Blake's POV
It's been about an hour since I talked to Aaliyah. She should be here by now. "Blake!" Someone shouts off to the sideline. I look over and see coach standing with some people. I walk over to see what he wants. "Yeah?" I ask. "These people have something to tell you." Coach steps aside as an unfamiliar woman steps forward. "Your wife..." Her voice is shaky. "She was stabbed out in the parking lot." She tells me. "Are you sure it was my wife?" I ask. "Yes. I'm positive." She replies. I look at coach. "Go." He simply tells me. I rush off the court "Where you going?" DJ asks. "I'll text you." I shout from across the gym.
I find myself sprinting through the hallways of the hospital. I'm informed that my wife is currently in the O.R. and that a doctor will be out to speak with me momentarily. I take a seat in the waiting room. I use the time to call Aaliyah's family and mine.
It was definitely hard talking to Aaliyah's mother over the phone. Her hysterical cries are burned in my brain. After getting off the phone with her I called Taylor. He and Marieka are on their way to sit with me. They need to hurry, I'm going crazy. It feels like I've been waiting for forever. Somebody... Anybody.. Tell me Aaliyah is going to be okay.
Taylor and Marieka finally show up twenty minutes later. "Hey." Taylor greets me with a hug. I can't hold back anymore, I begin to cry. My brother offers solace. "I was mad at her. She was coming to talk to me... It's because of me. It's my fault." I cry. "It's not your fault. Don't for a second think it's your fault. It's in God's hands now and we just have to keep our faith." He tells me. The doctor walks in the waiting room, still in his scrubs. A face mask is pulled down under his chin. "Are you Aaliyah Griffin's family?" He asks. "Yes, yes. Can you please tell us what's going on?" I beg for an answer. "Yes. Well, Aaliyah was stabbed multiple times. Once in the back, it barely missed her spinal chord but it went straight through and pierced a lung. She was also stabbed twice in the side, breaking a rib and severing some tendons. These are wounds that she can and will recover from, but she lost a lot of blood. She's not quite out of the woods yet. She's been put in a medically induced coma and its up to her when or if she'll wake up." All the information he is giving me is a lot to take in. I don't know what to say. "She was at eight months gestation, am I correct?" He asks. "Yes." I reply. "Now, baby was not harmed in the incident, but with Aaliyah's lung being pierced there wasn't enough oxygen getting to the baby. We had to perform an emergency c-section as soon as possible. Baby has been sent over to the NICU, his lungs aren't fully developed just yet. He'll have to be kept in an incubator for awhile." He informs me. "I have a son?" I ask. "Yep. She had a boy. Congratulations." He says. "But, Aaliyah has been transferred over to the ICU if you want make your way over there." The doctor tells us. "Yes." I reply. He then proceeds to give us her room number and directions on how to get there. We rush over to her.
A nurse takes us to Aaliyah's room. I sit beside her bed. She's hooked up to all these machines, not even breathing on her own. She doesn't even look like Aaliyah. This isn't the happy, smiling woman I know and see everyday. I can't see my wife like this. I breakdown and cry. Taylor and Marieka rush to my side and comfort me.
After an hour of sitting with her I tell Taylor and Marieka they can go home. I have to repeatedly remind them I'll be okay before they reluctantly agree to go home. Now it's just me and Aaliyah. I reach in my bag and grab the letter she wrote me. It reads:
First of all I just want to say I love you with all my being... My heart, my soul, everything. I know I can be annoying and difficult at times, so please be patient with me, you and I both know I'm worth it. You are just as worthy. I'll try my best to give you the loving that you need. And thank you for putting up with my nonsense. Now prepare to be annoyed for the rest of your life. I love you Blake Austin Griffin in this life and the next.
Love Aaliyah.
A lump sits in my throat as I read her letter. How could I be mad over something so insignificant, so small? It could have easily been fixed. I look over at her. She looks like she's sleeping, or that's what I try to convince myself. I can't bring myself to believe that when there's a ventilator pumping oxygen into her lungs and monitors constantly beeping. I grab her limp hand. I just want hers to grasp mine back. "Aaliyah, I don't know if you can hear me or not? I hope you can. We have a son. Another rowdy boy on our hands. You can name him whatever you want. Please, come out of this. If you don't then Blaine is going to wonder where you are. I wouldn't know what to tell her. We need you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being mad at you over something so fucking dumb. Most of all, I'm sorry I ended our honeymoon early. I know how much you wanted to visit Amsterdam. How could I forget? You kept blabbering about that damn Anne Frank house since you found out we were leaving the states. I'm an asshole for taking that from you. I promise I'll make it up to you times ten, we'll go wherever you want. Just... Wake up. Please?"
