OUTTA COMPTON

J A H S E H

CHAPTER THREE :
TIFFANY'S POINT OF VIEW

The waiting room is packed. Kids are coughing, parents comforting them. Some people just sit quietly staring at the tv screen which is projecting some cartoon that's volume has been muted. Not being able to sit still and wait- I get up to find the food court but just as I'm about to leave one of the nurses approaches me. "Are you Tiffany Kago?"

I hesitate accidentally "uh- yeah that's me"

"Your boyfriend is doing pretty well the bullet wound will take some time to heal but it was safely and successfully removed from our doctors. He will be on meds for a little while to stop the pain and help it heal so I want you make sure that he's taking them everyday. Now without further or due let me take you to him. He might be a little foggy from the anesthesia so bare with him".

I try to ignore the part about her calling him my boyfriend but it won't leave my mind "oh he's uh-" I stop myself and think for a moment. I guess it's better off that she doesn't know we're not together. I guess her thinking I'm his girlfriend makes everything a little easier for him in terms of the medical bill and him taking his meds everyday.

"He's uh strong guy I knew he could withstand this whole situation".

"Oh yeah usually when people get shot in areas like the arms the legs it's doesn't really kill them but it could if not treated right away. But places like the head and the chest even the stomach can be places of death. I'd have to have a lot of luck to survive that".

She leads me down several hallways until finally arriving at his recovery room. "I'll give you two some time before I give out all the paperwork".

She walks back down the hall and I'm left alone, staring at the three numbers on the door imprinted in bold letters. 206. I stare at it for a while until I gain conciseness of what I'm supposed to be doing.

I knock lightly on the door and then open it slowly revealing jahseh laying in the bed with his eyes closed, his body facing upwards towards the ceiling.

I shut the door behind me quietly trying not to make too much noise that might wake him. I find a chair next to his bed and sit.

His hands rest peacefully on the bed and it almost looks as if he was in the position of death. I imagine in my head his body placed in a coffin as I'm walking up to him tears falling down my face. My blurry vision from tears looking down at his peacefully, calm face.

I shake the thought out of my head and calm myself down by taking his hand into mine. "Thank god your alive jah".

His eyelids flutter and I can feel his hand start to move slightly in mine. "Hey Tiffany. How you doing"

A smile creeps onto my face "I should be asking you that question." He turns his head to face me "don't worry about me I'm okay. I wanna know how your doing though. You haven't said that much about Isiah I know something went down on your way to my house because it took a while for you to get here".

I quickly think of a lie so that he won't be worried he's already under enough stress "ohh I had to take a shower and make sure that Isiah was asleep before I left I didn't want to leave while he was awake or else he would've been confused on why I'm leaving and then there would've been a whole fuss and all you know"

He nods his head "yeah yeah I get it. But just remember if he lays a hand on you again, you know I got your back tiff"

I nod my head. He squeezes my hand lightly reminding me that I still have my hands in his. "Come here" he says moving over in his bed to make room for me. "I don't wanna hurt you"

He laughs a little "you'll only make it better tiff"

I get up out of the chair and lie down next to him. He wraps his arms around me and suddenly I feel safe and loved. And actually love something that Isiah could never make me feel. I put my hand on his and slowly fall asleep.

As soon as I fall asleep I have a dream. More like a memory. The day that me and jahseh first met. 3 years ago at a party. Even though we both went to the same school we never really saw each other around because he was a grade higher than me so it was hard to see him. But this party finally gave us a chance to meet and get to know each other.

But something was different at this party than I remember. Instead of us talking and laughing like we did I was shaking him awake. A pool of blood around his blood soaking the chest area of his shirt. And his faint voice saying "love one another, don't let go of hope. I love you Tiffany"