The city of Buenos Aires, 2022. The night had swallowed the city under a cloak of unsettling darkness, while the rain fell mercilessly. Amidst the storm, a woman ran desperately, her footsteps echoing through the deserted streets. The water soaked her clothes and hair. Her breathing was a stuttering echo of the fear that pulsed in her chest. She felt the presence of someone following her; out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the hooded figure, dressed in black, wielding a sharp object. With a desperate turn, she dodged around a corner, seeking an escape, praying to heaven that someone would appear to help her. In the distance, a street filled with cars and people under umbrellas offered a spark of hope. If she could make it there, she could ask for help, she could save herself. With a final effort, she accelerated, her feet splashing in the puddles. But fate had other plans. As she crossed the street, a car emerged from nowhere, its headlights blinding her, and in surprise, she froze. The driver slammed on the brakes, but couldn't avoid the impact. The blow was brutal, sending her flying through the air before her body crashed heavily to the ground. Another car, traveling at high speed, crashed into the first, destroying the rear and injuring the passengers. From the shadows, the pursuer watched the scene, with a cold and unflappable gaze. He made sure the woman showed no signs of life and, satisfied, slowly walked away.
A few kilometers away, at a hospital, a woman ran down the hallways, searching for the doctor on duty. She heard his voice in a room and hurried to enter.
"Doctor! The patient in room 7 is deteriorating. Her pulse is very low and she's having trouble breathing," a nurse informed him urgently.
"When did these symptoms start?" the doctor asked, checking his watch.
"A few minutes ago. I looked for you as soon as I realized."
"Has her mother arrived yet?"
"No, there's still no word from her."
The doctor turned to the patient in the bed and said, "Once they finish administering two IVs, you can go. Don't forget to drink water and eat light meals."
"Thank you, doctor," the patient replied cheerfully.
The doctor and nurse quickly exited the room.
"Go to ICU and tell them to prepare a room. We can't wait any longer; I'll prepare everything for surgery."
In the emergency room, the medical staff was in an uproar, preparing for new patients. The sound of stretcher wheels rolling across the floor announced their arrival. The doors opened, and three stretchers entered, one after another.
"What do we have?" a doctor asked the firefighters.
"46-year-old woman, severely injured with multiple fractures. She's barely breathing, very low pulse. She was run over by a car."
The doctor pointed to two interns:
"Take her, keep her stable, check for internal bleeding, and run complete tests to see how severe it is."
The residents nodded and took the stretcher, accompanied by the firefighters.
"What about them two?" the doctor asked.
"They're the passengers from the car that ran over that woman. They were hit by another car from behind. The man is... dead. We tried to keep him alive until we got here, but we couldn't do anything."
The doctor looked at two other interns, who nodded and took the stretcher toward the morgue.
"What about her?"
"She's a teenager, about 16 years old. She doesn't seem to have severe injuries, just a head contusion. She's unconscious. It's really surprising; in fact, not a single scratch, like a miracle."
"A head contusion is a miracle?"
"Run a general checkup," the doctor ordered. "A tomography, connect her to a monitor, and keep her under observation for 24 hours."
Their pupils nodded, and they took the teenager away. A few seconds later, the first interns returned, carrying the stretcher with the woman.
"She died. We tried to revive her, but there was no response," the doctor explained, somewhat disheartened.
"Sir, we found her identification among her belongings," one of the interns said, handing him the document.
"This woman is the mother of a patient in the hospital," the doctor declared, shocked.
"Yes, the one in room 7. We examined her three days ago."
"Urgently notify her doctor about this matter."
"Yes."
The doctor took his hand to his head, worried, and murmured:
"That girl has no one else but her mother."