Twonder (Completed)

Chapter 3: Limbo

" I'm looking for Cleopatra Jordan." Kaline was out of breath and his mind as he ran into Jefferson hospital and tried to figure out what the hell had happened to his fiancé.

" Family?" The young black nurse didn't seem to care about the concern written on Kaline's face or the urgency bleeding out of his voice, unfortunately for her she was about to see the side of Kaline that likened him to his father.

" Look here, you got about two seconds to tell me which room my fiancé is in before I come across this desk and find out my damn self! Now once I get over there there's no telling what other crazy shit I might do just to teach ya ignorant ass not to play with people and their loved ones."

Kaline's jaw clenched tight after his speech and the nurse tensed in reaction; she looked like she was about to call somebody on him.

" Call security if you want to." Kaline was like Cleo in that he rarely pulled out of his character, but he would do so willingly every single time if it were for his woman.

" She's in surgery, you'll have to wait." She pointed to the waiting area to the left of her desk and he tersely thanked her before taking a seat.

A million and one thoughts ran through his mind as he contemplated Cleo dying, he couldn't fathom it. So much of his adolescence had been spent with girls, and now that his adulthood was infused with the prime example of what a woman should be, he couldn't see reverting as an option. Everything about Cleopatra screamed both importance and finality, and it had since their very first meeting. If Cleo was nothing else, she was consistent. A consistence Kaline had craved most of his life because of his father's repeated absences and his mother's inability to cope. Cleo was his savior.

" CLE-O-PAT-RA JOR-DAN." Kaline removed his head from his hands at the sound of Cleo's hot headed brother's words. Jerome Jordan was standing over the nurses desk just as he had minutes ago, only Jerome's demeanor was a whole lot more hostile and promising. His nostrils were flaring and his knuckles were clenching, if the nurse weren't a woman the life would've been chocked out of her by now.

" Rome!" Kaline stood to his feet and Jerome stalked over, his lanky build making heavy steps in his Timberland boots.

" Yo, tell me my baby sis not dead bro. Tell me Cleo good!" His words were loud and arcing in fear that could be misread as anger; the other patrons in the waiting room gawked at the ghetto scene in front of them.

Kaline grabbed Jerome's arm and attempted to lead him down a hallway.

" Fuck off me Kal!" Jerome tried to shrug Kaline off but he wasn't having it. Kaline gripped Jerome by the collar of his North Face jacket and forced him down the hallway, this time Jerome complied.

" Get yaself together baby boy, this ain't the motherfuckin venue!" Kaline whispered harshly into the young man's ear as he gripped him by the neckline of his coat. Kaline respected and adored the bond the siblings shared, and it was clear their love for each other was above everything else, but sometimes it got to be too much.

" That's the only real blood I got man!" Jerome's build gave in to Kaline's brotherly embrace but the fear of the unknown pumping through his veins was still palpable through the fabric of his weatherproofed coat.

" All we can do is wait brah." Kaline released Jerome from his grip and put his hand on his back as he guided him back to the waiting area.

" Waiting ain't the game I play Kal. Never was, never will be." Kaline watched as Jerome shook his hand off and stormed out the hospital in a huff of heavy Timberland boots and a flurry of curse words he should've kept in his head.

Kaline sat back down putting his head back in his hands and shaking it vigorously back and forth, he couldn't believe this shit was happening. He specifically stayed away from the shit his father did just so nothing like this would ever happen to him or anybody he loved. Yet here he was sitting in a hospital room waiting to see if his woman was gonna make it or not, this was beyond cruel.

" Are you here for Ms. Jordan?"