The
UB 2 chap1
Struggling
"Hey Temp. Wanna
play me a game?" Jordan asked from her hospital bed. It had been
seven and a half months since she had awakened from her comatose
state. Tempest was sitting in the recliner by her bed, chatting on
her laptop. The routine had become pretty normal. Jordan's days at
the hospital consisted of physical therapy, counseling, and being
bored in her room.
"Why? So I can beat you like every other
time?" Tempest asked, not looking up from her laptop.
"Yeah,
whatever. You're just scared to play me." Jordan shook her head
as Tempest ignored her, typing on her laptop. Jordan sighed
bordly.
"I would if I wasn't chattin." Tempest said, her
eyes looking over her laptop at a very bored Jordan.
"It's all
good. You know I'd just win. Excuses, as if. Scaredy cat." Jordan
kept playfully ragging on her friend, knowing she was competitive
enough to work her into changing her mind.
"Ok, bring it Girly."
Tempest shut her laptop and sat on the bed. "I'm warning ya, you
is gonna lose." She promised, shaking her head. Diego walked in,
looking around at the packed boxes that were ready to go home.
"You
two never quit, I swear." She muttered as she waited for Jordan to
finish her game, her arms folded and her foot tapping
impatiently.
"I'm gonna win this time!" Jordan cried
excitedly, being close to the end.
"Not this time, Brat."
Tempest threw the controller down, throwing her hands up as if she
had just finished roping a calf in a rodeo. She laughed at Jordan's
dropped jaw.
"Bout bloody time. J, you wanna go to wars?" She
asked, picking up things and straightening.
"Uh, yeah, Di."
Jordan smiled, her tone with a 'duh' ring to it. She held out her
arm for Diego to take out the IV. She was able to go to Wars, which
started tomorrow, and was leaving the hospital this very day. She had
gotten over the temporary paralysis almost two months ago. She was
left with a slight limp, a brace for her back as well as a cast from
her shoulder to hand. She was still undergoing skin graft surgeries,
physical therapy to regain her motor skills, and counseling to fight
her posttraumatic stress disorder they had diagnosed her with.
"Smart
mouth chicken, you are." Diego said rather sarcastically, making
Jordan giggle.
"Bout time I heard a giggle from my baby."
Dominic said, walking in, looking at Jordan anxiously. He watched
Diego take out the IV.
"We're heading straight to wars,
right?" Jordan asked, kissing him.
"Nope, you need to
rest first." Dominic said, doing his best to keep a straight face.
Jordan frowned at him as Diego hid her smile. "Just kidding, baby
doll." He grinned, making Diego and Tempest laugh.
"Di, I am
so gonna feed you to Rome." Jordan threatened. "You are so..."
She started.
"Silly? Yes, I know this, Babe." Diego said,
sticking a thermometer in Jordan's mouth to keep her from replying.
The doctor walked in, arms folded and a stern look about her
face.
"Jordan, I need to talk to you. This is very important for
you to listen." The doctor said, pulling up a chair. Jordan leaned
back in the bed, giving an annoyed sigh. Tempest popped her gently on
the back of the head as if to say 'listen to her' Jordan growled.
"Are you focused?" She asked, smiling.
"Yes, I am." Jordan
said indignantly, her eyes avoiding the doctor's once Diego had
taken out the thermometer.
"If I decide you
can go to these...race wars...there is to be no alcohol, you are on
too much medication. When you become tired, you had better lay down.
Your energy is going to be scarce. Miss Tempest, here, has assured me
you will have a bed while you are there. You cannot handle any strain
on that back and there is absolutely no racing in any car. We have
enough damage to repair without risking adding anymore. Are we
clear?" The doctor folded her arms and looked at Jordan's knee
that had been fully replaced three months ago. Jordan nodded.
"She'll
follow ever rule, we promise, Doc." Dominic nodded.
"Good,
I'll get the discharge papers ready. I still expect you to make
physical therapy every day and counseling three times a week. Miss
one day of either one and you will be readmitted to the hospital."
The doctor threatened, shaking her finger in warning.
"Ok."
Jordan said, her face now serious and no longer smiling. The doctor
left and Jordan shook her head, now annoyed.
"J, come on,
Darlin. Its' not that bad." Tempest thumped her friend's arm,
attempting to cheer her up.
"I can't even drink." Jordan
muttered. "I should just go home. I might scare all the racers away
anyway." Jordan sighed. Tempest looked at Dominic. They had long
ago witnessed the mood swings she could and often had. The doctor had
explained this as being a result of traumatic depression.
"I'm
goin to take this stuff downstairs." Dominic coughed as Tempest
pushed him out of the room.
"You do that." She handed him a
box before doing so. She shut the door and looked at Jordan. "Time
for another pep talk." She said, sitting down.
"Oh Lord."
Jordan muttered, leaning back, sullen.
"Don't 'oh lord'
me. J, you're still pretty. I won't have you putting yourself
down. You know better than that. Did you honestly think we would
expect you to go to wars and not drink?" Tempest asked, meeting
Jordan's gaze. Then Jordan shrugged. "You're supposed to say
yes, doctor, I'll do what you say, doctor." Tempest said,
grinning. "You are the queen of pullin off the innocent act." She
said, shaking her head. Jordan grabbed her pillow and threw it at
Tempest as she fluttered her eyes, mocking Jordan.
"You suck."
Jordan rolled her eyes.
"Only on weekends and holidays."
Tempest smiled proudly, twirling her newly dyed blonde hair.
"That's
not what Ice said." Jordan batted her eyes.
"I was going to
give you a surprise Tiff and I picked up, but you're bein a brat,
so never mind." Tempest pretended to be more interested in
examining her nails.
"Why couldn't' Tiff baby-sit me? She's
not as mean as you." Jordan countered.
"Ha! That's funny. I
do her dirty work. I've seen the scary side of her." Tempest
shook her head, remembering Johnny's final days. She wondered if
Brian and Tiffany were having fun, since they had left a week ahead
of the crew for some alone time.
"Right." Jordan yawned. The
phone rang and she grabbed it eagerly, answering it. "Hello." She
played with the cord.
"Hey you. You comin today or next week?
The Corona's getting hot." Tiffany said, a smile apparent from
her tone of voice. Jordan laughed.
"I would but Temp is holding
my present hostage. Tell the mean Tempest to give it to the sad
little Jordan." Jordan played up her innocence to her best
friend.
"Oh Gawd, please. Spare me." Tempest rolled her eyes
at Jordan, though with a smile.
"Tell Tempest I am taking away
all her herbal supplements." Tiffany said. Jordan repeated the
words, making
Tempest throw a Macy's bag, barley missing Jordan's head.
"Ugh.
So rude." Jordan growled, opening the sack. She pulled out a pale
pink and black Baby Phat velour jump suit. "That's hot." Jordan
grinned in approval.
"Glad you like. Now, get dressed and get
out here." Tiffany ordered, laughing. Jordan said bye and hung up
the phone. She limped to the bathroom, pausing to look into the
mirror once she got inside and the door shut. She was fighting back
tears and purposely taking her time.
"J, you ok in there?"
Tempest asked, knocking. Jordan opened the door, tears spilling down
her face.
"I didn't know you didn't like pink. She made me
do it. I told you I do all her dirty work." Tempest held up her
hands as though she was being held at gunpoint, making Jordan laugh
as she wiped the tears.
"This isn't me, Temp." Jordan sat
down in the recliner.
"I know, I woulda picked the blue one but
Tiff insisted on the pink one." Tempest grinned, putting an arm
around Jordan, sitting on the arm of the chair. Jordan giggled at
Tempest's silliness.
"No, I love it. It's just...I hate how
I look. I hate...I hate being scared to go to wars, even." Jordan
confessed, looking up at Tempest.
"Girl, quit bein so hard on
yourself. You've been through a lot. You're beautiful and we all
love you. It's all good and you are doing great." Tempest
reassured her friend, making Jordan smile. She hated seeing Jordan so
miserable and knew even Tiff's words didn't really help all that
much. It was going to take time.
"You'd make a really good
cheerleader." Jordan laughed and nodded at Tempest pulled her now
shoulder length hair back with barrettes.
"You so did not just
say that." Tempest shook her head.
"Everyone hates
cheerleaders. Why?" Jordan asked as Dominic knocked on the door,
looking nervous to come in. He felt like he had to walk on pins and
needles with Jordan. She was like a stick of dynamite, capable of
being set off at any moment.
"I love my cheerleader." Dominic
said, kissing her. "You look beautiful, Baby Doll." He whispered
in her ear, making her smile at him gratefully.
"Let's get
goin. You two can be so sickening some times." Tempest grumbled,
clapping her hands to get them moving.
"You're just jealous
cuz your man is in New York." Jordan smiled smugly. She took one
last look around the room she had lived in for over half of a year.
She sighed. All her pain and struggles had happened here
"Jealous?
Of Dom? Please, spare me." Tempest scoffed. Dominic's phone rang
before Jordan could retort.
"Hello." He said, stroking
Jordan's hand as he talked, holding the phone with his shoulder to
his ear.
"Dom, Tiff's not pickin up her phone. I just got
pulled over and I don't know what's up. If I don't show up in
the next two hours, call Ice to come and get me." Brian said,
hanging up as the officer neared his car.
Tiff, thanks for always being there for me and for putting up with my stupid stuff I tend to do at times. Happy early birthday to Miss Tempest, who I have gotten to be very good friends with. Girl, you rock and I think you are a wonderful person. Thanks for always making me feel better and for the real life pep talks, lol. To everyone else, please review!
