Texas

Chapter 28

Texas

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I bounced my leg in a fast motion as I shut my eyes tight. 

"Lo, please relax." Koffi told me. I had informed him of the situation and he insisted on staying with me at the hospital.

It was just me, him, Nelly, and Tenni's sister, Teri. Teri informed Nelly of Ten's current situation and that's why we're here now.

"I need to take a walk." I abruptly stood up from my chair and exited the hospital. Koffi soon followed after me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Lo. I wish there was some way I could help you." He guided me over to the bench.

"I just really need him to pull through. We had an argument and he left upset. I just really need to know that he's okay." I breathed. Koffi rubbed my back in slow circles as we swayed side to side.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" He spoke softly but deeply.

"You being here is the most so you can do right now." I pulled away slightly to plant a kiss on his lips. My phone started to ring from my back pocket. I pressed the green button and out my phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I spoken into the speaker.

"May I speak with Texas Daniels?" The lady politely asked.

"This is she." 

"Good evening, Ms. Daniels. I called to inform you that unfortunately your mother, Celise Tildan, has passed away. She overdosed. We have her in the ambulance right now..." 

Everything else she was saying was a blur. The phone dropped out of my hand and I almost fell on the floor with it. Luckily, Koffi caught me in time. I started panicking which made me to lose consciousness and control over my breathing.

"Ms. Daniels?" I heard the lady over the phone speak. Koffi picked up the phone and spoke to lady and that's was last I remember before I passed out.

-----

I quickly jumped out my sleep when I had another nightmare. I started breathing heavily.

"Baby, relax. You're okay." Koffi jumped from his seat to tend to me. I sat back in the hospital bed and caught my breath. After I pulled myself together, I realized how tight was holding onto much hand.

"You wanna talk about that?" He eyed me for a second and I looked at him with amore embarrassed expression. "'Cause this isn't the first time this happened."

My eyes bulged out of my head when he said that. I didn't realize he notice that time and I definitely didn't want to talk about it.

"How'd you know?" I spoke softly, almost on the verge of crying.

"Come on, bae. I was right next to you when you started hyperventilating and shit." He looked at me knowingly. "So, what's going on?"

"Nightmares. I've been having nightmares." I admitted to him. He just stared at me with a sad expression before mustering up another question.

"What are these nightmares?" He asked carefully.

"My mother abusing me. I used to have them a lot years ago and they're coming back now." I expressed, looking anywhere but at him. 

There was a lot of times when Koffi has been vulnerable with me and has expressed his deepest feelings to me but I've had a hard time reciprocated that. I can't be as vulnerable or let him in as he does for me. He has seen me upset but he hasn't explored the root of my problems. I stay closed off so much that it's hard to bring that out now. It's hard for me to completely express myself. 

"How can we get rid of them?" He grabbed ahold of my hands. 

"Last time, I went to see a therapist. I ended up stopping when I didn't get them anymore because I felt like I didn't need it. That was two years ago." I sighed. "It's just a lot right now. Tenni's in the hospital and now my mom's dead."

"I know, mama, I know. The lady over the phone is bringing her to this hospital."

"How did they find out she was dead anyway?" I asked curiously.

"She had called 911 right before she overdosed." He explained and I nodded slowly.

Even though I had no intentions of speaking to my mother for the rest of my life, her death was so abrupt and it was unexpected. 

She never really got clean from drugs but I never would of thought she'd overdose. That wasn't a possibility in my head. And how am I supposed to tell both of my siblings that their mother suddenly died? Nelly for sure is gonna be heartbroken because she still holds hope in her heart that our mother will change one day.

The doctor then came in and gave me a medication because my stress levels were high and that's what caused me to faint. She said I was able to go but I planned on staying to wait on Tenni's update.

Once we left the room, I wen back out to the waiting room to see the doctor coming towards Teri and Nelly. I rushed over there so that I wouldn't miss what he was saying.

"Tenni is in critical condition. He was shot three times, one in the arm, one in his neck, and the other in his rib cage. That's what we believe caused him to lose control and get into the accident. His left leg is fractured and his arm is broken. He is currently in a coma. We expect him to wake up soon, he still has a lot of brain activity going on and there are no signs of major brain damage. We removed two of the bullets so far but the one in his rib cage remains. Removing that bullet could affect some of his nerves." He explained thoroughly.

"Thank you, are we able to see him?" Nelly asked.

"Visiting hours are over but will start at 6 in the morning tomorrow." He ended.

I sat back down in my chair and I knew Koffi was going to have something to say about it.

"Lo, you need to get you rest. We can come back early in the morning. But, you need to sleep. So do you, Nelly." He told the both of us.

I didn't even feel like putting up a fight with him so I shrugged and I stood up. I was exhausted and I just wanted to sleep for a good hour or two.

"Nelly, are you coming?" I asked her. 

"I'm staying with Teri for the night." She informed me and I nodded.

I still had yet to tell her about the passing of our mother but I know Tenni's situation is a lot on her right now and I don't want to add to that right now. Obviously, I'd have to tell her sooner than later but tonight wasn't the night.

"Alright, I love you." I kissed her forehead before leaving.