Kenneth, Jim's boss, arrived just after midnight, still in his work clothes, George Mason at his side. They found the waiting room full of construction workers who refused to leave, their usually rough hands now holding coffee cups like lifelines.
"Any change?" Kenneth asked Hector quietly.
"They stabilized him, but..." Hector glanced toward Jim's room. "It's bad, jefe. His heart..."
George moved past them, heading straight for Sam. The sponsor's steady presence seemed to give Sam permission to finally sit down, his surgical mask cracking slightly.
"Talk to me, son," George said quietly. "The whole truth."
Sam ran a hand over his face. "Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. His heart muscle... it's been damaged for years, probably since birth. All the physical stress, the swimming, the constru
