"Good morning Huey Freeman."
Huey had just woken from his sleep, he is in a small room with a few devices hooked up on him "Wh- what happened?"
"You were taken to the hospital earlier at night. Your brother had called on an ambulance."
He asks the man who appears to be his doctor "I passed out?"
"Yup. We've checked over your vitals and everything seems to be alright. We can have you checked out the hospital in a few hours but I have a few questions first."
The doctor asked him some general health questions, specifically to explain to himself how we was passed out on the floor. Huey doesn't remember much, he did the rally, he did his office work, and his office did a little celebration for doing a day's work of organized protests. He didn't drink anything, he didn't eat anything, and all he did was shake a few hands and recieved praise from a handful of people.
Why the hell did Riley call an ambulance?
The doctor dismisses himself "I'll go look over some things and check your results. I'll have your brother in the room in just a few minutes."
Riley walks in the room "What's good nigga?"
"The fuck you did?"
"The fuck I did?! I be out here saving your life."
"I just passed out from exhaustion. And here you are calling an ambulance."
Riley mutters under his breath "Damn... fucking ungrateful piece of shit."
"Look at the damn hospital bill! I passed out and you had them bill me 5k!? I run a fucking office that makes no money in the middle of the city! I don't got money for this shit!"
"Uhhh... I had them do everything..."
"Did what?! What the hell did you do Riley!?"
"Well they asked me if you want to do them blood test so I said yes and they did it. And then they ask me if you want a room with sum added features so I said yes to that too... and they ask if you want '24/7 premium care' or some shit and I said yes..."
"What the fuck Riley!? I'm gonna get charged for all that extra shit!"
"Yeah well I was just paying attention and making sure you comfortable. Bitch ass sleeping beauty mad about the bills..."
Then suddenly the doctor walks in and stop the yelling "Is something wrong?"
Huey replies "No."
"Well I have your results."
"Tell me what it is then."
"Through my psych-evaluation... Mr. Freeman you're showing symptoms for Major Depressive Disorder."
Huey recognizes that term "Depression?"
The doctor adds more to the list "We've looked at your blood and you have several nutrient deficiencies. You haven't been eating much considering your loss in body weight. And it seems that you simply haven't been getting much sleep. Your current lifestyle is taking a physical and mental toll on your body and can explain how you passed out on the floor in the first place."
"Anything else doctor?"
"I highly recommend you change your current routines and habits. There aren't really many treatments for this other than to take care of yourself better Mr. Freeman. However I can recommend you to a psycholog-
Huey cuts him off "No. That's fine. I want to be discharged. Now."
Huey and Riley takes a taxi and they are dropped off at the apartment. Huey looks visibly pissed, as he had no reason to go to the hospital and he's pissed at himself for collapsing on the floor and missing so much work. He looks at his phone and notices that he is hours behind his work schedule.
Riley says "So. You're welcome nigga."
"Fuck you."
Huey sits down on the dining chair and rests his head. He looks at his apartment and how cluttered it became. There's a mess on the floor where he had collapsed and Riley is throwing his garbage on the floor. He hates what has become of him.
"I'm leavin." Riley announces.
Huey responds harshly "Good."
"Nigga. Fuck you, I'm here to say goodbye and you out here dissin me.
"Yeah well, it's gonna be fun not having a fuckin racoon eating out of my fridge and drinking all of my juice."
Riley has his fists clump up into a ball "Fuck you, you sound like him, don't you fuckin talk like him."
"Oh yea huh? Wanna fuckin go? You wanna start somethin then you get somethin. Ay let's go. Fuckin test me nigga." Huey stands up from his chair as he prepares to fight Riley.
"You out here thingking you like a Black Bruce Wayne, thinking you the shit with your little rallies! Thinking you know everythin! Just cause you got some money you out here being a nigga with an attitude huh!?" Riley walks up to Huey's chair where he is sitting. He stares down at Huey menacingly.
Huey gives him a deah stare "Riley, you cry like a little bitch, every single night. Would be nice not to hear your runny little mouth when I sleep at night."
Riley's eyes starts to water. "Fuck you! What the hell happened to you!? You collapse on the fucking floor, I help your ass to the hospital, and then you wanna start shit?! Who the fuck are you?!"
Riley looks at the man he calls brother, deep down he's hurt by Huey's words because the reason he cries is because he misses Granddad. Then anger gathers within him, he feels a fire in his chest. Riley starts throwing punches.
Surprisingly, his brother doesn't do anything. Huey takes the hits. Riley punches him in the gut, kicks him, and even lands one to his jaw. Riley keeps punching and punching, never relenting, beating his brother, hoping he can knock him out before he decides to hit back. "You gay ass nigga! You bitch ass! Fuckin motherfuckin-
"Stop." Huey catches one of his fist. Riley punches with his free hand and then Huey catches it as well.
Riley's hand shakes as he starts to break down "What the hell happened?! What the hell happened to us!?"
"He died."
"Fuck you! I-I just want them back! I want them back!"
Huey sighs, calming down, he's talking to his brother, one of the only family members left, he needs to give him respect.
He replies "We can't Riley."
They stand there in Huey's apartment, with blood dripping down Huey's mouth. Riley mutters out "I'm leaving."
"Why?"
"I don't want to be like this anymore. I don't want to eat your food and sleep in your bed. I don't want to be a worthless sack of shit anymore."
Huey shares a rare moment of sympathy with Riley "Where will you go?"
"French Foreign Legion. It's a military unit. They let anyone join, any nationality, even a black kid... and they accepted me. I got an interview in France."
"Okay. Go."
Riley stares at him angrily "Nigga, let me guess. You don't care?"
Huey relents and lets himself feel compassion "Be careful. I know what you're gonna go through. Learn some french sentences before you go. And just ask me if you need any money."
"You ain't gonna stop me?"
Huey sighs "We're adults now, yeah sure you're 16 but we both know we can manage our own now. We aren't little kids anymore. But I'll make sure to look out for you, it's the least I can do for our fucked-up family."
"Thanks."
"You gonna leave soon?" Huey asks.
"Tomorrow, I'll go to France and take an interview in 2 weeks. I was gonna steal yo car."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah..." Riley awkwardly smiles.
"Applying takes months. All this time you'be been planning to leave?"
"I didn't want to tell you. You'd probably stop me. Well you wanted to beat my ass 3 minutes ago so I wuz right."
Huey sighs "I dont't want you to leave. You're my only family left."
"Yeah it fucking hurts... but I gotta do this, I don't wanna be worthless no more. I wanna find ma purpose. Maybe it is with art and drawing and shit, or maybe it is with that bitch French military... I just want to move on Huey. I'm tired of this shit."
Huey feels slightly envious "Huh. Good for you."
"And sorry the hospital billed you and shit. I don't know much about health so when I saw u on the floor, I panicked... didn't want you to die... so I went all out on the healthcare."
"Yeah... it's okay, I can pay for it."
"You gotta move on Huey, you cry like a little bitch at night too. I know you hurtin but you ain't no motherfucking Bushido Brown and doing intense shit. And stop with that vegan thing. Like damn eat some meat nigga. You look like a damn skeleton."
Huey has had better sleep the next day, for some reason that night he was more at peace, he gave himself time to meditate, and he finally rested a full 8 hours that night. Today, his brother is going someplace else, he understands that Riley needs some time to heal, some time to process these things, and for some reason he feels kind of envious. Envious because Riley is finally looking out for himself, something that Huey hasn't really done. As he drives Riley to the airport he can't help but admire his brother and look at how far he has grown.
Yung Reezy, Riley Escobar, and whatever nicknames he has is gone. Riley's matured, for better or worse. All that time breaking shit and gambling his money away after the death had an effect on him, it was cathartic for Riley and he came out of that as a changed man. Now Riley looks more sure of himself than ever. Like he said, he was sick and tired of being immature. And now he has that certain confidence within him that compels a man to change his life, which is actually something Huey feels proud of for his brother.
"Ey we better be at the right spot. If you fuck up I gotta walk thru the other side of the airport."
"I know the right terminal Riley, chill."
Riley has all his belongings on him. He gambled and pawned away all his expensive shit from his Wuncler money. All those chains, all those expensive clothing that inflated his ego were all gone. Riley only had a couple of shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, and a nice dress shirt and pants for his interview. Huey wonders how well his brother is gonna do in the interview, after all, Riley has to pass and then handpicked for him to be in the Foreign Legion. He's willing to pay for a hotel and food while Riley waits for his results but he wonders what would happen if Riley doesn't get in.
"You sure about the Foreign Legion? You sure? It's a military unit that consists of various people in the world. They appeal to people living in poor countries so that they can get a second chance in Europe. It's a fucking colosseum for multi-way racism and contrary to popular belief it ain't even an elite military unit or spec ops and you'll probably be washing the floors all day than training."
"I know. You said a second chance and I'm down for that. I'm hopeful."
Huey resists the urge to smile, but nonetheless he's proud "Alright. We're here."
"Thanks for everything. Huey."
"Yeah. And don't wear that Lethal Interjection necklace to your interview."
Riley apologizes "Sorry bout what I said yesterday."
"It's cool."
"I want ya to be happy too. I know you actin all tough and shit but deep down I know you still hurtin inside."
"Yeah... I know."
"'I'm gonna call when I get to Paris. Good luck on your black power shit. And hope you get better."
"Hm.. thanks."
They didn't hug, they didn't wave, they didn't do a big song and dance about how they're departing from each other. They just look each other in the eyes and give a little nod. It's a weird brotherly expression that gives a sort of assurance and trust to both of them and that they're going to be alright.
As Huey watches Riley move to the security checkpoint to have his things checked, Huey stands there from afar, just observing and watching his brother move away from view. He feels alone.
But this time it feels different, in what used to be a crushing feeling of hopelessness, this time he feels alone because he's expecting someone to be at his side. He kinda feels digusted with himself when he is thinking about someone else when he should be worrying about his brother. But then Riley's words ring through his ears.
A second chance.
Hope.
And for the first time in a while, Huey doesn't feel hopelessness anymore, he doesn't understand why, but he feels it. Hope.
A day passes by. Then a week. Summer is almost over and fall is just around the corner. Huey tries to call him everyday. Day by day he learns how to take care of himself again and he doesn't like to admit that it's because of Riley. In Paris, he has a tiny apartment where he shares a bunk bed with a Vietnamese guy and he shares a bathroom with 5 different strangers. Every night Huey would call and he would listen to his brother brag and tell stories.
Riley always points out how French girls are hot and how French food is straight up bussin. Day by day, Huey has a moment where he can stop being angry at the world and just give his brother some advice or tell him a cultural taboo that he should know.
He sits in his apartment, late at night. He's given himself time to take care of the apartment, he turned Riley's bedroom into a home office, it's actually bigger than the one in his work office. He's also cleaned up the place and bought a few extra furniture, it finally looked like a proper home. He has a few paintings he liked, a few pictures, a house plant and some lamps to top up the decorations.
He had a proper home. He still feels lonely at the end of the day, sometimes it's not that bad because he is Huey Freeman after all.
He's regained some of his weight and also does workouts in his living room and he's staying in shape. He listened to the doctor's words, after all he spent 5000 on that conversation. Huey realizes there's some truth in what he said and logically, he isn't gonna accomplish his goals if he dies early.
So there he sits, in one of those tall dining chairs and eating at his kitchen counter, he made himself some vegetable stew. Just staring at the random stuff in his apartment and the sound of a whirling ceiling fan in the air. Then suddenly, a knock.
A knock on the door.
Is that her? A thought rushed to his mind.
He opens the door.
"Tom?"
Tom waves his hand shyly "Hi... Huey."
"What are you doing here? In DC? In my apartment?"
"I uh... had a fight with Sarah again. She kicked me out. I need a place to stay."
"You need a place to stay because you can't go to the mansion across your street anymore... so you drove the 1 hour drive to my apartment?"
"I don't... have anywhere else to go Huey... I need to stay for the night."
"No."
"I-I'm sorry for the funeral Huey. I'm sorry for causing a fight... please... I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have my wallet... for a hotel."
He sighs "Don't talk about the funeral. Come in."
Tom walks into his apartment "Wow I'm impressed Huey, looks nice."
"It's not a bed and breakfast Tom. You get 1 night. And you sleep on that couch."
"Of course. Thanks Huey."
Huey goes into his room and gets his spare pillows and blankets. "Here."
"Thank you."
"Enough with the thank you's Tom. I get it."
"I'm just thankful. Really."
"I'm not." Huey scowls.
"And I'm sorry for your loss."
Huey wants to yell at him. Everything that Tom says pisses him off. But he can't keep pushing people away anymore, his guardian died and his brother is off in Paris doing fuck all. He can't be mad at people anymore.
Huey exhales "Yeah... my loss. Don't bring him up Tom, I don't wanna talk about it."
"Sorry."
"If you want to eat, grab a bowl. I made stew."
They sit together in the kitchen, Huey continues eating and Tom gets himself a bowl. Tom is still in his suit but visibly he doesn't look well.
"Is that a bruise?" Huey points out.
"Yes. Sarah threw a spoon at me."
"Seems like you two aren't having a good relationship."
Tom eats a spoonful of stew "Yeah. You can say that again."
"Are you two getting better or worse?"
Tom pauses for a second to give himself time to think about it "Worse."
Huey says with brutal honesty. "Then why are you still together?"
"We don't want to make Jazmine sad."
"Her." Huey blurts out.
"Yes... she's still our little girl and you want your children to have two parents. We don't want her to cry, I still fight with Sarah but we love Jazmine together."
"She's 18. She's not a little girl." Huey is avoiding saying her name.
"I know... I know.. I don't know what to do!"
"Leave her. You aren't in a loving relationship anymore, your daughter is 18 and she probably just wants you two to be happy than to be forcing yourselves to live with each other and fighting."
Tom asks "We're forcing to live with each other?"
"Well do you want to live with Sarah? For the rest of your life?"
"I- I- I don't know." Tom says.
"When your woman walks into a room, do you lock eyes with each other?"
"No." Tom admits. He really can't even look at Sarah anymore.
"When she walks towards you, do you get a feeling of happiness and comfort when your partner gets closer?"
"No." Tom gets anxious and nervous whenever Sarah gets close to him.
"As a man, are you confident around her? Are you able to discuss your feelings with her?"
"No." Tom can't even show weakness around her.
"Okay. Let me ask you again. Do you want to live with that woman for the rest of your life?"
Tom pauses. "No."
"Then tell her. No point of doing this whole charade." Huey finishes his bowl of stew.
"I can't say all those things around her! She'll get furious!"
"Tom. Leave her or stay. If either option leads you two fighting then does it really matter?"
"...Yeah... you're right."
"At least, if you leave her, then you have one more fight and it stops forever. But let me make this clear, divorce is not something to take lightly. What you have is a unhealthy painful and destructive marriage and if you really want to get out of it then you need to be fully and perfectly sure with yourself."
"I know... it's a big deal. But I'm not happy anymore. We're not happy anymore."
"Then if your instincts say you should do it then do it. I'm sure your daughter will understand. All she wants is for her parents to be happy and that doesn't mean staying in a forced relationship."
Tom finishes his bowl of stew as well and he stands up to the sink. As a house guest he's willing to do the dishes to as a way of saying thanks.
He speaks "You know Huey... Jazmine misses you."
"I would prefer not talking about it." He replies.
"Well, at the very least, you should know she is studying at Chicago. She wanted to get out of our house. She hates us for fighting everyday."
"Tom. Don't talk about it."
