The United Cartels of America, Season 6 (Queen of the South)

Part 11 - Rock Bottom

James wore running shoes, and his steps made no noise as he walked down the hospital corridor to the private room Lena was had been moved to.

The door was open, and he could see Pote sitting in a chair on the side of the bed, head and shoulders slumped down, hands in his lap, leg nervously bouncing. He had not dozed off!

As James darkened the doorstep, Pote lifted his head and James couldn't help but gasp at the colorful swollen eye that he had left on the man's face.

Their eyes met for a long moment as James realized Pote was staring at his slightly swollen lip. Then he said in an even tone: "I see I left a mark on your face too, Cabron!"

James shook his head: "I'm sorry, man! I truly am!" He didn't have the heart to tell Pote that the mark was not from their fight, but from Teresa's teeth. It was irrelevant anyways!

Pote seemed somehow smaller and older. Maybe it was because he didn't even bother to straighten his shoulders. His whole appearance projected pain with such intensity that James felt it cut through his heart. I do love the old dog, no matter how much he runs his mouth!

Pote nodded in the direction of the other chair and James sat silently, his eyes on the sleeping Lena, whose face was bandaged on the left side.

"She is sedated. Won't wake up for another hour at least. " Pote said flatly.

Then he went on, his good eye and whatever was visible from his swollen one, looking past James to the wall and beyond: "Both Kelly Anne and I...we had missed calls from our girl!"

Then his eyes found James's s and he added voice breaking down: " I knew she'd call you guys next ...if there was any trouble...and I prayed you had picked up right away...because after what happened between us...what I did to you...you might not have..."

"I will always be there for your children, Pote!" James interjected, voice hard and insistent, as if he was trying to drill it into Pote's head. "Like I was before!"

"Gracias, brother. I'm in your debt...Will be till the day I die. Just tell me what I can do to....ahh...pay back for the damage I inflicted on you and Teresita...again...the shit I put you through...I am so sorry...lo siento mucho...creeme, por favor!" Pote's voice choked again.

James so wanted the shit between them to go away somehow; the tightness in his chest not to be there at the thought of both Pote and Kelly Anne, whom he considered family.

His words came out without much thinking and reflected his mind: "We were set up...and we aren't letting them break us over this..."

"So, you...and Teresita are willing to...ahh...forgive me?" Pote said hesitantly.

James almost chuckled: "Are we ...going to overanalyze it to death...like women do?"

Pote took a second, then chuckled himself: "Gracias, brother...muchas gracias!"

===

James brought coffee from the cafeteria, and they sipped in silence after Pote shared the 'excellent' prognosis the doctor had given them about Lena's face before Kelly Anne had left for the house.

Just as Pote exhaled heavily and left his empty paper cup on the side table, James heard himself say: "You can mess up my family ...Teresa and me, I mean...but you can't fuck it up!"

Pote looked at him quizzically and James went on: "I don't want you to...ahh...torture yourself. Just like ...all these years ago in Phoenix... because I intended to find her back... no matter what you had said...or who she had decided she trusted!"