"I don't get it," Faith said practically running to keep up with me.
"Why would they tell us to return to headquarters and then send us
over here?"
"Told ya didn't I?" I yelled over my shoulder.
"Told me what?" Faith asked.
"That I didn't do anything to warrant a call from headquarters."
"Yeah so, now that we've figured that out, maybe you can figure out why we're here?"
"Beats me," I responded as we came upon the lead to a possible answer.
"There you are," Alex said spotting us as she rounded a corner.
"We're here, how bout telling us why?" I asked in my charming, demanding tone.
"What's going on Alex?" Faith asked with a little more sincerity. "Headquarters has us running all over town."
"Sorry 'bout that," Alex offered before glancing in my direction. "We got the call. At the time I didn't think it was too serious but things changed pretty quick. So I called in and asked them to have you meet us here instead."
"I don't know about you guys but this game of 20 questions is getting old," I spit out.
Before I had time to say anything else, Kim rounded the same corner Alex had just moments ago.
"Bosco." That was all Kim said. It wasn't so much what she said but how she said it. That feeling I'd had earlier about it being a long shift. Well, at that moment, it was back.
As I did a quick study of Kim's face, it hit me. Faith and I had tossed out a lot of questions. But Kim and Alex weren't talking to me and Faith...they were talking to just me. The words echoed in my mind...got a call...not serious...things changed quickly...
"Listen Bos," Alex tried to say but I cut her off.
"It's ma, isn't it?" I shouted drawing looks from several people in the same hall.
After that it was pretty much a blur. All I remember is this pain in my chest. I took off down the same hall Kim had just come from. I don't know why but it only made sense. The look on her face; the tone in her voice. Everything was suddenly clear. Ma was in trouble. The latest jag-off in her life had beaten her up...again... As I passed the rooms, I glanced inside, looking for a woman with bruises and bandages. As I came upon the last bed, I stopped. Frustration overtook me as I retraced my steps, searching as panic set in. It was at that time that Kim and the others caught up to me.
"Where is she?" I demanded. Was I too late? Had some sorry piece of shit beaten her to death?
"Bosco, she's in surgery," Kim interrupted my thoughts, reading my mind as she did. I guess she saw the look on my face and knew I was thinking the worst.
"What? Surgery? What the hell happened?" I shouted. I was so out of control that even Faith wasn't able to calm me down. This is my ma; the one person who meant more to me than anyone. No matter how much I hurt her, ma goes right on loving me. She's all I've got. Just like so many times before, I hadn't been there for her.
"Bos, it was her heart," Kim replied, direct and to the point.
"Her heart?" I repeated. Despite Faith, Alex, and Kim being there with me, I suddenly feeling very alone.
There's a blank spot in my memory from that day. I remember being in the hallway looking for my ma. The next thing I remember is sitting in the doctor's office, waiting for word on ma. It seemed like an eternity. Not that I wanted him to rush operating but damn, I'm no good at sitting around doing nothing.
"Bosco, you want some coffee?"
"No Faith, for the last time, I don't want any coffee." Faith had asked me that question several times over the last hours. I didn't want any the first time she had asked and I still didn't. I know she was just trying to help but I didn't need any help. Ma, however, was another story.
"Sorry," I offered. Faith just smiled and placed one hand on my shoulder, offering her support. This time without any words, not that any words would have made a difference. I just hoped that I'd remember to tell her later.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was dark outside when the doctor finally came in. I don't know what time it was but the cars on the street below had their lights on so it had to be late. Kim and Alex had been gone for awhile now. Faith stayed with me. For once, I was in no mood to talk. All I wanted was that doctor to tell me that ma was going to be alright. That didn't seem too much to ask. But was it?
"How is she?" I demanded. Hours of sitting by doing nothing and having no control had taken a toll on me. I was in no mood for long, drawn out discussions. I just wanted the facts.
"She made it through surgery," he replied.
"But?" I interrupted. I can't say why but the way he said it, just seemed that a 'but' who follow. I knew I was right by the doctor's nod.
I listened to the doctor's words on ma's condition. I didn't grasp much of it but what I knew was that she was critical...she'd had a quintuple bypass...the doctors had done all they could...now it was up to ma...the next 24-48 hours would be crucial...all we could do was wait.
"Told ya didn't I?" I yelled over my shoulder.
"Told me what?" Faith asked.
"That I didn't do anything to warrant a call from headquarters."
"Yeah so, now that we've figured that out, maybe you can figure out why we're here?"
"Beats me," I responded as we came upon the lead to a possible answer.
"There you are," Alex said spotting us as she rounded a corner.
"We're here, how bout telling us why?" I asked in my charming, demanding tone.
"What's going on Alex?" Faith asked with a little more sincerity. "Headquarters has us running all over town."
"Sorry 'bout that," Alex offered before glancing in my direction. "We got the call. At the time I didn't think it was too serious but things changed pretty quick. So I called in and asked them to have you meet us here instead."
"I don't know about you guys but this game of 20 questions is getting old," I spit out.
Before I had time to say anything else, Kim rounded the same corner Alex had just moments ago.
"Bosco." That was all Kim said. It wasn't so much what she said but how she said it. That feeling I'd had earlier about it being a long shift. Well, at that moment, it was back.
As I did a quick study of Kim's face, it hit me. Faith and I had tossed out a lot of questions. But Kim and Alex weren't talking to me and Faith...they were talking to just me. The words echoed in my mind...got a call...not serious...things changed quickly...
"Listen Bos," Alex tried to say but I cut her off.
"It's ma, isn't it?" I shouted drawing looks from several people in the same hall.
After that it was pretty much a blur. All I remember is this pain in my chest. I took off down the same hall Kim had just come from. I don't know why but it only made sense. The look on her face; the tone in her voice. Everything was suddenly clear. Ma was in trouble. The latest jag-off in her life had beaten her up...again... As I passed the rooms, I glanced inside, looking for a woman with bruises and bandages. As I came upon the last bed, I stopped. Frustration overtook me as I retraced my steps, searching as panic set in. It was at that time that Kim and the others caught up to me.
"Where is she?" I demanded. Was I too late? Had some sorry piece of shit beaten her to death?
"Bosco, she's in surgery," Kim interrupted my thoughts, reading my mind as she did. I guess she saw the look on my face and knew I was thinking the worst.
"What? Surgery? What the hell happened?" I shouted. I was so out of control that even Faith wasn't able to calm me down. This is my ma; the one person who meant more to me than anyone. No matter how much I hurt her, ma goes right on loving me. She's all I've got. Just like so many times before, I hadn't been there for her.
"Bos, it was her heart," Kim replied, direct and to the point.
"Her heart?" I repeated. Despite Faith, Alex, and Kim being there with me, I suddenly feeling very alone.
There's a blank spot in my memory from that day. I remember being in the hallway looking for my ma. The next thing I remember is sitting in the doctor's office, waiting for word on ma. It seemed like an eternity. Not that I wanted him to rush operating but damn, I'm no good at sitting around doing nothing.
"Bosco, you want some coffee?"
"No Faith, for the last time, I don't want any coffee." Faith had asked me that question several times over the last hours. I didn't want any the first time she had asked and I still didn't. I know she was just trying to help but I didn't need any help. Ma, however, was another story.
"Sorry," I offered. Faith just smiled and placed one hand on my shoulder, offering her support. This time without any words, not that any words would have made a difference. I just hoped that I'd remember to tell her later.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was dark outside when the doctor finally came in. I don't know what time it was but the cars on the street below had their lights on so it had to be late. Kim and Alex had been gone for awhile now. Faith stayed with me. For once, I was in no mood to talk. All I wanted was that doctor to tell me that ma was going to be alright. That didn't seem too much to ask. But was it?
"How is she?" I demanded. Hours of sitting by doing nothing and having no control had taken a toll on me. I was in no mood for long, drawn out discussions. I just wanted the facts.
"She made it through surgery," he replied.
"But?" I interrupted. I can't say why but the way he said it, just seemed that a 'but' who follow. I knew I was right by the doctor's nod.
I listened to the doctor's words on ma's condition. I didn't grasp much of it but what I knew was that she was critical...she'd had a quintuple bypass...the doctors had done all they could...now it was up to ma...the next 24-48 hours would be crucial...all we could do was wait.