Lessons || MJ

Lessons || Chapter 29

LESLIE

This medical expert donning her white coat tapped my arm to wake me up and quickly left the room for privacy. I'd made it to the hospital around four in the morning and Yvonne had been knocked out in the bed across from me. Since the graze in her arm, she'd shut down. Doctors explained once again that physical therapy failed to uplift. She hardly tried to practice the exercises anyhow.

I noticed her wounds every time nurses helped Yvonne jiggle into tank tops. But we finally met eyes that morning, a weak grin crept onto my face. Her arms barely opened to embrace me, but I refused the hug for obvious reasons. Any other physical strains would've drowned me in guilt.

Instead, I blew a kiss to her across from the room. She understood, but awkward silence fell just before I could say anything. Her eyes turned down at the breakfast plate and utensils surrounding her tray. I soon realized her nervousness and sat in a corner chair by her bed.

"Hungry?" I asked. Yvonne shook her head. At that very moment, the door creaked open and I looked over to see a Black female medic who poked her head into the room. A clipboard kept one place between her palms when she smiled at the two of us.

"Good morning. How's everything going in here, ladies?" She welcomed herself into the room and nodded to Yvonne. I'd seen this woman in passing just hours before, but hardly remembered her name. A sliver plated nametag reminded me of that noteworthy info: Natalie Roberts.

"She won't eat. How often has this been going on?" My eyes narrowed. I instantly glared at Yvonne soon after and she shrunk in the bed. The medic chuckled, but I couldn't help feeling disappointed.

"She'll eat, but there's only hesitation because someone needs to help her lift utensils. She's afraid of losing independence which is completely understandable." Natalie explained, but looked down to scribble intently on the clipboard papers.

"Vonnie come on." I almost whined. "Do you want headaches all week?"

"No, but it's stupid. I'm not dependent. If I spill on myself, so be it. They won't even try to let me eat on my own here, Leslie. This is ridiculous."

"We've seen you try, sweetheart. The spoon flicked and you spilled hot chicken soup all over that hospital gown yesterday." The doctor chimed in. I cut my eyes toward Yvonne once more. Hours here would drag on and I quickly realized that her hospital discharge couldn't be soon after all.

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DARRYL

No luck. We returned to the compound unsuccessful. Even I found myself becoming more and more agitated. Leslie almost crept like an animal through darkness and we just couldn't catch her. It wasn't a kidnapping, no matter how violent Nelson behaved in the past. Without some sort of help and especially without Yvonne standing alongside in good shape, I didn't trust the idea of Leslie being alone.

We all knew that any mistake would lead to her death. It was bad enough when Jerome came back from the dead. I'd never felt so confused in my entire life and Nelson just hugged this dude as if nothing fishy occurred. In my mind, something felt off. But even Max shrugged. Maybe the paranoia toward Calvin blurred out everything. else stirring around him.

Both of us hardly settled for bed once more when shouting voices ran from down the hallway. The noisy marching triggered usual, but Max and I ducked as low as possible when gunshots spattered loudly into our ears. Even thoughts of getting up to reach our own defense scared me for once.

Max gained enough courage to rise and hurried over to toss me a firearm. I'd barely caught the pistol with shaky hands this time when a machine gun of all things rattled madly in the hallway further and further away from us. In that moment, I immediately stood and rushed over to loaded the weapon. Cold laughter followed the gunshots.

Calvin.

"What do we do?" I yelled over the growing clamor I should've learned by now. Max kept his back on the wall and scooted without even dropping his pistol. I'd followed same movement as my brother. Florescent lighting almost blinded the two of us.

Just when my brother turned to face me, we both froze at the sound of approaching footsteps. I shut my eyes close. A lump immediately formed in my throat. Sweat even made itself known when I looked at Max. He planned to get up and aim right for someone who'd arrive, but I instantly heard Max gasp and his feet rushed back to our hiding spot.

"What?!" I squinted

"Hide!" Max shouted out of nowhere. We crawled and somehow made it to a tiny construction resembled one of those storm shelters.

Just when Max planned to close the door, both of my eyes widened. Calvin had set a pistol to Morris's head. Both Max and I silently prayed for this to be a dream. Not him. Not anyone else. In these past few months, we all became a family and I finally understood the meaning of Leslie attaching long before Max and I came into her world. Her world in one way or another.

"I'm going miss you, Morris." Calvin lied right through his pearled teeth.

No. I thought to myself.

Morris faced down lifeless in a pool of warm blood.