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Chapter Twenty-Four
Nick
We stayin that bed until close to midday and we only get up and out of the house because she drags me to the hospital to get my wound checked out.
I knew I would need stitches before the doctors recommend it but I’m glad I get them because the last thing I need is for it to turn septic and take me out of the game before I’m ready.
I take Mia home after and instead of going back to my own place like I probably should and sorting my ass out, I go to the hospital Tommy’s at.
Haven’t been in a few days. Not because I don’t want to go. It’s just that it’s hard.
I get there and Sherine is at his side like she always is.
She smiles when she sees me but pain flickers in her eyes. She looks thin and gaunt, like she hasn’t eaten properly in weeks. I know that’s probably not far from the truth.
I go up to her and give her a hug. When we part, her eyes glisten with tears. In this whole month since this all went down there hasn’t been a time that I haven’t seen her cry.
“How you holding up, doll?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I’m not. It’s strange, I’m sitting here talking to him and he’s not answering and in my heart I know he probably won’t answer me ever again.”
I glance at Tommy. I know what she means. I talk to him too, but I know this is it. He’s been in this coma now for over a month and he’s not making any progress.
“Nick, the doctors talked to me today about his life support,” she covers her mouth and breaks down. Shoulders wracking as she sobs.
I set my hands on her bony shoulders and steady her.
“Come on doll, let’s go get some coffee or something. A late lunch and we can talk.”
She nods.
We go to the coffeehouse that’s five minutes away from the hospital. She doesn’t want to go far from him and I don’t blame her.
A weak smile fills her face as the waitress brings her a mug of hot chocolate.
I’m glad she’s having something with a little bit of fat in it. She needs the sustenance. She really does look like she’s about to wither away. Just looking at her drains me.
I get a cappuccino. When I sip on it the jolt of intense caffeine does the job and I try to be strong for her.
“Thank you for being here through all this, Nick,” she says, wiping away another tear. It’s like she’s set to cry at intervals. I can’t imagine how she must be feeling.
“Where else am I gonna be, doll? Do you guys need anything?” I’m offering and I offer every time we speak and I give what I think she and the baby need. I know I can’t give her what she truly needs though and that’s for Tommy to wake up.
Money can’t buy things like that. It can’t do shit and it makes me feel worse.
A fucking tear stings the back of my eye when she shakes her head.
It’s funny, I remember when she and Tommy met. She’s a good girl just like my girl.
My girl… fuck, when the fuck did I start referring to Mia as my girl?
I do it so effortlessly I can’t remember the exact point. Sherine reminds me of her though, because they’re like creatures pulled from a fairytale set placed in a nightmare world. It’s like Disney meets one of Tim Burton’s darker films. Something like ‘Sleepy Hollow’. They just don’t mesh or blend. They don’t belong.
Tommy was always worried about the darkness of our world. His family worked for mine and sometimes bad things happened. Sherine understood and accepted there could be consequences.
This is what is happening now.
A consequence of being part of this fucked-up world.
