you, you were not going to die. You worry too much," he says as he cups her cheek.
