Lesson Learned *An urban story*

Chapter 5

I forced open my heavy eyelids.

Tina was standing in front of the window staring out as the light reflected off the white walls, making the room bright. I heard beeping noises and slowly forced my stiff neck to the side of my bed towards the source. I followed the wires that was plugged to the machine and noticed that they were connected to me. How long have I been here?

Tina must've heard me rattling in the bed because her head jerked my way and she rushed to my side.

I looked at her confused. How did I get here? I wondered.

"Beeker" her voice was raspy. "Are you okay? Do you remember what happened? Who did this to you?" She said, not taking a breath in between questions.

It flashed my mind, the bottom of his sneaker roughly slamming into my face.

Anger filled my body as I inhaled deeply, forcing my aching limbs upright in the bed. I clenched my jaw and balled my fists.

Tina rubbed the top of my head, soothingly. "It's alright, Beek"

I exhaled, coming back into reality. "Mike" I managed to say through my dry throat.

"Huh?" she looked confused.

I felt like screaming the words but when I finally repeated his name, only a whisper managed to come out. "Mike left me."

When the words slid off my tongue, it hurt me more than reality because it was true. Tears started to form while I purposely tried to hold my breath, trying to stop the emotions from flowing out of me. One of my best friends had left me at a Downtown house party where I could have been killed and didn't think twice. How could he do this to me? Mike and I have been friends since we were kids. We had done everything together.

I licked my chapped lips trying to moisture them. I used all my might lifting my hands to wipe my eyes.

Tina looked worried. "You said Mike left you? Do you mean he left you here at the hospital?" she sounded concerned.

"Downtown"

She rubbed her temporal's as her chest started to move up and down fast. "Beeker, are you sure you know what happened?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. Why wouldn't I remember?

As bad as I didn't want to respond, I had to. "Mom, of course " I said, forcing the words out of my mouth as each word brought pain to my body.

She took a deep breath and shook her head. It was obvious that she was trying to keep calm. "Beeker... Mike was the one who brought you to the hospital. He called us to let us know that you were here.

What? Her words weren't registering in my brain. How can that be when that lying ass bitch said he was gone? So he was there the whole time and didn't help?

So many things started to swarm my mind. Mike telling me that he wouldn't bring me to an unsafe place, the girl saying that he was gone, and the guy telling me that I had a death wish. My head started to spin. Everything seemed so surreal. I wish my grandmother was here.

"You're woke!"

I snapped out of it, staring at the young, tan nurse who had just walked in seeming happy to be at work, dragging the syphmomanometer.

Tina walked over to the chair by the window and sat, shaking her legs up and down fast.

"Are you in pain?" The nurse asked.

Before I can answer she continued to speak. "You've been sleep for a while" she grabbed my arm and wrapping the cuff around it then put a thermometer in my mouth.

After taking my vitals, I turned towards and asked, curiously, "How long have I been here?"

She smiled. "Since about one in the morning."

I sighed.

"Don't worry, God was on your side. I've seen worse," she walked towards the door and before exiting she turned back towards me, "I'll be back to bring you some pills to help with the pain. And your food should be here in a moment, they're being passed out as we speak." And with that, she walked off.

While Tina was lost in her thoughts, it was silent.

Later, after I ate and had a few moments to be in my own thoughts, Karlina walked into the room, Malik right behind her. As always, she didn't look too happy.

"Uncle Beek" Malik rushed to me, excited. He took a good glance at me then his smiled faded. "Does it hurt?" He asked.

I knew he must've been talking about my face that ached in pain. My lips felt like the size of balloons and my vision seemed a little impaired. I knew I had to look bad.

"Beeker" Tina hopped up from her seat and walked towards me. "Tell me your side of the story" she said. I can tell she was ready to explode any second.

Tina hated being lied to and if my story was any different from what Mike had told her, it wasn't going to end well. I wasn't really in the mood to talk about what happened just because I wasn't feeling too good and I knew the memory was going to upset me. But I had no choice.

I glanced at a concerned Karlina. "What's going on?" She asked.

I took a deep breath then told them everything. When I was finished, both their mouths were wide open.

Karlina rushed out the room with no looking back.

Tina sat down in the chair furious with Malik forcing himself on her lap.

Her nostrils was flared, rage in her eyes. "He will pay!" Tina repeatedly nodded her head.

I laid my back against the pillow. I was mad as hell and hurt by what Mike did at the same time.

He probably did this to protect himself but he put me into danger. I really wanted... needed to know why he allowed this to happen.

I was more than happy to be alive but for some reason I couldn't help but to be angry with myself. I should have listened to Thomas. He told me that no one from Downtown can be trusted and he was right.

Heat started to fill my veins. The thought of Downtown made me furious...... It was them who did this to me. A house filled with people and not one person had the guts to stop it?

I shook my head. They were the ones who put me in the hospital and they are the ones who will pay, even if that's the last thing they do. I have no remorse for any of them. At this point, I don't care who they are. Downtown is now a target and anyone from there will pay for the problems that was created.

That's a promise not only to myself but to them.