“Do you want to go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?”
For a brief moment Desember took her eyes off of Fame to address his mother. “No, ma’am, I’m good.”
“Do you want me to bring you something back?”
“No, thanks. I don’t have much of an appetite.” Desember’s stomach felt like it was tied in knots, and eating was the furthest thing from her mind.
“Well, I’m starving and need to smoke a cigarette.” Francine grabbed her change purse, which seemed to double as a cigarette case, and began to exit the room. “I won’t be long,” she said, looking over her shoulder.
After a while Desember tried to concentrate on a crossword puzzle, but when she looked up and saw Fame’s eyes flutter open, she rose, thinking that she was imagining things. His eyes looked weak, straining to focus, but it was a blessing that they were open. She was so excited to be able to face the love of her life again. His eyes searched hers. “I love you soooo much, Fame,” she whispered to him.
With the breathing tube in his mouth, he could only give her a smile and a nod. He was trying to say something with his hands. “What’s wrong, baby?” Desember asked, not wondering if the movement of his hand was a side effect of his surgery. Not knowing what else to do, she pressed the call button.
A nurse came in and checked his vitals. “Looks good. He’s just regaining control of his muscles.”
Once the nurse was gone, Fame’s eyes never left Desember’s, and it was clear he had something on his mind. With theindex finger of his right hand and the palm of his left, Fame made a gesture as if he was writing. It clicked that he wanted something to write with. He was trying to communicate. She grabbed a pad and a pen off the bedside table and placed them in front of him.
He fumbled with the pen at first, dropping it, but after she put it back in his hand he began, a little shakily, to write something. When he was done she took a look:
U n danger!
And underneath that:
U gotta lay low!
She shook her head. “I’m not leaving your side.”
But Desember knew Fame had a point. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized she could be in danger. To be honest, she didn’t care. She could take care of herself. All her focus was on Fame and him pulling through.
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” she said.
He started writing again:
Can’t take that chance. Love u 2 much!
His eyes were not trying to take no for an answer. The man could be so damn stubborn.
“Okay,” she somewhat relented. Then she went on to tell him how the police and his family all thought she had something to do with the shooting.
He started writing again. She could tell it was taking a lot out of him, but he continued.
Don’t TALK to police or no one .
“I didn’t—and don’t worry, I won’t,” she told him
Just then Francine walked in. “Oh my God, Famis. Thank you, Jesus,” she said, her hands clasped together. “I was so worried about you.”
Fame gave his mother a smile, then started laboring with the pad and pen again to resume the shaky writing.
“What’s he doing?” his mother asked Desember.
“He can’t speak yet,” said Desember, “so he’s writing what he wants to tell us.”
This time Francine read the note:
Need ur help .
“Anything, son, you know that. What is it you need?” She was so excited that he was awake that she wanted to run out and get his siblings, but then she remembered that the doctor had made clear that no more than two people were allowed in Fame’s ICU room.
They were both watching as Fame continued to scribble on the pad. This was the longest message yet. It took him awhile to complete it.
D is n danger. Watch her back. Nothing can happen 2 her .
I love her 2 much. It will kill me .
Francine knew that Fame probably had a gut feeling that his brothers already had the girl’s grave dug. She slowly nodded, with tears in her eyes, and then she took her seat by the bed as Desember
For a brief moment Desember took her eyes off of Fame to address his mother. “No, ma’am, I’m good.”
“Do you want me to bring you something back?”
“No, thanks. I don’t have much of an appetite.” Desember’s stomach felt like it was tied in knots, and eating was the furthest thing from her mind.
“Well, I’m starving and need to smoke a cigarette.” Francine grabbed her change purse, which seemed to double as a cigarette case, and began to exit the room. “I won’t be long,” she said, looking over her shoulder.
After a while Desember tried to concentrate on a crossword puzzle, but when she looked up and saw Fame’s eyes flutter open, she rose, thinking that she was imagining things. His eyes looked weak, straining to focus, but it was a blessing that they were open. She was so excited to be able to face the love of her life again. His eyes searched hers. “I love you soooo much, Fame,” she whispered to him.
With the breathing tube in his mouth, he could only give her a smile and a nod. He was trying to say something with his hands. “What’s wrong, baby?” Desember asked, not wondering if the movement of his hand was a side effect of his surgery. Not knowing what else to do, she pressed the call button.
A nurse came in and checked his vitals. “Looks good. He’s just regaining control of his muscles.”
Once the nurse was gone, Fame’s eyes never left Desember’s, and it was clear he had something on his mind. With theindex finger of his right hand and the palm of his left, Fame made a gesture as if he was writing. It clicked that he wanted something to write with. He was trying to communicate. She grabbed a pad and a pen off the bedside table and placed them in front of him.
He fumbled with the pen at first, dropping it, but after she put it back in his hand he began, a little shakily, to write something. When he was done she took a look:
U n danger!
And underneath that:
U gotta lay low!
She shook her head. “I’m not leaving your side.”
But Desember knew Fame had a point. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized she could be in danger. To be honest, she didn’t care. She could take care of herself. All her focus was on Fame and him pulling through.
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” she said.
He started writing again:
Can’t take that chance. Love u 2 much!
His eyes were not trying to take no for an answer. The man could be so damn stubborn.
“Okay,” she somewhat relented. Then she went on to tell him how the police and his family all thought she had something to do with the shooting.
He started writing again. She could tell it was taking a lot out of him, but he continued.
Don’t TALK to police or no one .
“I didn’t—and don’t worry, I won’t,” she told him
Just then Francine walked in. “Oh my God, Famis. Thank you, Jesus,” she said, her hands clasped together. “I was so worried about you.”
Fame gave his mother a smile, then started laboring with the pad and pen again to resume the shaky writing.
“What’s he doing?” his mother asked Desember.
“He can’t speak yet,” said Desember, “so he’s writing what he wants to tell us.”
This time Francine read the note:
Need ur help .
“Anything, son, you know that. What is it you need?” She was so excited that he was awake that she wanted to run out and get his siblings, but then she remembered that the doctor had made clear that no more than two people were allowed in Fame’s ICU room.
They were both watching as Fame continued to scribble on the pad. This was the longest message yet. It took him awhile to complete it.
D is n danger. Watch her back. Nothing can happen 2 her .
I love her 2 much. It will kill me .
Francine knew that Fame probably had a gut feeling that his brothers already had the girl’s grave dug. She slowly nodded, with tears in her eyes, and then she took her seat by the bed as Desember
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