cw: language, field surgery, blood, graphic imagery
By Your Side-
"Leo hold his shoulders down, he'll pro'ly wake up when he feel me cutting him," Snoh instructed, tapping the watch to check his heart rate.
She cut his shirt open, then picked up her scalpel, slowly carving into Kush's side. He winced and instantly woke up.
"Stay calm," Snoh demanded.
"I'm trying," he huffed.
She pulled out a drain and laid it on the towel in front of herself, "I'm finna take the cotton out and clear the excess blood."
"Please, hurry up," he begged, draping his arm over his eyes to hide his tears from his sister.
She grabbed two retractors, putting them on either side of the wound and pulling them away from each other to hold it open.
Kush only bared his teeth at the pain.
His inner flesh was red, lumpy, squishy, and slick with blood. It made Dee a little nauseous, while Leo was finding a new love for science.
She had them hold the retractors in place, "Do not move. I don't give a damn what's going on, hold it until I don't need you no more."
They nodded, each taking a tool from her and being extremely careful not to move even a millimeter.
She took the cotton out and red immediately started to trickle again. She put a drain in its place, and once the blood had cleared, it was easy to find the bullet still stuck inside him.
"I gotta make another incision," she informed, cutting into his flesh again. Blood flooded the area while Kush tried not to jerk his body at the feeling.
He hummed in pain, his fist beating the floor beside him. "I'm finna take the bullet out, it's go'n hurt bad, so try to prepare yourself," she warned.
He nodded and steadied his breathing.
"Dee, give him the blunt."
The moment it was in his hand, he lit it and took a long drag in attempts of calming himself. And it was working until she dug her fingers inside him.
"Ah! Fuck!" he cried out, the pain instantly blowing his high.
She dropped the bloody bullet on her surgical pan, quickly draining the area before grabbing her needle.
"Hol' on, bruh. 'Fore I be done punched yo ass," he chuckled, though he was dead serious.
"Hurry up. You still bleeding out."
"One mo' hit," he bargained, already taking another drag.
"Kush," she scolded.
He exhaled, "Aight, come on."
He tensed slightly as she stitched the inside. She quickly sewed his skin together to close the wound, leaving the drain where it was as she checked his heart rate again. It was slightly accelerated now, which meant more and more blood was being pumped through his body.
"Alright, baby. I'ma leave the drain in for a a while so you don't bleed internally and once we get you back to your bed, you'll get an IV so we can put some more blood in you. You lost a lot."
He nodded, taking another hit, and spoke as he exhaled, "Just let me finish my blunt first."
She shook her head with a small chuckle as she changed gloves to clean the area, "I promise I'm not taking a blunt from you. You'd prolly act just like Trell about it and I don't have the time nor patience to deal with it."
"Damn, I need a ashtray," he muttered, looking around for somewhere to ash his blunt.
Ryélle grabbed the coaster off the table beside her and brought it over, "Will this work?"
He nodded and she sat on the floor, lifting his head into her lap and placing the coaster on the floor beside him.
"Mmh mmh, you can't sit with me right now, baby. Go back to the couch. You can come lay with me when I get in the bed, aight?"
She pouted, "But-"
"I don't need you getting a contact high. Go back over there," he demanded with no room for argument.
Her pout was even heavier as she went back to the couch like he said. By the time Snoh finished collecting her tools to be cleaned and sterilized, Kush was at the end of his blunt.
He put it out as Leonard and Darnell were instructed to help him to his bed. Ryélle instantly got up to follow and the moment they laid him down, she crawled into bed beside him.
Her arms quickly surrounded his neck in a tight hug that he returned to rub her back comfortingly. "I'm okay," he promised, pressing a long kiss to her head.
The others went to help Snoh clean up, letting the two of them have a moment of privacy.
"The last time you said that, you passed out right after," she whined through rivers of tears.
"But I'm up now. Look at me. I'm okay, Ry."
She sniffled as she sat up to meet his eyes. He reached to wipe her tears, "I'm here, babygirl. I promise, I ain't going nowhere no time soon."
She nodded quietly, readjusting to hear his heartbeat more clearly.
"I love you," he hummed, kissing her head again.
"I love you, too," she mumbled back.
She fell asleep in his arms again and he picked up his phone to make a call.
"What's up? You back in the city?" Jugg answered.
"Hell yeah, and I just got hit. Mu'fuckers rolled up at my house soon as I opened the door."
"You saw a face?"
"Null. All I know is, it was at least three niggas in a black Camry."
"Bet. I got you, don't worry 'bout it."
"Find they bitch ass. And let me know when it's done."
"Fasho."
He hung up and texted Chloe that something came up and he wouldn't be able to see her for a while. She was obviously upset, but still told him she was okay with it.
His phone rang suddenly, and to his surprise, it was a call from Sojourner.
"Hello?"
"You got shot?"
He furrowed his brows, "That shit just happened. How you already know?"
"Your momma called my daddy. Guess you was serious when you said it was go'n be folks waiting for you."
"Hell yeah. I'm straight, though. My momma got me right."
"I wanna come see you."
"I told you, it ain't safe here, Jour."
"I don't care, I wanna see you. I'm finna come down there."
"Sojourner —"
"You not changing my mind," she said seriously.
He sighed, "You coming right now?"
"Not right now. I know you're pro'ly tired, so I was thinking I could bring snacks and we just chill tonight and maybe I sleep over...?"
"Okay, so you the one that sent them niggas to my house," he concluded.
"What? Why the fuck would you even say that shit, Kush? You think I'd do you like that?"
"I don't know... Yo' pops said you been my girl since we was li'l, but it been fourteen years since the last time I seen you. I don't know what you be on."
"What the hell? He ain't tell me that."
"He said you cried for me every single day after I moved," he teased.
"See, now you making shit up."
"I'm not. Ask him."
"And will."
"Cool."
"Okay... So I'll see you tonight?"
"It ain't like I'm going nowhere."
"Can we still lay up? Or can I not touch you right now?"
He chuckled softly, "Yeah, mama. We can cuddle."
Her face was hot as she responded. "Okay, well, bye."
"Bye, sexy," he flirted.
She instantly hung up to scream, and though he couldn't hear it, he laughed at her dramatics.
"What you giggling about?" Leo scoffed, as he and Dee returned to the room.
"Sojourner coming down here later," he barely explained, but it was enough information for Leo to understand.
"Who Sojourner?" Dee countered.
"His out'a town bitch," Leo replied.
"She bad?"
Kush smacked his lips, "Nigga, I'm cute as fuck. What I look like fucking with somebody ugly?"
"Nigga, shut the fuck up," Dee scoffed as they all laughed.
Kush winced in pain at the feeling before relaxing again. "Where my momma?"
"I'm right here," Snoh replied, walking into his room. She hooked him up to an IV blood bag to replace what he'd just lost. "Aight, he need to rest so y'all leave him alone for a while. You ain't gotta leave the house, just this room," she said, going to pick up Ryélle.
He let the others leave, but pulled his sister closer, "Nah, I got her."
Snoh retracted her reach with a sigh, knowing he'd only get worked up if she persisted. "Okay. Call me if you need anything." She kissed Ryélle's head then his, "I love you, baby."
"I love you, too, ma." She started to leave, but he caught her hand before she could. "You straight?"
She nodded, trying not to fall apart. "I'm okay," she replied weakly, unconvincingly.
He shook his head, "Sit down."
"I'm fine, Kush."
"I'm looking at you, Snoh. Sit yo' ass down, bruh. Be with your family. Don't none of us need to be alone right now."
"You go'n stop calling me by my first name," she griped, but still listened to him.
"I feel like you my big sister right now."
"I don't care," she frowned, childishly crossing her arms.
He chuckled softly, reaching to playfully push her. "Big ass baby."
She hit his arm, "Quit before you rip a stitch."
"Oh, but you can hit me?" he scoffed.
"I don't have stitches," she replied insensitively, laughing when he flipped her off. "I'm serious, though. Stop moving so much. Ain't nothing healed yet. You just got stitches, that's it. You can still bleed real easily, so be yo' ass still."
He drew his head back in befuddlement. "I wouldn't wanna be one of your patients," he mumbled, readjusting and closing his eyes to go to sleep.
"You said some'n?"
"I ain't said shit to you, big dog," he replied calmly.
"Kush, shut the fuck up."
He furrowed his brows, his eyes still closed, "No."
"You disobeying?"
"I just got shot and almost lost my life, but I'm still fucking here. I'm'a talk my shit cause them niggas ain't end shit. I'm still finna graduate, and get rich, and move you somewhere nice. And I'm putting Shawn bitch ass in a body bag," he mumbled before falling asleep.
She leaned over to kiss his head as soft tears rolled down her cheeks, "I tried so hard to keep you away from this." She stroked his face, almost seeing her brother for a moment. She closed her eyes, dismissing the thought, and wiped her tears before leaving the bedroom.
She went to the guest room to check on the others. Dee was tossing a tennis ball he'd found in the air out of boredom, while Leo had gotten himself hooked on some hospital show he'd found.
She knocked on the frame, "Hey."
"What's up?" Dee returned.
Leo sat up to face her, "You straight?"
She rolled her eyes with a weak chuckle. "God, I wish y'all would stop asking me that," she huffed, wiping the corner of her eye. She sniffled, forcing her tears back to recollect herself.
Leo got up to go to her. "Quit doing that," he said, pulling her into a hug. "Everybody in this bitch hurting. Ain't no point in try'n'a hide it."
She held onto him strongly, though she still wouldn't allow herself to cry. She opened her arm for Dee to join, and the three of them embraced each other tightly.
She cradled their heads and kissed both of them, on the verge of tears yet again.
"I'll be in my room if y'all need me."
"You sure you wanna be alone?" Leo checked.
She nodded, "I need to make an order for some antibiotics and pain killers for Kush."
"You know we here if you need something, too," Dee reminded.
She nodded, "I know. Thanks, boys."
...—༄
Hours passed before there was a knock at the front door. Snoh went to answer it, finding plenty of men behind it.
"Where Kush?" Jourdan asked as she let them inside.
"Still sleep."
"Fasho. You said his friends needed rides home."
She nodded, "I don't know if they ready right now. I just ain't want them walking after what happened."
"Fasho," he replied shortly, walking towards the hall the find Kush's room.
"Second door on the right," she said behind him.
She walked in after him, staying a few steps away to watch as silent comfort. He closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. "I promised your brother I wasn't go'n let shit happen to his son, and look what the fuck happened," he scoffed shaking his head.
She stepped closer, rubbing a hand across his back as she stood at his side, "Ain't nobody plan on Shawn following us down here. Hell, I ain't even know he was until this shit started happening."
Her voice broke as she spoke. She could hold her tears in front of almost anyone, but Jourdan knew her. He was friends with Kentrell in the past, but he'd always been closer to Snoh considering how close the two of them were in age.
He put an arm around her, pulling her into a tight hug when she broke down. "He go'n be aight, Snoh-ball. But y'all gotta come home."
She sniffled and nodded, "I know."
...-༄
Sojourner texted Kush when she was just minutes away. She knew her dad would have something to say when she pulled up, but she didn't care.
"Ain't that SoJay, truck?" Don asked aloud.
"Hell yeah," River replied, stepping off the porch to go to her as she parked on the street. He opened the door to let her out.
"Thanks," she smiled brightly.
"Huncho go'n kick yo' ass," he sighed, shaking his head as he took her keys.
"What you doing?"
"Moving your car to the backyard. Your shit already big ass hell and fucking blue. Don't nobody need to know your tag so they can come after you next."
She nodded her understanding, "Thank you."
"Don't worry 'bout it. Get in the house 'fore some shit pop off."
"'Kay," she replied, hurrying inside.
Her overnight bag was taken off her shoulder and the groceries from her hand as soon as she stepped through the door. "Where's daddy?" she asked.
"Kush room," Rich replied, pointing her in the right direction.
"Bring my stuff," she called, walking down the hallway.
She knocked on the door frame as the men went to place her things against the wall. "Hey, daddy," she said softly.
"What you doing here?" Jourdan immediately asked. He raised an eyebrow at the overnight bag then looked at his daughter again.
Once they were out of the way, she walked in and went to sit beside Kush on the bed. "Kush got shot," she said, taking his hand to lace her fingers through his. She lifted his arm around herself and laid on his chest, leaving their hands linked. "You really thought I wasn't gonna come see him?"
"It ain't safe for you here."
"I'm your daughter, Huncho. It ain't safe for me nowhere." She looked at Kush then the bandage on his stomach, the tube sticking out of him, the IV still in him. "Saint ain't even here no mo', and it still ain't safe for Kush."
"This block hot right now is what I'm saying. Bullets can start flying at any point. I don't want you caught up in that."
"And I don't want him caught up in it, either. I'm not leaving him alone, daddy. He said, you told him, we were best friends when we were babies and I cried after he moved."
Jourdan nodded, "You did."
"Then we've been apart long enough. I'm not leaving his side no matter what," she said sternly.
Kush started to wake up, feeling her body heat on his right side before anything else. He groaned softly, rubbing his eyes open with the hand that wasn't involuntarily holding someone else's.
"Huncho?" he muttered as his eyes focused.
"'Sup, li'l man," he replied.
He looked down his chest, still processing everything around him. He recognized the body in his arms as Sojourner, reaching to stroke her face and trying to figure out if he was awake this time or still just dreaming.
"Jour," he called softly.
"I was worried about you," she replied.
He pulled her closer to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'm straight," he assured.
He looked over at the empty blood bag, then at Jourdan. "You'll get my momma so she can take this shit off me?"
The man only nodded as he turned to leave the room. Sojourner stood next to grab the grocery bag full of snacks she'd bought. He sat up in bed as she brought them over.
"I got something in my other bag to help with the pain, too."
"Is it a blunt?"
She nodded, "And a bottle."
"Of?"
"Tequila," she smiled.
He stared at her smile, her lips, before his eyes darted back to hers.
"If you wanted to kiss me, you could've just said that," she giggled, pulling his lips to hers.
He gripped her closer, but still let her lead, offering no resistance when she moved to straddle his lap. He pulled the comforter over her hips as their tongues lapped calmly.
Her heart pounded in her chest, butterflies rampaging in her stomach when he kissed down her neck and gripped her ass roughly.
She huffed softly, holding him against her. He captured her lips again speaking against them, "This ain't smart, Jour. Your pops coming right back."
She froze and quickly got off him. "Forgot we weren't actually alone," she mumbled.
"And the door wide open," he added.
"Why'd you let me do that?"
He snickered, "Why would I stop you?"
"'Cause we'd both be in trouble," she scoffed.
"I mean, I covered you up before I started gripping on you. But if my baby wanna fuck, what I look like stopping you?"
"Your, who?"
"You been mine your whole life," he smirked.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "What the hell ever."
"What? You don't wanna be my girl?"
"You my li'l yeah yeah... That's it, that's all," she informed.
He nodded, "Right. Cause you driving two hours to be with your 'yeah yeah'. And I just got shot, so we both know we can't do shit for real tonight."
She pointedly looked away from him, "That doesn't mean anything."
"You know you be wanting to be up under me."
"No, I don't."
"Jour, you was under me before I even woke up," he laughed.
"Nigga, so? You said we could cuddle."
He lifted her chin in a slow kiss, "We can, mama."
"Okay, so why you acting like that," she pouted.
"Like what?"
"Like it's a problem for me to be up under you."
"I ain't say it was a problem. You the one acting like you don't wanna be my girl, like you ain't take me to six parties and wasn't all over me at every single one."
"Shut up," she muttered.
"And just be so jealous when another girl got my attention," he taunted.
"No, I don't," she denied.
"So you wouldn't be mad if I was kissing on somebody else the way I be doing you?" he hummed, pressing kisses down her jaw.
"You not my nigga. Do you," she shrugged.
She was trying to be nonchalant, but inside she raged at the audacity he had to even ask the question. Why the fuck would he need anyone else when he had her?
She pushed him away, "Hol' on... You saying you got other bitches?"
"I ain't say that. You think I do?"
"Pro'ly. I feel like you a hoe, to be honest."
He chuckled, "Damn, you don't think I can be loyal? You barely know me."
"Okay, but you don't turn bitches away when they flirt with you."
"I'm single... Why would I do that?"
"Didn't you just say I was your girl?"
"And you just said I'm not your nigga, so now what?" he countered.
The conversation was only starting to frustrate her. She sat up from his shoulder and turned to face him. "We together or not, Kush?" she demanded.
"We not," he shrugged.
"Then why we having this conversation?"
"'Cause I said you was my girl and you said you wasn't, then I gave you evidence for why you is and you still said I'm not yo' nigga."
"'Cause you not."
"Okay, so if I answer the phone for somebody else later, I don't wanna hear shit about it since I'm 'not your nigga'."
"I wish the fuck you would get on the phone with another bitch while I'm here with you. You must be stupid or some'n."
He furrowed his brows, "I'm not yo' nigga, though."
"You are."
"I'm not. We don't even live in the same city."
"But when we in the same city, you mine and I'm yours. So like I said, call another bitch if you want to and I'm in the goddamn bed with you. The fuck you go'n call them for. I'm the only bitch that showed up for you and you just got shot, Kush. I drove hours to come be with you and I'm missing school to stay with you. The least you can do is give me your fucking attention."
He smiled flirtatiously at her anger, "C'mere, Jour."
She huffed and laid against him again, her arms crossed with a heavy pout on her face. He pouted back, "You do got my attention. Been had it since before you was even born, apparently."
"What you mean?"
"You know I was born first, right?"
She giggled, "Fuck you."
"Give me a couple days to heal up and I got you. But anyway, Huncho said I used to be hugging on your momma belly all the time and I always wanted to be close to her until you was finally born wayyyy after me."
"You don't even know my birthday," she scoffed.
"You right. When is it?"
"July sixth. When's yours?"
"Four-twenty."
"Your name is Kush and you were born on four-twenty? There's no way you thought you'd go your whole life without smoking," she laughed.
"I mean, I knew. But I thought I'd, at least, make it out'a high school first."
"Almost. Another semester and you would've had it."
"Fuck it. I smoke now," he shrugged.
"Can I ask you something again? And it ain't got nothing to do with Saint, so don't take it there."
"What's up?"
"How you feel about locs?"
His face deadpanned, "Stop playing with me, bruh."
"I'm serious!" she whined.
"I got a waves, Jour. You know how long it's gone take for me to grow my hair out enough to lock it?"
"Pro'ly 'til the end of the summer... Then we can lock our hair at the same time."
"You finna lock yo' hair?" he asked in disbelief.
She nodded, "I had a relaxer and cut it off, and had this fro for some years now. I done did every style I wanted, so I'm ready to lock it up."
"And you want me to grow my hair out and do it with you." She nodded and he sighed. "I'll grow it out, but if it ain't long enough, I'm cutting my shit back off."
She pouted cutely at him, "Fine."
"So you finna lock your hair," Snoh concluded as she and Jourdan walked in.
"If it's long enough by the end of the summer. If it ain't, I'm cutting it back off," Kush clarified.
She laughed, "Kush, look at my hair. Look at your daddy hair. Look at your grandma hair. It's a reason we all got locs. Why you think you gotta get haircuts damn near every week? It'll be long enough, I promise you that."
"If that's the case, why y'all ain't just lock my shit when I was li'l."
"A'merie ain't want you to have 'em," she shrugged, removing the IV from his arm.
"I'm finna g'on lock my shit now," he instantly changed his mind.
Snoh laughed, "What made you change your mind?"
"You mean to tell me I been bald cause she bald?"
His mother burst into loud laughter as she taped a cotton ball over the injection point, "I'm not finna entertain you."
"Ma, be for real. She was cutting my hair 'cause her shit short?"
She shook her head, "She kept your hair cut 'cause she ain't want you to look like us. A'merie thinks it's a dirty, ghetto style. You know how she hate to show her Blackness."
Kush rolled his eyes, "Like she ain't black as hell. Get the fuck on."
She snickered, "Quit talking 'bout your sister momma."
He smacked his lips and gave her a simple side eye, but didn't say anything else.
Rolling...-༄