Page 107 of Rematch
“How is he?”
“Still in surgery,” he replied. “But, we wanted to give you an update. All of the bullets have been removed from Maximilano’s body. He’d lost a lot of blood, so we had to treat him very carefully. The chest cavity can be very delicate. We needed to make sure the bullets hadn’t hit any vital organs or arteries.”
“Did any?”
“Miraculously, no. One was dangerously close to his heart. A few inches to the right and it would’ve been fatal.”
“So, he’ll be okay?”
“He’s not out of the woods yet,” he said, halting her optimism. “We’re still repairing the damage and running checks for any other internal injuries. But, he should be out of surgery within the next hour or so. I’ll be back with another update then.”
“Thank you.” Tatianna’s gaze went to Janelle, who was finishing up with the other doctor.
Fresh tears painted her pretty face, and she was doing her best to wipe them away. “Okay. Thank you,” she murmured.
The doctor offered her a sympathetic smile before turning away.
Tatianna slowly walked to Janelle’s side. “Is he alright?” She asked, her voice full of caution.
Janelle nodded. “Yeah, he’s out of surgery,” she replied, keeping her eyes to the ground. “They were worried about the bullet puncturing his lung, but thankfully it didn’t get that close.”
“Sounds like those boys had shitty ass aim.”
Janelle let out a broken laugh. “Well, they’re closer to the bottom of the food chain. What else did we expect?” Pulling in a breath, she finally raised her gaze. “I do apologize for this -allof this. We wouldn’t even be here if-”
“Stop,” Tatianna cut her off. “Our boys are alive. That’s all that matters.”
She and Janelle shared a smile before Janelle walked to the doctor waiting at the double doors for her.
“Oh, Tati, growth looks so good on-” Dad shut his mouth at the glare Tatianna sent him.
Papa and I chuckled at them.
After another two hours of waiting, the doctor finally returned. “He’s out of surgery,” he confirmed with a small smile. “And doing well so far. Like we said, he lost a lot of blood, so recovery may take a bit longer than we’d all like. But, he’s breathing on his own which is a good sign.”
Clutching her chest, Tatianna let out a deep breath of relief. “Thank God,” she whispered. “And thank you and your team.”
“Of course, Mrs. Guerra. Would you like to see him? He’s still unconscious, but you’re welcome to come sit with him.”
Tatianna reached for my hand. “Will you come with me?”
My brows creased together in surprise. “Are you sure? Usually, it’s only the immediate family.”
“Girl, stop acting like you’re not my soon-to-be daughter-in-law and bring your ass on.” She towed me along as she followed the doctor. Her grip on my hand tightened with every step.
She hesitated at the room door, reluctant to go in and see the state Max was in.
Squeezing her hand, I offered her a soft smile of reassurance.
Blinking back the tears brimming her eyes, she weakly returned it.
The doctor twisted the knob and pushed the door open.
My heart sank into my stomach as I lay my eyes on Max.
A large bandage was wrapped around his head, a large red spot distinct near the left side of his forehead. His right eye was swollen and bruised, a deep purple surrounding it. His lip was split, and both of his cheeks were littered with red and blue bruises. A nasal cannula looped around his face. His torso was covered by the white and blue hospital gown and the pure whitebed sheet. Tiny bruises and IV needles scattered around his arms. His usually rich, bronze brown skin now reflected a sandy tan, most of his color lost due to the lack of blood in his system.
“Oh, baby,” Tatianna whispered beside me. She released my hand to walk to his bedside. She clasped one of his hands in both of hers. “Everything’s okay now. You’re going to be okay.”
