Their Rose Petal

Chapter Forty One

People pass by me every few minutes. The waiting room is filled with big bulky men from all over. As the hours pass by more of Mateo's crew flies or drives in. Kinsley sits beside me fast asleep in the uncomfortable chair. The nurses look nervous as they pass through the crowded area, but no one has asked anyone to leave.

Mateo and Elias are both in surgery. Elias had internal bleeding, but no one has updated us on Mateo yet. I stare straight ahead at the wall, blood soaking every inch of my body. It's gotten me a few odd stares, but I don't care. My hair is matted, my fingers covered in Mateo's blood. Underneath my fingernails are caked with dried up blood. 

A small nurse comes through, walking towards me. A few of the men around me, including Kaleb and Xavion, stand up and get near me. I half expected her to run, but she keeps her head forward and her eyes on me and Kinsley. She has a pair of scrubs in her hand, and her eyes look so innocent and kind.

"I apologize for bothering, but I had some scrubs in my car. I think it might be better then the clothes you have on. There's a washroom around the corner." She talks lowly and the boys sit back down except for Xavion, sensing no threat. Xavion stays where he stands, watching the conversation unfold.

All I can do is nod. She reaches her hand out to help me up. She goes to wake Kinsley but I kindly shake my head 'no'. She can change when she wakes up, her mind needs to rest. I follow her down the hall, Xavion walking behind us.

She turns to him when she reaches the room. "We're going to go in here and get fresh. I won't lock the door, but please give her privacy." She seems a bit nervous, but she hides it very well. Xavion gives her a tight nod, his face void of all emotion. We walk into the small bathroom, and she walks over to the sink. She pulls a container of some type of wipes out from between the scrubs. "We use these as a quick way to wash patients when they're unable to be bathed properly. They're put in a warmer and already have soap in them." The way she explains everything helps me feel a bit calmer. She opens the pack, walking over to me.

She holds the wipe by my face to let me know she's going to help me get a little clean, waiting on my nod before she presses it against my cheek. I look at her as she does it. She's a few inches shorter than me, her black hair pulled into a tight bun. Her eyes are dark brown, soft and gentle. Slowly she cleans my face and neck before moving to my arms. I glance down at her name tag, the name 'Tameka' is shown above her RN stature. She throws the wipe out before grabbing another one. When she starts on my hands I look down, watching her movements. The images play in my mind oh how just hours ago these hands were trying to stop Mateo's bullethole from bleeding out.

I can't fight the overwhelming feeling. As she wipes the blood away, I feel like he's washing away with it. A sob falls through my lips and she stops momentarily, looking at me. "It's alright to cry," she whispers, flipping my hands over to get under my nails the best she can. It makes me cry harder. This stranger showing me such compassion. I'm not her patient, this isn't her job.

"Why," I croak out. "Why are you doing this?" She grabs another wipe and tries to get some of the blood out of my hair.

"I wish someone would've done this for me." She lazily shrugs, throwing away the wipes before motioning for me to lift my arms up. "My sister was shot during a mugging. Blood and brains went everywhere. I sat in the police station for over an hour, pieces of her loose in my hair and on my shirt." Her eyes water a bit as she helps slide the scrub top over my head. "It's a shitty feeling. Also, this blood in your hair is mostly yours. Looks like you need some stitches." I shrug it off.

Once my pants are changed, I notice I'm only in socks. She hands me a pair of grippy socks. When she's done she leans up and wipes my cheeks. "I'm sorry," I whisper. She smiles, turning around and washing her hands.