Chapter Text
Disclaimer: I do not own the On My Block series or any of the characters from it. I do, however, own the plot and characters you don't recognize.
From her chair facing the front door, Teal gripped her auntie's shotgun between her hands, clutching it so hard she thought her fingers were going to be permanently curled.
She was supposed to be long gone by now. On a train to San Diego. But she couldn't do it, too fearful of what may have happened to them. She wanted to scream, cry and beat her fists. Mostly, she just wanted throw up. She nearly did when the harsh ring of her doorbell cut her short. Teal almost fired a shot. She still didn't move. She wasn't going to move, like she hadn't for the past hour.
Then her doorbell rang again, sounding shriller than the first time.
"Teal, it's me! It's Cesar."
Her heart leaped at the familiar voice and she rushed to the door, throwing it open and pulling him into a fierce hug. "Thank you, Father God…"
Cesar quietly returned her embrace. "Cuchillos is dead," he said after a beat.
Her stomach rolled at the mention of the heiress' name. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I guess."
When Teal finally got a good look of him, it was like he aged 10 years since the last time she saw him. It might as well have been his brother standing here before her. In this very moment, he was an exact replica of him. "Oscar… Is he…?" She may have hated the Santos leader, but she needed to know so she could return to moving numbly through life.
"We don't know where he is," Cesar answered with a frown. "I still have his phone. But mine's dead."
"Where are the rest of you?"
"Headed home. I just thought it would be better to tell you all this in person rather than in some random text."
"Fair." She reached up and brushed something out of his hair. "Alright, inside. You're staying here until you hear from brother. You can even raid my fridge."
Cesar appeared a bit hesitant as he considered her offer.
"Boy, come on." Teal ushered the traumatized teen inside and then locked and double-bolted the door. "Listen, I hope you know that what's goin' on between me and Oscar is just between me and Oscar. I am in no way blaming you. He's your blood, you gotta protect him. I get that." She calmly put her aunt's shotgun back in its cabinet. "I'm not mad at you, so don't be mad at Monse. I deserve to know, don't I? I mean, am I wrong for feeling the way I do?"
"No." He shook his head, tucking his hands into his pockets. "You're not. I just… I don't like seeing you guys fight. And I can't help but feel like it's my fault. Again."
"Cesar, go and eat. Please." She gently nudged him in the direction of the kitchen. "Take off your backpack. Chill out. My issue's with your brother, not with you. Okay?"
As Teal said this, her cell phone started ringing from the living room.
"Uh, just help yourself." She went to answered it and found her Android buried deep between the couch cushions. She checked the screen.
Incoming call
Ruby Martinez
Strange. He never calls her. They weren't close like that. She tapped the answer button then brought her phone up to her ear. "¿Hola, Ruby…?"
"You still in Freeridge?"
It wasn't Ruby.
Suddenly, relief fell over her. The son of a bitch made it. "Yes, unfortunately. Your brother is here, too. His phone's dead, though." Her voice quaked a little. "H-Hold on, I'll get 'im for you—"
"So how long you planning on staying pissed at me for?"
Teal's fingers twitched as she tried to keep herself grounded. "I'm handing the phone over to Cesar now." She made it to the kitchen in two long strides. The boy in question was standing by the microwave, waiting on a large plate of her leftover fried dumplings. "Ah, it's better if you had warmed those in the oven."
She heard Oscar suck a breath through his teeth. "Just bring him to the crib," he gritted. "I'll be there when you get there," and then the line disconnected. She was pretty much used to him doing that.
"Was that Oscar?" Cesar's face lit up and he looked a lot like himself again. "Did he say where he is?"
"He called from Ruby's phone. I'm assuming he's over there. Anyway, once you're done I'll drop you home. So, take your time. No rush."
"Are you okay?"
Teal shrugged. "Can't tell you when I'll ever be able to answer that question." She rubbed her eyes, drew a deep breath and released it slowly. "Just eat, babe. If you want more, take more. I doubt I'll have much of an appetite going forward."
"… Police say the college students were speeding westbound on Vermont Avenue when they blew through a red light and hit the Chevrolet Malibu. The 24-year-old woman and her young passenger were injured in the collision and rushed to Freeridge Memorial Hospital with multiple injuries. At this time, the status of their condition remains unknown. But our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families."
Oscar didn't put two and two together until Jamal showed up at his crib the next afternoon.
He couldn't wrap his head around it. He thought Teal had kept Cesar with her anyway. He didn't expect this shit to happen to them. If it wasn't one thing it was the fucking other. So much for 'laying low'.
Oscar was seething as he followed Jamal into the crowded waiting room. It smelled like piss, perfume, disinfectant and other things he couldn't identify. And he didn't miss the nervous stares in his direction. Monse was sitting in a corner by herself with her legs stretched out across four empty seats. She noticed them and immediately got to her feet.
"Finally! They won't give us any information on Cesar or Teal 'cos we're not immediate family." She rounded on him. "And Mrs. Ruiz isn't gonna be here for another 2 hours. Can't you find something out?"
"Where's Ruby?" asked Jamal, surveying the room for their shorter friend.
"Him and Jasmine went to go find a vending machine. He needed a minute," Monse added in a hushed voice.
Jamal's head bobbed in understanding.
Oscar was in desperate need of a smoke, and another drink to wash all it all down. Maybe then he could get rid of the sick feeling in his gut. A part of him wanted to laugh. He never felt more 'cursed' than he did right now.
Tightening his fists, he stalked toward the reception desk where an old nurse sat behind a computer. He heard the wail of an approaching siren, then the commotion of the trauma team bringing a patient through the nearby ambulance bay. "Can I help you?" The triage nurse said, eyeing his marred appearance.
"Cesar Diaz and Tealianne Silvera, which rooms are they in?"
"Are you… a family member?"
Oscar was beginning to lose his patience. "He's my little brother and she's my wife." Very rarely did he say that out loud. It was probably the second time he did. "They were in the accident on Vermont last night and were brought here."
"And your name?"
"Oscar Diaz."
"Okay..." Her fingers clicked across the keyboard. "Well, your wife is still in surgery, and your brother is in for a CT scan now."
"How much longer till I can I see 'em?" he pressed further.
"I'm sorry, sir. It's hard to say. But I've signed you in, so have a seat in the waiting room. The doctor will update you on their condition as soon as they know something."
Mrs. Ruiz has hated Oscar ever since he was 11 years old.
He and some homies back in the day egged her house that Halloween. He broke a window. He didn't care. He'd just found his father left. He wanted to fuck shit up, and Sad Eyes dared him to. His mother never let him hear the end of it when she had to pony up the cash for the repairs.
"Eres tú. Siempre eres tú. ¡Cada vez que mi sobrina consigue herida es por ti!"
It was the truth. Oscar couldn't deny it. Didn't mean he wanted to hear that shit.
Fuck it.
He was gonna have that smoke. Mrs. Ruiz was giving him a fucking headache. The vieja bruja hadn't stopped riding his ass since the moment she got to the hospital. He needed some air and some time to get his head in order.
Oscar stared down his nose at the older Afro-Latina, his scowl deepening and pulling at the edges of where Cuchillos had brought down her knife. "In case you forgot, I got someone in there too."
"Mi nuh know what it is she sees in yuh."
"Hey, guys?" Monse interrupted. "I think the doctor's coming."
They all turned their attention to a man in a white coat with a stethoscope hanging around his neck. Oscar steeled himself as he came up to them. "Thank you all for your patience. Family of Mr. Diaz and Ms. Silvera, I presume?"
"Yes." Mrs. Ruiz stepped forward. "I'm Teal's auntie. How-how she doin'? Is she gonna be alright?"
"Perhaps it would be better if we talked in private—"
"Whatever it is you gotta say, you can say it right here," Oscar interposed. "Are she and my brother alright?" If they weren't, he wasn't sure how he would stomach it.
The doctor pulled out the orange file folder that was underneath his arm. He opened it and cleared his throat before continuing. "Right. Yes, they're both stable. But they have a number of injuries. The good news is their CT scans are normal. There is no brain trauma that we've detected, no bleeding or damage to their internal organs. It's a good thing they were wearing their seat belts and that the car had airbags." He turned to Mrs. Ruiz first. "Your niece Tealianne arrived here unconscious and had to undergo surgery for a broken collarbone on her left side. We inserted a metal plate and 7 screws to keep the bones stabilized while healing. She will need a brace for the next 8 weeks minimum."
Oscar felt a muscle start to pulse at his temple.
"She also suffered a cracked rib and a scaphoid fracture in her right wrist, as well as some cuts and bruises. It was her side of the vehicle that took majority of the impact. Needless to say, it's a miracle she survived at all."
"Oh, Jesus, oh God…" Mrs. Ruiz began mumbling over and over again.
"What about Cesar?" Ruby spoke up, his hand clutched tightly between Jasmine's.
The blood roared in Oscar's ears as the doctor's eyes landed on him. "Your brother did sustain a mild concussion and bruised ribs during the collision. He also needed 10 stitches for a laceration on the right side of his head. But he was coherent and alert, and talking to the paramedics."
The ex-Santos leader swallowed the knot forming in his throat. "Can we see 'em now?" He managed to keep his words steady.
"Unfortunately, they'll be in recovery for another couple of hours before they can see anyone," the doctor replied. "You're more than welcome to come back tomorrow morning. Our visiting hours begin at 11."
Everyone except Oscar looked at one another in silence. He wasn't happy with the idea, leaving his little brother alone in this place. And Teal… She didn't sign up for any of this shit.
"I assure you folks, they're in good hands. We will do everything to make their stay here comfortable."
Still, that didn't stop the rage from creeping back up his neck.
Howdy!
I'm bored, I like On My Block, and so I write. Hope that's cool. I'm also still learning Spanish, so if I mess up on a verb or something, please let me know! And I have Jamaican roots, so some Patois will be sprinkled throughout this story as well.
Okay bye!
Love, Peace and Tranquility.