Page 13 of Quasim III: King Inferno

I heard someone clear their throat and saw Hassan and Dr. Ramos standing near the entrance of the living room.

Everyone was stretched out and asleep except Capone, me, and Capri. “Hassan, tell me something good.”

Hassan was an Inferno God, he was family. I needed to hear it from his mouth because his facial expression wasn’t telling me shit. “Meer is out of surgery and he’s in recovery. He’s waking up now… we were able to remove the bullet, it lacer… it tore through his muscle tissue, causing secondary tearing. We were able to remove the torn tissue and suture him up. He needs to heal, and he may walk with a slight limp. Right now, there’s no telling until he heals. He cannot ride his bike, Pri… I don’t care what he tells you… he’s off the bike until we clear him.”

“I can go and see him now?” Capri was anxious as she stood there waiting to see her husband.

Hassan nodded his head. “Yeah. He’ll be loopy for a minute, but he was waking up when I checked on him. Told me my scrubs were too damn tight,” he chuckled, trying to keep the heaviness away.

“Boy always been too damn stubborn to go anywhere.” I couldn’t move because Blair was still asleep.

Dr. Ramos didn’t need to say two words because Hassan was handling it. This was personal to him, and as a doctor, nothing was supposed to be personal, but Capone made it where we could follow our own rules.

“Ramos, you good?” Capo asked.

He nodded. “Tired, Capo… tired… and emotionally drained, if I’m able to be honest.”

I nodded toward the couch. “Take a seat… what’s going on with Pop?”

“Should we wake her up?”

I gently shook Blair and she stirred from her sleep. Her eyes were blood shot red while the drool glistened on the side of her mouth. My shoulder was wet with her drool, but I didn’t give a fuck because I needed her to sleep.

Both Blair and this baby were important to this family. “Is he awake… Hassan, is he alive? Please don’t tell me.” She jumped right into action the minute she remembered where she was.

Hassan rubbed her shoulders. “His lung collapsed.”

I could feel Blair trembling in my arms as she held onto Hassan’s every word. “I got it, Hassan.” Ramos stepped in when he noticed Hassan becoming emotional.

His voice cracked as he was about to tell us what was going on. “What are you not saying?”

Dr. Ramos leaned forward. “We were able to remove three bullets that didn’t do any major damage. There was one particular bullet that broke his rib and pierced his lung, and that caused his lung to collapse. We were able to insert a tube in, and we’re hoping the lung inflates. As of right now, he is stable, however, it’s touch and go. He’s on a ventilator because his oxygen is very low.” He looked over at Hassan. “That man… though a resident, saved his friend’s life without a question.”

Hassan swiped his tears away as I stood up and pulled him into my arms. Pop told me how much Hassan meant to him, and how he was going to look out for him. My boy had always been good like that. Always looking out for others and never worried about him.

“He saved my life, Papa… I had to do the same.”

I squeezed him. “You did all that you could and when he wake up, I know he gonna give you shit and fuck with you… you mean a lot to him, Has… don’t forget that.” I assured him.

“With my assistance, he made me proud to be a doctor. He’s in recovery and then we’ll move him to a room. Just give them a second to make sure he’s cleaned up and set up in his room.”

Blair slid down onto the floor and clasped her hands together, staring up at the ceiling while praying. I watched as she prayed with tears sliding down her face. She prayed hard, and thanked God for seeing my boys out of it.

“Papa, go and see Meer… he’ll be ready for you to see him when you’re done.” Ramos said.

I looked at Blair who remained on the floor praying. “I got her.”

I made it downstairs to the recovery room where Blaze was. When I entered, Capri was kissing his face and hugging him as tight as she could without hurting him.

He was staring at her with this goofy look on his face. “Pops, you met this fine shit that I married?”

I could tell he was still coming down from the drugs. “Yeah, heard she a beast, too… you pick them well.”

“Not that water head bitch… head so big like the sun… hope you got a mile for a di?—”

“Meer, stop it right now,” Capri laughed, as he remixed the words to a Trina song.

Capri stopped laughing as she held his hand. “Where’s my brother, Suga?”

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