All That Drama

by McKinney, Tina Brooks

  “I see.” He turned to Tyson and said, “Do you know how long ago she took these pills?” Again, Tyson just shook his head.

  “How old are you, son?” he inquired.

  “Almost eighteen, sir,” Tyson respectfully answered.

  “How close is almost?”

  “Within the month.”

  “Ms. Uhm…?”

  “Morgan,” I replied.

  “Yes, by rights, Ms. Morgan, I cannot discuss Kendall with you. I can, however, talk to Tyson as her next of kin and if you so happen to provide him with some advice I can pretend that I didn’t hear it from you. Agreed?”

  “Yes,” I promptly agreed. I looked at him for the first time. He reminded me of a younger Marcus Welby who used to have a show on TV when I was much younger. He had the softest blue eyes that I had ever seen and had a very kind smile. He took my hand and gently patted it.

  “Okay then. Kendall is unconscious. We have pumped her stomach but without knowing how long she was out and exactly what she took I can’t make you any promises. The next forty-eight hours will be critical. If she can make it through that, she has a good chance of pulling through.”

  Tyson and I both breathed easier for a moment.

  “She has a lot of positive things on her side—for one, her age and apparent health. However, I don’t want to fill you both with false hope. We almost lost her twice since she was brought in. We won’t know if there was brain damage until she wakes up. I’m sorry the news is not better, but I want to assure you that I will do everything I can to help her. Do you have any questions?” he asked, directing his attention to both of us. I shook my head no ’cause I did not know what else to say. He stood up and was turning to leave.

  “Wait, can we see her?” I begged with tears running down my face.

  “No, I’m sorry. She will remain in ICU for the next forty-eight hours. She is on a respirator and we will be keeping a close eye on her. There really is nothing else that you can do tonight except maybe find her mother.”

  Those words burned a hole in my heart. He instructed me to leave my contact information at the front desk. He also wanted a number for Tyson, but I told him that Tyson would be staying with me. He promised to call us if her condition changed in any way.

  Tyson didn’t want to leave the hospital but I made him realize that we had done all we could do for the moment. We were hopeful but still scared. I tried Sammie’s phone once more before heading out, and this time I left her a message.

  “I don’t know where the fuck you are but your daughter is fighting for her life at DeKalb Medical, so I suggest you get off your fucking ass and come to the hospital immediately!” I regretted leaving such a harsh message on her cell phone but she left me no choice. I was not Kendall’s mother and that was who she needed. I debated again about whether or not to call Althea, but I decided to wait at least until tomorrow. Basically, she could not do any more than I had done, and I had not signed any type of form that would hold me legally accountable if her condition did not improve. I just did not feel like sparring with Althea; plus Tyson looked like he could really use some sleep.

  I made one other call and that was to my mother.

  “Mom, it’s me.”

  “How is she, baby?” she responded.

  “I don’t know. She is still unconscious and the doctor said the next forty-eight hours would tell. I have Tyson and I am taking him to my house. Can Kevin and Keira stay with you tonight? I don’t know if I will have to come back to the hospital tonight and it would be easier if I don’t have to bring them along with me.”

  “Of course they can. I have enough clothes here for the weekend and if we run out, then I’ll just wash them,” she said.

  “I know you will. Thanks, Mom. I will call them later after I get Tyson settled. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, sweetheart,” she said.

  I led Tyson to my car unsure of what to say to make him feel better. A part of me wanted to take the blame for Sammie’s actions but she was an adult. I just hated the fact that two innocent lives were caught up in her trifling shit.

  “Tyson, can I ask you a question?” I meekly said once both car doors were closed and locked. He didn’t reply, forcing me to look over at him. He was trying to keep the tears inside and losing the battle. He sniffled and said, “Yeah.”

  “Do you think Kendall would have done this if she still lived with your grandmother?” He took his time answering me and for a moment I thought that he was going to totally shut me out.

  “I really don’t know, Ms. Marie. I would like to blame this on my mother but it probably would have happened wherever we lived. Kendall has always been unhappy. I can count her smiles on my two hands. Mom might have made it better if she had noticed, but the results might have been the same.”

  I did not know how to respond to that so I changed the subject. “Will you come to my house and spend the night?”

  “Yeah, I would like that but I need to stop by my house to let my girl know what is going on. We don’t have a phone yet and she will surely trip if I don’t come home tonight.”

  “You mean you are living with your girlfriend?” I said shocked again at how fast he was growing up. “Does your mother know this?” I asked while pulling out of the parking space.

  “She knows but there ain’t a damn thing she can do about it.” He gave me directions to his apartment and I waited outside while he went in and explained Kendall’s situation. He came back out about twenty minutes later carrying a small overnight bag. He looked like he was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders.

  Tyson refused my attempts to feed him and opted for turning in early. I think he just didn’t want to talk anymore and I did not press him. I told him he could take Kevin’s room and I would see him in the morning.

  I found it difficult to get to sleep. I was plagued with fears for Kendall and Sammie. In my heart, I did not believe that Sammie was injured but this could not be confirmed until I spoke with her. I kept calling her cell phone every two hours hoping she would finally answer. It amazed me that she would allow her home phone to be cut off while her cell phone remained connected. I finally fell asleep around 3:00 a.m., holding the phone firmly in my hand. I forgot all about my dinner date with Norman and didn’t even check my messages when I got home.

  Surprisingly, I did not wake up until 9:30. It was not the phone nor Tyson knocking at the door that caused my sleeping body to get out of bed. It was an urgent call from Mother Nature, which insisted that I get up. With nature’s business behind me, I called the hospital to check on Kendall’s condition. The lady who answered the phone said that her condition remained critical. I tried Sammie again before I got in the shower but still received no answer.

  Norman had called several times during the night and I phoned him to let him know what was going on.

  “Look, I’m sorry about dinner. I had an emergency. My girlfriend’s daughter is in the hospital and it does not look good,” I said.

  “I’m so sorry. I was wondering why you had me come all the way over there and would not answer the door. Which girlfriend?” he asked.

  “Sammie,” I responded not feeling the need to say anything more.

  “Oh damn,” he responded. “Let me know if there is something I can do.”

  “I will, but I got to get back to the hospital. I have Tyson here with me and we have not found Sammie yet.”

  “Okay, baby, take care and I will talk to you later.” Whew, that was easier than I thought. I didn’t want to have to explain where the hell Sammie was ’cause I was having enough problems with that myself.

  Tyson was in the kitchen and already dressed when I entered to start the coffee pot. To my surprise, he already had it hot.

  “I remembered that you needed your java to start your day,” he replied with a sheepish grin. I smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the forehead. I went to the cabinets and pulled down a cup. I turned to Tyson to see if he wanted one since he was all grown up
. He anticipated my question and said, “I’ll just have a glass of OJ.” He got up as I handed him the glass and pointed to the refrigerator.

  After my first soothing sip of coffee, I looked Tyson fully in the face. He had looked older and wiser since the last time I had seen him less than twenty-four hours ago and no longer looked like the little boy that I remembered. He had dark circles under his eyes that matched mine but I concealed mine with makeup.

  “As much as I hate to do this, Tyson, we are going to have to call your grandmother,” I said. Tyson dropped his head to his chest and he took a deep breath.

  “I know,” he said with a heavy sigh.

  “You are not going to fight me on this?” I said, not bothering to hide my surprise.

  “My mother left you no choice. If you don’t tell my grandmother and something happens to Kendall, she will come after you like the devil chasing a fresh soul!”

  A brief cartoon played out in my head with Althea chasing me in a red suit with a giant pitchfork. If the situation wasn’t so grave, I would have shared that visual with him but instead I got up to get the phone with him close on my heels. I didn’t know the number and Tyson had me try several different numbers before Althea finally answered the phone.

  “Hello,” she snapped as if I had just peed in her cornflakes.

  “Mrs. Davis, this is Marie Morgan, Sammie’s friend,” I started but she cut me off.

  “She ain’t here,” she barked, clearly agitated that I was calling. “I ain’t seen her nor those kids of hers in about a year.” I was getting pissed but I tried to regain my composure.

  “I’m sorry about that but I was not calling you to find Sammie. I have some unpleasant news for you.”

  “What’s that heifer gone and done now?” she demanded. I was tempted to hang the phone up and would have if Tyson hadn’t reached across the table and grabbed my hand. I took a deep breath and continued.

  “Kendall is in the hospital. She tried to kill herself.” For the moment Althea didn’t have anything to say. “Ms. Davis, her condition is very serious and I can’t find Sammie. I wanted you to know. Tyson is with me and we will be going back to DeKalb Medical shortly.”

  “What do you mean you can’t get a hold of Sammie? Where in the hell is she?” Althea’s voice continued to rise as she fired questions at me that I could not or would not answer. “Why the fuck didn’t Tyson call me?” It was then that I snapped.

  “Look, Ms. Davis, I am trying to be respectful. I know you are upset but yelling at me is not going to change the situation. Now if you want to meet us at the hospital fine. If not, that’s fine, too. I just thought you would want to know.” I slammed the phone down before she could utter a response. I was so mad that I could feel the steam pouring from my ears. I knew the woman was a bitch but that was the first time that I had to experience it and I didn’t like it.

  I wanted to tell her ass a few things but didn’t want to do it with Tyson hanging on to every word I said.

  “She’s pissed, ain’t she?” he said.

  “That’s an understatement!” I responded. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get to the hospital before she gets there and starts clowning.” I called my mother before we left to tell her that we were going back to the hospital. It was a good thing that it was a Saturday, and I didn’t have the added problem of calling into work.

  We drove to the hospital in silence, each deep in our own thoughts. Luckily, Althea was not at the hospital when we got there. We stopped at the registration desk to let Dr. Phillips know that we were back. The nurse informed us that he was with Kendall, and she promised to let him know that we were there.

  We settled down to wait for the doctor. I had given up on Sammie since she had not returned any of my calls. I was beginning to believe that something must have happened to her ’cause she never went anywhere without her phone. Sammie was the only person that I knew who could not stand to just let a phone ring without knowing who called. Just seeing my name on the caller ID should have been enough for her to get right back to me. Surely my last few messages to her should have alerted her about the urgency of the situation. The waiting was almost unbearable but it gave Tyson and me more time to really get to know each other.

  “When this is done, I’m leaving,” Tyson said under his breath but still talking to me. His eyes were looking at the floor but I could tell he was scared.

  “What do you mean leaving?” I said with fear mounting in my heart.

  “I’m going into the army. I have already signed the paperwork and am waiting to hear from my recruitment officer for a report date.”

  “You can’t go into the army; you are still a minor,” I said.

  “Mom signed my papers. Don’t you see? I can’t stay around her any longer; she won’t do nothing but pull me down! If I stay, she will ruin my life. She will keep sucking me in like she did you. I can’t take it. No, I won’t take it.”

  What the hell was I supposed to say to him? Hang in there; it would get better. He and I both knew that was bullshit. If I was honest with myself, he was doing the only thing that he could for himself.

  “Will you keep in contact with me?” I asked.

  “Sure. You never did me any harm. Thanks for being there when I needed you.” I gave him a hug. What happened next was a bit bleary. Sammie and Althea appeared almost at the same time.

  Sammie was charging down one hallway and Althea down another. Sammie appeared haggard but still dressed to the nines. Althea looked like a raging bull. They locked eyes with each other and without even stopping to see how Kendall was doing, they immediately started screaming at each other.

  When Tyson and I got to the hospital, we were the only ones in the waiting room but others had drifted in while we were talking. I glanced around the room and saw the looks of complete surprise on the faces in the room. I started to get up to stop them from making further spectacles of themselves but Tyson pulled me back in my chair.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Althea,” Sammie demanded.

  “I’m here because your trifling ass was nowhere to be found. Someone had to be here for that baby,” she said, throwing her shoulders back and raising her head.

  “I have told you before, I’m her mother, not you; and she is hardly a baby.”

  “When you start acting like a mother, then I will treat you as one.” I felt that blow as if she had physically struck me.

  Tyson tightened the grip that he had on my hand but did nothing to stop their cat fight.

  “I’m here now so you can just leave,” Sammie shouted, placing her hands on her massive hips. In the background, I heard this constant tapping on the floor. I looked around to see where the noise was coming from and I saw a man, barely 5 feet tall coming up to stand next to Sammie.

  Althea was still blessing Sammie out and neither of them paid attention to the little man. I looked at Tyson to see if he knew who this character was and he shook his head.

  The registration nurse came rushing over to calm Sammie and Althea. I stood up then to take over the situation. This time, Tyson let me.

  “Sammie and Althea, you are about to get thrown out of this hospital if you don’t keep your voices down.” I waved my hands around the room for emphasis and said, “This ain’t about you and your problems. It’s about Kendall!”

  The nurse reached us as the wind was sucked out of both Althea’s and Sammie’s sails. I wanted to ask Sammie where the hell she had been but I didn’t want to light a fire under Althea again.

  Pissed, Althea turned around and left without even saying hello to Tyson or kiss my ass to me. Tyson sighed in relief and I sank back down to my chair. Sammie was still standing over us with the strange man holding her hand.

  Dejected, I said, “Sammie, where have you been? I have been calling you all night.”

  “Vegas. I got married!” she announced.

  I felt like I had been sucker punched. I looked at Tyson and he had a look of disgust on his face. I turned back around and looked at
the man by Sammie’s side. For the first time, I noticed the cane that the man carried and it occurred to me that he was blind.

  Sammie was smiling and looked like she was waiting for us to congratulate her. I could not decide whether to head-butt her in the stomach or throw up. The little man just smiled.

  Any further conversation was interrupted when Dr. Phillips joined our group. I jumped to my feet and introduced him to Sammie.

  “Dr. Phillips, this is Kendall’s mother,” I said relieved to have something else other than Sammie’s marriage to discuss.

  Dr. Phillips acknowledged Tyson and me with a nod and turned to Sammie. Sammie was scantily clad and he turned his nose up at her. I think she forgot why she was there but Dr. Phillips quickly reminded her.

  “Your daughter attempted suicide by taking a massive overdose of pills. We pumped her stomach and she spent the night on a respirator. She was showing signs of improvement until a few hours ago. I’m sorry to tell you that she died approximately ten minutes ago. I’m so sorry. We did everything we could for her.”

  I sat in my chair speechless. I knew that Kendall was in critical condition but I never entertained the fact that she would die. Warm tears flowed down my cheeks and I clutched Tyson to my chest, squeezing him so tightly I thought he would pop. He was softly moaning.

  Sammie fainted, falling on top of her blind husband. If the situation weren’t so dire, it would have been funny. The entire waiting room shook when she hit the floor and everyone appeared to be running in our direction. For me, time was suspended. I could not move, and frames of our lives kept flashing before me.

  Chapter 33

  The next few days passed in a blur. Mom was still watching the kids as I tried to patch up Tyson’s life. He was very bitter towards his mother and I was a bit miffed myself.

  She did not have the money to bury Kendall and let me make the arrangements. Secretly, I blamed Sammie for Kendall’s death and could not forget it let alone forgive it. After all, it was her drugs that Kendall had taken. If Sammie had been more attentive to Kendall, she would have noticed the signs but she was so focused on her own life, she did not see the pain that Kendall was obviously feeling. I also blamed myself for not going the extra mile to take her under my wing.