Page 13 of Bound by Affliction
4
Green
Two days,I’ve been in this room laying in this hard as fuck chair, just watching Leah looking exactly like my mother did years ago. My mother, it’s a punch to the gut. The giver of life was taken from me all too soon. Each second that ticks by is one more that I lose with Leah. Her body is clean of the blood, her head is bandaged up completely. Leah does nothing but lay there. No movements. No twitches of her eyes. Nothing. Helpless, except for the machines doing all the work her body is unable todo.
After the twenty-four-hour watch period and no more internal bleeding occurred, the doctor decided to put her into a medically-induced coma, stating it was the best thing for her body to heal. Rest, she needs; that’s all they say over and over. While I know in my mind she needs to build up her strength again, I can’t shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach. My biggest fear is that she might not ever wake up. That once they put her in this state, her mind will shut off and she won’t come back tome.
The doctors have made no absolutes or guarantees, and it kills me. Every moment here kills me because it’s a moment that she’s leaving me forgood.
It also reminds me of my mother who went into the hospital and never came back out. I can’t go through that again. Leah and I were just starting something deep betweenus.
The cops came and I answered everything they asked, giving them exactly what I gave Leah’s mom and dad, who backed me up even with weary eyes from the cops. With that bit of reassurance from the police, the suits left and said they would be back once she has woken up. If she will wake up. Dammit. I don’t deal with unknowns. I don’t deal with waiting games. I simply don’t deal. Yet, here I sit, and it’s all crashing around me without a single option to change thesituation.
“Son, we’re going out for a bit.” Aaron, Leah’s father, says, standing next to the chair I’m sitting in beside Leah’s bed. I’ve tried not to be a selfish bastard and give them their time in here too, but it kills me not being near her. They’ve gotten used to me and haven’t said aword.
“Okay.” Reaching up I stretch, my bones cracking and aches pouncing all over my body. It’s nothing compared to what Leah is going through, and if I could switch places with her, I’d do it in asecond.
Thirty minutes later, mysleep,for lack of a better word, is interrupted by the nurse who needs to check over Leah. I do my bit and move out of the way, using the bathroom and not daring to look at myself in the mirror. Guilt is a tough pill to swallow, and I feel it tenfold. I let her down. Splashing some cool water on my face, the nurse administers some meds and then leaves, clicking the door closed behindher.
The staff has been great not giving us any shit for not leaving. My guess is it’s because of Leah’s condition and they don’t know what day will be her last. I hope to Christ that isn’t it, but fuck if it doesn’t feel likeit.
My cell vibrates in my pocket, and I see it’s Cooper. “Green,” Ianswer.
“How’s shedoin’?”
Looking over at the bed, she hasn’t moved an inch and the noises from the machines are the only thing heard in the room. “Coma. Doctor says she needs it toheal.”
“Fuck,” hegrumbles.
“How’sBristyl?”
There’s movement on the other end. “Takin’ care of her dad right now. I sure as shit don’t want to tell her about yourgirl.”
“Brother…”
“I know. Keep your head in the game. Just remember she’s not your mother. She doesn’t have the same fate as her. Don’t let those thoughts cloud you rightnow.”
He’s right, but I needed to hear them from him. Cooper and I have been friends since we were kids in elementary school. Him and Jacks. We’ve been through the ups and downs of life together, and Cooper has had my back for as long as I canremember.
Cooper was the first to join Ravage of the three of us. Both Jacks and I knew he would because it’s in his blood, not to mention it was all he talked about growing up. So much so, Jacks and I knew we wanted to be a part of the Ravage MC family and make it our blood aswell.
Because that’s what Ravage is. Some assholes try to label us as a gang and other stupid shit, but it’s further from the truth. It’s the main reason I wanted to be in the Ravage MC. After losing my mom, I had no one—nothing except for Cooper and Jacks. I had no direction. No ambition. Nothing. I was fucking lost for awhile.
That is until Cooper and Jacks helped put some sense into me. It’s devastating when the only parent you have leaves you, and I got sucked into that, horribly. Prospecting for the club made everything in my life fall into place. It gave me purpose and the stability I needed to pull my head out of myass.
After joining, I still missed her, of course, but it didn’t eat me alive. Now, they’ve got my back and I’ve got theirs,always.
“Know, man. Iknow.”
“Rock solid,” he tells me, and I remember back in time when he told me those exact words. We were on a run together, and some tough decisions had to be made. I made them, and afterward he told me I was rock solid. Of course, I gave him shit for weeks about it, but him saying it nowhelps.
“Take care of your woman,” I tell him, not touching that memory withhim.
“You too.” He clicks off, and I slip the phone into mypocket.
Grabbing my cut off the other chair in the room, I pull out the folded papers I carry around with me everywhere I go and sit back down on myperch.
Even through all the tubes, cords, bruises, cuts, stitches and bandages, she’s absolutely beautiful. Clutching the papers, I speak, “The doctors told me I should talk to you. That you might be able to hear me. Personally, I think it’s a bunch of bullshit because you’re out cold, but since there is a chance, I’mtalkin’.”
