Page 83 of Dr. Bell

“Lock us the fuck down!” I ordered.

As my day one nurses pushed her toward a trauma room, I slid a blade up her dress, ripping the fabric from her body. Quickly and methodically, I checked her body for any wounds. Findingnone, I sent up a prayer of thanks. Inside the trauma room, I ordered everyone around like we were on a battlefield. My voice was stern and sharp as a blade.

I did what I could to avoid looking into Pretty’s eyes. The natural light there was gone, and in its place was shock and fear. If I kept looking there, I wouldn’t make it through this shit. I never wanted shit to come to this. However, I knew better than to think that Pretty and I could actually live a normal fucking life.

“She’s clean,” Sean mumbled. His hands moved just as quickly as mine did. He focused on getting a monitor on her stomach while another nurse hooked her up to a monitor. I prepped my baby for an IV and had it in within seconds. I threw shit left and right, just trying to get my baby the fluids and medication she needed to calm down.

“Code blue. Trauma Room 2.”

Shit! The message coming over the intercom wasn’t what I wanted to fucking hear.

“Russ.” Still in a daze, Pretty mumbled his name. Tears spilled from her eyes. Leaning down, I kissed her lips.

“I got him, baby. Relax for me.” Her crying caused her heart rate to increase. The baby’s monitor came on, signaling that my baby’s heart beat good and strong. “You hear that?” I asked Pretty while rubbing her belly. “Calm down for our baby.” She nodded and drifted off to sleep.

Once I had her in the clear, I left her to Sean and a few other nurses, then went to Trauma Room 2 to find Antonias shocking Russ’s heart back into rhythm. Staff moved at every bark and order Antonias threw out.

Dazed, Jabari stood pacing outside of the next trauma room. He was covered in blood. Blinking past the fury in my eyes, I entered the trauma room. Haven lay on the gurney, surrounded by Micah and his nursing staff. Quickly, my eyes darted toher monitor. Her vital signs were normal. The baby’s monitor registered that the baby’s heart rate was normal. Moving to the edge of the gurney, I winced at the bullet wound in her arm.

“She’s good,” Micah assured me. “I’m taking her up to surgery.”

Exiting the trauma room, I went back to trauma room 2. Seconds later…“Code blue. Trauma Room 2.”

Moving to the sink to scrub up, I wore a scowl that would probably permanently affix itself to my face. I stood on the opposite side of the gurney as Antonias prepared to shock Russ again.

“Aight, everybody,” I drawled. “Let’s save my nigga.”

For the next thirty minutes, we attempted to do just that.

“Everybodycool?”IaskedHumble just an hour later. Once Quilo laid eyes on Pretty and was assured that she was okay, Stacy took him home.

“Yeah. Everybody’s resting. Granny and Granddad are downstairs. Everyone else has left.”

“And Quilo?”

“He’s resting, too. It took a minute.”

“Aight. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Pops.”

Hanging up with Humble, I replayed the footage from Burgers Anonymous Gourmet Restaurant once more as if anything would change. An unmarked sedan pulled up, and shots rang out. In the midst of the mayhem, DJ, Humble, and Zel drew their weapons and chased after the sedan. So far, the sedan hadn’t been located.

“Doesn’t look like much on the feed,” Gunner stated. He stood over my shoulder, watching the same shit. “I doubt we’ll ever locate that sedan.”

“Leave it to me,” I stated.

For a minute, Gunner studied me. “Are you sure?”

Glancing up at him, I said, “Leave it to me.”

He put his hands up and looked relieved. “Consider it left. I’m outta the way. Call if you need me.” He walked out of my office, whistling.

Standing, I stretched my back. Leaving out of my office, the sight before me was a stark contrast to how it was a little while ago. Machines hummed and beeped, the tranquil sounds were music to my ears. I went down the hallway, hopped on the elevator, and rode to the top floor.

Exhausted and running off of pure scorching anger, I entered my apartment suite to shower and change. A knock at the door stopped me in my tracks. Backtracking, I opened the door to Stacy standing there.

“This was delivered to you about an hour ago. And before you say anything, it was on the passenger seat of the Suburban when I went back to move it out of the ambulance bay. I don’t know what’s in here, but it was important enough for somebody to leave it. I had to make sure you were alone before I gave it to you. Plus, I’ve already checked the security cameras. It was a hooded nigga who knew the cameras were there. Can’t make out shit else.”

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