Atone (The Disciples 2)

I look down at Ryder and Edge. Something’s wrong and I can sense it. Christ. I tug at my hair, unable to shake my anxiety.

“What the fuck is wrong now?” I snarl at Ryder. All this crazy energy is coming from him.

“I just talked to your woman and she’s at the hospital. I need to go, I think.”

He looks confused, and my heart skips a beat then starts racing. My hand goes to my necklace.

“Poet, you okay?” Edge reaches for my shoulder. I shrug it off as my brain starts to work. He can’t possibly mean Charlie. I left her last night in a satisfied ball, snuggled, naked in her white comforter.

“Repeat?” I hiss.

“I don’t know, man.”

I stare at him, getting pissed. For the amount of shit he’s done and seen, it makes no sense for him to sit looking paralyzed.

Turning to Edge, I ask, “What the fuck is going on?”

“I think someone he’s sleeping with is at the hospital bleeding.” One of the best things about Edge is he never loses his cool.

The relief that it has nothing to do with Charlie almost makes me sit down. Which makes me grit my teeth. I’m not acting much better than Ryder.

“Give me the phone. Let’s get out of here.”

Reluctantly, he hands me his phone.

“Jesus, how many text messages do you two have? What are you twelve?”

He doesn’t respond. That in itself is alarming. For Ryder to stay quiet it must mean he’s upset. Kicking open the metal door, I feel like a vampire as the bright sunlight makes black dots dance in front of my eyes.

The smell of stale beer and rotten garbage from the dumpster getting baked in the hot sun doesn’t help.

Pushing on Cindy’s number, I glance over at Ryder who’s pacing around the parking lot like a caged bear that’s been locked up.

“Hello.” Charlie’s raspy voice makes me pause as my mind tries to catch up to the strange tightening in my chest.

“What happened?”

“David?”

“You okay, Beautiful?” I ignore Edge’s curious stare as he lights up a cigarette.

“No… I mean yes.” She blows out air. “This has been a stressful day.” Her voice catches.

“Babe? I need you to breathe and tell me which hospital you’re at.”

I hear her sniffle and say, “We’re at Cedars.”

“Okay, I’m on my way. Stay in the lobby and wait for me.”

“But they’re discharging Cindy. I’m supposed to take her to my place. She can’t stay by herself.” I hear ambulances. She must be outside.

“Did you drive?”

“No, we took an Uber.”

“Is Cindy with you?”

“I’m going in right now.”

I straddle my bike. “We’re on our way. Get Cindy and I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I hang up without saying goodbye and turn to Ryder. “Let’s go. They’re at Cedars.”

“She’s okay, right?”

I stare at him. I’ve never seen him like this. “Yes.”

“Fuck.” He runs his hand over his buzz cut. “I have no idea why this has freaked me out. I barely know this girl. We hooked up once.”

Edge walks by us to his bike. “Both of you are fucked in the head. I don’t have time for this shit. I’ll tell Prez that you’re both busy.”

He starts his bike, shaking his head in disgust as he flicks his cancer stick at us and backs his bike out with his boots on the hot asphalt.

“Fuck, he’s getting worse.”

Edge is nothing but negativity. Maybe that’s why I’ve been spending the most time with him.

“Charlie said Cindy’s gonna need someone to stay with her…”

“She’ll stay with me.” He climbs on his bike.

We don’t say anything after that and let the heat of the pavement and exhaust of our bikes guide us down Coldwater Canyon toward Beverly Boulevard.CHARLIEI hang up with David and look around. God, I’m losing it. How am I only noticing my surroundings now? I’m in a small courtyard with ornate cement benches that would burn your ass if you sat on them. A couple of nurses stand in the shade, smoking and laughing about something.

I’m starving, but the nervousness has taken over, pushing my lack of food to the side. David is coming. Lifting the sweaty hair off my neck, I fasten it on top of my head with a rubber band. Next, I head back to the ER while trying to slather on some lip gloss.

As I enter, the blast of cool air is like heaven. The waiting area is packed now. Clearly more shit happens in the afternoon than in the morning.

When a kid starts coughing on me, I move to the other side.

“Holy shit, there you are.”

I swirl around to see Cindy. She’s in a wheelchair but looks a million times better.

“Wow, that was quick. All I did was make a couple phone calls.”

She eyes me up and down, and I look at my dress. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, why?” she says.

“You look… whatever.”