Part 2 of this story will be on that account ]

𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚃𝚇

❦

"Eli just got shot." Duck quickly blurted and I immediately felt my heart drop to my stomach. Everyone instantly shot up from their seats and started shuffling around the apartment. Me, Duck, Tasia and Destini rushed out the apartment and down the stairs.

"Y'all already called the ambulance?" I shakily asked, running down the stairs behind Duck.

"Yea." He replied as we made our way out the staircase.

"Where yall parked?"

"All the way in the back." He replied, not stopping as

we rushed through the garage. I spotted Duck's Hellcat and my eyes immediately dropped to Eli's body. He was on the ground, laying in a pool of blood and Rell was squatting next to him with his phone to his ear.

I ran over to Eli and crouched down, putting his head on my lap.

"E, please wake up." I pleaded, feeling a tear run down my cheek. He was conscious, but his chest heaved up and down and his breaths were shaky. It was clear that he was having trouble breathing.

Mir, Reece, Kali and Aijah rushed over to us and they grimaced when they saw Eli's condition.

"Shit!" Mir cussed, looking at Eli's bloody body on my lap.

I kept taking deep breaths as I held onto Eli's cold hand. It felt like Bri'on dying all over again and the last thing I want to happen is for this to be a repeat of it.

After what felt like years later, we heard the ambulance sirens coming down the street. Once they pulled into the garage the paramedics rushed over and picked Eli up, laying his limp body on the stretcher. The ambulance pulled off and we all got into separate cars. Aijah, Kali, Destini and Reece got into his car. While me, Mir, Rell, and Tasia got into Duck's car. I sat in the front seat and the rest of 'em got in the back.

Duck quickly pulled out of the garage, gripping the steering wheel. "Tasia, text Eli's sister and tell her what happened." He told her sternly and she nodded.

"Man what the fuck happened?" Mir exhaled deeply and looked at Duck who's jaw was clenched as he drove.

He sighed, "We were about to get into the car and we heard someone yell 'EJ' and all of sudden they started shootin' and shit. All three of us turned around and started shootin' back but Eli got hit.." Rell explained, staring out the window.

"Y'all get 'em?"

"I think Duck hit one of 'em in the back, but there were two." Rell replied and I could hear Samiron let out a fustrated breath. We sat in silence for the rest of the car ride. Once we got to the hospital, the rest of the group was already there so we occupied the rest of the waiting room and sat in complete silence, but the tension in the air was thick.

I restlessly tapped my foot while staring up at the white ceiling and trying to contain to my tears. Duck walked over and sat next to me. He tapped my arm to get my attention and threw his arm over me, letting me cry on his shoulder. In a way, we were comforting each other because this was bringing back the same memories from a little less than three years ago.

"I gotchu li' sister. We gon' be good." He reassured and I nodded in response—for his sake if anything because god knows I think the worst of every situation.

About an hour and a half later a doctor came into the waiting area with a clipboard. "Family of Elijah West?" He glanced at us and we all quickly stood up.

"Okay." He gave us a tight lipped smile and flipped through the pages on his clipboard. I could hear Duck suck his teeth next to me.

White people do too fuckin much.

"Elijah was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the shoulder. He was unconscious when we brought him in. We were able to remove the bullets but he

lost a lot of blood. Luckily the bullet that entered his chest missed all of his major organs so we've placed an ET Tube in his lungs to assist with his breathing. He's in a medically induced coma and we're monitoring him for any infections as of right now." The doctor explained and we all sighed of relief but it was instantly replaced with the fear of Eli not waking up.

"So he gon' live?" Rell asked the question that was on most of our minds. "We've done all we can, now it's up to him. Comas can't really be predicted at this stage."

"Can we see him?" I pleaded, wiping my eyes.

"Of course, follow me." Me, Duck, Rell, Mir, and Kali followed the doctor down the brightly lit hallway while the others sat in the chairs outside of Eli's door since they said we can't all be in at once. As soon as I walked in, I could feel my eyes getting glossy again. Eli was laying on the bed with a breathing tube in his mouth. I felt frozen in place but Duck held onto my wrist and walked me towards the chair next to Eli's bed. I sat down and leaned my elbows on his bed, trying my best not to cry.

"He gon' be okay Mari, I know what you're thinkin' about right now, but this is different " Duck put his hand on my shoulder, referring to Bri'on being in these same circumstances not too long ago. I nodded and went into the bathroom to wipe my face.

Over the next few hours, people were in and out of Eli's room, but me and Duck stayed for a majority of the time. Aijah, Destini and Tasia left late because they had work in the morning. Eli's sister Illiana came and sat with me for a few hours while we talked, but she had a kid to get home to so I insisted she leave and I told her I would call her if anything changed— which I hoped it did soon.

11:54pm

Eventually everyone left, leaving me, Rell, Mir, and Duck still at the hospital. I was leaning onto Eli's bed with my head down while I held his hand. I've been trying to push my negative thoughts to the back of my mind the whole time i've been here but it's hard to do that when I've experienced this same exact scenario before and it ended with me losing my brother. If I lose Eli I really don't know what the fuck i'm gonna do. I don't even want to think about that, but I can't help it.

"Mari, I'm about to head out, I gotta take care of sum so i'll drop you back." Duck said as he walked back into the room with Rell.

"You good, ima stay for longer." I told him and turned back around.

"But you didn't bring your car, how are you gonna get home?"

"Ima uber." I said in an obvious tone.

"At 12? Yea that's dead." Rell shook his head with Duck.

"Ima have Mir take you back, he brought his car earlier anyway." Duck said and I rolled my eyes at the thought of having to sit in a car alone with Mir's ole i'm-always-angry ass.

I got up and gave Rell a hug before turning

to Duck. "Text me when you make it home Mari." He said and I nodded. The door opened behind Rell and Mir walked back into the room, moving right passed us and to the couch.

Duck wrapped his arms around me and gave me a tight hug, "Love yo ass Mari."

"Love you too bro." I chuckled. They dapped Mir up and headed out the room.

I sat back down and crossed my arms, leaning forward onto Eli's bed again as I listened to the beeping sound of the monitors. I couldn't help the negative thoughts that consumed me while I sat there. Al I know is I can't lose another brother, I won't be able to cope.

❦

Hobbies?

Mine is reading. Shocker, ik

𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜