Family Matters Chapter 15
A week an' half after Mercedes got sick I returned to work. I was a little uneasy 'bout the whole idea at first. Uneasy 'bout leavin' her alone. She was still in restraints, had been since the day they put the tube in her nose. She tried to pull it out, she punched a nurse who tried to put it in. It wasn't fun to see. She was combative even in the restraints so they had to satiate her. She become a zombie. I walk into the locker room an' over to my locker. I sat down on the bench an' looked over. My sister fell right there, Mercedes almost died right there.
"Welcome back Bosco." Faith says as she walks in. "How is Mercedes?"
"Still a zombie, though she's gainin' weight, like they wanted her too, so she might be able to get the damn tube out sooner. It keeps givin' her nose bleeds."
"She still tryin' to pull it out?" Faith asks me as I check my gun.
"Can't." I tell her placin' the clip in. "She's still got the restraints on an' all." I put my vest on over my wife beater. "I wanna bring her home, I wanna get her outta there, she's jus' not herself. I don' know if it's the drugs or what, but she's jus' way out there."
"Any idea of how long she's gotta stay there?" Faith asks me while buttonin' up her shirt.
I shrug; they really never gave me a set date. "Well she's gotta gain at least 10 more pounds an' all first before they even think 'bout lettin' her go home, even then she's still got treatments. She's gotta see all these doctors of all kinds. A dietician, a head shrink, some other kinda head shrinker, one she can talk to 'bout her eatin'" I button up my shirt. "A cardiologist, guess her hearts all messed up from this an' they ain't sure if it's permanent or what. Guess her heart beats irregular or somethin'" I shrug again. "Theres like two more doctors they want her to see." I sigh as I stand up. "She's got all these weigh ins and group therapy everyday it seems. It's sad, an' if she don' go I can't see her an' she can't see me."
"Roll Call!" Christopher says stickin' his head in.
I slam my locker door close. "I mean it's all for the best, but I jus' hate seein' her go through this."
"Yeah, poor girl. Emily wants to come see her. Fred said he'd bring her by, but I said I'd ask ya first. I didn't know if there were any set rules on visitors."
"Emily would probably have to come with me. Family only, I could sneak her in. Mercedes would like that. though." I open the door to head towards roll call. "How 'bout Saturday afternoon?"
"Sounds good, I'll let her know."
We walk into roll call an' Faith take a seat by me.
"Welcome back Bosco." Sully says pattin' my shoulder. "Glad to hear your sister is doin' better."
"Thanks Sullivan." I tell him tappin' my pen on the desk. Thinkin' of Mercedes; wonderin what she's doin' how she's doin'.
I sit an' listen somewhat to Christopher babble 'bout shit. Nothin' important. "We'll be having an 'All-You-Can-Eat pasta dinner, as a fund raiser for Bosco's sister. That will be Friday night at 8pm, at St.Michaels Church on 8th and King. Tickets are Ten dollars. Sewrksy expects to see evey one whos working shift that night there."
I smile at the gesture, I really didn't expect it.
"Isn't it ironic, we're havin' an all-you-can-eat dinner, for someone who can't eat." I hear from the back, my smile quickly fades.
"Anderson! I'll talk to you after roll call, that comment was uncalled for.' Christopher yells.
I have half a mind to kick his ass, but a take a few deep breaths. I guess faith can tell what's goin' through my mind.
"Just let it go Bos, just let it go. he ain't worth it."
I look back to Anderson shootin' him a dirty look.
"Keep you eyes open out there." I hear Christopher sayin' knowin' roll calls over. "I'll meet ya at the car Faith I say to her walkin' to get the radios. I can hear Christopher chewin' Anderson a new asshole. Surprises me too, as much as Christopher hates me. I'm nosey so I stop an' listen. I can't hear much from Anderson, other then him tryin' to defend him self. I lean closer to the door.
"I was jus' making a joke okay, it was suppose to be funny. Jesus man lighten up." Anderson says.
Then I hear Christopher say. "I don't think it's funny at all Anderson, my sister died when I was 15 from the same damn thing. It's not funny at all. In fact take the rest of the day off!" He shouts. My jaw drops. I never knew. I can hear Anderson cruse a little as he makes his way to the door. I quickly hurry off to get the radios actin' like I wasn't there. Like I didn't hear. I guess maybe that explains to me why Christopher came with Sewrsky that day.
I walk to the car an' see Faith standin' and waitin' She tosses me the keys. "Welcome back Bosco." She says with a smirk.
"Guess I'm drivin huh?" I ask her. "Hey I told Mercedes we'd stop by an' see her. That okay with you?'
She smiled. "Sure, no problem, Bos."
I open the door an' then unlock faith door, both of us climb in. "Good, because even if it wasn't we were goin'."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Faith an' I go to Mercy, it's the first thin' we do on our shift, it's what I've been lookin' forward to all day. Seein' my sister. Even though she's still a "zombie" I wanna see her. I look forward to seein' her everyday, jus' waitin' for the day to come when I can bring her home. When gain enough weight that they let her out of that place. I know once she's out it's not over, but it's a step in the right direction. I look over at Faith before we go in. "She's goin' to be out of it a little." I tell her, knowin' its the first time Faith's seen her since that day.
She nods. "Okay Bos." She says. I don' think Faith know jus' how bad Mercedes is.
We walk in Faith behind me, she follows me up to Mercedes room. I stop at the door an' take a deep breath before goin' in. I see her and smile. "Hey brat!"
She looks at me, she's out of it but she's not out of it enough not know who I am. "Mo!" She said cheerfully.
I smile. "I brought a friend." I tell her as Faith walks in. Her eyes light up even more.
As Faith walks in an' sees my sister, she gasps under her breath. She really had no idea how bad she was. I could see Faith was biting back tears. She loved Mercedes, she was like a second daughter.
"Hey!" Mercedes says.
"Hey yourself!" Faith answers back nodding tryin' to hold back her tears. She swallows hard. "How ya feelin' Hun?"
"Crappy, I wanna go home. I hate it here. All the weigh-ins, and this stupid tube, the stupid nose bleeds. It would have been better off if I died." She says.
I look sharply at her. 'DON' YA EVER SAY THAT AGAIN! GOT IT MERCEDES! THATS NOT EVEN FUNNY!" I yell, before I realized how loud I yelled at her. She jumps a little an' jus' stares at me.
Faith still tryin' to hold herself together. "You'll be home soon." She says as she walks to Mercedes bedside rubbin' her forehead. She smiled down at her. "I promise you. You just need to get better okay Hun, once you do that these silly restraints will be off, that tube will be out and you'll be making Bosco life a living hell again." She told her. Faith looked over at me I could see her eyes fillin' with tear. She blinked then looked down at my sister. "I'll be back Mercedes, okay Hun. I need to use the restroom."
Mercedes nods. "Okay."
I sit next to Mercedes as Faith leaves.
Mercedes looks at me. "Ya shouldn't have brought her, it mad her sad Mo, real sad." She said.
"She okay." I lie.
"No, she was crying you better go check on her." She says. "Okay go see how she is. I'll be fine."
I nod as I kiss her on the forehead. "I'll be back brat."
I walk outside of Mercedes room and see Faith standin' in the hall cryin' "F-Faith." I say softly. "You okay?"
She falls into my arms cryin' "Oh God Bosco, she's - I didn't know it - that she was this bad." She said sobbin'
"Faith it's okay she'll be okay." I told her trying to reassure her, as well as myself. "She could see you were cryin'."
"I'm sorry."
"No don' be. I understand." I tell.
"What about Mercedes?" Faith asked me. "Does she understand?"
I nod. "When ya ready come back in, okay."
Faith wipes her eyes an' sniffles a little while nodding her head. "Tell I'll ba back in a few minuets." She told me walkin' to the bathroom.
Now more then ever I can't wait to get Mercedes out of here.
A week an' half after Mercedes got sick I returned to work. I was a little uneasy 'bout the whole idea at first. Uneasy 'bout leavin' her alone. She was still in restraints, had been since the day they put the tube in her nose. She tried to pull it out, she punched a nurse who tried to put it in. It wasn't fun to see. She was combative even in the restraints so they had to satiate her. She become a zombie. I walk into the locker room an' over to my locker. I sat down on the bench an' looked over. My sister fell right there, Mercedes almost died right there.
"Welcome back Bosco." Faith says as she walks in. "How is Mercedes?"
"Still a zombie, though she's gainin' weight, like they wanted her too, so she might be able to get the damn tube out sooner. It keeps givin' her nose bleeds."
"She still tryin' to pull it out?" Faith asks me as I check my gun.
"Can't." I tell her placin' the clip in. "She's still got the restraints on an' all." I put my vest on over my wife beater. "I wanna bring her home, I wanna get her outta there, she's jus' not herself. I don' know if it's the drugs or what, but she's jus' way out there."
"Any idea of how long she's gotta stay there?" Faith asks me while buttonin' up her shirt.
I shrug; they really never gave me a set date. "Well she's gotta gain at least 10 more pounds an' all first before they even think 'bout lettin' her go home, even then she's still got treatments. She's gotta see all these doctors of all kinds. A dietician, a head shrink, some other kinda head shrinker, one she can talk to 'bout her eatin'" I button up my shirt. "A cardiologist, guess her hearts all messed up from this an' they ain't sure if it's permanent or what. Guess her heart beats irregular or somethin'" I shrug again. "Theres like two more doctors they want her to see." I sigh as I stand up. "She's got all these weigh ins and group therapy everyday it seems. It's sad, an' if she don' go I can't see her an' she can't see me."
"Roll Call!" Christopher says stickin' his head in.
I slam my locker door close. "I mean it's all for the best, but I jus' hate seein' her go through this."
"Yeah, poor girl. Emily wants to come see her. Fred said he'd bring her by, but I said I'd ask ya first. I didn't know if there were any set rules on visitors."
"Emily would probably have to come with me. Family only, I could sneak her in. Mercedes would like that. though." I open the door to head towards roll call. "How 'bout Saturday afternoon?"
"Sounds good, I'll let her know."
We walk into roll call an' Faith take a seat by me.
"Welcome back Bosco." Sully says pattin' my shoulder. "Glad to hear your sister is doin' better."
"Thanks Sullivan." I tell him tappin' my pen on the desk. Thinkin' of Mercedes; wonderin what she's doin' how she's doin'.
I sit an' listen somewhat to Christopher babble 'bout shit. Nothin' important. "We'll be having an 'All-You-Can-Eat pasta dinner, as a fund raiser for Bosco's sister. That will be Friday night at 8pm, at St.Michaels Church on 8th and King. Tickets are Ten dollars. Sewrksy expects to see evey one whos working shift that night there."
I smile at the gesture, I really didn't expect it.
"Isn't it ironic, we're havin' an all-you-can-eat dinner, for someone who can't eat." I hear from the back, my smile quickly fades.
"Anderson! I'll talk to you after roll call, that comment was uncalled for.' Christopher yells.
I have half a mind to kick his ass, but a take a few deep breaths. I guess faith can tell what's goin' through my mind.
"Just let it go Bos, just let it go. he ain't worth it."
I look back to Anderson shootin' him a dirty look.
"Keep you eyes open out there." I hear Christopher sayin' knowin' roll calls over. "I'll meet ya at the car Faith I say to her walkin' to get the radios. I can hear Christopher chewin' Anderson a new asshole. Surprises me too, as much as Christopher hates me. I'm nosey so I stop an' listen. I can't hear much from Anderson, other then him tryin' to defend him self. I lean closer to the door.
"I was jus' making a joke okay, it was suppose to be funny. Jesus man lighten up." Anderson says.
Then I hear Christopher say. "I don't think it's funny at all Anderson, my sister died when I was 15 from the same damn thing. It's not funny at all. In fact take the rest of the day off!" He shouts. My jaw drops. I never knew. I can hear Anderson cruse a little as he makes his way to the door. I quickly hurry off to get the radios actin' like I wasn't there. Like I didn't hear. I guess maybe that explains to me why Christopher came with Sewrsky that day.
I walk to the car an' see Faith standin' and waitin' She tosses me the keys. "Welcome back Bosco." She says with a smirk.
"Guess I'm drivin huh?" I ask her. "Hey I told Mercedes we'd stop by an' see her. That okay with you?'
She smiled. "Sure, no problem, Bos."
I open the door an' then unlock faith door, both of us climb in. "Good, because even if it wasn't we were goin'."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Faith an' I go to Mercy, it's the first thin' we do on our shift, it's what I've been lookin' forward to all day. Seein' my sister. Even though she's still a "zombie" I wanna see her. I look forward to seein' her everyday, jus' waitin' for the day to come when I can bring her home. When gain enough weight that they let her out of that place. I know once she's out it's not over, but it's a step in the right direction. I look over at Faith before we go in. "She's goin' to be out of it a little." I tell her, knowin' its the first time Faith's seen her since that day.
She nods. "Okay Bos." She says. I don' think Faith know jus' how bad Mercedes is.
We walk in Faith behind me, she follows me up to Mercedes room. I stop at the door an' take a deep breath before goin' in. I see her and smile. "Hey brat!"
She looks at me, she's out of it but she's not out of it enough not know who I am. "Mo!" She said cheerfully.
I smile. "I brought a friend." I tell her as Faith walks in. Her eyes light up even more.
As Faith walks in an' sees my sister, she gasps under her breath. She really had no idea how bad she was. I could see Faith was biting back tears. She loved Mercedes, she was like a second daughter.
"Hey!" Mercedes says.
"Hey yourself!" Faith answers back nodding tryin' to hold back her tears. She swallows hard. "How ya feelin' Hun?"
"Crappy, I wanna go home. I hate it here. All the weigh-ins, and this stupid tube, the stupid nose bleeds. It would have been better off if I died." She says.
I look sharply at her. 'DON' YA EVER SAY THAT AGAIN! GOT IT MERCEDES! THATS NOT EVEN FUNNY!" I yell, before I realized how loud I yelled at her. She jumps a little an' jus' stares at me.
Faith still tryin' to hold herself together. "You'll be home soon." She says as she walks to Mercedes bedside rubbin' her forehead. She smiled down at her. "I promise you. You just need to get better okay Hun, once you do that these silly restraints will be off, that tube will be out and you'll be making Bosco life a living hell again." She told her. Faith looked over at me I could see her eyes fillin' with tear. She blinked then looked down at my sister. "I'll be back Mercedes, okay Hun. I need to use the restroom."
Mercedes nods. "Okay."
I sit next to Mercedes as Faith leaves.
Mercedes looks at me. "Ya shouldn't have brought her, it mad her sad Mo, real sad." She said.
"She okay." I lie.
"No, she was crying you better go check on her." She says. "Okay go see how she is. I'll be fine."
I nod as I kiss her on the forehead. "I'll be back brat."
I walk outside of Mercedes room and see Faith standin' in the hall cryin' "F-Faith." I say softly. "You okay?"
She falls into my arms cryin' "Oh God Bosco, she's - I didn't know it - that she was this bad." She said sobbin'
"Faith it's okay she'll be okay." I told her trying to reassure her, as well as myself. "She could see you were cryin'."
"I'm sorry."
"No don' be. I understand." I tell.
"What about Mercedes?" Faith asked me. "Does she understand?"
I nod. "When ya ready come back in, okay."
Faith wipes her eyes an' sniffles a little while nodding her head. "Tell I'll ba back in a few minuets." She told me walkin' to the bathroom.
Now more then ever I can't wait to get Mercedes out of here.