Live To Tell

Coma and prison

Angelico Vieira POV

Last night, rapper Tupac Shakur has been shot several times outside a recording studio in New York near Time Square. Shakur was joined by his 18 year old girlfriend when the assault took place a bit after midnight. Both Shakur and his girlfriend are in critical condition at the hospital while the police still try to find the suspects. Tupac is supposed to face tomorrow a court trial for his rape charges when judges will decide his fate in a final....

The sound of the TV lost its meaning when I saw Tupac's mother walk up to us. I set up immediately and I looked around. I was called little after everything happened. I was home in Florida visiting my girlfriend, Brooke's friend, Barbara. Tupac and I were great friends. I was only for 6 months in SUA from Portugal when I met Tupac at a party couple of years before this. We befriended quickly and soon after I was signed to his record deal and been friends ever since. Sure, we had our different upbringing but when it came to music? We were great. When I heard about this, I took a plane and both Barbara and I joined his mother and his family, hers too. I was used to Tupac being reckless and somehow, in the back of my mind, I always expected a moment like this to happen. I expected him to get a hard lesson, but I knew very well that once Brooklyn was involved, this was harder to bear. I could expect him to retaliate, in the worse way possible. Brooklyn was always that hot topic, it was unexplainable how he grew attached to an orphan white girl. He hated calling her like that, for him she was always family. Tupac had a big heart and Brooke was taking up most space. The other was his family and his people. He had love for everybody and I prayed that this was not going to take it away. He was a treasure for us, for the world, but harming Brooklyn was going to change him substantially.

I was at the hospital when I was watching the news for hours straight. When his mother walked up to us, Barbara and I set up. Tupac was out of surgery an hour ago but we had no update on Brooklyn yet.

'He's awake.' His mother, Afeni told us. She was a strong woman, I have never seen a mother control herself and hold it together like she did. 'But he's tied to the bed. He's being... a kid. He's been throwing fits and he wants to see her. I told him she's still not out yet but you know him.' She set down.

'But he's fine, right?' I asked with a swallow. 'And Brooke?'

'She's in a coma.' I could hear the pain in her voice and I looked at Barbara who's been crying for her friend for hours. 'I don't know for how long, they won't tell us, but is bad. One of the bullets hit the back of her head, and they didn't pull the bullet yet, they run tests to see if it touched her brain, if it did...' She sighed deeply. 'I don't wanna tell him yet, she's going into another surgery, is the third in 12 hours.'

'But she's alive that's all that matters.' I concluded.

'Tell him that. He wants to see her, but they won't even let me in... Let's just pray that's all we got left. '

*

It was the second day in the morning, I just got to the hospital after dropping Barbara to rest when I passed by Brooke's room. She was out the surgery not a long ago, they risked and pulled the bullet and we were told her estate remained the same. She needed to stay in a coma so she can recover. When I passed by the window my jaw almost dropped. Tupac was there, in a wheel chair, all bandaged and looking ready to go out. I walked inside even though it was hard to do so. Brooke was always a fun joyful girl and seeing her there, on her stomach with machine beeping and covered in bandages.... She looked lifeless.

'Pac. You're not supposed to be up, you went through surgery, man.' I almost found the words to say. He was crying, I know for sure he was and when he looked at me he confirmed. 'I'm so sorry, nigga...'

It was silence. He looked back at her and I noticed he was holding her hand. I was about to go when I heard him clear his throat.

'She jumped in for me.' He barely said, in a whisper as if he didn't want to wake her up. 'She saved me. She didn't even think she just jumped in for me...' He sighed deeply and wiped his right eye. 'I failed to protect her. If she was awake now like my ass is... I would- .... I would tell her how much she means to me. I would tell her all the shit I held in cuz I was stupid and afraid. I'd tell her how much I love her, how much she changed me. I'd tell her she's my sun, my angel.'

'You can still tell her, man. She hears you, y'know...' I said out of nowhere. I had no proof of that, just faith. 'Hey, come on she gonna be alright. She a Shakur, she learns the hard way.'

'Then I'd yell her pretty ass off. I'd tell her that she's too precious to jump for a nigga... She's too good to be in this world and never scare me like this ever again. I just got her, I just finally made it for us to work and they took her from me. They touched her, Angelico! They shot my babygirl...' He sobbed, he cried right there and I patted his back carefully and I just hugged him. He was my brother and he needed this more than ever. 'I'm going out there cuz I don't back away that fucking easy. These motherfuckers gonna hear me. I'm going to face my faith whatever those bitch ass judges decide today. I'm going cuz when she opens them blue eyes. I wanna be right here to see her, to smile back at her and assure her that we'll be happy. Till then I let my baby rest. Cuz she needs a break.... And I'll be back for her. No matter how long it takes. She just needs to hang in there.'

I watched him say goodbye. He kissed her lips and then I rolled him out the room. Sadly, it was the last time I saw them together that year. Pac was sentenced to 4 years and a half in jail with no bail yet. The rest of the guys who were with him? They got nothing. So he went to jail right away, he got locked up and Brooke was still not up yet.

Time went by, week after week, month after month. Barbara graduated I went back to Portugal to finish some things up, Pac was in jail and Brooke was still... not up yet. Life took the 4 of us on different paths and the world didn't stop to cry for it. It went on and we went with it. Pac was doing his time in cell while Brooke was taking her time and fight for her life, she had a battle to win, both of them did.

3 months later and still no sign of her ever coming back to life.