The Misunderstood Black Woman

Astonished XX

The next morning I woke up to complete silence and the bed was empty. I started to panic at the thought of oversleeping for work. I rolled out of the bed, then rushed into the bathroom to get ready. On my way there, I saw a bright red note standing up on the dresser. I quickly exited the bathroom then read the surprise message left for me.

"Love take this day to care for yourself and go check on your friend. You can borrow one of the cars if you need to, just make sure that you're prepared for the charity ball later on tonight. I can't wait to see you dressed up. - B."

I sighed in relief that I got the day off and I didn't oversleep. I didn't like to slack off so I was going to avoid staying out late again. I already had my outfit for the charity event so I was going straight to the hospital to check on Yvette. After I got ready, I finished up some extra work and send it over to Bryson so he knew that I was serious about my job and not taking it lightly.

I decided to drive the Mercedes SUV because it was more spacious. I've never driven a luxurious car before, so this was motivation for me to work harder. The drive to the hospital wasn't long and I was anxious to hear what was happening. After I parked the car, I headed inside to the main entrance. Geia just started her shift so she came out and greeted me when I came up to the receptionist desk.

"Hey Courtney, before I go check on my patients vitals there's something you should know. They delivered the baby last night and he's severely premature. He's currently in the neonatal intensive care unit and he's not doing too well. But my main concern is, Yvette tried to overdose last night and it triggered the premature birth." Geia said with a shaky voice.

I felt myself choke up and an unsettling feeling formed in the pit of my stomach. I felt like I had a large part to play in this and it was all my fault for sending that picture. Guilt was all I felt at the moment and I felt disgusted with myself. I told Geia that I needed a moment so I ran outside to get some fresh air. I couldn't always run to Bryson when I needed strength so I decided to take a moment and clear my mind. Maybe something else occurred that Yvette didn't mention and it caused this. I wanted to take the blame for everything, but maybe something else happened.

After taking a couple of deep breaths, I began to felt better so I headed back inside. The nurses had me sign in first, so I did that quickly then headed back to the ICU. My stomach began to churn when I entered her room and saw her hooked up to countless machines. I immediately noticed that her stomach was no longer poking out and her skin was pale.

Warm tears began to slide down my face and I reached out and grabbed onto her for support. I felt guilt and dread wash over me like a powerful rain shower. Why didn't she just reach out for help in the first place? We would've put our differences aside so I could've been there.

"She was ice cold all day, but I think she's starting to warm up." Tyler's deep voice boomed out from behind me.

I quickly stepped back and wiped my face so he didn't see me crying. I do admit that I wanted to blame him for all of this, but I also had a part to play in it. I decided to play it cool and remain cordial for the sake of my friend.

"Yeah, she's looking a little better. How was she today?" I awkwardly asked trying to avoid any unwanted eye contact.

"She's a fighter and so is our son. They put her in a medically induced coma so she can heal, but Geia said that she'll be up in a few days." He responded while looking at Yvette with sorrow and regret in his eyes.

"Well I should be heading out now. If anything changes please give me a call and I'll be right here." I rushed out while heading towards the exit.

Tyler nodded his head in agreement, then went over to check on her. I ran out of there as fast as I could until I reached the car. I didn't get the chance to start it up yet, because I started to uncontrollably sob. I knew that everything wasn't completely my fault, but just knowing that you had a part in someone almost ending their life was heart breaking. After I composed myself, I started up the car then drove back to Bryson's place in complete silence.