Black Leather Jackets: College Bound

Fries

Cheryl's POV
It's been 17 hours. Both kids have fallen asleep on top of me and I haven't stopped crying
"Cheryl. I know it's a bad time but some of the boys that live near you are wondering what the ambulance was for,"
"Tell them there was complications with Toni's amputation," I sigh
"Okay,"
"If you wanna head out or they wanna come they're more than welcome,"
"Trey and Matt May come,"
I nod and press a kiss to Lexis temple since she's moving a lot.
"You're okay sweetheart," I whisper
"Family Of Toni Topaz?"
I stand up with the kids and the doctors face breaks
"Come with me,"
I nod and follow him after giving the kids to Reggie and Liz
"Mrs. Topaz, Toni suffered extensive mental trauma on her fall, but for now she's alive. If and when she wakes up is unknown and unfortunately our orthopaedic surgeon had no choice but to amputate. There was a treatable infection that was missed and unfortunately it would've killed her if left in the leg,"
"She's alive though?"
"Yes ma'am,"
I nod and look up.
"Thank you so much,"
"I'll have an intern update you when she's ready for visitors,"
I nod and walk back in.
"How is she?" Reggie asks
"She's alive for now, but they had to take the rest of her leg and they don't know if she'll wake up," I say crying
Reggie hugs me and I sob against his chest
"Reggie she can't die," i whisper
"She won't Cheryl, she's okay,"
"Reggie we have two kids. I can't do it alone,"
"You won't, you have me and lizzy and Liv and RJ. It's okay Cher, you're okay,"
"Mommy, where's Mama?" Lexi asks pulling at my jacket.
I bend down and give her a small smile
"Mama's really hurt baby, she might be asleep for a while,"
"Is mama passed away? Like Charlie?"
"No sweetheart, she's okay. She'll be okay,"
Tony Junior starts crying and I take him from Liz.
"Hi baby, it's okay. It's alright Tony. Mommy's here,"
He calms down and little and pouts when he looks at me
"M-momm-ee I'm weally hungey," he pouts "fench fies?"
"You want me to buy you some fries baby?"
He nods and I giggle
"Okay, lets go get fries," I say tickling him before turning to everyone "you guys don't have to stay,"
"We'll be here Cher," Liz says
"LJ has an appointment and then Liv is going to come and she can take all the kids," RJ says
I mouthe 'thank you' and pick Lexi up so we can go to the food court.
We get there and I order and they tell us they'll bring the order out to us
"Cheryl?" A voice ask
I turn around and Coach is sitting beside our table
"Oh my gosh, Coach I didn't even see you, What are you doing here?"
"I volunteer here, What are you doing here?"
"Toni's hurt, badly. Her leg was infected and she let it get bad and then she hit her head,"
"That kid," he sighs shaking his head
"Mommy, who's this?" Lexi whispers
"Lexi this is a really good friend of Mama and I, he coached her in football when we were Robbies age,"
"Like 20 years ago?!" She asks
"You're silly," I laugh "I forgot you wouldn't have met these two,"
"I saw Alexis when Toni was still overseas," he says "but who's this troublemaker?"
"I'm Tony," Tony says
"I was right you are a trouble maker then?" Coach jokes "how old are you Tony?"
Tony holds up one finger and giggles
"He's a year and a half," I laugh
"Just the two?"
"Three, we adopted one of Toni's football kids. He was kicked out for being bi and we took him in,"
"Robby's so cool," Lexi says
"He's a good kid," I say
"Let me know how Toni is,"
"I'm okay," Tony Junior says
"Let me know how your wife is," Coach chuckles
"Of course,"
He leaves and our fries come.
"Lexi please chew carefully baby,"
"I know mommy,"
I still have to cut the fries up for Tony so I help him and then we go back upstairs.
"How are you guys doing?" Reggie asks
"We're good, we ate some fries, we talked to coach, right Lexi?"
"Mhm,"
"Why's Coach here?" Reggie asks
"He volunteers here,"
We sit around until Liv comes and her and Liz take the kids back to the Mantles.
"I'm looking for Mrs. Topaz?" A young doctor says
"That's me,"
"If you would like to see your wife you may follow me," he says
I nod and stand up
We walk down the hall to a corner room at the edge of the icu
"You're wife is very strong for the circumstances," he says "she had a brain bleed and an infection that should've killed her days ago,"
"She's always been strong," I sigh looking in the room
"Our only rule is to limit the number of visitors to 4 at a time, and do you have children?"
"3," I whisper
"As long as they're over the age of 2 they're fine to be in here. If not, a social services person can look after them,"
"When do visiting hours end,"
"My superior has let me know visiting hours do not apply to you,"
"Thank you," I whisper
"I'll check in on her shortly," he says before walking away
I walk in and sit in a chair beside her bed
She's lost so much colour and she looks so vulnerable
"Hey baby," I say wiping my own tears "I love you, and I heard you did great in the surgery. I'm sorry they had to take the rest of your leg b-but I had no choice. The doctors had no choice. I told them to keep you alive and they did,"
I hold her hand and start bawling
How did my life come to this?

Interns POV
"Doctor Radley, why does everyone keep looking at that ladies room like it's going to explode,"
"That family is a very powerful family Xavier," he says closing the chart "that woman has done more for this community than anyone and more importantly- has been through more than a person should have to go through,"
"What do you mean?"
"What did you see during her procedure,"
"I saw half her leg amputated, I saw a brain bleed,"
"Other than those, what else?"
"There were a lot of scars on her stomach and arms,"
"One was a bullet from when she was shot and the others were slashes and stabs from when she was kidnapped for 3 months- she also lost a baby in the shooting,"
"Woah that's a lot,"
"Toni was special, She is special and if she dies- or when at this point. A bomb will go off in that room and I don't know if our town or our country is ready to let Toni go,"