Big Daddy D -slow updates

Unraveling

Donnell didn't remember how he got home with Duka and Dazia. He couldn't even remember showering before going to bed. It was near noon when he woke up to find Duka in Jace's bed curled up with his pillow. There were dried tear marks on his cheeks. Donnell closed the door and went into the kitchen on numb legs.

It all felt like a bad dream. None of it was real.

His eyes caught sight of the bloody clothes in the garbage. His eyes blurred and a sob came out of his throat. Reality slammed into him like a sledgehammer and Donnell fell to his knees. The images of last night flashed through his mind and he curled in on himself.

Jace and Dayquan paid the price for his rejection.

He ruined their family.

His chest tightened and his lungs began to burn. He began to hyperventilate through his sobs. Black spots appeared in his vision as the phone rang. Mustering what little strength he had, he crawled over to the counter and reached for it.

The other end was silent for a moment. "Donnell?"

"G-Giooo. I-I....it-it hurts, Gio!"

On the other end, Gio stood up from his seat in the lounge and headed for the door. His assistant rushed out after him. "What's wrong?"

The assistant's eyebrows raised before he reached into his coat and grabbed his phone. Knowing something serious must have happened, he began making calls.

"Jace-Jace is dead and-and Dayquan...This is all my fault!"

"Farfalle, listen to me. Breathe, okay?"

Donnell couldn't stop the painful squeezing in his chest. He grabbed two handfuls of his hair and buried his head in his knees. "I can't."

"Yes, you can. Do it with me." Gio coached Donnell through deep breathing exercises as they entered the lobby and headed to the street where a car was waiting. The assistant opened the door and Gio got in. Once the assistant was secured, the driver sped off. 

Gio's hand balled into a fist. "Okay. Now slowly. Tell me what happened yesterday." His leg bounced up and down as he listened. Several times Donnell broke down into sobs and had to stop talking and calm down. Gio typed a message to the assistant explaining the ins and outs and instructed him to find people. He stayed on the phone with his beloved until Donnell and Duka left for the hospital to see Dayquan. 

By the time he arrived back in the city, his crew had already found out who was responsible. Gio simply had them picked up and brought to a warehouse outside of the city.

No one hurt his farfalle.

No one.

*****

Donnell and Duka stood outside the door to Dayquan's room. Dazia opted to go to school instead of coming. Their sister Deedree was planning on flying back home later in the week. Jace's family consisted of an older brother out of state no one could get hold of. Depressed and feeling alone, the two siblings held each other's hand and entered Dayquan's room.

The sun streamed into the room flooding it with warm light. Dayquan was lying on the bed staring out of the window in a haze. His body was numb due to the pain drugs being fed into him through an IV. His left fist weakly pounded his thigh over and over again. 

He felt nothing.

The entire room was soaked in sadness. Duka looked up at Donnell as his hand was squeezed.  He slowly let go of Donnell's hand and approached the foot of the bed.

"Dayquan?"

Dull brown eyes turned to him.

Tha hair on the back of his neck stood up. Duka had never seen eyes like that before. They were deep and lifeless. Where was his brother? The one who liked to laugh and joke around. The one that always took him out for burgers and ice cream and always made him smile. The person on the bed looked at him like he was a stranger.