Complicated

36. Hard To Believe.

Things were not going in Michelle's favor. Chresanto is still getting himself into trouble, Courtlen is in the hospital with a baby on the way and Kiloni looks more bruised up as days go by. She sat in the hospital's waiting room, reading a book. Abby, Chres and Kiloni, in that order, sat together. Overtime, Courtlen was still unconscious and it was still unknown if he could never walk again. On the other hand, his visitors were allowed to see him; everyone let Abby go to see him first.

She slowly peeked her head into the room and went in. She hesitated with every step closer to him; Seeing Courtlen in this condition was something different. There were tubes in his nose, needles in his arms and hand, he seemed as if he were dead already. Abby moved his regular clothes out of the chair next to his bed to sit down. She noticed a small bag poking out of his pocket. Abby pulled it out and looked inside the bag; When she saw that it was a small black box, her eyes widened in disbelief. She turned to Courtlen in his bed; Even though, he was unconscious, she started talking to him as if he were going to respond. "Why? I love you but.. no! This ain't '16 and pregnant'! They're stupid so they marry their baby daddies. We don't need that. I don't even love.. you.. like that. I just.. UGH! This baby is yours and we're close and all that but no." Abby opened the box and saw the ring instantly sparkle with the light. She let out a small gasp and her eyes watered. Her mind slowly began to change from looking at the ring so she closed the box. "No, no, no, no." she muttered. Abby put everything back the way she found it, wiped her eyes and walked out. At this point, she needed a friend to talk to.

After everyone getting to see Courtlen's resting body and hours of more waiting, he awakened. Courtlen slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. Realizing he was in the hospital and what happened before coming into it, he called the nurse. He knew most likely they were concerned about when he would wake up. Moments later, a nurse came in with Courtlen's doctor. "Hey Courtlen! How ya feelin'?" the doctor asked, closing the door behind him. "I'm chillin' but my face kinda hurts.." As the two conversed, the nurse took notes. "We were informed that you fell face first into pavement so that's perfectly normal. Anything else bothering you? Your back or anything?"

"Well, my back kinda hurts a little but that's it."

"Can you sit up for me please?" The doctor asked, going to check Courtlen's pains. Courtlen sat up and the doctor pressed against his back, asking about each pain. The lower he pressed along his back, it was as if he felt less. Finally, the doctor pressed towards the bottom of Courtlen's back. "Does that hurt?"

"Does what hurt?"

"I'm pressing on your lower back."

"I can't feel that." The nurse's eyes disconnected from her notes and connected to Courtlen. "At all?" the doctor asked. "Nah. Is that bad?" The doctor stood up straight and uncovered Çourtlen's legs. "Do you mind if I check your legs for injuries?" Courtlen shrugged his shoulders. The doctor pressed all over Courtlen's legs and asked if he felt even the slightest touch from him. Courtlen still felt nothing. "Um, am I gonna be aight?" Courtlen asked. "We just need to make sure everything's functioning right. We'll let you know when we're positive." With more minor tests, the doctor and the nurse finally left Courtlen alone to himself. They went outside to talk with his mother. "Did he wake up?" his mother asked. "Yes, but he still needs rest."

"That's fine, can we see him tomorrow?"

"During visiting hours, yes."

"Of course. How's he doing?"

"Mrs. Lee.. it seems that Courtlen has lost feeling in his body from the waist down. He had no reflex and movement or anything really. He says he could still feel in his genital area but that's it. We won't completely comfirm it yet but seeing where he was shot and how his body is reacting, more than likely, he's paralyzed." Michelle froze; her heart usually felt like it was sunken into her stomache from everything she goes through, now it only felt like it sunk lower. "P-Paralyzed?"