A Losing Game

"Unusually Familiar"

            Jacory opened his right eye and immediately knew he couldn't open the left one. He tasted blood and was shivering from the cold. It took him a little while to remember what had happened; and once he remembered, he sat up and noticed it was turning night outside. The door was still wide open and since it had begun snowing, snowflakes were flying into the living room and melting on the hardwood floor as well as the nearby throw rug. He managed to crawl over to the coffee table and pulled himself up.

            After closing and locking the door, he stumbled into the hallway and made his way into the bathroom. When he looked into the mirror and saw that his left eye was swollen shut and his nose was busted, he gasped so hard that he felt like all of the oxygen had left his body. He grabbed onto the bathroom sink to keep himself up and then pulled on the corner of the mirror so he could get supplies from the medicine cabinet behind it.

            He first rolled off some gauze to hold up to his nose. After cleaning off most of the blood around his nose, he softly felt it to make sure it wasn't broken. He rolled off some more gauze and tore it so that he could plug his nostrils with it to stop them from bleeding. He then left the bathroom and headed into the kitchen. He put some ice cubes in the short towel that was used to dry off dishes and put it up to his eye.

            "You fucked with the wrong one today, Nate," he said to himself while balling his fist. "I guarantee you that shit!"

            Meanwhile, downtown, Roderick and Deven were finishing their session in Dr. Thelma Patterson's office at the Calhoun University Institute of Mental Health and waited for Dr. Patterson to finish writing down things in her notepad. After she finished, she turned in her chair and smiled at them.

            "Okay," she said, "I'm not going to get into anything heavy because that's not where I'd like to end the first session. I'll end this session by asking you both how you're feeling right now?"

            "So-so," replied Deven.

            "Anxious," replied Roderick.

            "Okay, and how do you two currently feel about one another?"

            "He's my baby brother," said Deven. "I love him. I want better for him. If this is a chance to get that, then I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

            "I love my brother, too," said Roderick.

            "Well, that is your foundation and where we will build from. You'd be surprised how many siblings I've counseled who absolutely hate one another. I will see you two next Monday at six o'clock."

            "Thank you, Dr. Patterson," Deven said to her as he and Roderick stood up.

            They exited her office together and while taking the elevator down to the ground floor, Roderick said, "Thanks for drivin' over here. Mr. Washington told me it would be best if you did this with me so I—"

            "Rod, it's okay. Like I said, I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I just want you off the streets and safe. And I know I'm backing off and allowing you to handle yourself but I do worry about you."

            "Well, you don't have to because I got it covered. Even when it might seem like I don't, I got it covered." Right after he said that, his phone began ringing. He pulled it out to see Jacory was calling him. He answered the call just as the elevator reached the ground floor, asking, "Jacory, what's up?"

            "Rod, where are you?" Jacory asked on the other end.

            "I'm downtown." He exited the elevator with Deven and asked, "Why?"