Luis was twenty-six, lean, dark-haired, and had joined the shop two years earlier after completing a technical training program.
He was a skilled mechanic, but he sometimes struggled with the way Marcus worked.
Marcus could diagnose an engine by sound.
Luis trusted measurements, electrical diagrams, and systematic testing.
Together, they usually found problems faster than either would alone.
Marcus leaned over the engine bay.
“Sarah, when did it start making noise?”
“About a week ago.”
“What kind?”
She hesitated.
“A squeal sometimes. Mostly when I first start it.”
“Any lights on the dashboard?”
“The battery light came on yesterday.”
Marcus nodded.
“Anything else?”
“The headlights got weaker. I thought maybe the bulbs were going.”
Luis looked toward him.
Marcus nodded again.
“All right.”
He examined the belt.
There were visible cracks across its surface.
The battery terminals showed some corrosion.
A cable connection near the charging system looked worn.
Marcus asked Sarah to remain clear of the work area while he tested the electrical system. Ethan stood beside her behind a marked line on the garage floor.
No one invited the child near moving equipment.
He watched every movement anyway.
Luis connected the tester.
Marcus started the car.
The engine stumbled.
Then settled into a rough idle.
The voltage reading was low.
Luis looked up.
“Alternator isn't charging properly.”
Marcus nodded.
“That's what I was thinking.”
They shut the engine down and continued checking.
After examining the alternator and its connections, Marcus concluded that the unit was failing. The belt needed replacement, and the battery had been weakened by repeated low charging.
Sarah watched from beside the open door.
Her hands tightened.
She knew what was coming.
The last repair shop had given her an estimate so high that she stopped listening after the first three figures.
Marcus stood.
He closed the diagnostic cart.
Then looked toward her.
“You need an alternator and a new belt. The battery is weak, but we'll test it properly after charging before deciding whether it's serviceable.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
For a moment, she seemed unable to speak.
Then she asked quietly, “How much?”
Marcus hesitated.
He didn't want to lie.
The work had a real cost.
Parts cost money.
Labor had value.
And the garage had expenses that kindness alone couldn't pay.
But he also saw Ethan standing beside her, hugging the jar against his chest.
“Let me see what we have in stock,” Marcus said.
Sarah shook her head.
“I know what an alternator costs.”
Marcus looked toward Dean.
“Still got that remanufactured unit from the Collins job?”
Dean frowned.
“The one that was ordered before the customer changed vehicles?”