June 13th, 2018
Rasheed Johnson had been in love with Jaclyn Jackson since he was twelve years old. She was the girl next door, then she was the homecoming queen and after that she was his work wife. She had been single for a long time, always busy, always serious and while Rasheed had pinned for her longer than she had been single in time he had grown content with just supporting her at work and being her friend. He had gotten married five years ago, had just had a child of his own. His wife was a good woman, loyal and kind. He was happy and so it seemed that Jackie was as well.
At least for a bit.
“Thanks for driving me ‘Sheed, you didn’t have to.”
“Don’t be like that Jack, we’re friends for life and I can’t leave you sick like that, not considering what’s happened.”
Jackie sighed at that, she didn’t necessarily like being open and vulnerable around others. She was fiercely independent and fiercely fierce--a beacon of strength and a paragon of consistency. Even with the Senior class of George Hunter missing, her only son among them, she had insisted and kept on working her job at the Post Office. This morning she had been puking her guts out at home and still managed to make it to work where she puked again. Rasheed spoke to the Union Rep and got them both off and was taking her to the hospital. She was grateful, though more certain by the second she was going to repaint the interior of Rasheed's car with her dinner from last night. She didn't need complimentary sympathy along with whatever was tearing her stomach up.
“Thank you, you can just drop me off at the hospital, I’ll take an Uber home.”
“Are you crazy? C’mon, I’m gonna park and we’ll get you checked out.”
She sighed again and pursed her lips.
“ ‘Sheed?”
“Yeah?”
“My son is dead, so yeah, I'm a little fucking crazy at the moment,” she undid her seatbelt, “I appreciate the friendship and the kindness--but I am not feeling particularly kind or friendly right now. So please, please, leave me alone.”
“Jack, you know I can’t do that, I love you.”
“Jesus fuckin’ chris--”
She puked, right in his lap. She had eaten tuna fish last night, it looked like a mixture of refried beans and tuna casserole. They stared at each other for what seemed to be forever. Jackie wiped her mouth, apologized and quickly exited the car.
Rasheed to his credit did not peel out. But he also didn't stay--thank God.
When she made it to the nursing station of the ER room she found her stomach calmed and looking at her phone that it was around 8AM. The nurses were fresh, an hour into their shift and the hospital was running at a smooth pace. She plugged in her headphones and listened to her son’s crappy music. She missed him and missed his music. It had always been the link between them, songs allowed her to be soft when life and the burdens of raising a man as a woman forced her to be hard.
Jackie’s Jams: 2 Chainz ft. YG & Offset - PROUD
She was seen quickly, the doctors said it was stress, she demanded tests.
They took her urine and her blood.
Then she sat there and waited.
