ZOEY AKILA bennet !
sugarhill, her crib 
featuring; @itszoeyb .

[ yk da drill ho .. play fine line on mf loop during this chapter <3. ]

"ZOZO!!" ZOEY'S FATHER voice cut through the stillness of the house as he stepped out of the bathroom, his heart sinking. zoey was nowhere to be seen, but evidence of her presence before lay before him him—a sprawling mix of fabrics on the floor, the vibrant and the dull, the casual and the once chosen with care, all tossed aside without thought.

along with the clothes, pill bottles lay overthrown, their contents like scattered thoughts spilled across the tile.

he had begun his morning normally, preparing for another day's work, his voice carrying through the house as he called zoey down for breakfast.

but there was no response—just the echo of his own voice against the walls. at first, he thought she might be caught up in her morning rituals, but as the quiet stretched on, an unease feeling was bubbling in his stomach—she would've at least made it known she was awake.

memories flooded back, unforgotten and sharp—memories of another morning shattered by the sight of zoey, pale and still, an image that haunted his every closed-eye moment since that day. he remembered the helplessness, the shaking sobs that wracked his body as he dialed for help, the cold fear that gripped him while waiting for the echo of sirens.

to add to that harrowing event, the tragedy had struck them both afresh when his wife, zoey's mother, leaving them in a world that felt abruptly emptier. her passing, a mere four hours after the ambulance had taken zoey away, had left a hole in their lives.

the idea of reliving that nightmare frightened him, zoey was his everything—their shared pain and love to the life he once shared with her mother and he would hate for him to go through it again without her.

after his wife's departure from this world, he had stood on the brink of life, the allure of eternal peace whispering falsehoods of release. but it was her—his wife's—unspoken wishes that stayed his hand from self-destruction.

how could he possibly leave zoey alone to navigate the harshness of a world without both her parents? it was his love for them both, his duty that became his untold promise, a flickering candle in the overwhelming darkness.

plus, he loved her too much to do that.

the man, filled with anxiety, inhaled deeply and trudged down the hallway toward zoey's bedroom. after few firm knocks on the door, and he called out, "zoey, baby, are you asleep?" he raised his voice enough to pierce through the door but was met with unsettling silent.

doubts creep up at at him—maybe it was all in his head, but the silence was unsettling. usually, he would knock and wait for her reply before entering, but today, he had a gut feeling that something was terribly wrong.

without a second thought, he swiftly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. the scene that unfolded before him sent a chill through his bones—zoey, motionless on the ground, her complexion more ghostly than he had ever witnessed. she mirrored the same frightening paleness of unconsciousness he had seen in her before.

with his daughter's still form lying before him, each passing second stretched on like a thread from the spool of a nightmare. "baby , please, you need to wake up," he murmured, his voice full of desperation as he gently jostled her, a soft but firm plea for her to return from the darkness fhat had engulfed her .

but no matter everything he tried, her silence stuck—a thick veil that refused to lift. memories of a similar dreadful day—just weeks ago—rushed back and the threat of tears quickly swelled, blurring the edges of his desperate gaze.

though this was not the first tike zoey's had fell into unconsciousness, the terror of it never eased. each time it was as if he was looking at a life devoid of its vivacious spark, a life on the very brink of existence.

his heart raced, a frenetic drumbeat against the stillness of the room, a mixture of fear and frustration, slipped from his lips in a hush. his fingers, clumsy and shaking, rummaged through his hoodie pockets until they closed around the cold surface of his phone.

he punched in the numbers – 9-1-1 – his breath labored, heavy with the weight of dread. the ring connected, bridging the gap between desperation and help as the operator's voice, steady and professionally detached, answered.

the operator's questions were methodical, her voice a contrast to the tremor in his own. "is she breathing? what's her complexion? do you see any injuries?" he knew these questions were critical, each one a vital step toward help, yet his irritation mounted, each second pass a hammer against his patience.

"yes, she's unconscious,—pale and no, there are no wounds, she looks..." his voice cracked as he struggled to paint the haunting image of his unresponsive daughter. "she's just so still. i need you to hurry, please, just send the ambulance ma'am.

the operator's replies were scripted but necessary, she instructed him to check zoey's breathing, to ensure her airway was clear, and to stay on the line for further assistance, his training as a parent in crisis sprang to life, his actions automatic even as his soul was seized by an indescribable fear.

all the while, the questions continued to pour in, a relentless stream, and he answered them quickly, the part of him that was still a practical man overriding the distressed father's urge to scream into the void.

"sir, please provide your address, and the ambulance will be dispatched immediately," the operator responded, the clacking of computer keys in the background offering him a fragment of relief, acknowledging e that assistance was on its way for zoey.

he quickly recited his address, and within moments, the reassuring voice of the operator confirmed that help was en route. given the urgency, he was prompted to be at the front door to avoid any delays upon their arrival.

with a brisk "thank you," he ended the call, his phone slipping back into his pocket with a swift motion. lifting zoey carefully in his arms, he carried her in the way one might a new bride, all the while fighting back the tears threatening to blur his vision. he stepped through the doorway, cradling her to him.

a deceptive silence filled the space around him, but inside his mind, a maelstrom of fears and frets spun wildly. to someone else, the quiet might seem peaceful, but inside his thoughts, it might as well have been the chaos of a panic attack threatening to unleash.

"i'm sorry baby, you're gonna be okay tho, i promise." he murmured, his voice more for his own reassurance than hers, betraying the uncertainty that gnawed at him.

as the wail of the sirens grew closer, winding through the block, a surge of urgency propelled him forward. clutching his daughter closer, he hastened towards the door, twisting the knob with a free hand and nudging it open with his foot.

catching the first glimpse of the ambulance, he moved swiftly, not hesitating to gently lay her on the stretcher the moment they pulled up.

the paramedics sprang into action, affixing various medical devices to her — he recognized an oxygen mask among them, remembering the familiar yet frightening scenery of an emergency.

remaining silent, he let the professionals work, answering only when they sought information from him. as they tended to zoey, his silently asked for his daughter's safety in whispered prayers to the heavens.

⁀➷
; 𝑎𝑡 𝑗𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑧 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 .

"SHE STILL AIN'T answer?" notti broke the silence as he caught a glimpse of ddot resting his phone down again, a look of intense worry etched across his features. this was attempt number one-ninety-four in ddot's ongoing effort to reach her, and all had been met with silence.

no text, no call, not even the acknowledgment of 'read' on the screen–the situation was escalating his anxiety to breaking point.

notti and dd had come over expecting to find zoey practically glued to ddot's side as usual, but her absence from his place threw them both for a loop.

"did you try checking where she is? she's got her location shared with all of us," suggested jahzara. her voice chimed in from dd's phone, where she was tuned into the scene  using facetime, responding to the palpable tension as she overheard ddot's struggle to find her.

"oh fuck," ddot grumbled softly, the realization dawning on him that she indeed had shared her location and that he hadn't checked for updates since the previous night when she was still at her house. there had been no movement then—but what about now?

as he pulled up the maps app and scrolled urgently to zoey's contact, a few words on the screen leached the color from his face, leaving him suddenly pallid. the update read starkly, "𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝟑 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨." his stressed demeanor dissolved into one of stark alarm.

"the fuck she doin at general?" dd peered over, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the updated location, catching ddot as he stood abruptly. an uneasy suspicion had been bugging ddot ever since zoey had insisted on going home last night, a different shift from her usual enthusiasm for sleepovers and late nights spent together.

he hadn't wanted to push her over for answers then, opting instead to quietly fall asleep with her over facetime. but now, the warning signals were blaring in his head—something was off.

"yo calm down, maybe she just gettin a check-up or somethin? right?" notti tried to soothe the escalating tension, his voice having sense of calmness amid the rising storm of their worry. he knew the tendencies of his friends; both dd and ddot shared a propensity for leaping to conclusions and acting on impulse.

he might not hold a lot of  patience, but he had a steady enough disposition to recognize when things didn't quite add up. and right now, the fragmented story leading up to zoey's unexpected hospital visit didn't add up.

despite his gut feeling, notti didn't want panic to spread – not any more than it already had.

"nah, fuck that. dd you came in your car rii?" ddot interjected. there was a sense of urgency in his movements as he pulled up his slipping sweatpants, his demeanor a contrast to notti's composure. with deft hands, he tightened the drawstring and hurried to the entryway, grabbing his keys.

in ddot there was a boiling restlessness unlike notti's quiet concern. every fiber of his being rejected the idea of just standing by idly. the hospital visit of her's walls might just hold a minor injury behind them, but deep down, he doubted it.

his instincts screamed that it was serious. no room remained in his head for thoughts other than finding zoey in this exact moment. whether it demanded racing through traffic or anything like it, for her, oh he didn't give a fuck, he was gonna do it.

his mind was swirling with thoughts as he tied his shoes, just the thought of zoey being hurt sent a pang to his heart, if anything he should be the one who got hurt, not her.

as he laced up his sneakers, his mind was awash with worry, the mere possibility of zoey in pain sent a pang at his heart. he felt it should've been him in danger, not her.

"yeah, imma get my jacket real quick—wait for me outside," dd called out, bounding up the stairs two at a time in search of his jacket. notti's gaze followed ddot as he made his way to the kitchen, retrieving his keys from beneath the sink cupboard.

with a casual shrug, notti donned his hoodie but before his hand could even graze his phone, ddot had already shut the door behind him with a decisive thud. "this nigga got no chill," notti muttered to himself, a soft laugh spilling out despite the tension.

quickly sliding his shoes on, he steps out the door and pauses, awaiting his brother. notti observes ddot nervously nibbling on his index finger, cycling through tabs on his phone—a clear prelude to a call as he lifts the phone to his ear.

the phone rings persistently only to meet the cold fate of voicemail. ddot clicks his tongue in vexation, his fear intensifying—her silence causing him to imagine of the dreadful scenarios on what could've happened.

the anxiety buzzes in his head, intense enough to make him envision yanking at his own hair in frustration—he needs to see zoey, the urgency is overwhelming.

finally, as dd emerges, he tosses the car keys to ddot, instinctively knowing his capability to push the speed limit. maybe speeding down the roads would offer some respite to the tempest raging within him.

as the trio crammed into the car, the atmosphere was fraught with urgency. they were all frantically trying to get through to zoey, with dd on the phone ensuring jahzara was on her way in the uber he ordered because there wasn't a spare moment to go and get her themselves.

with a self-mocking snicker, dd mused, "imagine we did all this shit just for her to have a broken ankle or sum shit?"

in response, ddot executed a sharp swerve that had dd and notti scrambling for something to grip. "nigga is you trying to kill our asses? fuck.." notti grumbled quietly, his voice laced with anxiety.

"don't say no dumb ass shit then, fuck. and, what if she broke her ankle? she would've picked up her phone by now right? fuck nigga.." ddot grumbled back, the words mostly to himself, imbued with frustration. the tension in him was wound tight,  further by dd's dumb remarks, as if any second he might light himself on fire at this point.

his grip on the steering wheel tightened as he contemplated the alarming possibility of why zoey wouldn't answer calls or texts; it was so unlike her to go silent, let alone ignore his attempts to reach her and be in the hospital without a word.

anxiety clouded his thoughts to such an extent that logical thinking was challenging; he could do nothing but hope fervently that they younger girl was safe and unharmed.

"fuck. y'all think she hurt?" ddot voiced his concern, shattering the silence as they paused at a traffic stop. notti gave a non-committal shrug, "she might be. i mean she ain't answer not one of us.. and she not even the type to ignore niggas like that."

dd merely nodded in somber agreement, his simple acknowledgment "exactly" agreeing with his younger brother.

impatience flared within ddot as the traffic light seemed to languish on red, drawing out his irritation. "dumb ass shit.." he impulsively veered left against the red, unable to stomach the wait while zoey needed them.

"nigga—you just passed a red light and you speeding? aii we die tonight." dd called out, scrambling for a grip in the backseat.

muttering a curse, ddot ignored the traffic signals, fixated on the urgency of reaching the hospital, realizing with every second they lingered, they could've already been there.

within minutes, they hastily parked at the hospital, and ddot snatched up his phone from the mount, turning off the gps before stepping out of the car.

he pushed through the hospital doors and approached the reception, where a light-skinned woman with a neatly styled bob keyed data into her computer. "welcome to north general clinic. how may i assist you?" she intoned, sounding robotic from repetition, not sparing a glance for Ddot.

"i'm here to see my gir—cousin," ddot stumbled over his initial words before he quickly amended, realizing they wouldn't even give him access to her if he wasn't a family member.

with a glance that conveyed clear annoyance, the woman behind the reception desk snapped her gum with an intentional, exasperated aggression. "you honestly think i should just automatically know your cousin's name or something?"

taking a deep breath to contain his irritation, ddot carefully told her each syllable of zoey's full goverment while the receptionist's attention slowly caught up, her fingers pausing between keystrokes as she inputted the information into her database.

she then looked up, scrutinizing him, "is there an adult present with you?"

ddot quickly lied, "i'm eighteen." his tall stature and adult-like demeanor required little else to convince the receptionist, who simply gave a nod of acknowledgment and resumed her typing with a bit more intent.

pursuing protocol, she inquired further, "do you happen to have your ID on you?"

disappointment and urgency mixed in ddot as he spat a disapproving sound from between his teeth. he shook his head, signaling his frustration with the situation, as the precious seconds continued to dribble away.

"zoey bennet is presently in the emergency room," the woman at the desk notified him, "and unfortunately, it's not visiting hours, so there will be a wait." ddot felt a sudden pang in his chest, the rest of her words dissolving into a blur after she mentioned 'now.'

"fuck you mean she in the ER? sorry—but it's an emergency, i need to see her." ddot pressed, locking eyes with the receptionist whose expression remained unyielding. "as i said, she's in the ER for a reason. while you're waiting, you might as well complete this paperwork." She indicated a clipboard burdened with a form as thick as a novella, full of the usual exhaustive questions.

exhaling sharply in frustration, ddot glanced sideways contemplating his next move. he dismissed the thought of making a run for it; security was tight and he wasn't even sure of her exact location.

with a discreet glance to ensure his actions went unnoticed, he slid a fifty-dollar bill across the table. the receptionist gave it a derisory look and a headshake that said 'not enough.' "try again."

chewing on his cheek in anxious thought, ddot rummaged through his sweatpants for a potentially more persuasive argument. to his relief, his fingers found what they were seeking—a stack of hundred-dollar bills.

laying down five crisp hundred-dollar bills, he immediately garnered the full attention of the receptionist. their eyes locked for a brief moment; then, with swift discretion, she pocketed the money into her blouse. procuring a visitor's badge, she looked up expectantly, "what's the name?"

"darrian jimenez," he replied.

acknowledging him with a nod, she entered the information and provided the room number—308. "this is your pass. on the third floor, make a left, and you should find the waiting area," she instructed, pushing the pass toward him.

ddot acknowledged with a subtle nod, accepting the pass and heading straight for the staircase to avoid the slow and grimy elevator.

his heartbeat hammered against his chest, loud in his own ears, fueled by a mind racing through potential catastrophes, each more harrowing than the last. the fear of an impending panic attack was palpable.

the possibility of tears threatened as he grappled with the thought: if zoey was hurt wouldn't she tell him? she had stated she trusted him and would tell him if something was wrong, and he was certain she wasn't the type to lie about that.

gasping for air, a consequence more of dread than exertion, the boy sprinted up the stairwell. despite his athletic shape, worry burdened him like a lead vest, his thoughts scrambling a jigsaw of, 'what ifs.'

upon reaching the third floor, a scene of urgency greeted him—nurses' voices strained with tension, the percussion of hurried steps. he glanced over, registering the chaos – the flurry of medical staff, some clutching a clipboard like a lifeline.

ddot's gaze then shifted to a man seated nearby, a rapid tattoo played out by his foot upon the floor as he filled out one of the lengthy forms, similar those from downstairs. recognition flickered at the edge of dddot's memory, but no clear image formed.

approaching the older man with cautious steps, ddot lowered himself into the chair besides with a subtle creak, his body tense with the silent hope of catching a glimpse of someone, anyone, exiting from the door labeled '308.'

before he could muster the courage to inquire about zoey's condition, the rasp of curtains being jerked aside sliced through the waiting area's murmurs. both men instinctively turned their necks towards the disruption.

a nurse, her face momentarily obscured by the blue surgical mask now pulled to her chin, stepped forward, eyes scanning the room before settling on them. "dayvon bennet?" she called out, her voice laced with a blend of professional restraint and concern.

at the mention of the familiar surname, a jolt of recognition coursed through ddot—zoey's last name. his his reeled, connecting the grim realization that this must be her dad, the man whose presence had always loomed in conversation but never in physical form until now.

the nurse took a steadying breath before continuing, her voice faltering just so, betraying her apprehension. "i'm ms risa, but mr. bennett, i must inform you that your daughter is currently not regaining consciousness. however, i suggest to remain calm: her heart continues to beat strongly. it's concerning, yes, that she has yet to awaken..." the medical professional trailed off for a moment, her eyes flicking to ddot before returning to the father, this was one of the hardest parts of being a nurse.

"us she—is she still alive?" dayvon's voice crackled, hoping his question was answered with a simple 'no.'

the nurse's full lips pressed into a thin line, as if willing the right words to come forth. "yes, but we are about to undertake a blood test to—"

her sentence splintered into the charged air as another nurse, this one with strands of blonde hair escaping the confines of her cap, interrupted with the urgency of a heart monitor's alarm. she brandished a syringe, its contents a vivid scarlet—the sight of blood.

"lia!" she cried out, her loud voice cutting through the her sentence. "her kidney's failing, and her heart is still beating—"

ddot felt his heart plummeting, the sensation so strong it seemed audible, the question 'why?' reverberating in his mind. he was in the dark about why zoey was in pain, utterly clueless as to why she was in the hospital—and the escalating fear from a lack of answers threatened to overwhelm him.

"please, let's remain calm," coaxed the nurse, her tone edged with urgency as she addressed the group, the mutter of 'bring your ass' almost lost as she firmly gripped the arm of the woman with blonde hair.

with his anxiety manifesting physically, ddot bit on his lower lip, his knee shaking rhythmically.

"uhm—you're zoey's dad right?" he inquired, prompting the man beside him to offer a slow, forward nod in confirmation.

ddot hesitated, his words trailing off, "i'm her... friend..." before he gathered himself enough to inquire about what had happened with the younger girl.

dayvon offered just a brief outline of the situation, and as he did, ddot's eyes became noticeably glossy, though he quickly blinked back the emerging tears. dayvon could see beyond the facade; it was evident that ddot's connection with his daughter went deeper than mere friendship.

"move over, dd—fuck." jahzara's voice disrupted the moment, drawing ddot's attention. he glanced over to see jahzara and the others—dd and notti—approaching. standing, ddot raised his hand in a halting gesture.

he swiftly grabbed jahzara by the wrist, which left the others standing, confused, at the entrance.

"has zoey ever had like.. health problems or some shit? like kidney problems, or... has she mentioned anything like that to you?" ddot whispered to her, pulling her to one side, yet staying within proximity to his previous spot.

jahzara shook her head, spurring ddot to clench his jaw in frustration. "well, she does have an eating disorder... that's what marie told me," she admitted, nervously fidgeting with her fingers as ddot's gaze snapped to her, sharp with concern.

"and she ain't ever told me this shit?" ddot's frown deepened, irritation with himself swelling within. how had he failed to notice? there were signs – like the time he found vomit-stained tissues while emptying the bathroom bin.

she hardly ate in his presence, always declining food with a mere head shake, despite the faint growls from her stomach he sometimes heard.

and her complexion had been notably pale, far beyond what was normal.

"i mean—you can't blame her," jahzara pointed out with a slight hesitation. "like, there was that month she didn't speak to you at all..." her voice dwindled off as both were startled out of their conversation by the sudden outburst of a nurse screaming.

"adenosine! adenosine! we need adenosine now!" the nurse's call, thick with desperation, sliced through the corridors, clawing at ddot's chest with strings of dread. that voice, urgent and sharp, belonged to the same blonde-haired nurse who had been the moment of quiet panic only moments ago.

in the sanctum of white and beeping where zoey lay motionless, a flurry of doctors moved with a precision that belied the chaos beneath – their eyes glued to the monitor, watching as heart rhythms spiked audaciously to a frenzy of 200 beats per second.

it wasn't just a number – every digit was a drumbeat knocking against the tightening noose of reality. it wasn't pumping blood; it wasn't sustaining life.

the medical team was a group of focused energy, preparing to deliver adenosine – the chemical key that might unlock the death grip of her life. yet, fate twisted cruelly; her heart stilled to a stop, an unfathomable stillness in the face of urgent anticipation, just as the nurse arrived, syringe in hand, but now useless.

back amid the sterile whites and harried footsteps, ddot felt his own heart stutter, the echoing absence of a beat resonating more loudly than any symphony of life. he stood there, hollow, hardly breathing, grappling with the idea that perhaps zoey's heart had not failed – surely, he misheard, that the beating heart of someone so vibrant, so full of love, could just stop.

then, the nurse re-emerged, her face a canvas of sorrow that dreaded words were etched upon, eternities passing in the seconds their eyes met.

the doctor perched in that dim land behind the curtains shook her head – a mute gesture that wielded the gravity of collapsing stars, and the nurse's sigh seemed to carry the weight of the world.

it was the part of the job that could never grow routine, she wasn't used to this.

"we're so sorry to inform you, but... she didn't make it," the nurse informed, each word a gunshot in ddot's heaving chest.

the room seemed to silence, sounds distorting as ddot felt reality wrapping around him. he yearned for different words, for a miracle tucked behind her lips, but the truth cleaved through illusion and wishful dread.

ddot's mind refused to accept her words, his slight shake of the head and hushed, disbelieving "no" accompanied by a furrow of his brows and the unwelcome sting of tears that threatened to fall.

jahzara's hand flew to her mouth as she erupted into uncontrollable sobs, her tears cascading down her face without restraint.

ddot's disbelief manifested as his eyes moistened, tears trailing down his cheeks with swift urgency. the lump in his throat grew as he looked at the dark-skinned girl before him, weeping profusely, her tears running faster than he'd ever witnessed.

despite their lack of closeness, ddot instinctively enveloped her with his arms, clinging to her mid-section and rested his head in the crook of her neck, both seeking and offering comfort at the moment.

yet, within him, denial churned tumultuously. he couldn't, wouldn't accept the harrowing reality that zoey was gone. the thought that he would never again hear her voice, her rambles again?

he won't be with his zoey again?

F SPEAKS ⭐️.

NOTE — guys i'm literally crying as i publish this like the TEARS on my phone rn is dead crazy like y'all ain't no motherfuckin way bro. i can't even say nothin else i'm sorry ☹️💔💔. + FINE LINE DURING WRITING THIS? OMG IM CRYIN. uhm fia loves u and fias sorry 💞💔💔.