Kicking off the wall, since my leg was folded behind me with my foot resting on it, I reached into my pocket and grabbed a stack of rubber-banded money. I could feel Bahati’s eyes on me, but I kept my eyes on the paper as I counted out the usual amount. Placing the twenty thousand dollars on the bedside table next to the apple juice Bahati had been sipping on, I put the remaining bills back in a rubber band before stuffing them in my pocket.
“Get her right, doc.”
Turning, I headed out of the room. The antiseptics were burning the fuck out of my nostrils, and the sterile aroma was making a nigga lightheaded. You’d think I’d had some fucking morphine the way I felt myself getting dizzy.
“Wait! Are you about to leave me?” Panic was in Bahati’s voice.
My back was facing her, and I didn’t bother to turn around as I said over my shoulder, “No. Get fixed up, Bahati.”
I pushed through the wooden door, my eyes adjusting to the bright white lights of the hospital corridor. It was late morning, and normally, hospitals would be bustling by now. But we were on the private floor the mobs had secured months before, and there was only one other patient here besides Bahati.
With my shoes squeaking on the waxed floors, I moved to the far end of the hall. Walking past the empty waiting room, I briefly glanced at the Gucci backpack leaning against the far left wall. I nodded at one of the security guards hired by the mob and pushed into the room.
“Pia know yo’ ass here instead of in summer school or some shit?”
Neltz had the controller in his hand, slouched in a chair he had placed in front of the TV. It was nearly too high for him to connect his gaming system to, but the dangling extension cord showed how he’d made it happen. The TV was too loud for such an early morning, but with the entire floor reserved for us, he wasn’t disturbing anyone.
Neltz flicked his eyes at me. He’d been rocking his braids lately, but now he was back to his usual ponytail. He wore black basketball shorts, a red Nike shirt, and black and red Chicago 12s. The little nigga had Rio’s whole face.
“She still cussin’ Daddy Number Two out… Damn! I tried to do that combination.”
His player was kicking the shit out of the opposition in the warrior fighting game. After looking at the screen for another minute, I realized that the player wasn’t fighting back at all. Looking behind me, I spotted the other controller and shook my head.
“Lil’ nigga, you in here playing a fucking coma patient in Mortal Kombat?”
Neltz shrugged while tapping a combination of buttons. “He be helping me get my skills up. Plus, Baby Shower Shirt don’t get many visitors outside of us Cuppacios and his mama.” He smirked at the latter part of his sentence.
“The Cuppacios are enough. I’m sure he ’bout tired of all y’all asses, and why you smirking?”
Neltz shook his head with a chuckle. “Bro mama be going so ham on him. She worse than Pia with her words. Then, after cursing him out, she will kiss him and get him together.”
“Yeah, that sound like Pia for sure.” I agreed while looking over Grind, who had yet to make much progress.
He still hadn’t awakened, and there was little to no brain activity. We all remained hopeful, especially since his connection to Pearla was delicate. Matteo was mean as hell. I couldn’t imagine his attitude if Pearla started walking around, moping the way she had been a few months ago. Grind had round-the-clock care, and I’ve seen God perform miracles. He’d just done one by helping us survive that war back in Mexico, so I wasn’t doubting Grind’s chances on waking up.
My chest tightened as I thought about how the Rodríguezes were still out there. I inspected the feeding tube taped to Grind and the breathing mask before I pulled out my phone. Though Grind had been blessed, and I believed he would come out on top even with the odds not in his favor, I couldn’t imagine being in his position. I had too much to handle, too much to oversee, and too much shit to check off my list to be down bad for a few months. Some people even take years to come out of a coma, and it was a big “fuck that” for me.
“You coming to see ’bout him… That’s what’s up, Neltz.”
Neltz slid his chair back to the bed, pressed a few buttons on Grind’s controller, and then moved back to the front of the TV. “Yeah, well… My auntie not fuc—I mean,foolingwith him, so I figure I’d come on her behalf.”
I fucked with Grind, but I was glad that Pearla was standing her ground. She was clearly heartbroken, but she was too damn young with too much of a bright future ahead of her to be tied up with Grind. If it was meant to be, things would happen in the future. For now, I was happy she was living in her youth.
With my head still glued to the phone, I focused on the screen.
“I been hoping to catch that whore of his, to tell you da truth. Oh! He beatin’ sum!” Neltz hammered away at the game as if his opponent had been a real challenge. I noticed he’d kept the same character but switched Grind’s. He was now fighting the opposite sex.
“And why you in that man’s business?” I asked Neltz while staring at my phone.
“Ohhhh! Nah… Not in his business, but I ride about my Tee Tee.”
“And what’s the plan if she shows up? His wife?”
Neltz turned his neck to look at me and jutted his chin to the screen. “You see this?”
His character looked as if he was slapping the opponent. “Gonna slap fire from her ass, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
“Nah, what you gone do is catch a domestic violence charge, and then I’m gonna have to square up with your young ass for putting your hands on a woman. We don’t do that.”
