“Oh my God,” Tina whimpered letting her tears fall again.

I pulled her into a hug letting my own tears fall, unable to be the brick she needed. “What do the doctors say?” I asked.

“He’s coming right now,” Shane said pointing to the doctor walking down the hall. He was a tall black man with small glasses and a serious expression on his face. He seemed familiar to me but I couldn’t seem to pinpoint him. I kept on looking at him trying to will myself to figure out where I’ve seen this guy when I felt Tina’s hand on my arm.

“Come on babe,” she said giving me a curious look.

I shook my head out of its daze and I followed the girls to the approaching doctor. Tasha had been sitting on the floor crying into her lap the whole time next to Papi who was comforting her. When the doctor stopped in front of her, Tasha jumped up as if at attention and desperately said, “what! What! Is she okay!”

“Remain calm Ms. Williams,” the doctor said softly, “she’s about to be moved into the surgery room. I just wanted to explain to you what’s about to happen.”

“Will she be okay, Doctor?” Shane said.

The doctor hesitated and we all looked at him expectantly. With a deep sigh he responded, “the bullet is lodged in her spine and tangled in essential nerves.”

I let out a shuddering cry as I understood what that meant, but everyone else didn’t seem to understand. “W-what does that mean?” Shane said her voice cracking and her tears flowing.

“It means that there’s very little chance she will survive the surgery and if she does she will probably be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of her life,” the doctor said solemnly.

“Oh God,” Tasha cried dropping her head on Papi’s chest and she hugged her tenderly.

“B-but isn’t there therapy or something for being able to walk again?” Carmen said holding Shane as Shane wasn’t able to hold back her sobs any longer.

“Assuming she survives the surgery, she would be placed in therapy, but the process is long and tedious,” the doctor said, “and there is no guarantee it will be a success.”