Alan was amazed at this new family that Valeria had conjured up out of nothing, but he finally acknowledged it and couldn't be happier for her, although apparently her brothers had every intention of bullying anyone into helping Valeria.

“Just tell us what we should do, doctor,” Andrew said. “We will spare no expense or effort.”

“Well, it may be a bit extreme, but I would feel more at ease if we started Valeria's treatment with a blood transfusion. It won't be much, but it will give us a good push on the way,” the doctor explained.

“No problem, we should be compatible, right?” asked Elliot.

“Yes, you should. I'll have some quick tests done for all three of you.”

“And then?”

“Depending on her progress, she'll have to stay in the hospital for at least a week, with an IV for her medication to take her out of the worst of it. After that... the treatment is long. She needs exercise, to eat well, to maintain her regular cycle of injections... but above all, she needs peace and quiet. S