Page 57 of A Hood Wife And A Rich Goon 2

“No.” Chai shook her head. “Thank you.”

The doctor left her alone, and Chai lowered herself back into a chair. Bull checked the hallway. Most of the nurses were absent, either on break or making rounds. He stepped into the hall first, taking silent strides toward Chai. She saw his black Air Forces first before her eyes drifted up into his. The way her eyes stretched open, she looked like she wanted to piss on herself. Looking left, then right, she prayed for some kind of distraction, but nobody seemed to be paying attention.

“Bull, I⁠—”

“Shhh.” He pressed his index finger against his lips. “Not here. Let’s go for a ride.”

“Bu—”

“No talking, Chai.” He reached for her arm and yanked her to her feet.

Toni reached into her purse for her phone to shoot him a text as he dragged her through the halls.

Toni: That bitch is mine!

Hubby: Stay here. Putting it on ice.

Toni turned back to face her mother. It was going to be a long night. Tossing her purse in her chair, she decided to text Lotus and give her an update while she waited. Lotus told her the kids were good and getting ready for bed, so Toni decided to play a game on her phone to keep herself occupied. She didn’t know how much time passed, or when she’d fallen asleep, but Rhema shook her awake eventually with a doctor standing behind her, viewing a tablet in his hand.

“Hey.” Rhema gave her a warm smile. “Dr. Shields wants to talk to you.”

“Okay.” Toni sat up, grabbing her phone from her lap before she stood and met up with him at the foot of the bed.

“Your mother’s latest test results are showing a significant decrease in brain activity. I’m suggesting bringing her out of her induced coma state.”

“And what will that do?”

“It will slow the medication that we are using for the brain swelling so we can see how the brain is responding and check neurological function,” he explained.

“So, it would tell us if the brain is responding and if it isn’t, then…”

“Then we would have to discuss removing her from the ventilator altogether.” Dr. Shields filled in the blanks empathetically.

Nodding, Toni glanced at her mother over her shoulder.

“Let’s do it.”

“Okay.” He set his tablet on a nearby counter and washed his hands at the sink.

When the doctor was done, he turned to Toni hovering at the door.

“ Do you have any other questions?”

“No. Not right now.”

“Can I get you anything?” Rhema offered when Dr. Shields let himself out of the room.

Holding back tears, Toni scoffed.

“I don’t know why I’m sitting here crying over her. She stopped giving a damn about me a long time ago.”

“Because you’re just a good person, Toni.” Rhema stepped in front of her. “You can’t help yourself because that’s the type of heart you got, no matter how wrong people have done you. It’s a gift and a curse. I tell you what though, since I’ve gotten to know you, I see it. Your mother, your family, it’s their loss not having you in their lives. But you’re still showing up for them.”

“Thank you, Rhema. Not a lot of people in my life ever really cared about me. Being with Bull is the first time I ever felt safe. Protected. Like he’d go up against any and every one for me. He showed me what loyalty really is. Which brought Lotus into my life, and you. The kind of circle that checks for me when they know something is wrong. I don’t have to watch my back around either one of you, and… I feel like if something were ever to happen to me, you’re the kind of friends that would show up for my kids.”

“No doubt, girl. That’s the kind of family you stepped into.” Rhema nudged her with a small smile.

“Did anyone tell Uma about Urso yet?” Toni sniffled a bit and asked.