Work In Progress

29: Family First

Qua

I rushed into the hospital and got to her room to see her with shit stuck in her arm and her chest bandaged.
"What happened?" The tears streamed.
"Someone broke into her house and shot her. Luckily, the boys weren't at home at the time."
"There is no damn luckily to this story. My momma is in the damn hospital." I walked over and grabbed her hand. It was cold and pale as I looked over her lifeless body.
"Who did this?" I looked back at Jace as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Find out!" I shouted no longer being able to stand. I knelled down and let it all out before a familiar set of arms picked me up. I know that me and my mom weren't always on the best terms nor did we have the perfect relationship but that's my momma.
"Come on." I shook my head rapidly as he lifted me up, taking my into the family restroom.
"Its okay."
"Its not okay Nate. Some stupid bitch shot my mother!"
"Shh. I know. I know it hurts and we gone find out who did it. I just need you to calm down." I looked up and rushed out as I thought about Marcus and Marcell.
"Where you going?" Nate caught up with me buy I ignored him.
"Marquasia. Please tell me."
"I'm going to pick up my brothers. Damn!" I let my anger out on him, knowing I didn't mean it.
"Nope." He grabbed the keys from me and got on the drivers side. I didn't argue, I just got in the car knowing that my vision was blurry from the tears in my eyes. He went in and got the boys and they came out with a billion questions.
"Qua, why you crying?" Marcus asked as he got settled in the car.
"I'm fine." I lied not knowing how to tell them. We got back to the hospital and Marcus and Marcell were still curious. We opened the door to her room and both of them froze.
"Marquasia, is mommy dead?" Marcell asked with tears in his eyes.
"No. She's just hurt." They walked in but stayed away from her body as they tried not to cry.
The doctor walked in with his clipboard, smiling. Hell you smiling for?

"So, we have good news and bad news. The good news is that she will survive but the bad news is that her tumor has gotten larger and we don't know how long she may have."
"A tumor?"
"You didn't know? She has had Brain Cancer for the past 3 years." I couldn't even cry anymore. The shit was heart wrenching.
"Qua, its okay."
"Yeah." Marcus and Marcell comforted me as they tried to stay strong themselves. I smiled at them and kissed their foreheads before taking them home.
"You gonna stay with me?"
"I've got some stuff to do."
"Okay. Call me when you can."
"Ok." He kissed my lips as I went upstairs with the boys. They were playing the game as if nothing happened and i was glad they were strong because knowing me, if they were crying, I would die.