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As soon as Lani threw the car in park I hopped out the car running full speed towards the entrance of the hospital. Once was in I ran up to the receptionist desk "Could you give me information on Markeyvious Cathey" I asked the girl who was sitting at the desk. "Lyric" I heard someone say my name.

I turnt around seeing Dre, his once white tee painted in blood. "Is he okay? What happened?" I asked him all at once. "We haven't heard anything yet" he said. "Does his mom know" I asked him. "Yea she here" he said nodding his head towards the waiting area.

"He has to be okay, he can't leave me" I said while busting out into tears. "He's going to pull through" he said before leading me to the waiting area. "Lyriccc" Amerie yelled once she seen me hopping up from her grandmothers lap. I pulled her in a tight hug while tears continued to fall from my face. I picked her up walking over to a chair.

Not wanting to let her go, I held her close praying that everything be okay. I stared off into space trying not to think the worse. "I need him, we need him" I said thinking about Merie and the unborn baby.

"Lyric" I heard someone say in a soft voice startling me. "I'm going to take her with me" Ashley said to me. I nodded my head before kissing a sleeping Merie repeatedly on her forehead before giving her to Ashley.

I picked up my phone with my shaky hand checking the time seeing it was I started to grow angry realizing that we had been here for two hours without an update. I hopped up from the chair and marched over to the receptionist desk.

"Is there an update on Markeyvious Cathey yet" I asked the girl. "No" she said with attitude without checking the computer. "Bitch you didn't even check" I said loudly while pointing at the computer. Everybody hopped up rushing over towards Lyric hearing her get loud.

"Come on let's sit back do-" Lani said pulling on my arm. "No, this bitch is going to check before I make her my damn self" I said snatching my arm from her. "What's the name again" the girl asked clearing her throat before typing on the computer.

"Markeyvious Cathey" I said. She started typing in his name on the computer before saying "He went in surgery about two hours ago. They should be coming with an update soon". I let out a deep breath before starting to walk over to the waiting area. "Now that's how you clear a bitch" Lani mumbled lowly.

I sat down closing my eyes trying to control my breathing. I felt someone sit down next to me I open my eyes to see Shanice. "He's going to be okay. He's a fighter he's been fighting his whole damn life. And he damn sure not going to stop knowing he got you here. All that worrying ain't good for the baby" she said causing me to turn to look at her quickly.

"Girll I knew it as soon as I seen you." she said smirking. I let out a small laugh before saying "It's so crazy on how I couldn't see myself here a couple months ago". A few months ago no once could tell me that I would be in love and pregnant I use to swore up and down that I wouldn't get in another relationship.

"That's life baby, it's very unexpected" she said. "Now that you have a child on the way you can't just think about yourself anymore." she said. I nodded my head at her taking in everything. She threw her arm around my shoulder before pulling me into a comforting hug. It was filled with warmth and love something I been needing.

"Family of Markeyvious Cathey" a man in a white coat said walking up while reading from a clipboard. We jumped up rushing towards him. "Is he okay" I asked as soon as I approached him. "He's stable" he said causing me to let out a deep breath. "He was shot five times. One in his right shoulder, twice in the chest, and twice in his left foot."

"Okay, so could we see him" Shanice asked. "Unfortunately, due to the amount of blood he loss it resulted into him falling into a coma" he said. "What" I said starting to feel lightheaded. "But you said he was okay" I said stumbling over my words. "When will he wake up" Dre spoke up and asked. "It's all up to him now." he said.

"I need some air" I said trippin over my own feet while rushing out of the hospital. As soon as I felt the chill wind brush across my face, I started throwing up. I could feel someone pull my hair back while softly patting my back. Once I was done I turnt around seeing Alani.

She pulled me in a tight hug, as tears started to spill from my eyes once again. "I'm going to be here for you every step of the way" she said. "What if he don't wake up. I can't do this without him." I said as I started to cry harder than before. "You can't think like that, you gotta have faith. And you gotta be strong not only for yourself but for your baby and Amerie" she said to me.

I pulled away from her as I seen Dre and Shanice walk out. "I could stay if you want me too" Shanice said as she approached me seeing how in distress I was. "No, I can" I immediately said. "Okay, make sure to call an update me" she said while pulling me into a hug. "Take care of yourself and my grandbaby" she whispered in my ear before pulling back from the hug.

I nodded my head at her before watching her walk to her car. "What's the room number" I asked Dre who looked spaced out. "115" he said while dragging his hand across his face. "Okay" I told him while wrapping my arms around my body afraid to step foot in the hospital again. "I'll bring you, clothes and food in the morning" Lani said. Seeing how distraught the love of her life and bestfriend was. She wanted no more than to take her bestfriend home with her but she knew Lyric wasn't going to go for that.

But she could see how her boyfriend was ready to forget about this night but that would be impossible when he's covered in his bestfriend's blood from head to toe. "Lyric, i-i'm sorry I trie-" he started to say Lyric. "No, it's not your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself." Lyric said before pulling him into a hug. Dre couldn't come to terms that it wasn't his fault, he blamed his self as soon as the bullets let off. He knew how Key was tryna back away from all of this. But yet he was the reason for him being out tonight.

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"I gotta to start thinkin bout the future. I don't want to keep putting the people I love at risk. If something was to happen to Lyric, fat, or my moms I would lose my shit" Key said shaking his head as he thought about something happening to the women that got his heart.

"Nigga yo ass fried" Dre said before pulling from the blunt. "Nahh, nigga i'm deadass right now it's been on my mind heavy. Dis shit was suppose to be temporary anyways I don't see dis shit in my future. A nigga actually got goals for himself and dis shit ain't it." Key said while finishing off the roach he had left.

"So nigga you want out" Dre asked scrunching his face up. "Hell yea nigga. I see myself getting married and having some more badass kids. Dis shit ain't in there. It's more to life than dis shit man." Key said as he started to roll up again. "To Lyric specifically" Dre said laughing. "Hell yeah" Key said smiling as he thought about her.

"Dis shit raised us tho, we can't just let dis shit up. We still got revenge to get on niggas." Dre said as he took a pull from his blunt. "Nigga dis ain't shit i'm proud of, I don't want to sit back and tell my kids about dis side of me. Think back to the trip yo dat shit was beautiful ass hell. I wanna experience dat shit more and more importantly I want my kids to experience dat shit with me."

"We set for life Dre. Now we take this shit and make something from it so none of our kids go through the shit we did." Key said firing up his blunt. "I understand but we got some shit to handle." Dre said while looking up at Key. "What's dat" Key asked while looking up at Dre. "Da niggas that killed my pops." Dre said with a sinister look.

"When" Key asked placing the same look on his face. "After yo mom's gathering that she having next month. I got some info on dis nigga." Dre said. Key couldn't back away from this opportunity. Dre pops basically raised him as well. He was the reason they started all dis shit.

————

"Y'all niggas need to shut the fuck up" Key yelled to Dre and Trey as he pulled up to the warehouse. They had been arguing the whole ride here and Key started to feel like he was babysitting. "Fuck you" Trey said to Key as they all hopped out the car. "Nigga i'll shoot yo ass" Key said mugging him. "I know you would" he said. "Bitch" Dre said to Trey laughing as they all thought about the time Key shot at Trey and grazed his arm.

Key laughed before dapping up the guard that was standing at the door. All three of them walked down a long hall until they reached the third door in the left. "Call everybody in for a quick meeting" Key said to Dre.

Key and Trey walked into the room together, where they went over the plan for tonight. Once Dre walked in with the rest of the crew Key told them their specific roles for tonight. "Y'all understand" Key asked with a mug plastered across his face. They all nodded their heads. "We rolling out in thirty, pack up" Key said dismissing them. Leaving only Key, Dre, and Trey in the room.

"Y'all niggas sure we went over everything" Key asked them. "Nigga yes we went over dis shit a thousand times" Dre said. "His bitch ass scared" Trey said laughing. "Never dat" Key said brushing off the weird feeling he had. He went over the plan one more time to see if they was leaving anything out.

"Ight let's roll out" Key said to Dre and Trey before walking out the room. "You driving bitch ass nigga" Key said to Trey tossing the keys to him. "Mann I drove last time" Trey said smacking his lips.

"You sure dis the place" Trey asked Dre as they pulled up in front of abandoned house. "Yeahh it has the same address" Dre said double checking the address. "Aye circle around again" Key said while checking their surroundings. "I peeped one guard around da front and two in da back" Key said as they made they way back around.

"Ightt we get Stezo , then call the rest of the crew to come handle whatever prouduct he got" Dre said. They all took their guns off safety before hopping out the car. Key shot the guard that was out front with his glock that had an silencer on it.

Trey kicked down the door after making sure the guard was dead. This wasn't a plan they came with overnight, they had been watching Stezo crew moves for a whole month now. Over the course of the month they had found out that at least ten men be at the trap for three hours tops every night.

As soon as the door busted open, the three rushed into the kitchen to take cover. They even went upon studying the layout of the house to know the quickest and safest way to escape if need be. Shots started to be fired causing them to fire back.

"It's a setup" Key said to them noticing how every time they dropped somebody that more shots was ringing out. "Fuck" Dre yelled seeing he was almost out of bullets as he reloaded quickly. "It's over ten niggas" Trey said. "I got four" Key said saying the number of people he shot. "Three" Dre said. "Four" Trey said.

"I'm almost out" Dre said as they started back letting off shots. "I'M OUT" Trey yelled before ducking. "Fuck" Key mumbled to himself. "Imma cover while we head for the door" Key said. "Nigga that's risky ass hell" Dre said to him not agreeing with his plan.

"Dats the only option. On three." Key said. "One, two, three" Key counted as they all hopped up making the dash for the door as Key started shooting back as they rushed outside. "COME ON" Trey yelled as he unlocked the car door.

Key stood on the porch still letting shots off into the broke down house. "GLOCK" Dre yelled to Key as he turned around seeing Key nowhere close behind him. Key ran down the porch running towards the car. Not knowing Stezo stood in the doorway letting off shots, aiming to kill him with the most sinister look plastered across his face.

Key body felled towards the ground as shots punctured throughout his body. "KEYYYY" Dre yelled rushing towards Key seeing blood starting to spill from under him. Trey grabbed a gun from underneath the driver's seat before rushing back towards the house letting off shots causing Stezo to run back inside to take cover.

"NIGGA LETS GO" Dre yelled to Trey as he got Key into the backseat. Trey hopped into the car speeding off to the nearest hospital. "You going to be good bro keep yo eyes open" Dre said as he smacked Key's face that was in his lap to keep him awake. "Lll-ryic" Key struggled to get out trying to sit up causing him to scream out in pain. "Sit still" Dre said laying him back into his lap gently.

"Yy-ou got to tt-ake care of dem ff-or me" Key said mumbling lowly. "Don't talk like dat you going to be goo-d bro" Dre said choking over his words as he seen Key eyes had done closed. "Wake up, we almost there. DRIVE FASTER." Dre yelled as tears spilled from his eyes as he looked down at his lifeless bestfriend.

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I stood outside the door staring at a lifeless Markeyvious through out the small window that was on the door. I was feeling sick to my stomach seeing him hooked up to all these machines with tubes in his mouth while bandaged all up. I couldn't muster up the feeling to twist door knob.

I let out a deep breath before building the courage to go inside. I could hear the beeping of the machine that had his heart rate on it as I slowly walked into the the cold room. I walked over towards the side of the bed and sat in the chair before scooting it up closer to the bed.

I grabbed ahold of his cold limp hand. "I shouldn't have let you leave" I said as a tear felled from my face. "I can't seem to wrap my head around dis, we was just playing and laughing over four hours ago to now you laying in a hospital bed" I said as I squeezed his hand wishing that he could squeeze it back.

"I can't lose you, we can't lose." I whispered out. I stood up so I could softly peck his forehead. I stayed up the rest of the morning afraid of going to sleep, not wanting to miss the chance of him waking up.

I picked up my phone checking the time seeing it was "Damn" I cursed to myself seeing that my phone was dying. I texted Alani to bring a charger when she comes. I stood up and started to walk to the connected bathroom. As I walked in I closed the door behind me before walking over towards the sink that had an mirror hanging above it.

I took a deep sigh as I ran my hand throughout my hair I could see the bags underneath my eyes as I looked at myself through the mirror. I leaned up against the sink as I started feeling lightheaded, I closed my eyes taking in a deep breath before exhaling.

Once the feeling surpassed I grabbed the new toothbrush the nurse from earlier had left for me. After, I was done I lifted up my shirt while rubbing my hand across my stomach. "Woww" I mumbled to myself thinking of the fact that in a couple of months my now flat stomach will be much bigger.

I pulled my shirt down as I heard someone open the room door. I walked out seeing Lani, Shanice, Dre, and Trey. "Heyy" I said as I closed the bathroom door. "Morning" Shanice said placing a small smile on her face. "Wassup" Trey said.

Dre nodded his head at me while staring at Key. "I brought you food and clothes" Lani said walking up to me. "Thank you" I said while taking the stuff out of her hands. "Yo Dre let me holla at ya outside" Trey said nodding his head towards the door. The room grew quite as the two walked out together.

"You need to eat" Lani said, noticing how I wasn't touching the food. "I'm not really hungry" I lowly said. "Lyric you need too for the baby and you pretty much threw up everything else you ate" she whispered yelled to me not knowing Shanice already knew about the baby.

I rolled my eyes at her before pulling out the Chicken Mini's from out the Chic-Fil-A bag. I got on my phone and started scrolling through my camera roll smiling at the pictures of me and Key as Alani and Shanice started making conversation. I got on instagram to post the picture of me and him when we was getting in the car after leaving the club.

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@itslani: bestie appreciation post 🫶🏽 i wuvv you hoe 💕