Page 39 of Her Loyalty

"Everything looks and feels good as of now. We'll do the bloodwork and come back with your results of everything. After that, we'll check the stitches again and make sure everything is working properly before you can go."

"Thank you so much, Doc." My mother and I spoke at the same time as he made his way to the door.

"Of course." He smiled politely before leaving.

*

"Alright. So your bloodwork came back, everything looks fine. Your X-rays as well. We were able to remove the bullet lodged in your thigh, closing up the wound with 6-inch stitches."

"Now we're going to prescribe you with painkillers for the pain as well as cream that will heal the wound. You'll have to keep it clean and creamed if you want the wound to heal correctly."

"How about scarring?" My mom spoke up and I nodded.

"Yeah, is the wound ever going to go away?"

"Usually it's not a complete disappearance but you should be able to partially lighten it for a lesser appearance." He explained and I poked my lips out, now thinking that I'd never get rid of this ugly scar on my thigh.

"Great. Thank you so much." My mother said to him.

"Of course." He smiled.

"So now I'll go and get your papers and then you're good to go." He explained before leaving out of the room.

Sitting there in defeat, I couldn't help but to wonder what the scar looked like and how big it was. I couldn't see under the bandages but I just hoped that I could rid of it. I didn't have any scars on my legs and I didn't want to start today.

"Baby, can you come here?" I called for Dominic, just wanting comfort at this point.

"We need to be getting ready to leave." My mother spoke up as she began to gather everyone's stuff while Dominic made his way over to me.

"What's up, baby?" He kissed my forehead as I sat up, doing my best to wrapped my arms around him, laying my head on his stomach.

"I'm ready to go." I expressed to him as he laid his chin on top of my head.

"You ready to go home?" He asked and I nodded slowly.

"Wait a minute." My mother spoke up.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She expressed, making the both of us look over to her.

"Hm?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"I don't think it's a good idea for her to go back to your place, Dominic." She repeated as I looked at him while he furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?" He spat.

"She was just shot directly outside of your house last night, I don't think she should be there." My mother went on, making me sigh deeply.

"Mom." I called.

"How the fuck you gon' tell me what to do with my girl?" He went on angrily as I pulled away from him, sighing deeply.

"Can you both just stop it?" I asked calmly, not wanting them to go back into the same place they were before. We'd made too much progress for this.

"She is my daughter!" My mother snapped back at him as they both scolded each other.

"And she my girl, so whatchu sayin'?" They continued to go back and forth as I put my head in my hands.

"You don't own her." My mother spat to him as the pain in my leg began to return immensely.

"And neither do you." He spat back.

"How about the both of you just stop!" I ended up screaming out, making them both look at me.

"This isn't about either of you. Both of y'all are so selfish." I rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe they were fighting over something so stupid while I was sitting here in pain.

"Baby, I'm going with you." I went onto say to Dominic as the both of them went back to scolding each other.

"And that's it. It's not that deep." I shook my head at them.

"Tiana, I don't think you should be around there anymore." My mother went on to state her concern

"Man, fuck outta here. You ain't never want her around me anyway. Don't use this as no excuse." Dominic argued back as I sighed, waving the both of them off at this point.

"You're right. I didn't want her around you because of things like this. My daughter was shot!"

"Which happens a lot in that health hazard you call a neighborhood!"

"Mom, stop." I became fed up, looking over to Deja who was over all of this, scrolling her phone.

"Yeah aight, bitch. Keep talkin' crazy." I heard Dominic mumble, quickly making me look up.

"Are you serious?" I spoke sternly to him and he sighed deeply, putting his head down.

"Yeah, I'm glad you are willing to disrespect your girlfriend's mother." My mother chuckled harshly, shaking her head. I didn't think she'd heard him but she'd obviously did.

"The both of you just stop at this point. It's getting too far." I expressed, still looking directly at Dominic who knew he was wrong right now.

"No because him and I had a long talk and this is what we're back to?" My mother went on, obviously appalled.

"All because I don't want my daughter returning to the place she was just shot last night." She went on.

"Because you can't protect her." She spat and I gasped, looking at Dominic who was now obviously offended.

"You crazy as shit if you think I ain't already handle the situation." He went onto laugh.

"Your moms crazy as hell, T."

"Come on. We out." He went onto say as I shook my head. I knew this was far from over but I was just ready to get home, take these pills and relax. My leg was hurting, I couldn't deal with this right now.

"Mommy, I'll call you when I get in. Okay?" I said to her as Dominic slowly helped me out of the bed.

"Please do." She spoke sternly, rolling her eyes at him.

*

Dominic and I were now sitting in the parking lot of the hospital as I got myself adjusted in the passenger seat.

"How you feelin' with them crutches, baby?" He asked and I shook my head.

"I hate them." I expressed. The hospital had given me crutches because I couldn't walk without assistance, it was way too painful.

"You'll get used to them." He said as I watched him start the car.

The events from the hospital room continued to play in my mind as I watched him getting ready to pull out.

"Dominic." I called, making him look over to me.

"What's up, baby?"

"Listen, even though I'm going with you, she is right." I expressed to him as he listened intently.

"I really don't feel comfortable going back there."

"I just got shot there last night, meaning someone had to be either targeting me or you. That's not a settling feeling." I explained to him and he licked his lips, sitting back in his chair.

"Whatchu scared, T?" He asked and I just stayed quiet. Of course I was scared, this was his life, not mine. He'd been shot multiple times like it was nothing but one shot was enough for me to know that the street life was not for me.

"Yes, I'm scared, babe." I admitted and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" I expressed at his nonchalant demeanor, he knew I wasn't about this life.

I watched as he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Baby, you ain't gotta be scared of shit. I already handled it."

"That nigga gone."

"You know who it was?" I asked and he slanted his lips.

"Who you think your nigga is?" He went on, making me smile small.

"That bitch ass nigga I almost killed the other day came back tryn' hit me and made a mistake and hit you."

"Na' that nigga dead." He went on, making me swallow hard at the idea of him killing someone. I knew it wasn't his first time but I never wanted to know about the killings.

"I ain't gon' let nobody touch you ever again. I put that shit on my life." He spoke sternly.

"You ain't ever gotta be scared of nothin'. I'm your man, whoever you want dead, whoever even look at you wrong, baby. I'a do him in, I don't give a fuck." He spat, looking at me seriously.

"I'm here to protect you, you ain't gotta be scared of shit. Ever."

"So don't ever let me hear that shit come out your mouth again. You got hittas out here for real." He went on, holding his hand out for me. I smiled small as I grabbed it and he kissed the back of my hand.

"You trippin' baby. You must've forgot who your nigga is."

"Stop fuckin' playin' with me."