What happens when you get sick in the Madrigal family?

Chapter 2: Why doesn't it work?

I opened my eyes, but being without glasses I couldn't see anything, I put on my glasses which was a mistake because as soon as I put them on I felt my head spinning, I tried to calm my constant dizziness and looked at my night table where there was a soup made by my mother, I slowly took the spoon and served myself some soup, but something was wrong...

"Dolores... come to my room please" I felt my voice raspy.

Luckily I didn't have to wait long as barely two minutes after I had called Dolores, my door opened with a thunderous bang that made my head ache from the sound.

"Mira are you okay?!" I think I understand Dolores a little more right now.

"Isa...my head is killing me...could you be less loud?" Isa covered her mouth and quickly walked over to me.

"Sorry, when you called me she was with me I told her you called me and before I could say anything we were already across the house with the vines" Dolores looks a little messed up now that I see it.

"It's ok...just don't be so loud please" my voice came out more frazzled than I intended.

"What's wrong Mira?" Isa spoke quieter but her concern was evident, Dolores also came closer.

"It's not working" Dolores looked at me blankly.

"What's not working cousin?" I pointed to the bowl of food next to me.

"Mom's food isn't working" Isa and Dolores were speechless.

Isa stood up suddenly creating a rose which she crushed in her hand emitting a moan, I noticed a small trickle of blood coming out of her hand, Dolores and I were stunned, Isa took the bowl of soup and ate some to leave it next to me after a couple of bites and with a very serious face she looked at her hand.

"It's mom's food no doubt" Isa showed us her hand without any wounds.

"you know it was more effective to ask aunt Julieta right?" Isa snorts.

"I needed to check the effectiveness" Dolores rolls her eyes.

"Isa don't overdo it like that" despite my latent headache I smiled at her.

"Try eating another bite, maybe you didn't eat enough" Dolores looked worried.

I picked up the bowl of soup and took a few more bites... nothing....

"I don't feel better... on the contrary... I feel more exhausted" They both looked even more worried by my statement.

"Dolores go get Abuela, if anyone knows what's going on it could be her, I'll stay with Mira" Dolores nodded and quickly left the room.

"Isa... I'm sleepy" Isa grabbed my face making me look at her.

"Mirabel Madrigal don't even think about closing your eyes" I could see her seriousness, but I felt really exhausted.

"I don't think I can" Isabela hugged me and I leaned against her.

"Hold on for a little while until Abuela gets here, we'll make you feel better soon just hold on" I felt Isabela stroking my hair.

I don't know how long we must have been in that position, but I watched as Abuela arrived and came closer to me, Isabela's grip didn't weaken at any moment on the contrary it became stronger.

"Abuela what's wrong with Mira" Abuela looked worried.

"It's just a possibility, but it's likely that Julieta's magic is being rejected by her body" Dolores looked shocked.

"That's not possible, the other day Mira scratched her arm and when she ate mom's food it healed and I just checked" Abuela looked at Isa.

"Honey I'm not saying Juliet's magic doesn't work...at least physically" Isabela looked confused.

"What do you mean" Abuela sighed.

"Girls, none of us have ever gotten sick."

"Papa and Uncle Agustin have and they have been cured by Aunt Julieta's food" Isabela nodded.

"Dolores... neither Agustín, nor Félix have any miracles, they are both normal people without magic."

"But Mirabel never received..." Dolores cut herself off.

"Just because she didn't receive it as a child doesn't mean it was never there, she herself is the miracle of this family, she brought back the magic, which means the magic was always inside her and that's why she never got sick" Isa looked serious.

"Abuela does this mean that if for any reason we were to get sick...mom's food won't have any effect on us?" Abuela nodded.

"Then how do we cure her, Aunt Juliet's food seems to have the adverse effect on her" I felt Isabela's grip tighten even more, Abuela looked at me and sighed.

"If magic doesn't cure her we simply don't have to use magic" What irony.

"You mean... we'll have to take care of her as if she were a normal disease?" Dolores looked surprised.

"Yes and to make sure I will have Agustin and Felix prepare all her meals and between them take care of her" Isa tensed.

"Wait I want to help too" Abuela cut her off.

"Darling, I know you want to, as we all do, but if it turns out to be something contagious, it's not safe for any of us, Felix and Agustin can be cured by Juliet's food, we can't" Isa looked frustrated.

"Let's go get some normal food, Mirabel has hardly eaten all day and it's already three in the afternoon" I could see how Isa didn't want to leave me, but I broke away from the comfort of the embrace and gathered my strength to speak.

"Abuela is right, I don't want any of them to end up sick because of me" Dolores looked sad.

"I wouldn't mind putting up with it..." Isa murmured, but abuela frowned.

"Come on, as soon as Mirabel recovers you can all be together again" Isa gave me one last hug as did Dolores and they both left looking like scolded puppies.

Some time passed and my dad arrived with rice and chicken.

"I did it, even though your mother looked at me with fire in her eyes, don't worry, I didn't let anyone try to do it for me" I sighed imagining mom's frustrated face.

"Tell her not to get too upset, it's not her fault."

"Oh it's the normal thing, in fact, Felix is also getting murderous looks from Pepa, although the hardest thing without a doubt was having to tell Antonio that he won't be able to see you for a few days."

"Tell him I will try to recover as soon as possible."

"I'll tell him, now eat, you need energy."

I ate the first bite and for the first time all day I didn't feel so bad, which was good because it meant that abuela was right, but it was bad because I would have to stay away from my family for a few days and that sounds very boring.