What did the united states gain as a result of the spanish-american war apex?

It gained the territories of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines

These were all territories that were under Spanish colonial rule before the war and the US freed those territories. Although the United States helped those territories, they didn't get them to become a part of the United States and just served as protectors of those states to prevent exploitation of people or anything similar.

Do you have more info about it ? i doubt this is the answer because i don't have all the information but if trouble was brewing in a clinic maybe it was an argument as to which clinic was better or smth of that nature