The footage showed a small beach beside the white building we’d barely noticed during the safety briefing.
Seconds later, the banana boat appeared.
As soon as it reached the shore, Liam jumped into the shallow water.
He pulled Maya onto his shoulder.
She wasn’t walking.
She wasn’t helping him.
Her body hung limp against him.
He ran toward the clinic doors, shouting for help.
Two nurses rushed outside.
Then a doctor.
Within moments, Maya was taken inside on a stretcher.
The room went completely silent.
I realized I’d stopped breathing.
The manager lowered the phone.
“They called us as soon as they identified your daughter. They’ve been treating her.”
I grabbed the desk.
“What happened?”
Almost on cue, the office door opened.
A middle-aged doctor stepped inside.
“I’m Dr. Alvarez.”
He looked at me gently.
“Your daughter is stable.”
Every bit of strength left my body.
I sat down before my legs failed.
Daniel wrapped his arms around me.
“What happened?” he asked.
The doctor glanced toward the paused footage.
“She experienced a severe allergic reaction.”
I frowned.
“To what?”
“We believe it was the mango sorbet sold near the beach.”
He picked up a clipboard.
“It contained traces of cashew.”
My thoughts raced.
“Maya’s allergic to cashews.”
“I know.”
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