Page 57 of His Noble Heart

I was on my feet, frantically searching for my slides and purse. My mother could only hear my side of the conversation, but I could sense her concern.

“Rowdy was shot. Please come to the hospital.”

“Which one?”

“OC General.”

“I’m on my way. Ma, Rowdy was shot. We gotta get to OC General.”

She didn’t ask any questions, and we were out of my apartment in a flash. I was grateful she was with me because I was too nervous to drive. I should’ve asked Ramina for more details, but I’d know what I needed to know soon enough.

“What if—” I began before my mother cut me off.

“Stop right there. I know a million things are racing through your mind. All you know is he was shot. Don’t let your mind take you beyond that, and pray it’s nothing more.”

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and prayed until my mother tapped me on my shoulder. We quickly exited her car and rushed toward the emergency room entrance. Once inside, I spotted Rowdy’s mother right away, pacing back and forth.

“Ms. Dawn.”

She followed my voice, and we rushed toward each other. The three of us embraced for a moment, and when we separated, tears were in our eyes.

“Do you know what happened?” I asked.

“Only that he was shot, and he passed out because he lost so much blood.”

“Where’s Ramina?”

“She went to the bathroom. Let’s sit over there.”

We sat in a row of empty seats, and a few minutes later, Ramina returned.

“You came,” she said when she saw me.

I stood to hug her, and she began to sob.

“Rowdy’s a strong man. He’ll be fine,” I said in an effort to convince us both.

“They won’t tell us anything, so that means it’s bad,” she cried.

“Think positively, Mina,” her mother said.

“Dawn!” a male’s voice shouted, gaining our attention.

Ms. Dawn stood and rushed into the man’s arms. After they exchanged a few words, she introduced him as her brother, David.

“This is Rowdy’s girlfriend, Noelani, and her mother, Natavia.”

“It’s nice to meet you ladies, but I wish it were under different circumstances.”

We nodded in agreement. He sat on the other side of Ramina, and a little more than an hour passed before someone came out.

“The Noble Family.”

We all stood and rushed to the doctor.

“I’m Rowdy’s mother. Is he okay?”

“I’m Dr. Ray. Your son is doing well, ma’am. I’m not sure how much you were told, so I’ll start from the beginning. He was shot in the shoulder and lost a substantial amount of blood. We were able to stop the bleeding, and a blood transfusion is in process now. Based on what I’ve been able to see, the bullet entered the back of his shoulder and exited through the front. Before we move forward, we must confirm there were no fragments left behind, so after the transfusion, X-rays will be done to determine the next steps. Does anyone have any questions?”