“You need to wait–”
“I’m not fuckin’ waitin’,” I said, stepping forward.
Another nurse stepped in front of me, more firm, and touched my hand.
“You need to let us do our job.”
I released the bed and watched them rush Adore to the back. I would never forgive myself if she didn’t make it through this. I stood there just watching. Feeling useless as they disappeared with the love of my life. I fought hard to get her to give me a chance; this could not be how I was going to lose her. The waiting room felt small with so many people. All the noise from the children crying and the coughing was too much for me.
I got up and paced the floor, running my hands through my hair, trying to stay calm but feeling everything building under the surface. I pulled my phone out to call Hollow.
“Yo!”
“Adore is in the hospital.”
“Fuck you mean?”
“She was drinkin’ and wouldn’t wake up.”
“Fuck! I’m on my way.” He hung up.
Hollow showed up quicker than expected, storming through the door like he already knew he wasn’t about to like what he was walking into.
“Where she at?” he asked.
“They got her in the back workin’ on her. I hadn’t heard anything.”
“What the fuck happened?”
“Shit, she was drinkin’. I had been callin’ her phone, and she didn’t answer, so I went by the house. She was sittin’ on the kitchen floor wit’ an empty liquor bottle.”
“Drinkin’?” he repeated.
“She was stressed. She met wit’ her lawyer today about the case–”
“I don’t give a muthafuck ‘bout the case,” he snapped. “You knew she had a problem wit’ that shit?”
That pissed me off instantly.
“Aye, watch who the fuck you talkin’ to, nigga. Fuck wrong wit’ you?” I said.
“I’m talkin’ exactly how the fuck I want to,” he shot back. “‘Cause if you was payin’ attention instead of disapperin’ and actin’ funny, you would’ve known she was spiralin’.”
“And where the fuck were you, nigga?” I stepped closer. “You had her ass locked up at yo’ house like a prisoner and she still ended up like this. Fuck is you sayin’?”
“Bitch ass nigga, I was keepin’ my sister safe.”
“And nigga, so was I. Y’all always hollerin’ some disappearin’ shit when I’m the only muthafucka out makin’ shit happen.”
Hollow chuckled, “Nigga think ‘cause he from the streets he puttin’ work. You was too busy in the streets to see what the fuck was really goin’ on.”
“And yo’ bitch ass too busy thinkin’ you the only one that cares ‘bout her. I’m not none of them other niggas, Hollow. I’m not afraid of you, nigga. We both get down like that and you kno’ what I mean.” I stared in his eyes.
What I said must’ve set him off because he pushed me, knocking me off balance that I fell into an elderly lady’s lap. It didn’t take me long to get back on my feet, and just like that, everything went left. We were going blow for blow before anyone could stop us. This was years of built-up tension and different ways of handling shit. Two men who loved the same woman but didn’t trust the other’s decisions when it came to her. It wasn’t until security rushed in that they finally pulled us apart, both of us breathing hard and eyes locked like we could go another round.
The police showed up so deep that you would've thought it was a riot. They had shields and guns out. We were both placed in cuffs and pulled outside.
“Fuck is y’all lockin’ me up for?” Hollow asked.
