DeSean opened his eyes and everything he saw was white.
"Am I dead?" He wondered. The sound of the monitor beeping and the IV drip in his hand made him realize he was in the hospital.
"Thank God." He sighed in relief. He tried to sit up but he felt pain in his left side and his head ached. He held his left side as he tried to sit up. He sighed as he relaxed against the headboard. He looked around the hospital room and it was spacious. He knew he was in a private ward, seeing as everything looked good.
On the couch was a blue shawl he recognized as his grandmother's. He tried to recall what happened but his memory seemed blank. The door opened and a handsome dark skinned boy with braids and light brown eyes, dressed in black jeans, white T-shirt and a blue ripped jeans jacket and black shoes walked in. His eyes widened and he smiled, revealing the dimples he had on both cheeks, when he saw DeSean was awake.
"DeSean!" Kentrell called happily as he literally ran to the bed and engulfed DeSean in a bear hug.
"You're hurting me, Kentrell." DeSean groaned in pain making Kentrell quickly get off of him.
"Sorry." The twelve year old smiled sheepishly.
"It's aight." DeSean smiled weakly at him.
"I've missed you." Kentrell said as he sat down on the small space on the bed.
DeSean chuckled. "How you doin' bud'?"
"I'm good. You got mom and Mama so scared." Kentrell said.
"You wasn't scared?" DeSean asked.
Kentrell shook his head in negativity. "Nah. Big boys don't get scared. And I knew you'd survive it."
"You sound so mature." DeSean smiled in admiration and pride.
"Of course. I'm almost a teenager." Kentrell said proudly which made DeSean chuckle.
"Where's Mama?" DeSean questioned.
"Mom forced Mama to go home and rest as she'd been here for two days." Kentrell answered.
DeSean was surprised. "Two days?"
"Yeah. That's how long you were out for." Kentrell said.
DeSean eyed his brother suspiciously while doing counting the days in his head. "So that means today's Friday?"
"Mm-hmm." Kentrell nodded.
"Where's Ma?" DeSean asked. Just then, the door opened and a beautiful black woman of 5'5 with a black weave on, pretty brown eyes, button nose, full lips, face wearing little to no makeup, dressed in a black dress and black pumps. She was Maisha Martina McBride, his mother. He smiled.
She smiled and hurried to him. "Baby."
"Hey." He whispered. She sniffled and hugged him carefully, so as not to hurt him. She let go off him and stared into his eyes as if she was searching them. She hugged him again.
"You're alive. You're alive." She whispered to herself. She broke the hug and kissed his forehead. She sat on the bed and looked at her younger son who was looking at her with an amused smile.
"Go get the doctor, Ken." She said as she wiped her eyes. Kentrell nodded and was about to leave the room when the doctor walked in with a nurse. He recognized the doctor as their family doctor. It was Doctor Mishael Jabari, a biracial handsome doctor.
"Hey doc." DeSean said.
"How are you feeling, DeSean?" Doctor Jabari asked DeSean with a smile.
"I'm a'ight. Just a slight headache." DeSean answered and the nurse wrote down in her clipboard.
"That and what else?" Doctor Jabari asked.
"Nothing." DeSean said. Doctor Jabari nodded and instructed the nurse to check DeSean's vitals.
"Okay. Your vitals are stable and everything's fine. You'll be discharged today." Doctor Jabari said.
"How long was I out for?" DeSean asked.
"Two days." Doctor Jabari answered.
"Okay. Thank you doc." DeSean nodded.
"You're welcome, DeSean." Doctor Jabari smiled and left the ward with the nurse.
"I was so scared, Sean." Maisha spoke. She sounded like she was about to cry again.
"I'm fine, Ma." DeSean assured with a small smile.
"You was out for two days." She said and blew her nose into her handkerchief.
"What really happened?" DeSean asked.
"We was watching TMNT when Mama called saying we should rush down to the hospital. She said you've been stabbed." Kentrell spoke. He was now sitting on the couch. DeSean looked at his mother for confirmation.
She nodded. "Yeah that's what happened."
"So I was unconscious for two days?" DeSean asked.
"Yeah. Your boss was here but Melvin saw him off." Maisha said.
"And Vanessa's brother was here." Kentrell said.
"Gary?" DeSean looked at his mother.
"Yeah. He stayed throughout last night." Maisha answered making DeSean frown deeper.
"What about the culprit?" DeSean asked, feeling angry.
"The police are working on it. They were here too but left since you were unconscious." Maisha said.
"Hmm." He hummed and closed his eyes, releasing a deep breath.
***
"A.M to the PM, PM to the AM, funk..." Kendrick Lamar's Humble (clean version) blasted from the speakers in the living room of Maisha's house which Kentrell was playing. DeSean was in the kitchen sitting on the breakfast stool, looking at his mother and grandmother as they prepared dinner.
Before they left the hospital, the cops came and DeSean told them what he remembered and they promised to catch the culprit and also asked for his co-operation which he agreed to. Maisha didn't let him go to his house or his grandma's because she was scared of anything happening to him that's why he was at her place with his grandma.
"Ain't you supposed to be resting?" Melvin asked DeSean as he entered the kitchen. He was a tall dark skinned man with an afro hair, brown eyes, pointed nose, a mustache and a goatee; he was dressed in black sweatpants and black T-shirt and slippers. He was Maisha's husband and Kentrell's father.
"I told him the same thing." Maisha spoke as she put the chicken in the oven.
"He don't wanna listen to nobody." Tiana glared at DeSean as she chopped vegetables.
"Y'all know I can't just stay idle." DeSean muttered.
"Ken's in the living room vibing hard to Kendrick Lamar. Why don't you go join him?" Melvin said.
DeSean rolled his eyes and got up from the stool. "Whatever y'all." He went to the living room where Kentrell was now dancing to Bebe Rexha's The Way I Are. He chuckled and walked to the front door. He was about to open it when he heard his mother's voice. He rolled his eyes and turned to face her.
"Where you going to?" She questioned with her arms crossed.
"I just wanna take some fresh air." He answered.
"De-" she started. He knew what she was about to say so he cut her off.
"Ma, I'll be fine. Besides I'm just gonna be checking out the neighborhood." He said.
"If you're that scared, I'll watch him." Kentrell spoke from behind Maisha. Maisha rolled her eyes and turned to look at her twelve year old.
"I don't want any of y'all going outside." She said.
"We'll be fine Mom." Kentrell assured. He gave her his puppy dog eyes that always worked. She sighed and pulled both her son's for a hug.
"Protect each other." She said sternly. The boys nodded and left the house. DeSean let out a sigh as he thought of walking to the gate. Maisha lived in a mansion with a huge compound that was beautified with ornamental plants.
"Can we go now?" Kentrell asked, looking up at his big brother.
DeSean sighed and started walking. "Why you joining me?" He asked his brother beside him.
"Cause I want to?"
"Come on." DeSean said and they walked out of the gate. Their neighborhood was where rich folks lived and it was mainly white people who lived there. The brothers stopped in their tracks when they saw a figure jumping down the fence of their neighbor.
"Woah, is that a thief?" Kentrell whispered. The figure was dressed in a long black cloak with the hood on.
"It's not even night yet and people be stealing." DeSean said as the thief jumped down successfully holding a black duffel bag. The thief was surprisingly small which was weird.
"Why's he so small?" Kentrell asked with a chuckle.
"It's weird." DeSean said.
"Should we?" Kentrell asked with a smirk and DeSean immediately knew what he was talking about and he was against it.
"Nah, Ken. It's dangerous." DeSean said.
"That's what makes it fun." Kentrell said.
"I just got stabbed, Ken. Ain't no way we'll be chasing down a thief." DeSean argued.
"He's going away, Sean. Come on." Kentrell said and chased after the thief who was just walking. DeSean sighed and followed his brother.
"Hey!" DeSean yelled as they were getting closer to the thief. The thief looked back and started running. DeSean increased his pace, leaving his brother behind. The moment he reached the thief, he tackled him to the ground which caused them to fall. Lucky for him, he didn't fall on his injured side.
He got up from the ground while the thief was still groaning in pain. He removed the hood from the thief which left him shocked.
"You?" He questioned in surprise as he stared at the beautiful blonde with gray eyes.
"Mr. Savage?" She was also surprised to see him too.
"You're not just a murderer but a thief too?" He was so confused.
"I'm not a murderer and I'm not a thief." Mercedes spoke as she got up from the ground. Her face glistened in sweat and her hair was all over her face. Kentrell reached them panting heavily.
"We saw you climbing down the window and your outfit says otherwise." DeSean pointed out.
"It's not what it looks like, I swear." Mercedes said as she pushed hair away from her face.
"What's in the bag?" Kentrell asked.
"Nothing of your concern." Mercedes said sharply with a frown.
"I won't ask again. What's in the bag?" DeSean asked, his frown deepening by the second.
"You just asked again." Mercedes said with an eye roll. DeSean hissed and snatched the bag.
"Hey-" Mercedes tried to get the bag back but he passed it to Kentrell who quickly unzipped it and all it's content came out which was another surprising thing.
"Underwear?" DeSean and Kentrell questioned in unison, looking at Mercedes weirdly.
"You're not just a murderer but a thief and a pervert too?" DeSean asked. Mercedes frowned and punched him in his left side.
"Ugh." DeSean groaned in pain as he held his side. He felt his knees getting weak. Kentrell rushed to his brother.
"Are you okay?" Kentrell asked in concern.
"Wow, I got stronger. Serves you right." Mercedes said happily.
"Why are you bleeding?" Mercedes asked as she noticed DeSean's white shirt now stained with blood.
"He got stabbed." Kentrell yelled as DeSean placed his arm across his shoulder.
"Oh crap!" Mercedes said and rushed to help Kentrell and DeSean.