Down Chick

Chapter Twenty-One: Reunions & Identification (Part II)

Part II

It was two days later when Maria arrived on the doorstep with Viktor. She was sobbing like a baby and I couldn’t do anything for a moment other than just sit back and watch as she was held by Viktor. I knew something had to seriously be wrong for her to behave in this manner. Viktor looked more somber and serious than I had ever seen him looking before. I stiffened in tension and shock, as she finally composed herself well enough to speak.

“Tio, Ebony and Shade have all been shot,” she said, sniffling. “Tio is in critical condition and the doctor’s aren’t sure if Ebony or Shade will survive the damage that’s been inflicted.”

I lifted one hand to my mouth and felt a tremor of shock course through me. I didn’t need to ask who had done it. I already knew. I guess that answered the question of if Ebony was in with Darius or not. My thoughts left her to go to Tio. Tio and I had been friends for too long to just forget about him. I had to see him. To know that he was going to be alright.

“What hospital are they at?” I asked, feeling the beginnings of tears fill my own eyes.

I was scheduled to see my dad in five hours and now I had to be sure my best friend would live. As I glanced over to Maria, Angel placed a supporting arm around me and we all headed for the door. Maria told the location of the hospital. Less than five minutes later we were in Viktor’s Hummer. For the first time in a long time we were all silent. Tension filled the air and grief.

This was my fault.

I had done this.

I didn’t blame Angel. I blamed me. If not for him then I’d probably be somewhere dead and unprepared anyway. This was my fault for not giving Tio an adequate chance to disassociate himself from me. Our little fight meant nothing in the face of this. People always said that blood was thicker than water, but I’d never believed that. There was family out there that could do a person dead wrong and not give a damn about their blood, while there were friends who treated others like family. Tio, Miguel, and Ale had welcomed me into their circle and treated me like family.

I could do nothing more than support them in this. I wasn’t a killer. I couldn’t take a gun and just shoot someone for them, but I could be there. I knew that Ale and Miguel had to be going crazy. The three of them were like brothers to one another.

Wiping away a tear, I watched out the window glumly as cars passed us. Viktor was driving and Maria was in the passenger seat. Angel and I were both in the back. I was spread across his lap, while he soothingly stroked my hair. He hadn’t said a word and I knew he could probably give less than a damn what happened to Tio. He didn’t know him too well and the few times that they’d encountered each other been hostile. They disliked one another because of me.

When we reached the hospital, Maria led us up to the waiting room near Tio’s hospital room. Angel was talking to an orderly making inquiries about the whereabouts of Ebony and Shade. When he had them, he gave me a slight head nod to acknowledge that he was going to check on them. I nodded my head in return and sat down. We had to wait for a nurse to gain information. We couldn’t see him because he was in the intensive care unit. They were performing surgery on him.

I was praying that he was alright. I wasn’t a praying person or even remotely religious but if there was ever a time to be religious it was now. I wanted—no, I needed for Tio to be alright. He couldn’t leave this earth. Memories flooded my mind. Memories of the two of us joking around. Kissing one another, Miguel and Ale teasing us. Miguel and Tio teasing Ale, Tio parading girls in front of me to try to make me jealous.

There was three years’ worth of memories in my head floating around and they all brought the situation closer to me. It brought forth the memory of Ambrianna’s death. Death seemed to surround. No matter what I did, it came and claimed the lives of those who loved me. It didn’t always claim them immediately, but when it came it took away bits and pieces of me. Each person was a loss to a part of me. Wrenching, heartbreaking pain.

Sorry, headache and tired. I’ll finish the rest of this tomorrow. I’ll just add it to this part by editing. I said I would update so here’s something to read until tomorrow.