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Trey
“WHERE IS HE, KATHY?” I ask frantically, my chest heaving in panic. I feel like this is a dream—that I will wake up and be free from the pain gripping my chest.
“They had him in surgery, his lung was punctured. Trey, I’m scared,” Kathy says, reaching for me in an attempt to seek comfort. I wrap my arms around her, trying to stay calm, trying to imagine that this is all going to turn right back around. My dad has to make it through this. Kathy sobs into my chest, her fist gripping my shirt, smearing her makeup all over the stark white material. I don’t care though; all I can think of is seeing my dad.
While I’m holding Kathy, I feel like I need something to keep me together, someone to hold me when I feel I’m about to fall over. I feel Shayla’s arms wrap around me from behind, her head lies on my back and I hear her faint whisper, “Trey, I’m so sorry.”
Two of the most important women in my life are clinging to me for solace, while I’m spinning out of control, losing my own footing. It’s crazy how you can be surrounded by all these people that love you and yet still feel so alone…so afraid.
“How long was he in surgery? Was the coma induced or did his body send him into one itself?” I ask, my voice eerily quiet and distant.
“They pulled him out of surgery a few minutes ago. They said he is in a coma all on his own. I don’t know, they don’t have a ton of answers yet,” Kathy responds, stepping out of my arms, wiping away the streaks of mascara from under her eyes. Shayla moves from behind me to stand at my side. She fits her hand in mine, her thumb running soothing circles. As much as her presence is attempting to hold me to the ground, I still feel like I’m floating out of my body.
“Where’s the fucking doctor?” I say, losing my cool. Why the fuck is no one able to tell me what I want to hear? I need to know my dad is going to walk out of this fucking hospital with me. I’m not leaving here without him, damn it!
“Trey, baby, calm down,” Shayla says, putting her hand on my chest, when she comes to stand in-between Kathy and I.
“No, that’s my fucking dad in there. If something happens to him, Shay—” I stop, not able to finish where my thoughts were going. I haven’t looked at her since Kathy came up to me. When my eyes connect with her green ones, I break. Her sympathetic look causes me to shatter, letting my emotions lay bare in front of everyone in this waiting room.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry.” She opens her arms and I dip my head into the crook of her neck where it meets her shoulder. I let myself cry and do so unashamed. I do this for the next ten minutes, surrounded by my girl, friends, and family.
Come on, Pops.
“Are you the wife of Charles Adams?” The voice next to me causes me to lift my head up from where it was resting in her neck. When I see it’s the doctor speaking, I abruptly move to stand beside Kathy. Shayla and Kings move to stand behind us.
“Yes, I’m his wife, this is our son. Is he okay?” Kathy asks, her eyes glued to the doctor.
“For now he’s stable, but we need to keep a close eye on him. There was damage to his heart as well, causing significant swelling. He’s out of surgery if you’d like to see him.” I nod my head frantically and follow him back; Kathy and Shayla close behind me. Halfway to his room, I stop and turn, seeing Shay a few feet back. Realizing that I forgot about her injuries, which is causing her to struggle with walking. I can’t walk into that room without my girl. She’s the fucking glue keeping me from shattering into a million fucking pieces. Kathy nods at me as she passes, and I hold out my hand for Shayla.
“I need you by my side, baby,” I tell her, because it’s the truth. Her eyes tell me how sad and scared she is, alongside me. Her tiny hand collides with mine, and I wrap my hand tightly around it. Taking a huge breath, I release it quickly. “Fuck, here we go.”
The sounds of steady beeping and air compressions fill the room; the light is off except for the tiny lamp that sits above my dad’s bed. When I see him for the first time, a wave of new emotions take over. I thought I could handle it, but I’m reminded that my dad isn’t okay, not even close. Kathy is on one side, crying while she holds his hand, so I take residence on the other. Placing his hand in mine, my jaw ticks and tightens, holding back the tears as best as I can. His hand is cold and feels almost weightless, the machines around him all lit up.
“Pops, it’s me. Trey. God, Dad.” I hear my voice and it sounds foreign, like it’s coming from someone else. I bring his hand to my lips and kiss it. “Dad, please. Get strong, come back.”
Never in a million years would I have believed I would be here. Here in a moment where my dad would be fighting for his life and I would be on the sidelines, helpless and petrified. When you love someone and you know they’re fighting a lonely battle, you can’t help but hate that you can’t save them. I can’t save my dad. All I can do is pray that he can hear me and that he will fight like hell to come back to me.
“Dad, I need you here, I still need to learn from you, to be taught what I still need to know,” I tell him, laying my head on his shoulder. My arm is stretched across his stomach where I feel Kathy grab hold of my hand. Shayla is standing behind me, her small hand doing its best to bring me comfort. Her silent apologies fill the thick air in the room. I’m still fucking livid with what happened to Shay tonight, that fucker is lucky the cops showed up, or I would have ended him there. I know that she needs to see the doctor, because the bruises on her neck are becoming more prominent.
I untangle myself from my dad for a moment and turn to face Shay. I open my legs and pull her to fit in the spot between. Reaching my hands up, I m
