GUILT

Chapter 7

     The ambulance arrives within 15 min. and puts Trae on the stretcher. While Trae is loaded into the ambulance, one of the EMTs walks over to question Devin, Shay, and Chantelle about what happened. The EMT noticed scars and on Chantelle's face and arms and began treating them on site. Once Chantelle and Shay explained to the understanding guy, he told them that the police would be contacted and instructed them to not leave from the site until the police arrives; which means that wouldn't be able to rush to the hospital right away.

    "I have news that there was a fight reported here," the police said. He was dressed in uniform and wore sunglasses, although it was dark outside.

    "Yes sir," Chantelle responded.

   "Now, give me every detail of what happened." The police took out his notepad and begin to write everything down.

   "A girl by the name of Cayren came over to fight me and my sister, Ke'Shayla. However, she didn't fight Ke'Shayla but she ended up running up to fight me. By me defending myself, I fought back. That's how I ended up with all of these scratches," Chantelle explained.

  "Now what provoked this little battle here?" The police examined Chantelle's scars and took pictures of them. "Was it over a guy, family affairs, or what was it?"

  "I began talking to a guy named Trae. That was him that got hit by the car. Cayren claimed to be dating him but during the fight, after he broke me and her up, he explained in a thoroughly manner that she is not a part of his life and hasn't been for a while. So she further decided to retaliate by attempting to run him over."

 "Is that right?" The police looked at Shay and Devin. "What kind of vehicle was she driving?"

"She drives a red Pontiac Grand Am."

They both agreed and the police continued to write the information down. He wrote all of their names, including Trae and Cayren. "Sounds like a crazy, jealous ex story. Well, I will file this report and we hope to find this young lady, Cayren and get her off the streets before she endangers someone else. You guys are free to travel along to the hospital. I really hope your friend and boyfriend pulls through."

Shay and Devin gets into Chantelle's car and drives to the hospital. They rush through the doors and ask the receptionist for the room number Trae was placed in and she tells them that it would be a moment before they could enter because the doctors were still examining him. They began to walk to the waiting room and sat there in silence. Eventually the doctor was notified by the receptionist that there were people in the waiting room to see him. The doctor walked over to them.

"Are you guys here for Tradarrious Jackson?" The older white male asked, holding a clipboard in his hand. He didn't look like he was going to give good news.

"Yes sir, we are," Chantelle spoke up.

"Well, he is certainly unconscious at the moment. He lost a lot of blood. He has serious scars on his legs and arms, one on the back of his neck near his head, and one on his side. He has a small slit at the corner of his mouth but that one should heal quickly. With the help of my staff and other doctors, we seek to help him receive the best treatment and he should regain conscious in no time. Would you like to see him now?"

The doctor lead them into the room. Trae was in a hospital gown with his eyes closed and hooked up to an IV. There was a tray placed next to him with a hospital cup on it and napkins. The room was big; it had a curtain that the divided the room from the other chairs which were probably for privacy reasons. There was a flat screen placed on the wall in the corner of the room. Chantelle's eyes filled with tears when she saw him laying there so still. She cried over him and held his hand. Devin grabbed a chair for Chantelle to sit next to him and Shay sat on the other side of the room in silence. Devin walked to the foot of the bed and broke down.

"Not my brother man. Not my motherfucking brother!" Devin fists were balled up and he had tears streaming from his face.

Shay got up and tried to comfort him. Chantelle couldn't do anything but cry at the bedside with her face buried into the sheets.

"Man, get up off me right now. I'm too upset about this shit." Devin yelled at Shay and shook himself out of her arms.

"I'm just trying to --"

"I don't need your help!"

"Don't talk to her like that! We don't need any arguments at the moment. All she was trying to do was to comfort you and be there for you. You don't need to treat her like that." Chantelle looked across the room to see her crying with her head in her hands. "You need to apologize to her!"

"For what?! My motherfucking brother just got fucking ran into by some crazy ass bitch! I don't need all this right now." Devin said with no remorse about Shay's feelings.

"I don't need this. Fuck this." Shay got up and headed towards the door.

"Where the hell you going?" Devin looked at her sideways but she walked right passed him and left out the room.

"You need to go find her and apologize!"

"I done fucked up. Ain't no way she going to listen to me," Devin said in despondency.

"Go find her! Trae wouldn't want this to happen. You need to go find her!"

Devin left the room and Chantelle continued to stay next to Trae. Her cellphone started to ring and it was her mother.

"Hey baby, how you doing? I miss you," her mom spoke into the phone with happiness.

"Hey mama, I miss you too. It's a lot going on at the moment, I can't really talk about it right now but is everything okay?"

"It was a few minutes ago but since I called you, I don't feel the same knowing something is wrong with you," her mom sighed.

"I'll be good mama. I promise." Chantelle's voice cracked at the end of her statement.

"Look, I don't know what's going on but God's gonna work it out. Always believe that."

"Thank you mama."

"You welcome baby. Give me a call later, I would love to see you sometime."

"I will mama." Chantelle hung up the phone and wiped her tears. Shay and Devin came back into the room. There was nothing but silence. Trae remained unconscious and Chantelle fell asleep next to his arm and Shay fell asleep in Devin's lap while he slept.