Dr. Laurence Ronan, left, the Massachusetts General Hospital internist overseeing Rakan's care, took a phone call while Mahmoud Al-Hafeed, a volunteer helping to translate, tried to reason with Falah Abbas, Rakan's uncle. Abbas wanted more money than the stipend he had previously agreed to, to replace his lost income for the months he couldn't work while in Boston with his nephew. Abbas was convinced to abide by the original agreement.