Reality (Sequel to Future)

Chapter Twenty-Three

I dashed into the hospital and went to the reception counter. The receptionist looked worried by my urgent demeanor.

"August. Chresanto August" I said breathlessly.

"What's your relation to the patient?" She asked as she typed.

"I-I'm his fiancé. Also the mother of his child"

She continued to type, analyzed the screen for a while, and then looked back up at me.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, since your husband is an inmate I'll need a police officer to be present with you during your visit"

"Then get one down here, damn it! Why are we just talking about it?!"

People started to look my way but I didn't care. Obviously Chresanto was hurt badly enough that he had to be hodpitalized. I needed to see him now.

"Y-Yes, ma'am" the receptionist said grabbing the phone and dialing.

"I need the officer supervising Inmate August's room down to the lobby please"

I nodded and started pacing back and forth in the lobby. It took everything in me not to break down in front of all these people right now. Chresanto wouldn't want me to. But it was just hard given these circumstances. I felt awful. He was in jail while I'm at home having sex with the same man that was supposed to be protecting Deon and I, a man that Chresanto trusted apparently. I felt sick. Did I even want to see him anymore? I was feeling real guilty right about now. It was too late to contemplate my approach to him when I saw an officer come down and speak briefly with the receptionist. She pointed to me and he walked over.

"I'll need to search you real quick as it is protocol when visiting a prisoner"

I nodded and stuck my arms out letting him frisk me. I was so anxious to see Chresanto. It felt like forever since I had. The police officer found nothing and motioned for me to follow him to the elevator. He punched the fourth floor and looked at me with his arms folded over his chest.

"Your fiancé" he began. "is in pretty bad shape. I just want you to prepare yourself before you walk in there. He won't be the same pretty face you remember"

I nodded again and the elevator doors finally opened.

"Is he awake?" I asked.

"Sleeping"

We arrived at the room.

"I'll be right out here" the officer said. "10 minutes"

I walked past him to see Chresanto sleeping in the hospital bed. I could really cry right now. He looked so hurt. No speech a police officer gave me could prepare me for what I saw. There was a large gash that had been stitched up above his eyebrow. His cheek was bruised a dark purple color. His bottom lip was busted and swollen a bit on the left side. Then I noticed more bruises on his arms. Yep, he got jumped all right. I noticed on his neck, there was a large stitched up cut there too. Someone had tried to slit his throat it looked like. There was also a purple bruise on his neck that looked a lot like a shoe print. I wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't talk. Who the hell were these people? I pulled up a chair next to him and sat down. I gently slipped my hand in his hand that had the IV in it. I analyzed him some more. I could only imagine what his body looked like. A doctor walked in.

"Hi. I'm Doctor Briggs" she said with a small smile.

"Bahja. I'm his fiancé"

"Well, Bahja, Chresanto has suffered a lot of bad bruising as you can see. He also has two rib fractures and a stomach rupture which we've already taken care of with surgery. But he needs a lot of rest and we are gonna do everything we can to get him back to health"