Can't Let Go

O N E

I said bye to everyone as it was finally time for me to go home. Working he night shift at the hospital really wore me out. I would love nothing more than going home to my cat and drinking a nice glass of wine.

I unlocked my car and got in driving off. I stopped at a red light and played with the radio. I jumped when someone started banging on my window. I looked and seen a guy with braids.

"Open the door!"

"No I don't know you." He pulled out a gun and my blood went cold.

"Open this door now before I shoot your ass." I gulped and unlocked the door. He climbed in and held the gun to my head.

"Lights green. Drive." I had no choice but to. I didn't want to die. He gave me no directions  or anything. But I felt his eyes burning into my face.

"You a doctor?" He asked. I guess he assumed due to my scrubs. I cleared my throat.

"A nurse actually."

"You think you can fix these?" I carefully looked in his direction as he lifted his shirt up. He had a bullet wound in his abdomen, and his shoulder was bleeding so I assumed he got shot there as well.

"Can you?" He asked raising his voice. I flinched and nodded.

"I just need to get you to the hospital and-"

"No hospitals." He said cutting me off. I nodded

"I have supplies at my house."

"I can't stay in the city long. We'll stop at a pharmacy, and you get the shit." I nodded and stayed silent. Once I didn't feel the gun on my head I glanced at him. He was looking at his wound.

"You need to apply pressure to it, or you'll bleed out. You've lost a lot of blood already" I can tell by his face. He stayed silent and pressed on it. After a while I saw his chest rising and falling slowly and he was sweating.

He didn't have much time left. Even though he held me at gunpoint I couldn't let him die. Once I pulled up to the pharmacy, I got ready to get out but he stopped me.

"You snitch. You and everyone you love dies," I gulped and nodded. I ran inside and got a basket and filled it with everything I needed. I didn't have my wallet and I was in a hurry, so I flashed him my hospital badge.

"I'm a nurse and I need to save a life. I'll have a check sent to you for the supplies" I rushed before running out. We were at the edge of the city, so there were barely any people around. I pulled up to a motel and got a room. Then I helped him inside.I laid him on the bed and laid the supplies out.

"I'm gonna give you some pain pills that'll knock you out while I remove the bullets alright?" He was hesitant but nodded. I gave him the medicine and got everything ready while waiting for him to fall asleep. Once he was out, I put my gloves on and started,

*hours later.*

Once I finished I cleaned up. I was really debating on if I should leave or not. But he knew my face already and wouldn't hesitate to find me and kill me.

I rubbed my face and noticed all the blood on me. I took off my top because I had a tank top underneath. I heard him groan and walked over. I helped him sit up slightly.

"I'm surprised you didn't leave," I stayed silent.

"What did you use to stitch these up?"

"Dental floss. They didn't have the-"

"Yeah I get it." He grabbed his gun and I froze up. He looked at me and chuckled

"Chill out ma, I ain't gonna shoot you. Unless you give me a reason too." He grabbed his bloody shirt and put it on. He struggled to get up but managed.

"We have to get as far away from the city as possible."

"Can you just let me go home? I swear I won't tell anybody anything." He chuckled.

"I'm not taking that chance. Let's go." I shook my head.

"No" He looked at me like I was crazy. Then he cocked the gun and pointed it at me.

"Get yo ass, out to that car!" I flinched and grabbed my keys. He looked out the window and cursed. I did the same and seen the police talking to the owner.

The owner pointed to our room and the police nodded walking over. He locked the door and grabbed my arm going to the bathroom. He opened the window and pushed me near it.

"Hurry up," I sighed and climbed out. He was about to follow but the door busted open. I flinched when I heard two gunshots go off. I closed my eyes and prayed that the cops shot him. Guess I didn't pray hard enough when he pushed me over to a random car.

"Get in."

"I want to go home." I cried. He groaned

"I don't have time for this." He grabbed me roughly and forced me I the car. Then he got in the drivers side and messed with the wires. The car roared to life and he drove off. We drove for a while before pulling up to this rest stop.

"Go get some clothes while I get gas. And again. Don't try shit, you understand me?" I nodded getting out the car. I walked inside and over to the clothes.

I got some in my size and some that looked to be his size. I was about to go pay but I felt someone grab me and turn me around. It was him.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going to pay for the clothes," he shook his head and grabbed them going to the bathroom and pulling me along. He pulled me inside the unisex bathroom with him.

"Um-"

"Shut up and change" he said while undressing. I turned around and sighed doing the same. Once I was dressed, he walked over and pulled the tags off.

"Alright come on." He grabbed my wrist and we went back out to the car. I sighed getting in as he drove off. I had no energy and I didn't feel safe enough with him to go to sleep. So I opened the window and let the air hit my face.

"You hungry?" He asked. I stayed silent and played with my fingers.

"Look, I get that your scared and I don't blame you-"

"Of course you don't, you're not the one getting threatened every two minutes." He sighed.

"Aight here's the deal. I have this...business. Me and my team were suppose to pick up up a shipment we already paid for, but shit didn't go down like that. They shot my boys and took my brother. Now I run my shit smartly so not everything I got is in New York. I have places all over the U.S. The people who did this to me are Compton niggas. I ain't finna go over there alone and get a bullet in my head." I stopped him

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"I don't want you to think I don't have a reason for doing what I'm doing. I know it don't make up for shit but, you be making me feel bad." I sighed

"What do you still need me for? I'm just a nurse from the bronx."

"You saved my life. You're special to me now. I can't let you go."

We drove in silence for hours.

"Where are we going?" I asked finally.

"Virginia, I got some boys down there that can help." I nodded and looked out the window,

"I never got your name." He said. I debated on if I should tell him my real name. I decided it wouldn't be smart.

"Call me Jay." He nodded.

"Everyone calls me Rocky."

•••

Something new what y'all think? Let me know if I should continue.