On my block: Monse and Cesar

Chapter 10 part 5

They all sit in the hospital waiting room, Monse and Ruby are covered in blood. "How are you guys?" Geny asks them. "The doctor said I sprained my ankle and fractured my wrist but I'll be fine." Monse says without emotion. "How's your shoulder, mijo?" She asks Ruby but he doesn't respond. "Did they say anything about Cesar?" Monse asks. "The doctors talking to Oscar now." She kneels in front of the kids. "I know you two aren't ready for this but the officers have more questions." Geny says. "We told them everything we know." Ruby mumbles. "It's about Cesar." Geny tells them and Monse looks up. "Fine, I'll talk to them." She sounds pissed off. "Sit." Oscar pushes her back down. "No one's talking to anyone." He say, seriously. "What'd the doctor say?" Monse doesn't care that Oscar wants them to avoid the cops, she just wants to know if Cesar's alive. "You don't need to know right now." He says. "If you want me to tell you anything that happened tonight, you're gonna tell me right now." Monse demands. "I see why he likes you." Oscar laughs under his breath. "The bullet hit his stomach but it missed all the important shit. He got lucky. Cesar's out of surgery but I know what you wanna know. He's gonna be fine." Monse stands up and hugs him even though it hurt. He doesn't hug back right away but eventually he lets himself be soft for a second.
Olivia's doctor comes out and they can already tell it's bad news. "Give me a minute." Geny tells them. "She's gone." Ruby looks at Monse and she shakes her head. "You don't know that for sure." Monse says. "No one looks like that when it's good news." He says but Ruby still has a small amount of hope. "Can I talk to him alone for a second?" Geny asks when she walks back over. Monse and Oscar go sit somewhere else. "She loved you so much." Geny tells her son. She tries to hold back her tears and be strong for her son.
"What's gonna happen when he gets out?" Monse asks Oscar. "I know Latrelle's alive." He looks at her. "Did you know the whole time?" She can't even make eye contact with him right now. "No. Found out last night." Oscar says. "He can't go back home." Monse already knows how this works. "You gotta let him stay with you." Oscar begs. "What if the people who did this come back? I can't protect him." She shakes her head. "He's put off the second he steps outta here. I can't protect him either." Oscar looks straight ahead. "It doesn't have to be like that." Monse feels like she might cry if this conversation goes on any longer. "It's not up to me." He stands up. "I worked everything out and they're gonna tell you everything and let you see him but I gotta go." Oscar starts to walk away but he stops himself. "Make sure he's ok." He leaves her confused, empty, and pissed off.
Geny waves Monse over after she talks to Ruby.
He was just planning her birthday and now his mom has to start planning Olivia's funeral. He wanted to miss her but it didn't feel real yet. "Where'd Oscar go?" Geny asks. "He just needed some air." Monse lies. "Cesar Diaz." A doctor says when he walks into the waiting room. "I'm his girlfriend." Monse tells him. "You're the one that Spooky threatened me over?" The doctor asks and Monse nods awkwardly. "He hasn't woken up just yet but if you want to see him you're welcome too." He says. "I want to." She says quickly. The doctor leads her down a few hallways and leaves her at Cesar's door. She takes a deep breath and tries to prepare herself for the worst.
"I can't believe I'm finally outta that place." Cesar says when they get to Monse's. "Just wish you could've gone back home." She helps him lay down on the couch despite him constantly telling Monse that he's fine. "So you don't want me here?" He smiles. "You know that's not what I mean." She rolls her eyes. "I know but right now I wanna be grateful for what I have not what I lost." Cesar says. "You haven't lost him yet." Monse tells him. "We both know what happens when you get put off." He says. "Ok, so what do you have?" She sits next to him and holds his hand. "Right now, I have a lot." Cesar smiles. "You, a roof over my head, and hopefully I still have the guys." He adds. "You do, they're not leaving you 'cause of this." Monse assures him. "Have you heard anything about Latrelle yet?" Cesar asks. "No. I've talked to anyone who might know something but it's like he just disappeared after that night." She says. "Or they killed him." He looks at his shoes. "Why would he try to save me?" Cesar asks Monse. "Deep down you guys have a lot in common... maybe he realized it." She explains. "We were even. He didn't have to do that." Cesar says and Monse squeezes his hand. "And you didn't have to give him an out but you did. He knew he fucked up and Latrelle was trying to make up for it." She sympathizes. "Maybe I shouldn't have given him and out." Cesar says and it scares Monse. "You're not a killer." Monse tells him. "I didn't go in thinking I'd let him go. I was ready to shoot him, Monse. Worst part is I wasn't nervous or anything. I was standing there and it felt like something I would've done if I didn't have to." He admits.
"Why'd you tell us to come over?" Ruby asks. "Cesar thinks it's all his fault." Monse tells them. "It kinda is." Jamal says. "I don't blame him." Ruby shrugs and they're both shocked. "It's not his fault but he's convinced he should've just killed Latrelle. We have to do something to help him." She sits on the floor across from them. "Like what?" Ruby asks. "We're gonna find Latrelle." Monse smiles.

Author's Note:
End of Season One!
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