Carlos held the phone away from his ear. The voice was screaming. His aunt was crying and he couldn't understand anything she was saying. She kept saying "University Hospital", but other than that he couldn't tell.

"Tia, you have to slow down," he pleaded. "I can't understand you. What's the matter?"

There were more sobs and he had to strain to understand, but when he heard Carson's name he started to put things together.

"Is it Carson?" he asked. "What happened? Is he ok?" He looked around the garage and several people had begun to come over. they had heard the commotion and desperation in his voice.

His aunt finally gained some composure. "Carson was hit by a car. He's at University Hospital. I have to get there soon. Can you take me?" She asked. Her voice was full of pain and sadness.

Carlos began to pace back and forth in his small office. He was trying to think. "Of course Tia. Of course, I can take you. I just saw him yesterday. He was fine. Anyway, yeah I can be there in fifteen minutes."

His other mechanics gathered around the office door. They had looks of concern on their faces. Scorpion, who had been shooting pool the night before, was wiping his greasy black hands with a rag.

"Hey Carlos, man what's up? Is everything ok?" he asked. They had been friends since middle school. Carlos was usually pretty reserved and always kept his emotions guarded.

Carlos left his office in a rush. He didn't even acknowledge the worried people standing in the doorway. All work in the garage had come to a stop.

Scorpion grabbed Carlos by the arm as he tried to rush past. Very few others would have been able to do that without getting hurt. Carlos whipped around in anger. "Hey you better let me..." he cut himself off when he saw who had grabbed him. He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut to blink away tears.

"Is it your little cousin?" Scorpion asked. "I thought I heard you say his name."

"Yeah she said he was hit by a car earlier. Tia says he's at University Hospital. I need to give her a ride there. I gotta get there as soon as I can. He's hurt really bad I think." Carlos was already trying to pull away from his friend.

"No way you're driving man. I will take you. No problem. I'm done for the day anyway." Scorpion grabbed Carlos's keys from the desk.

They went outside and got into the car. Carlos slumped over in the passenger seat. "I shouldn't have been so tough on him last night. I shouldn't have pushed him and called him out like that. The kid is sensitive," Carlos said. He balled a fist and punched the dashboard. "I should have kept myself in check!" He punched it again.

"Man there's no way you're responsible for this. You can't control where cars are driving," Scorpion was speeding through the neighborhood streets. "You know him. Little due probably had his head in his phone and wasn't watching where he was walking."

Carlos gazed out of the passenger side window. Small raindrops were beginning to hit it. He ignored Scorpion. He didn't have any sense. He didn't know his family like Carlos knew them. He had pushed too hard and tried to be too tough on Carson. He was probably scared and feeling guilty about losing the gun. He shouldn't have given it to him anyway. He wasn't ready yet.

Carlos covered his face with his hands. "It doesn't matter now. Just get Tia and let's see if he's gonna be ok."

The ride to the hospital was covered in a thick blanket of silence. Each was lost in their own concerned thoughts and worry. Looking out of the windows they saw gray clouds in the sky. The rain began to fall harder now. Fall was fully upon them. The cold air gave a preview that winter snow wasn't far off.

The rain did little to wash away the filth that they looked out on. Trash scattered around on their neighborhood streets. It seems like the trash bags were still there from last week. The rain was soaking everything. Cans, bottles, and plastic bags were clogging the sewer drains.

On the sidewalks, a few people were running and trying to get inside from the rain. Mostly though, people just walked along. Carlos saw the sadness in their eyes. They just seemed to be walking and not caring if they got soaked.

Sirens screamed past and all three of them turned their heads to look. There were more sirens these days it seemed. Carlos saw more cops on the streets than he remembered. It seemed like they were on every corner. He laughed to himself. They were everywhere yet they did nothing. They could hassle as many people as they wanted. They couldn't control the gangs that had taken over.

He and his crew were not that strong by themselves. They could defend themselves, and they had a few times over the past year. He had the firepower and the reputation to himself, his family, and his closest friends safe. When he came back from his last stint in prison he had a new outlook. He had used violence in the past, but was trying to stay focused on staying clean and out of prison this time. He was trying to do the right thing. It wasn't easy when this is what the city had become. He was well known around town, both as a friend and an enemy.

Scorpion pulled the car into the hospital parking lot. The rain was coming down and they ran from the lot into the large emergency room sliding doors. They were met with a busy waiting area. People in scrubs walked briskly down the hallways. A baby in the waiting room was screaming as its mother tried in vain to soothe it. People of all ages and shapes were pacing the room and sleeping in the seats. Some were holding ice or bandages to their faces, while others were bent over clutching their stomachs. There were no seats available.

Carlos ran to one of the reception desks.

"Where is Carson Ridgewell?" Carlos asked harshly.

The man behind the desk looked up from his computer screen. "I'm sorry. Who did you say again?"

Carlos was exasperated. "Carson Ridgewell. He got hit by a car a little bit ago. He's fourteen."

The man turned back to his computer and began to type. He took what seemed like hours to find Carson. He looked back at Carlos. "I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to wait in our waiting room until a doctor can see you."

"What! Why? We need to see him!" Carlos put his hands on the desk and leaned forward toward the man. Scorpion had to hold his shoulders and keep him from jumping over the desk. "His mother is here. Can you at least tell us what's going on? How is he?"

The man backed away. He was obviously intimidated by the intense man in obvious shock. He looked back and forth for a security guard. Scorpion leaned in. "Please. I got his mom and cousin here. Please, we can't just sit here in the waiting room with all these people." He was pleading with the man.

"I promise you, I'll get the doctor as soon as I can," the man said. "Please just wait and I'll get someone out here to talk to you."

Carlos, Tia, and Scorpion were disheartened. They shuffled over to the waiting area, only to find no seats. A television overhead silently played the news. They found a clear area on the floor and tried to get comfortable. Carlos looked up at the television and saw more crime and destruction. He shook his head. He had made his mistakes, he knew that. His mistakes led him to five years in prison, an experience he did not want to repeat.

But he felt the pull when he saw the images on the news. He couldn't hear it, and he didn't need to. Another three homicides on the west side of the city. No suspects to be found. A missing girl with parents crying in front of the camera. Teachers unions demanding changes and threatening to strike. The Governor was being interviewed. Carlos didn't need to know what she was saying. Her thoughts and prayers were going out to the families. Violence is not the answer. all that which has been said before.

Carlos couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and paced up and down the hallway. Tia was praying silently with her head bowed. Scorpion had his head back on the brick wall with his eyes closed. Carlos was chewing on one of his fingernails when he saw a doctor walk through the doors into the waiting room.

She was sweating and her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. Her face was stern. Her scrubs were wrinkled but clean. Her white coat trailed behind her and she walked. Carlos knew she was there for them. He motioned over to Tia and Scorpion and then he walked quickly over to her.

"Are you here for Carson?" she asked. She looked at the three of them in the eyes.

"Yes. I'm his cousin and this is his mom," he said. "What can you tell us? Is he ok?"

She took a breath and closed her eyes. "Thanks for coming in. I have good news."

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