Catalina.

"Are they coming today?" Charlize asked, as we went over the paperwork for our patients.

"Yes they are. I want maximum security, so brief the officers for me please. And send word around to the staff that I want to meet all of them in 10 minutes." I said, signing a document.

"Sure thing Dr Hernandez, when are we expecting our visitors?" Charlize replied.

"At one o'clock,"

"Okay wonderful. I can't believe the Real Madrid team is actually coming to our hospital." Charlize gushed.

"Yes well they insisted on paying us a visit. I believe the club is going to sign as one of our benefactors," I chuckled.

"Well I'll leave now, I'm finished with this pile. I'm going to brief security now," Charlize said, leaving the room.

My reading glasses sat awkwardly on my nose as I went through the few remaining case files. I looked up at the picture on my desk and smiled. It was a simple one really, with Cris, Junior and I smiling our faces off after the Clasico 2 months ago.

"They're ready for you Dr Hernandez," A voice called over the intercom.

I grabbed my lab coat and headed to the second floor to the conference room.

"Good Afternoon Everyone," I called to the room.

The room went silent and everyone turned their attention to me. Sometimes I still can't believe I've made it so far in life and gained so much authority and respect that I can hold a crowd's attention with a few words.

"As you have been notified that in an hour's time, we will be hosting the members of the Real Madrid football team."

An excited whisper ran through the doctors, nurses and other staff. I let it go on for a few seconds more before continuing again.

"I expect you all to behave in a professional manner. We can have no hiccups, everything must run smoothly. All of our wards must be double checked to ensure that our patients are stable. Sterilization is important and extra precautions must be taken when admitting emergency patients during this visit." I said sternly.

Everyone nodded along to what I was saying, hanging on to my every word.

"No photographs can be taken of the players. Pictures can only be taken with their consent, so I do not want to see any pictures leaked to the press nor on any of your social media sites if no consent was given." There were a few murmurs with some looks of apprehension,"You all should now by now that none of our patients should be photographed without my consent or their legal guardian's or representative's consent. Do I make myself clear?"

They all nodded silently.

"Good. Back to work, make sure everything is in place. It was nice to have this talk with you all."

......................................................

Cristiano.

"This hospital looks so modernesque." Marcelo whispered as the bus drove into the gardened compound.

Everyone's expressions ranged from awestruck to impressed.

This is the first time I've ever seen the hospital up close since Lina told me about it. And it really was a sight to see, with the way the glass glittered like diamonds in the hot Madrid sun.

A young woman waited for us at the sliding doors of the entrance with a welcoming smile on her Native American featured face.

"Welcome to the St. Madeleine Speciality Hospital. It's so wonderful to have you all here today. My name is Charlize Longe and I am a junior resident doctor at this hospital."

Charlize shook all of our hands and exchanged a brief word with the coaches.

"I will just be showing you around until the administrator and head doctor takes over from me." She said before leading us into the building.

"She is kinda cute," Karim admitted as we walked through the cream halls.

It was different. Totally different.

It had more of a lively appearance than other hospital with their regular sterile white tiles and steel doors that scream despair as you walked through them.

"Only you can come to a hospital to look at girls," I snickered. He laughed sheepishly before turning his attention back to what Charlize was saying.

"To your right you have the Emergency Room and a little to your left you have the Intensive Care Unit. We have a total of 25 Nurses and Doctors and 5 surgeons who work on this floor. Some of the best in Europe." She pointed out.

The staff watched us silently as we passed. They all smiled but kept their respectful distance and for that I was kinda glad. I glanced up and saw this one woman trying to sneak a video of us.

"Don't do it," her friend whisper yelled to her, pushing the phone away,"Dr Hernandez would have your head for it."

I smiled at that.

"Down the hall, through those doors is Dr Hernandez's lab which is one of the best in the world." Charlize pointed out,"State of the art, advanced equipment and a 5 star rating. You can almost say the magic occurs there."

The view of Madrid from this hospital is absolutely amazing.

"Dr Hernandez, the Madrid team is here," Charlize called through the intercom,"Should I bring them up to your office?"

"Yes Dr. Longe, send them right up,"

Charlize ushered for us to follow her up the marble stairs since all of us could not fit in the elevator.

We walked briskly to the first door of the second floor, taking in the rooms of who Charlize pointed out where overnight and short term patients on the way.

DR. C. J. HERNANDEZ
M.D, MBE.

The gold plaque on the door read.

"Come in," Catalina's sweet voice rang out after Charlize knocked at the door of the office.

"Welcome guys. It's a pleasure to have you here." Lina said brightly, gesturing for us to enter her office.

She shook hands with the coaches and medical staff of team while I took in everything about the office.

It was quaint, efficient and it had a homelike vibe to it. Varying quotes were framed all over the room and a single large photograph from her graduation hung on the beige wall.

"This is a very nice hospital you have here Catalina," Marcelo said enthusiastically.

"Thank you, I make it my top priority that this hospital runs smoothly and efficiently." She said confidently,"Well we best be on our way. There is a lot more to see,"

She slipped on her coat, a look of determination set on her face and I see why her staff has so much respect for her even though she is still young. She looks so professional, she exudes confidence and her demeanor is calm and collected in this environment.

"This is our speciality ward. Here we deal with rare cases of diseases and health defects. Most of our patients are in the process of recovery but there are a few who are still awaiting surgery or waiting to receive chemotherapy." She explained as we arrived at the back of the second floor.

"Some of these patients would like to meet you, they are truly your biggest fans but we have to be extremely careful in these cases. We cannot risk these patients relapsing or you all getting sick so you will have to wear masks and other protection while you are in those rooms. Just to be safe." She cracked a small, sad smile.

Her nurses helped us put on the masks and gloves under her watchful eyes. Marcelo looked so hilarious trying to get the mask over all of his bushy hair.

Once she was satisfied with what she saw, she permitted us to enter the rooms.

Gasps of delight rang through the floor as we visited the patients in groups, even a few bits of crying here and there.

"Cris I believe I know your biggest fan," Catalina said leading me by hand to a room towards the end of the hall.

"I thought you were my biggest fan," I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"Okay well second biggest fan," she laughed with her dimples showing.

She knocked on the wooden door waiting a few seconds for a reply.

"Who is it?" A male voice called out quietly.

"Dr Hernandez. Nyjah are you decent?" Catalina chuckled.

"Yeah I am," the person in the room laughed.

We entered the bright hospital room that looked like it came from a hotel and was greeted by the sight of a young man with short black hair, 19 or 20 sitting on the bed. He was propped up by multiple pillows, eyes firmly fixed on the TV that was showing what looked like a Premier League match.

"Enjoying the game?" Catalina asked, taking a seat in the leather chair next to the bed, grabbing a cookie from the box on the bed,"You shouldn't really be eating cookies in bed. The crumbs will disturb you and make you miserable when you sleep."

"Man United are trailing Arsenal and I am so upset right now that I can't even. So please don't take the cookies away." Nyjah complained not taking his eyes off of the screen.

I chuckled at that.

"I used to play for Manchester some years ago," I started, going closer to the bed,"Some of the best years of my life."

He finally turned his attention away from the TV at the sound of my voice.

His expression ranged from confusion to disbelief to joy. His eyes widened with shock and his mouth nearly hit the floor.

He wordlessly gestured at me, his mouth made him look like a fish out of water.

Catalina on the other hand found this utterly hilarious and was silently laughing in the chair.

"What the fucking hell? Is that really you? Doc is this some kind of joke?" He managed to spit out.

"No this is not a joke. I'm not that cruel Nyjah." Catalina laughed.

"It's so nice to meet you," I said happily, offering him my hand.

"It's nice to meet you too Ronaldo. I must be dreaming. The meds must be finally messing with my brain. Doc, I told you that would happen." Nyjah muttered.

"You're on a low dosage Nyjah. You're not losing your mind." She laughed.

"You sure? Because my idol is standing in my hospital room right now."

"I'm your idol?" I asked increduously.

"Of course you freaking are. Where are my manners? My name is Nyjah Mohabir, I just turned 20 and I'm from Germany and I really want to hug you right now." He said quickly.

I laughed and leaned in to hug him. As I peeked over his shoulder, it broke my heart to see the number of tubes running behind his back and into his sides. He winced in pain slightly before reverting to his happy demeanour.

"So how is everything Nyjah?" I asked taking a seat in the chair that Catalina occupied before. She had just finished checking the machine that he was hooked up to. She was now checking what I assume to be Nyjah's vitals, pressing the stethescope to his chest.

"Well I can't complain. It hasn't been all flowers and candy but I feel as if the worst part is over. It's less painful, now that my lungs don't feel as if they are on fire but it's a work in progress. Doc would you stop poking me so hard?" Nyjah winced.

"Sorry but you know I have to do it Ny," Catalina said, a sympathetic smile gracing her face. She turned off the machine the Nyjah was hooked up to and his breathing began to get laboured.

"Breathe in then out for me," Catalina directed.

Nyjah did so and his breathing returned to normal after a few tries. The pained look left his face and relief flooded hers.

"There we go, that was awesome Nyjah." Catalina said happily,"How are you feeling now and tell me the truth."

"It's far better than last week, my body feels strong." Nyjah replied with a smile on his face. Catalina grinned happily before turning the machine back on to start back whatever it was doing for him.

"What happened to you Nyjah?" I asked quietly.

"Well I have this condition called Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis...I like to call it the PAP disease because that shit is too long to pronounce. So basically my lungs were filling up like water balloons after a serious bout of TB and then being exposed to worksite chemicals. A man's body could only take so much." Nyjah laughed humourlessly,"But thanks to Doctor Genius over here I'm going to be going home in about a month's time."

"I'm not a genius," Catalina muttered quietly, setting up an IV for him.

"You have an IQ of 163, you're a fucking genius," Nyjah deadpanned. I cracked up while Catalina just shook her head, smiling to herself.

"Anyway I feel happy now and I can't wait to be on my way home." Nyjah admitted to me

"I understand the feeling completely. I remember when I had a heart defect that the doctors said could've killed my football career. I never really gave up on my dream and here I am now," I replied,"The hardest part is the recovery where you have to try and be your normal self again."

"I can't believe Cristiano Ronaldo is in the same room as me. Dr. H do you know where my phone is? I want a picture of this," Nyjah said searching frantically in the sheets for his phone. Catalina held it up to him with a smile and he laughed sheepishly.