Page 79 of The Prez

“No,” Zeke answers angrily. “Who the fuck did this?”

“You know who,” I growl. “Here,” I say when he stands upand I hand him the baby. “I’m taking him to the hospital. Get Shane here to help you with Little Raf. Call the prospect and tell him to stand guard over the door while I’m gone.”

I look for the keys to the SUV, finding them on the floor by the front door. After I grab them, I bend and scoop Omari in my arms. He doesn’t move. “Fuck, baby.” I mutter as he flops loosely in my arms. “I’ll take care of you, I promise. I’m sorry. So fucking sorry I failed you, too.”

Just as I step outside, Jace pulls up. He turns off his bike and flicks down the kickstand, and rushes over to me. “What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know!” I scream. “Take the keys and get us to the emergency room now!”

Jace snatches the keys from my hand and opens the door for me and Omari. I slide in, settling him on my lap and wipe the blood from his face with the cloth Zeke handed me.

He’s in such a terrible state. There’s blood everywhere—his nose is bleeding, so are his lips, and blood pours from his mouth. His eyes are swollen, black and blue already and his nose is crooked, suggesting it’s been broken. Omari’s clothes are ripped and dangling, the neckline of his shirt stretched so far, I’m surprised it hasn’t slipped over his head. Through the space, his light brown skin is turning shades of red and purple, the bruises prominent.

“Hang on, precioso,” I whisper as I wipe the blood from his face. “I’m getting you help. Just hang on for me.”

Every few minutes, I check his pulse to make sure he’s still alive and I won’t have to add him to the tally of my dead. I don’t think I would be able to put myself back together if he left me. My soul would rip at the seams, never to be stitched back together. The edges are already wearing thin the longer he doesn’t open his eyes. I’m not sure what I’ll have left.

About ten minutes later, Jace is pulling up to the emergency room entrance. “Go. I’ll park and meet you inside.”

As quickly as I can without jostling Omari too much, I pull him from the SUV and jog to the doors. When I step inside, the nurse behind the desk takes one look at Omari, his bloodied and bruised face, his ripped clothing and his unconsciousness and snaps into action. “Dr. Reynolds!” he yells, coming from behind the desk and pulling a gurney from a room close by. “Set him here, sir.”

The only thing that has me setting Omari on the bed and peeling my fingers from under his back and knees is knowing they can’t help him if I’m still clutching him.

When the doctor comes over, before he touches Omari, I grab him by the collar and bring him close to me. “You better fucking fix him, you get me? You make him better.”

The doctor gazes at me evenly, not flinching away from my wrath. “What’s your name?” he asks, in such a calm way I’m almost in shock.

“Rafael,” I growl.

He puts his hand over mine where it’s locked around his scrubs and pats it gently but doesn’t try to move my hand. “Rafael, I promise I’ll do everything I can for him. But I can’t do that if you’re holding on to me. I’ll take care of your friend?—”

“He’s my boyfriend,” I snarl.

Dr. Reynolds doesn’t flinch. “I’ll take care of your boyfriend. But you have to let me go so I can help him.”

Blowing out a long breath, I drop my hand and step back, running my hand through my hair. Dr. Reynolds snaps into action, moving over to Omari and checking him over quickly. “Let’s move him to bay one now!” he shouts and everyone moves quickly.

I try to follow, but a nurse puts his hand on my arm. When I turn around and push him against the wall, my hand on his throat, it takes me a few beats to realize it’s Hector.

“Fuck,” I say, dropping my hand and stepping back. Hector coughs and rubs his throat. “I’m sorry, hermano.”

“No big deal,” he says in a raspy voice. “It’s not like you’re the first person to choke me out over their family.” He doesn’t say it as a joke and I don’t take it as one. “I’ll stay with him as long as I can and update you, okay? I just got on shift, so I’ll watch out for him for the next twelve hours.”

I nod, pulling at the ends of my hair, my heart thumping and my hands shaking with the need to do something. “Thanks, man.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of him. Fill these out as best you can.” He hands me a clipboard with a bunch of papers on it. “I’ll be out as soon as there’s any news.” Hector rushes off, his limp barely noticeable as he pushes into the room and takes his place beside Omari before the door closes.

I pace back and forth, waiting for news, the clipboard forgotten in my hands. I can’t even focus enough to fill anything out. Jace rushes in and comes over to me, but he doesn’t try to get me to stop or sit down. He just stands and looks in the direction of where my eyes are.

After another five or so minutes, Hector rushes over, talking fast. “We have to get him to the OR. The doctor thinks he has some internal bleeding. If he has family, call them.”

“Are you saying?—”

“I’m not saying anything, brother. I’m saying he’ll want his family here while he goes into surgery. I’ll update you when I can. Some nurses will escort you up to the surgery suite waiting room.” Then he takes off, following behind the other doctors and nurses rushing back with Omari’s gurney.

“Here,” Jace says, as I take two steps in the direction of where the doctor and nurses disappeared with my heart. I look down and see a cell phone in my vice president’s hand. “It’s Omari’s. It was in the cupholder. He said to call thefamily. He has a sister.” He takes the clipboard out of my hand and starts filling it out. “I’ll add you as next of kin for now.”

I nod, taking the phone from him in my bloodied hands. Hazel. Omari told me his sister’s name is Hazel. Omari and I shared our phone passwords with each other weeks ago, so I open his phone easily. I scroll through it and locate her contact.

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