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Unsure of when I’d fallen asleep, the tapping on my shoulder woke me immediately. I squeezed the barrel of my gun, removed it from my waist, and prepared to aim and shoot.
“It’s me.”
Finding Mercer standing before me, I re-tucked.
“Just like that?” he questioned. “Right in these people’s hospital?”
“That’s where the shit started, right?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, agreeing with my logic.
“Go home and get some rest. I’ve got it from here. I’ll make sure she gets home safely. Rest up. The hunt is useless without a sharp soldier.”
“I’m good.”
“I wasn’t asking,” he affirmed.
Though there was absolutely no room for humor, his stance left me with little choice.
“Nigga, you think ’cause your neck swollen and your chest implants are inflated, you can bully a nigga or some shit? My pistol will penetrate them dragon scales on your arm, my boy. That’s make believe, you gon’ feel every bullet.”
“But you ain’t gon’ shoot it.”
Because he had called my bluff, I remained silent. I stood and stretched my body, jumping to see if he would move an inch. The motherfucker didn’t budge.
“That jail got you fucked up.”
“I refuse to let it fuck you up. That’s all that matters.”
“Whatever, nigga. I’m gone.”
“Go home! Malachi is holding the fort down. You can sleep tonight. After tonight, I can’t say the same.”
“I can sleep when I die, nigga.” Shrugging, I pushed the door open.
“Stop fucking with me!” Mercer yelled out to me.
* * *
Glacier walked through the door at 7:40 a.m. Still half asleep, I checked the time for clarification. A little while longer and I would be getting my day started. Instead of heading straight for the bathroom and starting the shower, Mommas began stripping out of her clothes. In only her panties and bra, she climbed into bed, pushing my arm upward and laying it across her.
Glacier’s body pressed against mine. Skin-to-skin contact was what she craved. Body heat was what she craved. Reassuring pressure was what she craved. Security was what she craved.
The sniffling that followed the realization that my arm was damp squeezed my heart, emptying it of everything it needed to function properly. Glacier’s pain was mine. Though I didn’t know what was wrong, I understood that parts of her, not visible to the human eye, were hurting. That shit made me hurt—all over.
“What’s the matter, Mommas?”
Silent tears transformed into low, body-rocking cries that made Glacier a blubbering mess. So much time passed before she was able to muster the strength to respond.
“Talk to me.”
I rubbed her leg, trying to calm her down.
“Shel-Shelly. She has a broken arm and a fractured hip. It… I-it takes those injuries months to heal. Six months to a-a year. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”
“Neither do you,” I assured her. “I’ll handle Shelly’s expenses while she’s recovering. Don’t sweat that, Mommas.”
“I hope he stays in jail where he belongs,” she cried.
