When Lani entered the hospital room, Chris was sitting up in the bed, alert flicking back and forth between Sports Center and the NFL network. Lani ran over and hugged him. “Baby you’re ok!”
The nurse entered the room and said, “Yeah, came to a couple of hours ago. We tried to call you on your cell, but it kept going to voice mail.”
Chris smiled at Lani and they made eye contact and they kissed.
Chris said, “I still don’t remember what happened.”
The nurse said, “His short term memory is gone.”
“No!”
When the nurse left the room Lani said, “You got robbed, baby. Somebody beat you up and robbed you. Dropped you off at the hospital.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
She looked at him and wondered how much of his memory had been affected. How could she explain why he’d gotten robbed?
He said, “Look I know I’m a hustler, so you don’t have to look at me strange. My memory ain’t that shot, I was just wondering why would somebody rob me?”
She laughed at him and said, “That’s what Michael wants to know. He thinks some dude named Rodriguez had something do with it.”
“Bitch assed Rodriguez?”
“I don’t know him.”
“He’s a real bitch, trust me, and if I find out he had something do with this, he’s gonna be dealt with.”
His cousin, Cassie, entered the room and she and Lani exchanged pleasantries.
Lani said, “Why didn’t you tell me about your gorgeous cousin?”
Chris said, “I’ve told you about Cass before.”
“I don’t remember.”
“I told you about my cousin that went to Spelman.”
Lani said, “Yeah, but you were so vague about it, just saying that you had a cousin that went there.”
Cassie said, “Men are always vague.” She passed Chris the soda and kissed him on the cheek.
The kiss made Lani a little uneasy, but she was his cousin. But damn they were grown. Did grown cousin’s kiss?
Lani said, “So how are y’all related?”
Chris said, “My daddy and her mom are brother and sister.”
Lani said, “Oh okay.”
Chris said, “Her mother made sure me and Mike knew Dad’s side of the family after he passed when I was eight years old.”
Lani said, “That was nice of her.”
Chris said, “I want to get the hell out of here.”
Cassie said, “The nurse said they’re going to keep you at least till in the morning. Waiting on some test to come back.”
Chris said, “No hell they ain’t! I’m leaving here tonight.”
Cassie shrugged.
Lani said, “You know your cousin, if he says he’s gonna leave tonight, you better believe he’s leaving tonight.”
Cassie said, “Unfortunately.”