Chris

“Is she gonna be okay?” I asked worried. My buzz was beyond killed.

“I’m not sure. By the looks of it, she was hit pretty hard. The chances if her memory coming back is 50/50. She could remember everything up to that night or nothing at all. Or, there’s a chance that it’s just a bad concussion. We’ll have to see as time progresses.” the doctor said as he casually left the room.

I sat next to Trina with my head in the palm of my hands. She laid unconscious in her hospital bed with all types of machines hooked up to her. There was a huge gash above her right eyebrow that was now stitched with gauze covering it.

“No!” I heard someone dramatically yell from the hallway. In runs some white lady that’s a little heavy set & in her mid to late 50’s. I’ve never seen her before, so how she knew Trina was a mystery to me.

She fell slightly onto the hospital bed & sobbed heavily while I stared at her curiously.

“What happened to her?!” she yelled indirectly.

“She.. Got hit with a champagne bottle at a club.” I started as she put her focus on me. “People were getting reckless & … she got hit.” as I spoke I the words, they hit me like a ton of bricks. The severity of the situation became clear to me.

The mystery woman continued crying next to Trina. I couldn’t help but know who she was.

“Not to be rude. But, how do you know Trina?”

She looked up at me with red eyes & uneven breaths. “I’m her mother.”

My eyes widened. I’d never met her mom, Trina never wanted me to.

“Sorry, I’ve just never met you before. I’m Chris.”

“I know who you are.” she said glaring at me. “I also know this is your fault.”

My fault? I didn’t force her into that club. She came with that bum ass dude. But I’ll let her think that. This was the last thing I needed on my plate. Why does shit always intend on not going my way. But I guess in a way, her mom’s right. All this leads back to me, making it my fault. But Trina made choices too.

“Mr. Brown?” a nurse announces walking into the room.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Right this way.” she said giving me a wry smile.

She walked out into a narrow hallway with a manila folder in her hands. We didn’t go far & stood against a wall.

“Katrina. Is she your wife?”

I shook my head.

“Fiancé?”

I shook my head again.

“Um, girlfriend?”

I stood frozen for a minute searching for an answer. Technically she wasn’t, so, “No.”

She nodded with her lips pressed. “Well we need to speak to a relative or her partner. Do you know of anyone?”

I sighed, “I know her better than anyone else. Just please tell me, what is it?”

She sighed & looked at me with droopy eyes. “Katrina is suffering from a severe concussion. She could be confused & ignorant to many simple things. We’ll do numerous tests to help her regain knowledge of certain things & have weekly that will turn into bi-weekly check-ups. Her recovery could go by very quickly, or take a few months.”

All of her words weigh heavily on me & I just want to curl up in a ball in the corner. This was so much to take in.

“Will she remember me?” I interrupt. She wasn’t done taking but I managed to tune her out.

“Of course. She won’t lose memory of anyone or her relationships with them. But you’ll have to be patient with her, Mr. Brown, she’s going to draw blanks on how to do very simple things. Just help her get back into the motion of things. Keep an eye on her as well as she’ll think she knows how to do things she really doesn’t.”

She kept spilling out all this negativity, I was just happy to know she’d remember who I was.

“She’ll recover Mr. Brown, trust me. The old Katrina will be back soon.” she smiled.

She patted my back and pushed me slightly back in the direction of Trina’s room. Old her, huh? Just the thought of her yelling in my face made me feel better for some odd reason. As long as she remembers me..

“Chris.” a voice croaked as I walk through the doorway.

“Trina,” I sigh. She even sounded weak.

Her eyes were squinted from the sudden light in the room. I walked over to her bed & rested my hand on her cheek.

“Why am I here Chris?” she whispered.

“You,” I started with my voice cracking. I cleared my throat, “You got hit.”

The words came out feeling like daggers. She turned her head slowly toward me, noticing the thick white gauze on my chin. Her hand slowly made its way to my scar, “You too?”

I nodded my head & grasped her hand, giving it a soft kiss. “I’m sorry, Trina.”

She shushed me, “It’s not your fault.” Suddenly she winced in pain & laid her hand gently over the bandages & gauze on her head.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded, “Just a bad headache.”

“Do you need something?”

“For what?”

“Your.. Your headache?”

“Like what?”

“Some medicine?”

“I guess. If that should work.” she answered confused.

I nodded slowly & went to the hallway to find a nurse. I asked for some medicine to go to Trina & they came in immediately. They were surprised to even see her awake, talking at that. I stood in the doorway & just watched. She glared at all the nurses confused.

“Where’s Chris?”

“He’s here Katrina.” one answered deadpan.

“Where? He’s supposed to be getting me medicine.” she replies frantically.

“We have it for you right here, it’s okay.”

She shook her head & called for me. The nurses were trying to calm her down but she kept calling for me. I quickly started to walk in, but was stopped by a nurse.

“Please, it’d be best if you left.”

“Leave? She’s calling for me, she needs me!”

“Please, Mr. Brown, she’s not ready for all of this, it’s too much. You can visit tomorrow.” she ended before going back in the room & slamming the door shut.

Through the window I saw Trina, still trying to fight them off, knocking over equipment, hitting nurses. Too much for her? I could barely still gather the fact that she’s in this hospital. As much as I hated to, I left. Sitting there & taking in more of such a depressing atmosphere was going to drain me. This wasn’t a life for me, or her.

The next day

I woke up bright & early, around 6:31 to be exact. Just four hours ago I was sitting in a hospital next to my concussed ex-girlfriend. Word about it got out quickly. No surprise, my mom called me about it first.

She made it a point several times that I needed to get my life together, as if I didn’t already know that. Her & so many others made it seem as if this whole thing started because of me.

I rolled out of my bed to take a hot shower & get ready to make a trip to the hospital.

——-

Once I got to the hospital, I was told that Trina was moved to a different room. I went up to the ninth floor & down the hall to her new room.

“What are you doing here?” I asked the tall frame that stood by Trina’s bed.

He turned around & made eye contact with me. “I’m asking you the same thing Chrissy.” he laughed. “Where’s your baby mama at? Huh?” Cameron was standing right next to him. He called my name out in joy & began to run to me, but was stopped.

“The fuck you doing here Jermaine?” I asked again.

“What you mean, me & my son here to visit my injured baby mama. We can’t show some love?” he smiled.

“Leave.”

He threw his hands up & started walking away slowly. “Don’t hurt me Breezy.”

“Cameron can stay.”

He looked at me laughing again, “How’d you even get him. He was with her sister.”

“Oh I don’t know, maybe cause he’s my son. Use your brain Breezy.” he answered still laughing.

“Just leave him. Trina will want to see him.”

He doesn’t even care about Cameron, he just wants to do whatever he can to win. As I thought he would, he nonchalantly walked away from Cam & left.

I glared at him his whole way out the door as he laughed in my face. I slammed the door behind him & sat on the bedside couch. I ain’t even know that dude was still around.

She was still asleep which wasn’t a surprise seeing as how she never woke up early. It was some of the best moments of our relationship sadly.

“Chris?” Cameron said in a soft voice. He walked over toward me & stood in between my knees. “Is mommy gonna be okay?”

I looked in his eyes & saw concern, even as young as he is.

“Yeah lil man, she’s gonna be okay.” I answered kissing his forehead & bringing him into a hug.

I just hope I’m right.