Manny regained consciousness in the hospital, surrounded by machines and doctors, filled with panic, not just because he knew something terrible had happened to him, but that it had happened while he was doing his job. Only he and the little girl had been home, and now, she was home alone, no one to care for her!
In complete panic, Manny leaped out of the hospital bed -- successfully, to his own surprise and registration of the fact that what he had just done should not be possible -- only to be tackled by the doctors and nurses around him. The shock of all that drove him unconscious again.
"He's coming around again -- just stay calm, Mr. Mendoza, just stay calm..."
Manny was very sluggish and drowsy, but he still tried his best to talk about the little girl, home alone...
"She's here with her family, which is here with your family, waiting to see you," said the doctor. "But I need you not to scare them with another somersault out of bed."
"What happened to me?"
"You had a major stroke," said the doctor, "and are well on your way to what may be a full recovery."
"What?"
"That little girl," said the doctor, "knew the signs of a stroke as you were having them, and called 9-1-1. You got here in 12 minutes, Mr. Mendoza. Ten minutes more, and you would have been looking at permanent disability if you survived. As it is, if your somersault this morning is any indication, you stand to make an excellent recovery."
It took another hour for Manny to regain consciousness after that shock. When he did, his own parents were in the room, and so was the Redfield family, their little daughter Cherry with them.
In the few minutes the rules were broken long enough to allow Manny to have five visitors in ICU at the same time, he found out that the Redfields were going to pick up the cost of his medical bills, and that as far as they were concerned, they and the Mendozas were family, because "your son took care of our daughter, and our daughter took care of your son, so it is basically a done deal!" He also found out that the Redfield grandfather had died of a stroke that his son had not noticed in time, so the Redfields had taught their daughter the signs, and she had used them to save Manny.
Cherry Redfield said it best.
"You loved and paid attention to me when I needed, so I loved and paid attention to you when you needed, Mr. Manny!"
