Still thicker than water (30 page)

Chauncey and Mike reached her first, with Jayde and E right behind them. She was holding onto the poor frightened woman who had no idea what was going on.

Chauncey grabbed her by the arms.

“
What happened?” He asked, scared to his bones from her crying. His heart broke at the thought of it being something with Aubrey.

“
Babe, are you okay?” Mike asked, concerned and trying to grab her from Chauncey.

“
Get away from me!” Sasha screamed at Mike. “It’s your fault! Your stupid ass cousin! My baby!”

She was frantic and Jayde teared up and shook her head no as E just dropped his head in worry.

Chauncey’s face filled with pain as he gripped her hard. He needed answers.

“
Sasha! What the fuck happened?”

She snapped into reality and realized they had to go. They had to get to their baby girl.

“
We gotta go Chauncey. She’s at the hospital…Bri-Bri’s there,” she cried hard, her words coming out in mumbles and getting caught in her throat. “And she…she won’t wake up.”

She broke down in his arms and tears poured from her eyes. Chauncey closed his eyes tight and squeezed his fists in pain - pure, heart wrenching pain. And something else he’d never felt before, complete fear.

“
Let’s go. We gotta go.”

They raced to St. Joseph’s in Chauncey’s car, terrified and praying. When they reached the entrance, they double parked and jumped out, busting through the doors, and all sprinting to the emergency area.

Sasha, Chauncey, and Mike ran up to the receptionist.

“
Please, Aubrey Mills,” Chauncey said with pleading eyes.

Please tell me a room. Please, if it’s a room number, then she’s fine.

The young girl entered the name into the computer and gave them a solemn look.

“
The doctor will be out to talk with you shortly.”

Chauncey’s face went blank as he cradled Sasha strongly in his arms who cried hard, hoarse moans of pain coming from her throat which sounded like a dying animal.

“
Oh god, Chauncey,” she cried. “Why…why can’t we see her? Oh god, it’s all my fault…I’m a bad mother…I left her! I left her, Chauncey!”

Chauncey could feel himself breaking down but had to remain strong, Aubrey had to be okay. She just had to.

“
Can you at least tell me what happened?” He asked the girl, in almost a begging whisper. He had been unable to get anything out of Sasha.

The girl looked on, not knowing what to do. Chauncey was about to get irate, but the doctor approached.

“
Mrs. Bernstein…Mr. Bernstein…” He greeted Sasha and Chauncey hastily.

“
Actually, I’m Mr. Bernstein,” Mike chimed, who had been playing the background the whole time, truly not knowing what to say up until this point. Anytime he tried to comfort Sasha, she would pull away and lean on Chauncey. Chauncey shot him an ice cold look and Mike retreated back to the sidelines.

The doctor ignored the unimportant comment.

“
Your daughter is in ICU. She’s ingested a vast amount of poison and her nervous system and vital organs are in terrible danger. We’ve tried a gastric lavage, in other words, the stomach pump but it seems like we may need to attempt a second option.”

“
A nasogastric aspiration,” Sasha mumbled, knowing the procedures from medical classes.

“
Yes,” the doctor agreed. “She was unconscious when she arrived but we were able to revive her, although she is not stable…”

“
Will she be alright?” Chauncey needed to know, not following too much of what the doctor was saying. Sasha looked up with hope, needing to hear that answer as well, but the doctor frowned slightly and dipped his eyebrows low.

“
I…I’m not sure. But we’re doing our best.”

Chauncey’s strength was gone. He wobbled slowly over to the wall and ran his hands over his face, collapsing down and sitting on the floor, with his knees to his chest.

He couldn’t lose Aubrey, he couldn’t lose his life.

Sasha opened her mouth in pain, like she had been stabbed in the heart, but nothing would come out. Tears clouded her vision as she gradually moved her feet, and made her way in front of Chauncey. She squatted down in front of him and laid her head on his knees, but he kept his hands over his face. Nothing short of Jesus Christ himself promising her that Aubrey would be okay would heal her agony.

She cried hard onto him, her tears and snot covering his jeans, and Chauncey felt his own tears falling, wetting his face.

Mike walked over and crouched down, rubbing Sasha on the back soothingly.

“
I’m so sorry babe…it’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be fine.”

E sat in the chair with his head hung low, praying for little Aubrey, and Jayde covered her mouth in shock and sadness. The scene was all too unreal.

Jayde walked over to them and leaned down.

“
I’m gonna call your parents, okay baby?” Sasha didn’t answer, and Jayde felt her own cry coming on, seeing Sasha in so much pain. The pain of the room was so strong. “I’m gonna call Tatum too.” Jayde knew how close they were, they were like sisters.

Jayde turned around and her heels clicked down the corridor as she made her way out of the exit to make the calls. She hurried faster when she felt herself breaking down. She wanted to remain strong, because that was all that she knew. But as she reached the night air, her tears ran like they were pouring from a faucet.

It didn’t matter if you were the strongest of the strong, the bravest of the brave, everyone’s heart went out to baby Aubrey that night.
Bri-Bri, pull through. Pull through, little Bri-Bri.

Chapter 18 - Sin

“
I can see it in your face, son…don’t lie to your father, it’s not wise. I’m the one person you can not fool.”

“
What are you talking about?” Ree asked, feigning ignorance to his father’s accusations. They were seated in his living room, both with their choice of poison. Ree’s being a blunt and his father’s, a drink.

“
You know exactly what I’m talking about Sean. And let me just add, your discontentment will always lead you in search of new things. And new things, won’t always mean better.” His father’s warning came accompanied with a worried smirk.

Ree massaged his temples with his forefinger and thumb. His father’s logic was giving him a headache.

“
Pop, I don’t know what you think you know…but I’m content. I have what I want…I have
who
I want…I’m satisfied.” Even as the words came out of Ree’s mouth, he knew they were not totally true.

“
Really?”

“
Really,” Ree assured confidently.

“
Okay, so even the smallest part of you has no desire to dabble into anymore of your past lifestyle? No drugs, no fast money… no murder?”

Ree let the question penetrate and then he shrugged and shook his head no.

“
Nah. Why would I?”

His father laughed like he knew something Ree did not.

“
So, if that’s the case, why didn’t you quit long ago? You’ve had enough money for years, correct? So it wasn’t the money.”

Ree and his father shared an intense stare as his father continued.

“
No son, I would say…I would say it was the thrill that kept you. The allure of the game. You were a gangster, like myself, and like your grandfather, because you were good at it. And now that you aren’t anymore…you don’t know what else to be. Of course, Tatum being here has made it better. You know, getting the girl always makes it better…” His father chuckled. “But all in all…you’re miserable. You’re bored.”

Ree inhaled his weed smoke and looked on blankly. He could only produce one response.

“
Once you get away, it’s idiotic to go back.” His statement came out more as a question and Ree’s father nodded, knowing that he knew his son well. Before he could reply, Tatum came storming into the room. She was distraught in tears.

“
I…I have to go.”

Ree stood up and went to her, concern on his face. His father looked on, also concerned.

“
What’s wrong?”

She covered her mouth and her voice cracked as she spoke.

“
It’s Aubrey…she’s in the hospital. Jayde says she’s in critical condition…I have to get to Sasha.”

Ree sighed, devastated to hear the news. He knew this was crushing for Sasha, and Chauncey.

“
Okay, I’ll call the jet.”

He grabbed Tatum up and held her close, and she wept. He placed his hand behind her head as she cried into his chest.

“
Oh my god, Ree. What if she doesn’t make it?”

“
It’s gonna be alright Tatum. She’s going to be fine.” And then he pulled back, holding her shoulders, and looked in her eyes, seeing how scared and worried she was. It caused him to decide. “I’m coming with you.”

“
Are you sure, that this is…you know, smart?” Tatum asked, as her and Ree boarded his jet. She was devastated and her mind was on Aubrey, but she also knew that the last time she had checked, Ree was a fugitive on the run. Now he was flying with her back into the states.

“
It’s fine,” he replied, taking his seat next to her.

“
But, what if someone recognizes you?”

Ree looked out of the small jet window into the black night and answered.

“
No one’s gonna recognize me.”

Tatum stared at him and couldn’t believe how calm he was.

“
But what if-”

“
Ssshhh,” he said, cutting her question off, and caressing her face with his hand. “It’s okay. No more what ifs, okay?”

Tatum nodded and softly kissed the inside of his palm and he pulled her face close and kissed her forehead. As they began to ascend, the fleeting thought of coming clean to her briefly entered his mind.

Tatum had asked him before if he had been back to the states since he’d left, and he had told her no. She had also asked if he had spoken to Chauncey, and he had denied that as well. As the small plane made its way into the air, Ree reflected on when he had made this same trip back to the states about two years ago.

“
You got five minutes,” the correctional officer had whispered to Ree.

“
Five minutes? Is that what fifteen g’s is worth these days?” Ree had humored. “That’s almost half your salary, nigga.”

The guard snickered.

“
Yeah, well if I get caught, then that’s my job.”

Ree chuckled at the rip off, and sat in the darkness in the middle of the quad, on a bench.

It was almost 1 am. and he was inside of the Prison in Rahway, waiting for Chauncey to be brought down out of his cell.

After a few minutes, he could see the dark figure make its way to him, dressed in his prison uniform and accompanied by another sideways C.O.

“
Damn, nigga. You everywhere, huh?” Chauncey whispered with a smile, amused at Ree’s power and pull. Respect was the only man in Chauncey's life that he had ever…well, respected. Meeting him when he was so young, Ree was almost like an uncle, or a big brother to him.

Ree stood and the two went from a hood handshake to a half way hug as Ree patted him on the back.

“
How they treating you in here?”

“
Cant complain. Bricks and bars, aint nothing.”

Ree nodded and looked up to make sure the officers were a distance away.

“
Alright. Well look, I don’t have too much time, but I wanted to let you know…everything is all set up for you. I know we didn’t talk about it to this extent…but a few things came up. Everything is on you now, I’m out.”

Chauncey looked on with a million emotions in his face - honor, eagerness, disappointment, and surprise just to name a few. Ree continued.

“
I know you got a lot to learn, but at the same time, you’re a natural born leader, so you’ll learn on your own. The only thing I can tell you is…you gotta tone it the fuck down. No more shine, no more floss, and no more temper. Everything is calculated from now on. You’re a boss, so move accordingly.”