by J N Tensley
Trisha sat on the chair next to the bed, she looked tired.
I know she didn’t sleep too well last night but I’m glad she stayed here with me, he thought thankfully.
Heidi came in the room with two crutches in her arms. ” Here you go. You want to walk around the room with these so I can see if you’re comfortable using them?”
Latrell moved to the edge of the bed and grabbed the crutches. He put his armpits over the shoulder rest and grabbed the hand grips tightly. He slowly made his way across the room and then back towards the bed.
“Okay well you obviously know how to use it. Do you need me to adjust anything before you head home? Are the crutches too tall? Too short?” Heidi asked.
“They are a little short.” Latrell said.
Heidi started adjusting them making the crutches expand some.
Latrell looked at Trisha. She looked so cute sitting there. He had never really seen her so tired before. Usually she was full of life and vibrant.
“There, try that.” Heidi said.
Latrell hopped back on the crutches and if felt more comfortable this time around. “Yeah these feel good.” He said.
“Okay. If you hop in the wheelchair I’ll wheel you downstairs and then you’re free to go.” Heidi smiled.
Latrell smiled back. As much as he didn’t like being at the hospital he was kind of going to miss Heidi. She was nice and helpful. Genuinely caring.
Latrell worked his way over to the wheelchair with help from Trisha. Heidi adjusted the footrest for his cast and then walked back around and started pushing him to the door.
They were out in the hallway now. A bright wide hallway. There were other patients walking back and forth. Some with nurses by their side, others by themselves.
Heidi rolled him all the way to the elevator and pressed the down button. “It’s a beautiful day outside. Enjoy some of that weather for me. I’m stuck in here all day.” She said.
Trisha stayed close by holding the crutches in her arms.
The elevator door slid open and they all walked in.
Finally getting out of here. It did feel good to finally be heading out of there.
The elevator stopped and beeped and Heidi started pushing him through the main floor lobby. She stopped when she got to door. “I’m sure you the one who’s driving so do you want to pull your car around?” She said to Trisha.
Trisha smiled and nodded. “Yeah he’s not gonna be driving for awhile.” She looked down at Latrell teasingly.
Latrell shook his head. He didn’t mind not driving. In fact it would be a nice break for him not to drive since he was always the one doing the driving.
“I’ll be right back.” Trisha said. She walked through the automatic sliding doors and headed to the parking lot carrying the crutches in her arms.
“So do you have any plans?” Heidi asked looking at Trisha walk across the parking lot.
“I’m just glad I’m going home and far away from this place.” Latrell said truthfully. “But I guess my real plan is to see what’s going on with my friend. I need to know why he acted like that and if he’s okay.”
Heidi nodded. “Yeah I’m sure he’s doing okay. Shadow Point Asylum is a great place for people who need the help. I volunteer over there sometimes and the staff is very nice.”
Latrell thought for a moment. If she vouches for it then I know it has to be good, he thought. She’s really cool so I know any place she says is legit has to be.
Thinking about Malik in a straight jacket made him shudder. He never thought he’d see the day where his best friend would fly off the wall like that.
“So how long do I have to keep this cast on?” Latrell asked turning to look behind him.
Heidi looked down at him. “You have at least six to eight weeks, maybe longer. Maybe shorter but, that depends on you. You have a follow up appointment in six weeks.”
“On me?” He looked confused.
“Yes. You need to stay off that leg. No unnecessary stress on it.” She told him.
Trisha pulled the grey minivan in front of the hospital. She parked and got out running around to the entrance.
“Well that looks like you’re all set to go.” Heidi said pushing the wheelchair forward.
The automatic doors slid open and she wheeled him outside.
Latrell could smell flowers and fresh cut grass as soon as the air from the outside went into his nostrils. A light breeze brushed up against his skin.
Heidi stopped the wheelchair by the passenger side of the van and helped Latrell get in.
“The things we take for granted.” Latrell said breathing heavily from all the work it took him to move from the wheelchair to the van. “I miss my leg already.”
Heidi chuckled. “Before you know it’ll be time to remove this cast and you’ll be walking again.”
Trisha walked back around to the driver’s seat and climbed in.
Heidi closed Latrell’s door. “You take it easy Mr. Jackson and remember no unnecessary stress on that leg.”
Latrell nodded and sunk his head into the headrest.
“Bye.” Trisha waved at Heidi and drove off.
Heidi waved and rolled the wheelchair back into the hospital.
Latrell kept his face turned towards his window. Watching the buildings and cars blur by.
It did feel good to be out of the hospital but reality was setting in.
Work is gonna suck going there like this, he thought.
He worked as a forklift driver at the manufacturing plant. That’s all he would do all day was pick up pallets and bring them to different places around the plant.
“You feeling better now that you outta that place?” Trisha asked peeking over at him.
Latrell nodded. “I’m just not liking this cast. It’s hot and itchy.” Latrell started scratching at the cast.
“Yeah well you better get used to it because you have at least another month or two before you can take it off. Don’t worry though babe I’ll be there to help you.” Trisha said turning down a bumpy street.
The van rocked back and forth as she made her way down the street filled with potholes.
“They need to fix this street!” Latrell said holding onto the door handle.
“Yeah I know. They seem to fix the streets that are fine but the ones that need fixing never get fixed.” Trisha said.
Now back on a smooth street.
Latrell rolled down his window and took a big breath of fresh air.
Such a nice day outside, he thought. Too nice to be stuck in this cast.
“So what are you gonna do about work?” Trisha asked.
“I still should be able to drive. Luckily it was my left leg that got broken.”
“Yeah that’s good. I know your boss is gonna be happy.” Trisha pulled in front of his apartment building.
A big building with bushes planted around the front of it.
“I’ll help you to your apartment.” She said. She turned off the van and grabbed his crutches from the backseat.
Home sweet home. Feels so different now. I guess since I can’t walk into it like I normally would. Latrell frowned.
Trisha help him get out and settled on his crutches. She stayed behind as Latrell walked in front of her making sure he didn’t fall.
Luckily the apartment had an elevator and they used it to go to the third floor. Latrell stayed in three hundred and three just a few apartments away from the elevator on the third floor.
He dug into his pocket and pulled out his keys. The keys dropped to floor.
“Son of a bitch!” He said angrily, he stood there shaking his head.
Trisha giggled.
Latrell knew she was getting a kick out of him seeming so helpless.
Trisha bent over and grabbed the keys. She unlocked his door and held it open for him to walk in to.
“Thanks.” Latrell said softly. He made his way into his apartment.
“My pleasure babe.” Trisha said closing the door behin
d her and locking it.
Latrell looked around. Everything seemed so far, so spaced apart. His apartment wasn’t that big, it was just a one bedroom but for the first to it looked huge.
All he wanted to do was sit down. The crutches we’re going to take some getting used to and at that moment he didn’t have time for it.
Latrell laid his crutches up against the side of the couch and plopped down. “Fuck!” He said angrily.
“What’s wrong Trell?” Trisha asked from behind him.
“Everything.” He sighed. “If I would have known that all this would’ve happened I would’ve stayed my ass at home.”
Trisha walked over and stood in front of the couch. “There’s nothing you can do about it now. The best thing to do is try to deal with it.”
As if he didn’t hear her Latrell continued. “Listening to Malik’s crazy ideas. It almost got the both of us killed.”
“Well glad that didn’t happen. You’re safe at home and Malik is the hospital.” Trisha crossed her arms.
In the hospital? No he’s in the nuthouse! After what he did I’m surprised they didn’t take him straight to jail. I guess it’s a good thing he isn’t in jail.
“When’s the last time you cleaned this place up?” Trisha asked looking around with her eyebrows raised.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I just been so busy with work that I really haven’t had the chance to.”
Trisha started picking up the clothes that were thrown around on the floor.
Latrell sat back into the couch.
“You should be ashamed of yourself Trell.” Trisha scolded him.
He knew he should have taken better care of his apartment but between work and hanging with Malik and Trisha he really didn’t have the energy.
Latrell raised his leg so it sat on the coffee table.
Trisha went in put his clothes she had picked up in the hamper in the bathroom. She then started washing the dishes that were in his sink.
Latrell couldn’t stop thinking about Malik. That blank stare he had on his face at the hospital. The way he just randomly attacked the nurse and Trisha like that.
I wonder if he’s okay? I wonder if they can find out what’s wrong with him?
So many thoughts raced on his mind. Negative thoughts about Malik. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that something seriously was wrong with him.
After all the stories they heard over the years another the forest in Shadow Point. Malik didn’t believe them but the stories always made Latrell sit uneasy.
Trisha finished the dishes and came walking back to the living room drying her hands off with some paper towels. “You need anything babe?” She asked balling up the paper towels in her hand.
Latrell cleared his throat. “Yeah can you bring me a bottle of water outta the fridge?”
Trisha turned around and headed back to the kitchen.
Everything was open in Latrell’s apartment. The kitchen led straight to the living room with no walls separating the two rooms. There was a little hallway off to the side of the kitchen that led to the bathroom and bedroom.
Trisha handed Latrell the bottle of water. “Anything else before I sit down?”
“No I’m good.” Latrell opened the bottle of water and took a big gulp.
Trisha sat down next to him on the couch crossing her legs. She began to rock them up and down anxiously. “You know this whole Malik thing has me worried. I’ve never seen so much rage in a person’s eyes before. It was scary watching him choke the life outta me. I saw my whole life flash before my eyes.”
Latrell thought for a moment. He didn’t see rage. Just a blank emotionless stare. Like the Malik he knew and loved like a brother was gone. Lost somewhere inside that body.
“I think that was the hardest thing for me to do was watch you getting choked like that and there was nothing I could do about it. I wanted to get over to help you so bad but this stupid leg!” Latrell hit his cast. “Owww!” He rubbed it now.
“Baby be careful.” Trisha scolded him, hitting him lightly on his side. “Your leg is never gonna heal correctly if you keep hurting it. It’s not your fault anyways. There was nothing you could have done. There was nothing any of us could do.”
The picture of Trisha up against that hospital wall made his eyes glossy. He was sure he was going to lose her. Sure Malik was going to kill her right in front of him.
But she’s okay now, he thought. She’s okay and that’s all that matters. He slid his arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him. He held her tight with his arm.
She snuggled up next to him, putting her arm over his stomach. She laid her head on his chest.
It felt so good to have her next to him. Felt so good to have her touch him. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost her. Couldn’t fathom a world without her beautiful face in it.
She raised her head up, her eyes closed. She brought her lips to his and kissed it softly.
Her soft lips against his made his body tingle with excitement. He kissed her back. “What was that for?”
She opened her eyes. “I can’t kiss my man just because?”
“You can kiss me anytime with those soft lips.”
Latrell had always loved her soft full lips. They were so big and juicy, one of her best features. He had always been attracted to her because of them but she knows that. She would pout to get her way when he didn’t want to do something because she knew he couldn’t resist her lips.
“So what do you think was wrong with Malik? What do you think you guys found out there in the forest?” Trisha asked.
“I don’t know. But whatever it was it wasn’t good. You see what it made him do. The look on his face and in his eyes. I’ve never seen a person look like that before.” Latrell rubbed her arm up and down.
“I know, usually Malik is a goofball. Always cracking jokes and playful. It was horrifying watching him do something so evil. I mean I know it had to be something in him because that’s just not in his character to do something like that. That’s just not Malik.” Trisha said rubbing his stomach.
No it was’nt Malik. It wasn’t the Malik he had gotten so used to. The Malik that would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it. The Malik that tried to put a smile on your face when you were feeling down.
I need to find out what’s in that forest, he thought. I need to find out what that dark cloud thing was. But I can’t go there like this. I might need to run away and there’s no way I’m gonna be able to do that with this cast on.
Latrell looked down at his cast. Seeing it was such a burden to him already.
His cellphone rang and brought his thoughts back to what was in front of him. He dug in his pocket and pulled it out. He didn’t recognize the number.
“Who is it?” Trisha asked.
Latrell shrugged. He hit the green button on the screen and put the phone up to his ear. “Hello?”
He could hear something moving around on the other end.
“Hello?” Latrell said again this time louder.
“Hello? Trell? This is Kia. Somethings bad happened to Malik.” She said in a scared tone. “I think he’s dead.”
________________
Chapter 4
Latrell’s eyes bulged open wide. His heart began to flutter. His palms grew sweaty.
Malik’s dead? But how? He was in the hospital! How could that happen to him there?
“What are you talking about Kia?” Latrell asked nervously.
“I think something happened to Malik. The hospital won’t let me talk to him. They said he can’t talk to anybody until after their evaluation is up. They said while their doing their evaluation, it’s best for no one to talk to him.” Kia sounded anxious.
“Okay but why do you think he’s dead?”
Trisha raised her head up and turned to look at Latrell when she heard the word “dead”.
“Because why else would they not let me talk to him? I just have a feeling something bad to h
im. Like all of this doesn’t make sense. The way Trisha said he grabbed her at the hospital. The evil look in his eyes, that doesn’t sound like my Malik.” Kia sighed.
She always thought the worst. She always made a mountain out of a molehill. Especially when it came to her loved ones.
Latrell’s heartbeat began to slow down some now. He realized that she wasn’t calling him to tell him something bad happened to Malik but, calling him to tell him what she was thinking.
“Who is that?” Trisha asked patting his stomach gently with her hand. “Who’s dead?” She stared at him intensely.
Latrell put the phone on mute. “It’s Kia, she thinks something bad happened to Malik since she can’t talk to him. She hasn’t heard anything yet so it’s all in her head, thank God.”
Trisha nodded. “I don’t know why she’s so negative? Why can’t she just hope for the best like a normal person?”
“Then she wouldn’t be Kia right?” Latrell raised his eyebrows.
“True.” Trisha responded.
Latrell unmuted the phone and continued his conversation with Kia. “I’m sure he’s fine Kia. You have to have faith. Don’t think the worst. Hopefully this is all just a big misunderstanding and he’ll be getting out soon.”
“I don’t know Trell.” Kia sounded worried. “I just wish I could talk to him. I wish I could hear his voice and ask him why did he do that? It seems so outta character for him. I need answers. Is he losing his shit? Is he having a nervous breakdown? Is he okay? It’s driving me crazy not being able to talk to him.” Kia sounded even more anxious now. Her voice was high and worried.
“I know. We’ll have the answers soon. Until then you should try to chill. I’m sure he’s fine.” Latrell said softly.
“I can’t chill Trell. It’s too much! I love Malik and if anything happens to him I don’t know if I can live with myself. I think I’m just gonna go down there and see if they’ll let me see him. I need to see him or hear his voice.” She said determined.
Latrell shifted his body on the couch. He looked down at Trisha who was still staring at him curiously wondering what was going on.
“Don’t do that. Just wait till tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll let you talk to him then.”