Can You Save Me? { Sam Pottorff }

Chapter 71 ~ Was it worth it?

Marley's P.O.V.

"Are you sure mommy is okay, daddy?" Charlotte rests her head on the table. I wish I could make the past go away, but I don't know how to. It will be there forever.

"I really don't know, Charlotte." I try to smile at her, but I haven't been able to smile once since she got home the night before last. "She's sick right now. She needs her space, but soon.." Hopefully really soon. ".. she will want you all over her."

"Jake and I made her a card." She slips a paper onto the table slowly. "Can you give it to her for us?"

"I will do it right now." I stand up and she follows me to the stairs.

"Ready Charlotte?" My mom says as she passes me.

"Thank you, mom." I hug her, a few seconds longer than I usually do. "I love you."

"I love you too, Marley." She smiles and I wish I could return it, but I can't. Luckily Jake comes in to save me from her getting more worried than she already is.

"I found Aimee." He says. "She was hiding."

"She's always hiding." She laughs and waits for them to walk out one by one out the door. "We'll be back soon. Take care of her, Marley." She says even though that's the only thing on my mind.

She shuts the door and I walk up the stairs slowly. I knock on the door lightly and open it, because I know she won't tell me to come in or not. The room is pitch black, cold, and filled with her cries. Her cries that I thought were done the last time I came to check on her.

"Please go away." She says in between sobs.

"You know you don't want me to." I sit down next to her and feel her cheek. "Please stop crying, baby. You're going to get even more sick."

"I don't care." She scoots away from me and turns away so that she is almost completely on her stomach. "Please go."

"Charlotte and Jake made you a card." I hope that by saying their names, she will perk up at least a little bit.

"Leave it and go." She begs. "Please just go.."

"I don't want to." I move closer. "Don't push me away."

"I don't want you to see me like this. Just go." I hear her words even though they're muffled by the blanket. "Please, I'm tired and want to be alone."

"Which is what you've said every time I've come in here." I take my chance and lean over her. She moves onto her back but covers her face with the blanket. "You don't have to say anything to me. I just want to be here with you." But then I don't want to force her to give in to something she doesn't want. "But you can always say no.."

She shakes her head so I slowly move away and start to stand up, but she stops me. "No.. stay."

"Please, stop crying." I lean over her again and pull the blanket down from her face. Her eyes are closed and her face is scrunched up the way it is when she's in pain. I want to make it go away. I want to more than anything.. but how do I do that? "What hurts?" I ask her.

"Everything." She mouths, with no sound coming out.

"Can I get you anything? Water? Another blanket? Anything?" I watch as her lip begins to tremble and the action travels throughout the rest of her body. "You have to remember you're okay." I move closer and push her hair away from her sweaty forehead. It's really cold in here, and she's really hot. That can't be good.

"Can you.." Her voice is scratchy so she clears it and I see the wave of pain travel through her again because of the face she makes. "Can you touch me?"