Pleasurable Expectations

f o r t y - f o u r

Sienna, King, and I raced to Jeremiah's room as soon as we stepped foot in the hospital. A tense silence filled the air as we took one rushed step after the other. King stopped in his tracks as we reached Jeremiah's room, Sienna and I bumping into him.

"Everything okay?" Sienna asked, concern lacing her tone.

King was looking through the window, Jeremiah visible and unconscious on the other side. There were IVs all in his arms and a tube hanging over the side of the bed. The machine next to his bed pumped air into his lungs through a tube in his mouth.

Jeremiah's parents looked concerned for their son for the first time since I'd met them. Miss Diamond was seated next to the bed. One of her hands held his while the other caressed his cheek. Mr. Diamond was standing next to her, his eyes locked on his unconscious son.

King cleared his throat and said, "I'm gonna be right back."

"I'm gonna check on him." Sienna started walking after him before she could even finish her sentence. "You gonna be good?"

"I'll be fine."

I took a deep breath and steeled myself before entering the room. The Diamonds turned to me, their piercing gazes adding to the already present tension. The silence was heavy as the machine beeped rhythmically in the background. I couldn't help but wince every time I heard the machine take an artificial breath.

"Did the doctor come with any updates?" I asked, my voice soft.

The pair shared a look, one that seemed like they weren't sure if they wanted to fill me in or not. My eyes darted between the two of them as I looked at them in anticipation. Another moment or two passed before they focused their attention back on Jeremiah.

There was an irritated edge to my tone as I said, "I know y'all don't like me because you've had an issue with me since the moment you met me, and honestly? I'm not big fans of yours either—"

I could tell Miss Diamond was offended by how her lips parted and her hand found her chest. "Excuse me?"

"But I am a big fan of Jeremiah's. I'm just trying to be here for him, and y'all are making that real difficult." I took a deep breath before I continued, "I wanna be on his team right now, even with everything, and I'd appreciate it if you would let me. We all love him, so can we support him now and go back to disliking each other later?"

I don't know why the Diamonds' dislike for me ran so deep, and I didn't care to, but I did want it to stop getting in the way. Jeremiah was right in front of us, tubes coming from almost everywhere imaginable, and they still tried to stonewall me. I wouldn't care on a normal day, but all I wanted now was to know how he was doing.

There was a beat before Mr. Diamond said, "He's stable. Dr. Musazi said all his brain scans looked good, and the coma is from the toll the blood loss and surgery took on him."

I couldn't help but notice his tone as he delved more into the specifics. It sounded as if he was reciting a prepared presentation for a boardroom. He was clear and concise; you would never guess he was talking about his child.

"I can stay with him if you want to get something from downstairs," I offered as I crossed over to the other side of the bed.

"I'm not eating hospital food, Jalen." Miss Diamond's hand dropped Jeremiah's. "We need to find a restaurant."

Mr. Diamond responded, "Oh, of course, we're not eating here." He gestured towards the door, his wife stepping in front of him.

"We need a hotel, too. I need to wash the hospital off of me."

I scoffed as they left the room, but they paid me no mind. They continued their conversation, their voices fading the further they got. It amazed me what their priorities were at the moment.