Suddenly #2
“Exactly that.” Fatima’s nail pointed towards her. “I throw the nigga this pussy every time I see him. He dodging my shit like child support.” She sucked her teeth.
Wallah walked into the store. He and Jakia made eye contact and preceded to act like they didn’t know one another.
“I’ma need you to find some shame,” she whispered across the table to Fatima.
“Ain’t a bitch in this city got that when it comes to him. Nigga thirty-two and ain’t ever claimed a bitch, no kids, and he spends that shit.” Her hands hugged the top of the cup as she sipped. “The first bitch that gets any of that will be the envy of every woman in Baltimore.”
Jakia snickered out loud. Her big sister had always been that bitch. Even in her grave she was holding on to that title.
What wasn’t so funny was the men that would be influencing her nephews.
Hussein and Lah weren’t the best examples of the men she wanted them to be.
Boom wasn’t shit to look up to either. If she learned anything from parenting classes it’s that making sure they’re fed, clothed and clean were the easiest parts.
She was taking a longer look at who she had around them.
LEGAL VISITING | 2 P.M.
“Superstar!” Cooper, the younger correctional officer, called out to Hussein.
He was inside of his cell while the line outside of the door grew longer. Niggas wanted to give condolences for Boom, had a favor to ask for, or a resume to tell Hussein about. It wasn’t easy to be in his space. They were all taking the opportunity to shoot their shot to get down with the Turners.
He jumped up, grateful for the break from the begging ass niggas. Hussein wasn’t taking any of them seriously.
“Your lawyer is here,” Cooper said while cuffing him to follow protocol.
Hussein was ushered to the legal visiting room. He’d been waiting for her to show. Mentally, he went over the list of things he wanted to address with her. He wasn’t out of the cuffs before he began blurting out demands.
“I need Jakia’s number. That’s the boy’s auntie. Keyona’s sister,” he said, as the door shut behind Cooper.
“Well, hello to you, too.” Nyelle snickered.
“My bad.” Hussein smiled. “What’s up? How you?”
“If we were meeting under different circumstances, I’d tell you. Considering it’s my job to get you out of here, I’ll just say I’m fine.” She opened her folder. “How they treating you in here?”
“Like they know who the fuck I am.” Hussein cleaned his fingernails. “You ready to write her address down?”
“Whose address?”
“Jakia. I just told you that I need her number.” Hussein twisted his lips up at Nyelle.
“One thing at a time. Let’s get you out of here so you don’t have to worry about having someone’s phone number.
” She raised her eyebrows. “So, they’re holding you for hitting a police officer.
They’re willing to make that disappear if you cop to killing…
” she flipped a page trying to find the victim’s name.
“Adrian Berry,” Hussein helped her out.
“Wait.” She paused, resting her back against the chair. “Isn’t Prissy’s last name Berry?”
Hussein nodded. “Adrian was her brother.”
“Shit.” Nyelle read his facial expression. “Do you know why this is coming up now? Says he was killed years ago.”
“Boom was talking before he passed. I’m assuming they asked him for a body and that’s the one he gave them.”
“That must be the new witness they documented. They don’t have much with him gone. Probably why they’re making you sit on that assault charge. That was stupid, by the way.”
“I had my reasons.” Hussein shrugged. “Ain’t got shit to say about Adrian, so I guess I’m sitting ‘til I see the judge. Now about Jakia.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this pressed about a woman before. Not even your fiancé.”
“Who I stick my dick in is none of your business. You’re paid to work my fucking case.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do.” Nyelle packed her things up. “I’m not obligated to help you sneak and creep on Prissy. Find somebody else to do it.” She walked out of the room.
He made it easy for her to deny him everything Tina already said he couldn’t have. She had only delayed him, though. Hussein wasn’t one to accept a denial.
Walking back into the cell block all eyes were on him. As Cooper removed his cuffs, there was a particular set of eyes on him that hadn’t blinked. The nigga didn’t turn away when Hussein locked eyes with him. His stare only grew more intense.
If the stranger was trying to put fear in Hussein, he failed. He’d done the opposite. He excited him. He couldn’t wait for that nigga to try him.
GBMC | 11:03 P.M.
Prissy moved around from room to room, patient to patient for the first four hours of her shift. She hadn’t so much as scrolled social media in her down time because she didn’t get any. The ER was more hectic than usual due to two call outs.
She finally found the time to sit down and eat just for Teddy to walk into the break room. She’d been trying to stay out of his way after she got a glimpse of his crazy. Being at the hospital instead of his house gave her a little more leeway to check him, but she was still a little scared of him.
“Hey, baby.”
“It’s very inappropriate for a doctor to refer to one of his nurses as baby, Dr. Johnson,” Prissy whispered.
“There’s nobody in here but us.” Teddy looked around confused.
“What does that have to do with anything? We’re at work, it’s unprofessional.”
“Oh, babe, we have bigger shit to worry about at this point.” Teddy laughed. “We have a baby on the way.”
“Teddy there is no baby.” She dropped her fork into her salad and pulled a pregnancy test from the pocket of her burgundy scrubs. “I’ll prove it.”
Prissy stormed out of the break room and into one of the bathrooms. Arguing with Teddy’s delusions was a waste of time. She needed proof. He was a doctor. He couldn’t argue with science.
She reentered the break room with the negative pregnancy test. Teddy was biting into his subway sandwich. She took her seat and placed it down in front of him.
“There. Do you believe me now?”
“Give me a second,” he said, getting up from the table, dusting crumbs from his hands.
Prissy didn’t feel shit about his obviously bruised ego. If he had listened to her the first time, she wouldn’t have to be so loud about it. She was sick and tired of having to tip toe around everyone while they tap danced on her boundaries and pleads of mercy.
She misread Teddy. His feelings weren’t hurt. Her insisting on proving him wrong had only fueled him to show her that he wasn’t. He didn’t leave the room to collect himself. He merely left to dip inside of the nurse’s station.
He returned to the break room with everything he needed to draw her blood right there at the table. Prissy’s heart raced watching him make his way over to her. Teddy held gauze in between his lips. He spit the package onto the table.
“What is all of that, Teddy?”
“You’ve drawn blood enough to know exactly what’s about to happen. A blood test is the best method to determine pregnancy.”
“A piss test is just as sufficient,” she eyed the tools he spread out on the table.
“You know it’s not your fault, really.” He grabbed her arm.
“When you’re raised without family, you really miss out on the little things.
” He tied the stretchy band across her upper arm.
“A dream about fish means someone is pregnant, but how would you know that when that kind of wisdom comes from generations of matriarchs? You don’t have that.
” He sterilized the area that he planned to draw her blood from.
Prissy was less worried about the prick from the butterfly needle than she was about Teddy’s mental state.
Clearly, he’d never do anything to hurt her.
She was worried about his reaction when he saw that the negative piss test was accurate.
Would he believe it then? If he did would it make him erratic?
The break room door opened, and Markia stopped in her tracks.
“Oh, my bad.”
“It’s not what it looks like,” Prissy rushed to explain, turning as red as the trash can for hazardous materials.
“It’s usually exactly what it looks like,” Teddy mumbled. “Don’t you have vitals to take, Myesha?”
“It’s Markia,” she corrected.
“Give us a moment, please.” Teddy removed the needle before applying pressure to the gauze until he was able to place the band-aid.
“Why would you do that?” Prissy whispered tightlipped as Markia walked out. “I know you think you’re bigger than the rules, but you’re not. They don’t care how good of a doctor you are, if they feel like you’re a liability, they’ll fire you as quick as they hired you.”
“It’ll be her word against ours. She’ll be unable to get a job at any hospital in this city when I’m done with her. She’ll mind her business if she knows what’s best for her. I’m going to get this out to the lab.” Teddy kissed her forehead before disappearing into the hallway.
Prissy was out the door right behind him. She couldn’t wait weeks for a schedule change.
He said ours. Prissy didn’t miss his word choice.
Teddy thought they were in it together. No matter how well he thought he knew her, he didn’t know her at all.
It was her against the world. Anyone she clung to on the road to survival was nothing more than a stepping stool or wall of protection.
She’d throw him under the bus without being asked if she thought it was for the best. The crazier he acted the closer she was to making her exit.
ONISHA’S APARTMENT | 10:05 A.M.
“Just a second!” Nisha called out.
Her mother and aunt were knocking at the door for a planned breakfast. It was the best she could give them for a goodbye. She’d return once she had Tina Turner in handcuffs.
“Hi, Mommy,” Nisha excitedly opened the door. Her smile dropped seeing Teddy standing beside her mother instead of her aunt.
“Where’s Aunt Izzy?”
“Chasing behind that broke ass man she thinks she loves.” Her mother snickered stepping into the apartment after placing a kiss on Nisha’s cheek.