Chapter 42 — Aftermath
Lois:
I jumped out the truck before Bash could even put it into park. He explained on the drive what the call was about. Why had these men come after my sister like this? I heard tires screeching behind me and quickly turned around. Kalvon hopped out of a silver BMW and came racing up to me with Bash behind him. They both had guns drawn in broad daylight. The police had to have been called by the way we arrived on hot wheels. Horn blazing for pedestrians to get out the way.
Kalvon searched the downstairs which seemed unscathed. There were shopping bags all over the couch. Bash headed up the steps and I decided to follow. He rounded the corner and gasped loudly throwing his gun to the side. "Lola, no baby, no!"
I stepped through the bedroom doorway and collapsed against the wall. There was blood all over the room and a man lying on the floor appearing dead. Lola was near the window naked and covered in blood. Bash gently picked her body up and sat on the bed calling out to her repeatedly. He pulled the red stained sheet up to her breast.
Kalvon was coming up the stairs yelling out to Bash. He came next to me and then punched a hole into the door. Bash shouted for help as Kalvon dialed out on his phone. I held my chest and breathed staring at the crime scene before me. "Lola, open your eyes please. I am so sorry that this happened to you. Please open your eyes baby."
I heard a faint gasp and Bash yell out. I crawled over to the bed going around the man lying on the floor. He appeared to be dead with a gash to his head and blood all over his body. I reached for her head, stroking away the stray hairs from her face. Lola had her eyes closed and lips slightly parted.
I rubbed at her hair and then jumped out of my skin as two shots rang out. I whipped my head around to see Kalvon shooting into the dead man's chest. He must have wanted to ensure that he would not survive. I heard sirens off in the distance racing toward our location. Kalvon took off down the hallway. His huge footsteps rumbled down the steps.
Bash cradled my sister in his arms mumbling to her. Lola and I were not on good terms right not, but never would I wish this treatment on any woman. Kalvon's voice could be heard yelling outside and a possible tussling going on. Bash was just staring at my sister with a vise grip on her body.
"Holy shit it's a blood bath in here! Hurry up with gurney boys, we got two people down!"
"That no good motherfucker is dead, help my wife now!"
Bash yelled at the overweight EMT scaring the shit out of him. His words were more of a roar then a request. The guy stumbled back but then approached cautiously with his medical bag. A second EMT came in and started coughing at the carnage in front of him.
The guy was no older than twenty-four, skinny build and acne on his face. He brought the gurney and they gently rolled Lola onto it and strapped her in. They checked for her pulse and began to roll her out into the hall. I was still planted on the floor staring at the doorway.
Bash pulled me by the arms and escorted me toward the steps. My legs were like stones in water. They were either numb from sitting in the same position so long or shock had set in. I needed to call my parents.
My father would be furious with these events. Did I cause all of this? Lola would have never been kidnapped if she were not at the apartment that day. Adonis would have had no reason to bring her there. I began to feel clammy with a rising temperature.
"Yo Bash she doesn't look too good. Lois are you okay sweetheart?" I heard Kalvon say before everything faded to black.
A Few Hours Later The sound of machines and heated conversation filled my ears. I opened my eyes and saw my mother sitting by my side holding my hand. To the left Adonis and my father were whisper yelling. There was a hospital band around my right arm and IV tube in my left. What the hell happened to me?
"Lois baby are you awake? Praise the Lord! Leo, get over here!"
My mother said squeezing my hand a bit harder. The two men turned around and ceased conversation immediately, rushing to my side. Dad kissed my forehead and called me a warrior and said he would never let anything happen to me. Adonis was just looking at me like I had the plague or something. No one was speaking directly to me, just general conversation. I got the feeling that they were all hiding something. "What happened? Why am I here? Oh my god, Lola! Where is she? I gotta get out of here!"
I sat up and tried to get out of bed. The machines began to make all sorts of noises as I fought against my dad. Two staff members came in wearing white coats. They started reviewing the machines and making notes on their clipboard. "Mrs. Paul you gave us quite the scare there. You have been unconscious for the past four hours. I think your body went into shock from the trauma coupled with your condition. The body will sometimes shut down all activity allowing time to regenerate and deep rest. I want to keep you over-night for observation and run additional testing, plus get an ultrasound."
"Where is my sister? Daddy what's going on with Lola? Why are you all just staring at me like that? Somebody needs to start talking or I am walking out that door."
The doctor went to speak, and my father requested that they clear out for some privacy. My mother was still holding my hand tightly. The air in the room was thicker than a snicker. My father sat in the open seat and looked directly into my eyes. He gave me that look that said he had bad news and wasn't going to be gentle about it.
"Lola is in a coma. She suffered brain damage from that awful beating that she took. The doctor's do not think that she will ever regain consciousness. There's a very slim chance she would lead a normal life if she does. You are under orders not to go visit her as it may aggravate your condition. I will not take the chance of possibly losing both of my daughters in the same day."
"What condition?"
"You're pregnant Lois."
Adonis blurted out and my lower lip slightly dropped. How the hell did this happen? I always took my pills on time and used spermicide when I had unprotected sex.
A child right now in this chaos was madness. Everyone was staring in my face waiting for a response. I didn't know that I was pregnant, nor was I going to sit here like some clueless teenager explaining myself.
"I need to see my sister. I can worry about everything else later."
"Really, that's all you have to say? How about telling us who the goddamn father is?"
Adonis blurted out and my dad stood up to get in his face. I was still pulling myself out of the bed looking for pants to put on. I honestly did not care about my own well-being right now. My dad began to rip Adonis a new asshole. "Legally we are still married. I can put you the fuck up out of this room Leo! You are standing there with this high and mighty attitude like this is my fault."
"Your family is to blame for everything that has happened to my daughters thus far."
Adonis chuckled and put his hands on his hips pushing back his suit jacket. A gesture he made just before he went off on someone.
"Family suffering? You are so full of shit it's seeping out of those hairy ears of yours. You should have taken your punishment years ago like the man you claim to be. No, you're a coward and—”
PLOP!
My father punched Adonis in the face, and he flew against the wall. I hit the panic button on my bed monitor. My dad would kill him and that was a damn fact. The same two staff members followed by a few others came in to break up the fight. Adonis was yelling about suing and my dad was stating he would bury him.
I was able to slip out of the room unnoticed with all the attention on those two. I walked over to the main desk and asked the receptionist for help. Mira was her name and she looked up Lois in the directory. I was shivering from the cold air in the hospital. Mira provided me with a pair of scrub pants and top to put on over the flimsy gown.
I thanked her and walked quickly to hop on the elevator. Any minute now my family would realize that I was gone. The ride up three floors was quick, and the bell dinged, signaling the doors to open. The floor was quiet. There were a few people sitting in chairs with saddened looks upon their faces.
I saw Caesar sitting at the end of the lobby with his head leaned against the wall. I walked toward him, and his eyes opened falling onto me. He stood up and looked my body over for anything out of place. "Lois what are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting in your room."
"Why is everyone trying to shield me from Lola? I am going in there and you better not try to stop me."
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Caesar raised his hands in a surrender motion and opened the suite door for me. Lola was dressed in a gown like mine, with tubes going into her nose, and an oxygen mask at her mouth. My sister was resting.
Her face was still swollen, and one eye was completely shut. Bash had his head bowed in a praying act, speaking low. I walked over, and he spoke without looking up.
"I knew you were not going to stay in that bed for too long. How are you feeling Lo?"
"I'm more concerned about Lola."
"She is the same as when we found her, breathing but unresponsive. Lola is a fighter though. The doctors pulled hair and skin from underneath her nails. She did not submit easily to those fools. I should have been there for her. This shit is all my fault."
Bash placed her hand on the bed and stood up to come over to me. He touched at my face while his other hand ran the length of my torso. His touch relaxed all the tension out of my body. Wait, what the hell was I saying?
I stepped away from him and went up the top of the bed. Bash and I being together is what caused all of this. Looking at Lola lying there in slumber broke my heart. I was carrying a child that could belong to one of our husbands. "Lala, I know you can hear me. Fight big sis, please come back to me. I am sorry for everything. We haven't even settled our differences. No man is worth losing you over. Just open those sassy eyes for me."
The room was still as the machines continued to keep my sister stable. Bash was staring at us with an unknown look. The door swung open and my remaining family members entered.
Adonis had an ice pack to his face and my father looked to be on a warpath. His face was fixated on Bash who had not even turned around to acknowledge them yet.
"This is all your fucking fault! You low-life gun dealing son of a bitch. I will not allow you to ruin both of my daughters' lives. Lois, come back to your room so that we can discuss how to proceed in private. When are you going to get it through your thick head that this man, along with his kin over there played you and Lola? The two of you were just a means to an end."
Bash turned around facing my father while cracking his neck. This was the show down that terrified me the most. Adonis was a suit with nothing but mouth and a pen. Bash was hardcore street and had a deadly side to him. The door opened, and three city police officers came in ready for action.
They stated that my father needed to vacate the premises immediately for assault and disturbing the peace. Adonis was the only wuss who would do such a thing. Leo turned his gaze toward Adonis, who was all tough with the boys in blue behind him. My father had entirely too much to lose by showing his ass any further. He raised his hands in a surrender motion. Swiftly took his index finger across his throat for Adonis to see.
"This is just the beginning, tell Malcom that I will be in touch."
Those were the last words my father said as he was escorted out of the room.