Amor Prohibido | r. martinez

veintiocho

Oscar's impala skidded into the hospital parking lot and he ran inside with Sad Eyes and 3 other cholos behind him. The ER was packed, but it was easy to spot the people he was looking for since they were still in their outfits from the quinceñera.

"Where is she?" Oscar asked, making his presence known and the group jump when they spotted the cholos. Oscar looked down at Ruby's bloody hands and noticed he was holding the charm bracelet that Arcelia never takes off.

Ruby looked up at how broken and lost Oscar looked, then realized he was staring at his blood covered hands. "She's alive still." Ruby told him. Oscar nodded, running a hand down his face and taking a seat while the rest of the family stayed quiet.

"Latrelle did this. So where's Cesar?"

"How did you-" Ruby began to ask, but stopped when he saw the look Oscar was giving him. "I don't know, he disappeared after the paramedics came."

Oscar chuckled, shaking his head in disappointment. "Because he knows he fucked up."

For an hour, doctors walked in and out of the doors and kept getting Ruby's hopes up and leaving him disappointed.  After a while, Ruby gave up and just fell asleep, but now Oscar was uncomfortable because Ruby had his whole head on his shoulder.  "Arcelia Diaz?"  A doctor announced, slowly approaching Oscar since he already knew who she was related to.  At the mention of her name, Ruby shot up and straightened himself out.  "We had to work really fast because the bullet was close to he heart, but she's alive.  B-"

Ruby shot up, getting in the doctor's face all excited when he heard that his girlfriend was alive.  "Can I see her?  What room is she in?  Did you take her makeup off?  Because she gets mad when she falls asleep with her falsies on an—"

"Ruby, siéntate."  Geny told, watching as the doctor kept glancinh fearfully at Oscar.  Almost as if what he was about to say was going to him killed.

The doctor nodded and cleared his throat, looking at Oscar since he was the only family Arcelia had.  "Arcelia's alive, but she's in a coma.  And we don't know how long it'll be for."  The doctor told everyone.  "Her body's in shock and 'shut down'."  He explained, making it as simple as possible so everyone understood.  "She's fine, and in normal condition, she's just... in a coma." 

Everyone was staring at the doctor in silence, just looking at each other speechless.  "Oscar, you good?"  Sad Eyes asked. 

Oscar seemed like he was daydreaming, even while he was nodding his head.  "I'll be back."  Oscar stood up, walking outside to go call Cesar and yell him, while everyone turned to look at Ruby.

Geny called out his name, trying to get his attention.  Ruby couldn't hear her, and now he thought he was in shock. Geny lightly shook Ruby while she knelt in front of him. "You can go see her." She told him softly.

"But Spooky should go fir—"

"He said you could go." Sad Eyes stated.

Ruby nodded and slowly stood up, dusting himself off before following the doctor to Arcelia's room. "She's in there."

Ruby thanked the doctor an stared at the door where his girlfriend laid, probably covered in wires and surrounded by machines to make sure she wa alive. He finally built up enough courage and opened the door. He was going to step out, but he was already too far to back out. Ruby walked in slowly and flinched when he heard the heart monitor beeping.

Arcelia laid still on the bed, and Ruby groaned when he saw that they left her makeup on. He reached into his pocket, pulling out her charm bracelet and makeup wipes that he always kept on him. Ruby slid the charm bracelet on and kiss rhe back of her hand before looking up at her face. Quietly, like she was going to wake up, Ruby pulled out a wipe and carefully took off Arcelia's false eyelashes before wiping her face.

"I should've been outside with you. This should have never happened, especially to someone as amazing and kind as you." Ruby said quietly. "When Olivia kissed me, my first thought was how I was going to tell you. And if you were going to leave me." He said sadly. "I'm not letting you leave. Even if it means I have to stay in this hospital until I'm 90. Because you and I are going to be together forever. I'm holding our marriage from kindergarten against you, even though you ate the ring pop the same day it happened. We're married in my mind."

Ruby heard a deep laugh and jumped, before he turned around. Leaning against the wall, Oscar stood there watching his little sister's boyfriend speak to her unconscious body while removing her makeup. "She still talks about that day. And she saved the ring pop wrapper in a scrapbook."

"She did?" Ruby asked excitedly. He turned back to Arcelia and smiled a litlle. "I thought she forgot about it."

"Hell no. When she called me in prison, she'd mention it at least once. She mentioned you a lot more." Oscar stated, walking around and sitting on the other side of Arcelia. "You're good for her, even if you're weird and annoying."

Ruby furrowed his eyebrows and nodded. "I think that's a compliment, so I'm accepting it."

Oscar nodded and looked to Arcelia. "She's supposed to have her quince, so hopefully she's awak by then." Oscar stated, messing with her fingers and watching Arcelia. "Your abuelita is almost done with her dress?"

"Yeah, but they didn't even show it to me. Arcelia said no one is allowed to see it until the day of her quinceañera."

Oscar chuckled and shook his head. "She would do that. She's been planning that party and yelling at Cesar about it since she was 5." Oscar stated, reminiscing about the time Cesar told her that they have the same birthday, so he has to have a quinceañera too. Arcelia yelled at him and threw her shoe at his head, then called him stupid.

"Do you think she'll wake up soon?"

"With you out here waiting for her? She'll be up in a week."