by Jahquel J.
“Whenever that nigga call or some shit, you get real fucking petty and evil. It’s hard to tell where your loyalty fucking lies sometimes.”
“My loyalty lies with my children. Like I said, I’ll update you,” I sniffled and put dark shades over my eyes before leaving the hotel room.
The last thing I needed was for both Ghost and Zeek to go blow for blow in a hospital. Ghost thought Summer was his daughter and right now wasn’t the time to reveal that she wasn’t. I jumped into my awaiting town car and rushed off to Staten Island Hospital.
Staten Island University Hospital,
Seguine Avenue
The traffic was a mess coming here. It took me two hours to make it here because of the jam-packed expressway. My thoughts consumed me and at times I felt like I was going to explode in the back of the car. I wasn’t the best mother and I could admit that I wasn’t. There was times when I was selfish and put myself before my kids. As I ran down the hall in six-inch heels, I knew there were more than a few times that I chose myself over my girls. How was I supposed to know any better? I had been raised with my mother doing the same. Vacations, dinner dates, impromptu shopping trips with her girlfriends, she did it all while leaving me with the nannies or family members. I craved attention from my mother, yet she felt social gatherings, shopping and being the center of attention was most important.
When I got older, our relationship had gotten better. My mother survived breast cancer and with her being sick, she saw who and what was most important. Her friends that she always put first,couldn’t even be bothered to send a fruit basket. She saw that I was there for her through every appointment, moment of weakness and everything else she went through. I took the elevator up to the floor that she was now on. Ghost had called and told me everything previous to me arriving at the hospital. Soon as the steel doors opened, I rushed out and headed down the pediatric wing. Touching the nurse’s station, I caught my breath before I was able to speak.
“Summer Davis… what room is my baby in?”
She typed up the name and then pointed to the room down the hall. “She’s down the hall on the right. It’s the biggest room on the floor.”
“Shakira, come here,” Ghost said, and I ran into his arms. I held onto him so tight that I never wanted to let go. In his arms was where I felt the most safe. It was almost as if my baby girl hadn’t been shot and we were just embracing because we wanted to.
“How is she, Gyson? How is she?”
“The doctors put her in a induce coma,” he sighed as he held my hands and we walked to the room.
“Why would they put her in a coma?”
He stopped in the middle of the hallway and looked away. Tears fell from his cheeks as he looked back at me. His eyes were red, and I could tell he had been crying. “Our baby had a mild stroke,” he said barely above a whisper. “When they took her to surgery to remove the bullet they had left inside her, she had a stroke, babe.”
My hands flew to my mouth and more tears rushed down my face. “Kids can’t have strokes, Gyson. I don’t want to believe that,” I knew anyone could have a stroke, but my mind wouldn’t allow me to believe that my daughter had one. Not my carefree, beautiful and sweet child. She couldn’t have had a stroke.
“Ma, she had a stroke. The doctor put her in a induced coma to allow her brain to rest and to reduce the swelling,” he continued to explain. The more he spoke, I could tell it was ripping him apart to repeat what was going on with our baby girl.
“Where’s Rain?” the thought of my oldest baby suddenly popped into my head and I needed to lay eyes on her.
“She’s with Mirror. She’s already been through so much and doesn’t need to see her sister like this. I got some of my best shooters with her at my crib,” he revealed.
Whispering, I looked him into his eyes. It was as if I was looking into a mirror. Both of our eyes probably appeared to be the same blood shot red teary eyes. “Who would do something like this? I want them dead. You don’t do this to my babies.”
“Trust, I’m working on that shit as we speak.”
I sighed and leaned back on the wall. “How’s Staten?” I was stalling from walking into that room. Once I walked into that room, I knew I was going to break down and everything was going to go out the window. As of now, I was putting on a tough act while allowing my tears to flow, but the moment I laid my eyes on my baby I knew I would be inconsolable.
“He’s stable and awake. He was shot the fuck up and this nigga trying to rip his IV’s out and shit to go and find who did this to them?”
I sighed. “Thank God.”
“Ma, you gotta come into the room,” he told me. “Standing out here isn’t going to make this not real,” he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. Wrapping his arms around me, he kissed me on the lips before we headed into the room.
When I laid eyes on Summer laying in the small bed, tears poured from my eyes. The lump that I carried in my stomach moved to my throat and I couldn’t speak. Words wouldn’t form and in its place, more tears poured. Who was this heartless to harm a child? A child who had nothing to do with her father’s dealings in the streets. Ghost was very careful not to involve the kids into that part of his life. Any issues he had in the streets, he made sure to handle before they got out of control.
“It’s alright, baby,” Rae came over and put her arms around me. “We’ve had our differences, but we’re family at the end of the day,” she told me as I bawled like a baby in her arms.
My feet refused to move toward my daughter. I didn’t want to touch or look at her too long. Imagine seeing your child lying in a hospital bed with tubes and wires sticking out of her? My baby was always ripping and running around. The most she stayed still was to replenish her energy with food or juice. My mind immediately went to Rain and how she would be worried about her sister. Although we were in the process of giving them their own rooms, they both still climbed into each other’s bed every night. They were a year apart, but more like twins. You would never see one without the other. Sisters usually bickered, but not my babies. They loved being around each other. Summer always cried because they were in two different classes in school. Summer wanted to always be with her big sister.
“Take a breath and come hold her hand,” Rae coached me. “I watched a show and they said they can still here us even in a coma,” she informed me.
“I…I…I don’t know what to say,” I stammered. “All I want is for my baby to be back to regular. I…is she going to die, Gyson?” I dropped to the floor and put my face in my hands. “Is my damn baby going to die?”
He punched the wall and walked out the room with tears falling down his face. Four seconds later, he came back into the room and his entire face was wet. “I don’t know, Shakira. My fucking chest hurts, and I keep seeing doubles. I just want my fucking baby girl,” he replied.
Rae was trying to be there for both of us and she was failing. When I got myself together, then Gyson would start up, and once he was good it was then my turn to act a fool. I was so hurt that I didn’t think I could get off this floor and deal with life. If I lost my daughter, I would never be the same person again. How could I look into Rain’s eyes and tell her that Summer would never be coming home? That wasn’t a conversation that a parent wanted to have with their child. Especially one as young as Rain was. Rain was like her father; wise beyond her years. Still, she was a child learning and processing things. I couldn’t put that weight on her shoulders. It wasn’t something that I could do.
“Mr. Davis, it’s a man saying that he needs to see his daughter,” the nurse came into the room.
“The fuck that got to do with me?” Ghost sniffled and wiped his face. I stood up on shaky legs because I was praying that the man wasn’t Zeek.
“Madeline… what’s going on out there?” A woman walked into the room with food containers. “G, I brought some food for you g…” her voice trailed off when she saw me. “I’m sorry, I only brought enough for two.”
&nbs
p; “It’s fine. I’m not hungry anyway. Who are yo—”
“Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to leave!” We heard loud commotion in the hallway at the nurse’s station.
“Yo who the fuck is out there making all that noise?” Ghost left the room and I followed behind him.
“Zeek? What the hell are you doing here?” the woman said and looked confused. “Tonight isn’t the night.”
“I’m not even fucking here for you. I want to see my fucking daughter!” he barked as he stared at me. I was hiding behind Ghost.
Ghost reached in the back of his pants and Rae grabbed his hand. “You need to be here for your daughter… put that away,” she whispered in his ear.
“What the fuck you doing here?” Ghost said as he continued to grip the handle to his gun.
“Babe ignore it. Let’s go be with our daughter,” I whispered. My heart was crippled with my daughter laying in the hospital fighting for her life, and with her real father demanding to see her.
“Our daughter? Shakira don’t make me slap the shit out of you,” Zeek said as he tried to walk closer to me, but Ghost stepped up.
“I wish you would try and slap her. I’d put a fucking bullet in your head before your hand could even reach back.”
“Zeek, you need to leave,” I begged.
“How the fuck do you even know this nigga?” Ghost turned his attention to me. All eyes were on me and I didn’t know what to say.
“My daughter is fighting for her fucking life right now! I’m not going to be questioned about this bullshit,” I tried to deflect, and the shit didn’t work.
“I know one thing. I’m not leaving until I see my fucking daughter,” he demanded. I told him to stay at the hotel. Told him I would update him, and he pulls this shit.
“Young man, you need to calm down,” Rae walked into the middle of Ghost and Zeek. “What seems to be the problem?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. This bitc…Shakira is playing games about my daughter.”
“Nigga, who the fuck is you daughter? Because Summer Davis ain’t your seed. That’s all me… now see your ass out.” Ghost turned to walk away while Rae tried to get down to the bottom of it.
“Why are we beating around the fucking bush? Shakira, you’ve been fucking with Zeek for a while. Everyone knows it…. except this nigga here,” the woman pointed to Ghost.
“And who the fuck are you to tell me who I’m fucking?”
“Liberty. That’s who the fuck I am,” Liberty got closer to me and Rae pulled her back. “Stop playing these fucking games with people,” she spat.
“On the real, all I wanna do is—”
Ghost stomped his Timbs in a circle as he spoke. “Nigga, I wish you would say your daughter one more time. I wish you fucking would.”
“G, you need to go to the room and calm down.” Rae eyed the security that had come up the staircase. “What makes you think that’s your child?”
“I took a DNA test when she was a few months old. Tell them Shakira,” he egged me on, and I turned to walk off.
“Tell him, Shakira,” This bitch had the nerve to stick her head into something that had nothing to do with her. I had never met this bitch a day in my life and here she was acting like she has known me her entire life.
“Security, can you escort these two out?” I pointed to both Liberty and Zeek.
“Nah, I’m not leaving until I see my daughter.”
“Good luck, nigga,” Ghost turned and headed back to the room.
“Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to leave,” the nurse stood with security. “This child doesn’t need all of this around her. Her parents are coping with everything that is going on right now. Visitation hours are over too,” she made sure to add.
“Bitch, like I said… I’m not leaving without seeing my daughter. If we need to take another DNA test, then so be it.”
“Zeek, you’re being ridiculous,” I whispered.
“Son… is Summer your baby or are you making a scene so that my son knows that he’s engaged to a whore?”
“Ma’am, I’m not even like that. Summer is my daughter.”
“Rae, why are you even out here?” I snapped.
“Nah, bitch you better fix your tone,” Liberty jumped into it again.
“Yo Lib go before you get fired,” one of the security officers told her. “For real man,” he continued to tell her.
“Yeah. Go back to work,” I rolled my eyes. “Go back into the room,” I told Rae and she was fixing her mouth to say something. I never heard what she said because Liberty punched me in the face, and I fell to the ground. Security held Liberty back and the nurse came to my aid to help me up before I passed out.
3
Liberty
“Yo, you really be wilding the fuck out,” Ron told me as he escorted me downstairs. “If we weren’t so cool, I would have to report you and you could possibly lose your job.”
“I’m off anyway, so they better not fire me. That bitch know what she’s doing and she sitting up there making a commotion while her damn baby is fighting for her life,” I sucked my teeth. “Here she is with a healthy baby girl and she never spends anytime with those damn girls,” I vented.
“Not your business tho,” he replied and walked me out the hospital. “Since you’re off, then I have to walk you out.”
“Uh huh. See if I share my cigarette with you again,” I smirked as I grabbed my car keys out of my purse. “Is Rebecca going to say anything?” I asked about the nurse that was there when I punched Shakira in the face.
“Probably. You know she follows everything by the books. Hopefully shorty will be too concerned trying to hide the paternity of her kid that she’ll forget to mention being punched.”
“Yeah, right,” I chuckled. “Good night,” I replied and walked over to the parking lot. I slowed down when I saw him head to the end of the hospital’s campus to smoke a cigarette. Shoving my keys back into my purse, I entered the hospital and headed straight to the fourth floor. I scaled the halls until I came to the room and slipped inside, shutting the door behind me.
“Lib, why the fuck you in my room?” I heard Staten’s raspy ass voice. He was hit pretty hard. Even with him crashing and flatlining, he was still awake, speaking and wanting to get out the bed.
He was hooked up to so many tubes that I didn’t know how he was able to stay awake for all of this. I would be requesting the highest dosage for pain medicine. I saw the bag of blood and knew he was getting a blood transfusion. With as much blood as he lost, I knew that he would have to have one.
“How is it that you get shot and still manage to be up talking?”
“Someone tried to kill me and hit my niece. My anger won’t allow me to rest. This shit is my fault, I should have been paying attention,” he blamed himself.
“Staten, you can’t blame yourself. That shit isn’t your fault,” I tried to take that blame off of him. I could see why he was blaming himself, still this wasn’t his fault. If he had even an inkling of his nieces getting harmed, I’m sure he would have never taken them to dance class.
“Shit still don’t help,” he mumbled as I took a seat at his bedside. “You gonna stare in my face?”
I rolled my eyes. Even bullets couldn’t shut that damn slick mouth up. “I came to see how you were doing. Need me to pray for you or something?”
“The hell? Who the fuck asks if you need them to pray for you? Shouldn’t you just do the shit?”
I laughed and leaned back in the chair. “Dear Lord, shut this nigga up. Amen.”
He stared at me with a hard expression before he smirked. “On the real, you don’t have to check on me. I’m a grown ass man.”
“Doesn’t matter. I can only imagine how you’re feeling being that you’re not allowed to see Summer.”
“Yeah, nobody won’t tell me what the fuck is going on,” he revealed. I knew that Ms. Rae had her reasons for not letting him know. Knowing that Summer had it worse than him would tear him apart
. “How she doing?”
“I haven’t been up there yet,” I lied. “It’s hard not to focus on Summer, but you have to focus on getting better,” I told him. “She needs her uncle around.”
He coughed and I grabbed the bin beside his bed and held it to his mouth. Staten started coughing up blood into the pale pink hospital basin. “Damn,” he choked out and laid back.
“How long as this been happening?”
“Don’t worry about it and don’t go running your mouth either,” he warned me. “I’m good. Blood ain’t gonna hurt me.”
“You’re gonna hate me and I’m sorry, but I need to,” I pressed the call button and a nurse responded immediately. “Diane? I didn’t know they moved you on this floor.”
“Girl, they could move me anywhere,” she laughed. “Emergency room isn’t where I need to be.”
“He’s coughing up blood,” I picked up the pink basin and showed her the thick bloody mucus in the bin.
Diane grabbed some gloves and came over to grab the bin. “No, this isn’t normal. I’ll page the doctor and see if he wants me to prep him for surgery.”
“Fuck all tha…” Staten broke out into a coughing fit. I snatched up another bin and placed it to his mouth where he continued to spit more blood out of his mouth.
“I’m going to page his doctor,” she told me and rushed out of the room. Staten finally finished coughing and looked up at me.
“Yo, mind your business,” he told me, and I ignored him. He had been in surgery twice already and I was sure he didn’t want to go through it again, still, he needed to see the reason for the blood he was coughing up.
“When you’re buying me a yacht for saving your life, you’ll feel different.”
“Where the fuck you gonna put it?”
I didn’t get the chance to answer because Diane and a few other staff members walked in and started grabbing his IV and blood bags while pulling his head bed out of the hospital room. “I’ll keep you updated. The doctor wants to get him into the O.R, stat.”
