“Where is she?” I asked the nurse who was rushing towards the front door. She looked as if she was heading for the police officers.
Her eyes came to me with real fear before she realized who I was.
“Oh my God! It’s you—” She began, but I was in no mood.
“Where is Journey?!” I yelled.
She jumped. “Who?”
“My wife and child, they came here in that car!” I pointed out towards Albert’s car.
The killer in me was awake, and he was coming to the surface whether I wanted him to or not.
Instantly, relief washed over her face. “Come quickly, you’re just in time. I came up here to get the police. The man that brought them just pulled a gun on Dr. Yung. They’re in the operating room.”
“Don’t worry about the police, just take me to him.” She nodded and pushed a button that caused two doors to open. I followed her down a very long hall before we went through another set of doors. When they opened I could hear Albert telling them not to worry about him, just help Journey.
“No one is allowed in the operating room.” The nurse told me as we hurried towards the commotion. “But this man refused to leave.”
As soon as I stepped in the room, Albert exhaled in relief lowering his gun.
“Thank God you’re here, kid.” Was the only thing he muttered before his limbs went lax.
“He’s fainted!” The nurse who’d led me to the room cried.
“Help him!” I yelled to the doctors as I took Ayana’s car seat off his lap and the gun out of his hand.
My gaze went over to the operating table; it was hard for me to see what was happening because Journey was surrounded by doctors and nurses. I tried to go to her, but two nurses jumped in front of me pushing me away. One of the doctors lifted his hand and it was covered in blood.
“F***!” I was losing it!
“Please, Mr. Warren, wait outside, so that the doctors can do their job.” One of the nurses said.
“How is she?” I asked, needing something to grasp on to.
The nurse shook her head. “We don’t know yet, please, just wait outside.”
“No!” I growled.
Please God! Help me! I was losing it…
The nurse backed up from me afraid.
“Mr. Warren, I don’t know what to tell you.” Big tears came to her eyes. “Just let the doctors work and pray for the best.”
I understood they had a job to do, but I needed… “Just give me something.” I begged her.
She must have taken sympathy on me then. She smiled. “Dr. Yung and Dr. Phillip are two of the best doctors in the city. Just let them work, you’ll see.” I nodded and let her close the door in my face.
They had taken Albert to the operating room across the hall. With Ayana’s car seat in my hand, I paced back and forward between the rooms, using all my focus to keep the killer inside of me quiet. I wanted to let him loose to get relief from the pain inside me.
But I couldn’t always control The Politician. The last thing I needed was for him to sense some kind of threat and start killing people here at the hospital.
About forty-five minutes later, the doctor who had been working on Albert came out to give me an update.
“Mr. Warren, it is so nice to meet you.” He said reaching for my hand.
I could see in his eyes that he was star struck. I wanted to yell at him to just get to it, but knew I could get better results with honey than I could vinegar.
I shook his hand. “Nice meeting you too, so about Al—”
He nodded. “Oh yes, luckily for him it was just a flesh wound, the bullet just grazed his neck. However, he did lose a lot of blood and needed quite a few stitches—”
I tuned him out after that. I was relieved to hear that Albert was going to be okay, but it was bittersweet. I haven’t heard anything from the room across the hall. The nurses ran to and from it, but had no information for me.
I had taken Ayana out of her car seat when she began to fuss and held her in my arms, promising her that her mommy was going to be okay. Thankfully my constant pacing lulled her to sleep.
“Mr. Warren, about the gun incident. I’m going to have to—”
“Don’t worry about the gun incident. I’m going to have someone from my office contact you to discuss compensation for all of your troubles. Albert is the head of my security. He was simply doing his job. Maybe he was a little delirious from all the blood loss.”
Just like I knew it would, at hearing compensation, the doctor’s whole disposition changed.
“Oh yes, that is quite understandable, thank you for clearing that up for us. We are going to be moving him to a recovery room really soon.” I nodded as I paced away from him, my eyes going back to Journey’s door.
I was going to go crazy if I didn’t hear something soon. I couldn’t take the waiting. I didn’t know if she was fighting to take her last breath right now or what.
Please God… please, if you just bring her back to me. I promise to…
To what? I am ashamed to say that prayer wasn’t my strong suit. If the roles were reversed and it was me in there and my Journey out here, she would know what to say to God.
What should I promise?
To be a better man, maybe?
Do your will?
I nodded…yes, all that. I promise to do all that. Just bring her back to me.
About thirty minutes later, one of the doctors who was working on Journey finally stepped out of the room.
“How is she, doc?” I didn’t give him a chance to procrastinate.
“Stable.” He took off his glasses and massaged the red spot they left on his nose. “We removed the bullet from just underneath her clavicle; it was embedded
