by T. Styles
“Rape?” Krazy guesses immediately.
Silence.
“Whatever you did, I’m sure it was warranted.” Krazy continues with the usual scowl on his face. “I know you, man. You hit the bottle hard but for the most part you a good dude.”
“I’m with Krazy,” Sugar adds. “You don’t do shit unless somebody got it coming.”
She knows that’s a lie. I know they mean well but they can’t begin to understand the day I had. If only Denise was still in my life, maybe this would be easier to deal with. She told me she would run away with me to Texas and when I waited on her at the train station, she didn’t show up. The next thing I know, I’m witnessing three men die after trying to prevent me from jumping in front of a moving AMTRAK train.
“I gotta go back to the hospital ya’ll.” My stomach feels like its pulling and pushing at the same time, and things were starting to sway. Shit like cars and people and the ground beneath me. “Take me back, Krazy. Take me to the place you found me. I don’t need to be out here, man. I’m dead serious.” The four of them look at each other.
“Madjesty, I don’t wanna go back there. I can’t deal with it again.” Dynamite says to me out of the window. “Please don’t go back.” It was the first thing she said to me since I got in the car from the station.
Krazy adds his piece. “I don’t think you need to be in no place like that either.” He looks at Dynamite and nods his head in her direction. “You not like them.”
“You’re right.” I stand up and brush my pants off. “ I’m worse. Now take me back to the spot. I gotta get my life together.”
He takes a deep breath and raises his hands in defeat, before dropping them at his sides. “You got it, homie.” He looks at everyone else and says, “Everybody get back in the car or get left. We out of here.”
****
When I wake up I’m back at the mental institution. Sitting up straight in the bed I stare at the room. It’s drab and cream colored. It feels lifeless and makes me want to leave all over again but I made a decision to stay. Hopefully they can fix me. I told everybody about what happened at the Amtrak station and they all blamed my mother. Maybe they are right.
“How are you, Ms. Phillips?” A white man asks holding a clipboard. White dandruff particles cling to his hair and the shoulders of his medical jacket. Nasty mothafucka.
His presence makes me uncomfortable because we’re alone. Where is the nurse? I pull the sheets up to my chin and look around the room for something to protect myself with in case he tries to hurt me. “My mother’s name is Ms. Phillips.” I frown. “I go by Mad.”
His face turns red but he maintains his cool. “Okay.” He clears his throat. “Mad, let’s talk about what’s going on with you.” He flips a few sheets. “For starters you’re pregnant. And because you’re pregnant, we have to keep an eye on you and the medicines we provide. You were also very dehydrated, so we had to give you fluid intravenously.” He points to the bag. “There’s nothing in there that could be harmful to you or the baby though. Please don’t worry.”
The room seems to tilt. “What you mean I’m pregnant?” The I.V. sticking in my arm starts to hurt. “I can’t be pregnant…I don’t understand how that would…” The moment the statement leaves my mouth, I know how it’s possible. Shaggy. But why hadn’t the people told me when I was first here? They gave me all types of shit to keep me doped up and out of their way. Maybe the baby is dead already. Or worse, maybe he’ll come out like me. Psychotic.
“You’re carrying a child, Ms. Phillips.” I want to drop his ass. “I mean, Mad. Now I was told that you were lesbian, did something happen that we need to be aware of?”
“First off I’m not a lesbian. Second of all I told the people when I got here that I was raped. They should’ve told you since you’re my…”
There is a loud commotion outside of my room. I hear threatening voices. What are you doing in here?” Someone yells in the hallway. “You can’t be in this part of the hospital without authorization.”
“We’re just looking for somebody,” the man says. “When we find her we’ll leave.”
“But you all do not have authorization to come back here! I’m going to call the…”
When a few screams ring out, the doctor in my room says, “Stay right here. I’m going to find out what’s going wrong.” He looks so horrified I’m sure he’ll run in the opposite direction of the trouble. I can’t see him playing hero.
He leaves without another word and I hop off of the bed. Something tells me that whoever is causing all of the commotion, is trying to get at me. Wearing only a hospital gown, I jump down, grab the I.V. machine and roll it with me to the door. I rise on two toes and look out of the window on the door. I can’t see anybody so I open it slowly and peak out. I spot some people on the other end of the hall but they don’t see me. They are busting in patient’s rooms and throwing shit around the wing. When I see Kreshon leading the pack, I know exactly what the deal is now. I pull the tape off of my arm and snatch out the needle to the I.V. I run out of my room and make a beeline in the opposite direction.
I hope they don’t spot me but my wish doesn’t come true when I hear, “There she go right there! Hey, Madjesty, we not going to hurt you. Come here so we can talk to you for a second.”
“Leave me alone!”
“Jayden want’s to rap to you and we’re just here to get you, that’s all. So ya’ll can talk.”
“Is that why you busting up the hospital and shit?”
Quick footsteps moved in my direction but I’m gone. There’s no way I’m going to let them catch me. I figured Jayden told Jace what I did to her and now she wanted me dead. Maybe I should lie down and get it over with. The only thing that stops me from giving up is the baby. If I’m pregnant, I need to protect it despite the father.
With them still hot on my trail, I break right and then left. Thinking they’re probably moving off of sounds to find out where I am, I slam a door leading into the stairwell loudly and duck into an office on the opposite side. I peak out of the window on the door and don’t see them yet.
A black lady is on the phone and I think the nametag on her desk says, Maureen. She doesn’t seem too happy to see me. “What are you doing in here?” She hangs up the phone. “You’re not supposed to be here. Who is your doctor?”
“Please keep it down, I have somebody out there who’s trying to kill me and if you make too much noise, they gonna be successful.”
She stands up and approaches but I want her to sit down. “You’re not answering me! What are you doing in here?” Her questions get louder and I search for something I can bust her in the forehead with.
When I spot a silver letter opener with a leather handle on her desk, I pick it up and point it in her direction. I can penetrate some organs with this shit. “If you don’t shut the fuck up, I will stick this in your throat until it comes out of the other end of your skull. Do you understand me?” Her eyes widen and focus on the door. When I look to see what has her stuck, I see the doorknob move. I guess it’s too late for me now.
JACE
HOT BODY
Jace’s room is extra cool but he barely notices because of the warm legs wrapped around him under the black thick comforter on his bed. The young treat with the soft pussy had been trying to get with him for the longest, but with Antoinette being in his life and the pursuit of money always on his mind, he didn’t give her the time of day. Although circumstances changed slightly, he still had a lot to deal with. Antoinette was still held hostage by Kali and he wasn’t trying to hand over Shaggy, plus he worried about the well being of his daughter.
When she told him to find Madjesty and kill her, he knew something was seriously wrong. From the moment he met her, it was apparent that she adored her sister. Their love was the only reason he didn’t hurt her to get at Kali early on. To make matters worse, Jayden didn’t seem to trust him enough to tell him what went wrong between them.
“Jace, why is your bod
y so hot?” She coos. “You always feel like you got a temperature and stuff. My father had the same thing and something was wrong with his liver. You better get that checked out.”
“I’m not sure why I’m so hot, Phaedra.” He winks at her. “Maybe you do that to me.” She giggles and Jace appears to go elsewhere mentally. Like he always did.
“Where your mind at?” The brown-skinned beauty places her head on his chest and runs her finger through the ripples of his muscles. He can feel her toasty breast against his body and his dick stiffens. “Cuz it don’t seem like it’s with me.” She looks up at him. “And if that’s the case, I’ma have to work harder to make that change.”
Jace wipes the long strands of black hair out of her face and peers into her brown eyes. There is no doubt that she is beautiful, but so is Antoinette. “Don’t worry about what’s on my mind. You didn’t come all this way for that shit anyway.”
“You’re right about that.” She wiggles closer to him and her pussy rests against his thigh. “So tell me, what did I come all this way for?”
“You already know.” He covers his mouth and coughs a few times. “Excuse me, baby. I must be coming down with something.”
She hesitates a little. “Jace, you been doing that all day. You sure it’s just a cold?”
“What you talking about?” He pauses and runs his hand alongside her face. “Why wouldn’t I be sure?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “A hot body plus a consistent cough sounds strange, that’s all.”
“Wait, you think…I got something else?”
“I didn’t say that.” She got up and leaned on her side, facing him. “But I did have a cousin who died from pneumonia.”
“Well I don’t have pneumonia.” He coughs again. And for some reason, his mind floats to Harmony and the last time they’d been together. It had been weeks and he still regretted the day he fucked her raw. Even if she did have something, could he be impacted that quickly? When he thinks about how she burned him as a kid he shakes his head. “I’m good. What, you worried about catching something from me? If you are, it’s a little too late for that.”
She climbs back on top of him, gropes his warm rod and places it inside of her body. Her moistness sucks him in. “Ask me that question now.”
He holds onto her waist and pumps into her. “I can never get enough of you but I know you know that don’t you?”
When she kisses him softly on the lips, he pushes deeper into her flesh. He’s always amazed how no matter how hard he fucked her, the pussy always tightened when they went the next round. She knew the code to make him bust so just when she clicked her hips to the left followed by a hard right, it was over. To enhance his experience, she places his wet dick into her mouth and sucks him dry, just the way Harmony use to do. His juice oozes down her throat and she doesn’t stop until she swallows every drop.
Mission completed, she wipes the corners of her mouth and looks up at him. “Did I make you happy? Because you know I tried.”
“I’m not into telling you shit you already know.”
“Well did I make you happy enough to put a few dollars in my purse over there.” She points to her white Michael Kors bag on the dresser.
He shakes his head and grins. “Always the gold digger.”
“You sell drugs, I sell pussy, just on a long-term basis.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t lease my body out to more than one nigga at a time, Jace. You know that. So as long as you take care of me, I’m all yours.”
“Well I’m not sure if I want to make the purchase.”
She giggles and says, “Well how about we go again and…”
When his phone rings, he stops her in midsentence by reaching for it on the dresser. It’s Jayden. “Baby, we found out where that package was but stuff didn’t go as planned. Are you still sure you want me to do this? Because once I do, there’s no turning back.”
“Daddy, I’m having trouble hearing you.”
He speaks louder. “Where have you been? I been calling you for two days straight. You had me worried sick.”
“There’s something still wrong with my phone. Remember I told you about it when you called me a few days back?” She pauses. “Anyway, I haven’t had a chance to buy a new one so I’m gonna talk but I might not be able to hear you unless you yell.” She sniffles. “I need to see you. I had a bad dream about you. That you were going to die and I miss you so much.”
He pushes Phaedra out of his way and sits up straight in the bed. “I’m fine, Jayden. And I been coming over there for days but nobody answers the door!” He yells as she requests. “Not even your mother.”
“I know, somebody stabbed her and she’s at the hospital.” He shakes his head. Harmony lived in the hospital. “I’ve been spending a lot of time there with her too. Maybe when you came over, that’s where I was.” She pauses. “I’ll tell you what happened when I see you okay?
Phaedra touches his arm and he slaps her hand away. It’s as if she’d stolen some of his oxygen just by being in his space. “Jayden, I haven’t been this scared in a long time…”
She cuts him off with a quivering voice. “I’m sorry, daddy. I guess what I’m trying to say is, come see me. I need to be around somebody I love. That’s all.”
“I’m on my way.”
JAYDEN
DOCTOR’S BAD NEWS
The office is too cramped. The bitch next to me must’ve bathed herself in the cheapest perfume she could find because I’ve sneezed ten times since she walked in. I hate coming here. But more than anything, I hate that the volume in my world seems to have been turned down since I lost some more of my hearing. The best part about today was seeing my father. Although I wish he didn’t keep asking me what was up with my face and if I still want Madjesty dead, his company was what I needed. I made my decision and I wanted it carried through.
My mind is rushing. I’m nervous about what the doctor has to tell me about my hearing. So I press my two fingers between my legs and cover my lap with my brown leather purse to hide my nastiness. I work my fingers left and right and up and down, until I feel the sensation I’m looking for. Tingly. Relaxing. Calming. Once I cum I smile and I feel better already.
When I look at the counter, a chick with bright yellow hair and big blue earrings keeps looking in my direction. She’s eating ice cream too. I wonder if she sees me so I remove my hand and sit them both over the top of my purse. Embarrassed, I focus at the Vibe magazine cover with Beyoncé on the front. But when I look at her again, she’s still staring at me. What does this bitch want? It takes me a minute to see she’s mouthing my name and she looks irritated. How long had she been calling me?
I rush over to her, stepping over a soiled pamper that was thrown on the floor. “I been calling you for five minutes.” She’s lying and her exaggeration makes me want to hurt her.
I look at her dry lips. “Sorry.”
She waves at me like I’m wasting her time. “You got insurance?” She scoops a spoonful of chocolate ice cream out of a container and puts it in her mouth. She keeps her jaw slightly open and I notice it sits on her tongue like she doesn’t want to swallow. Gross ass bitch.
“I told you I have insurance.”
“Well how come I don’t see your information here?” She flips open the yellow chart with my name written in black.
I glance down at it. “I don’t know why you don’t see it.” I shrug. “I don’t work here.”
“You know what, just give me your card. I don’t have time for all this other shit.” She rolls her eyes and holds out her hand. Then she looks at the two employees with cartoon scrubs standing behind her.
I reach into my purse, slap my Medicaid card into her palm and turn my head to see who else in the lobby is looking at us. Everyone is. “It’s right here.”
She looks at the employees again, holds my card in the air and laughs. “I asked her if she got insurance and she gave me this shit.” They
hold their stomachs and burst into laughter.
“You wrong as shit for fucking with that patient, Charisma.” One of them says.
“Shut the fuck up, Tena.”
Because my hearing is not the same, their voices sound low and it irritates me. When she’s had a good laugh, she looks back at me. “Sweetie, this isn’t insurance.”
I can feel my throat dry up and I swallow air. I want out of here. “I been here before,” sweat rolls down my face, “and Dr. Takerski accepted my insurance. I don’t understand what the problem is now.”
“I didn’t say we didn’t accept it. I’m just saying this ain’t insurance. This is welfare.” She makes a copy and hands it back. I feel faint. I walk away from her, sit down and wait for my name. I hate how people look down on you just because you need a little help. My money game is on pause right now since my hearing is fucked up but soon I will be back on top.
Five minutes later a big girl walks in with a large brown bag. She sits it on the counter and everybody including Big Earrings tears into it, removing meals in white containers. I want out of here, which is why I’m relieved when Big Earrings mouths my name again. I quickly walk past the bitch and toward another girl holding my chart.
She takes me into Dr. Takerski’s office, hands him my file and strolls out. He looks over my chart and a sour looks spreads on his face. He removes his gold-rimmed eyeglasses and motions for me to sit down across from his desk. I do. “Jayden, where is your mother?”
I clear my throat. “She wasn’t able to come, she’s sick. But she asked me to get as much information about my situation as possible.” I lied. I didn’t tell anybody about my weakness so they wouldn’t use it against me. And that includes my mother. Plus she was cut up in the hospital with troubles of her own.
“Okay, we have a problem but I need to be sure.” I can hear him clearly, which means he must be yelling.
“I don’t understand. What do we have to be sure of?”
Although I think he’s Pakistani, his dark complexion turns slightly red. “Jayden, it appears you’re going deaf in both ears. The left drum was ruptured but the other looks like it has been damaged for a long time.” He sighs. “If we’re going to save your hearing, you must undergo drastic surgery. The longer you wait, the more irreparable damage may occur. The problem is, Medicaid won’t cover all of your expenses.”