Let me take care of you

Freedom

'Why am I afraid, to look, the way, I do? All cause an escape, to me... Was just a sharpener to you?'
Charlie had his eyes closed as he listened to his music, he had just discovered this band, it was called Cavetown, he really liked it. He didn't know anything about it but he really enjoyed the songs, they were quite dark and talked about dark things but he found it calming, soothing even.

He felt a tap on his shoulder which forced him to open his eyes, he had been sitting on the edge of hit bed listening to his music, hearing faint sounds in the hallway of people talking.

He looked up and was greeted with Elle's smiling face,
"Okay, let's go then, we've just had a chat with the doctors, they've told us all we needed to know." She said, gesturing to the men in white coats who were now facing away from them at the doorway. Charlie nodded,
"How much is there really to know? You guys don't need to treat me like I'm going to break at any second or anything." Charlie replied, confused at what the doctors could've possibly told his friends. His parents and Nick were going to be helping him the most anyway, that's what they said atleast.

Elle shrugged,
"I think they just want to make sure that you are 100% going to be okay, y'know? Your recovery was like, unnaturally quick so they just want to make sure nothings wrong." Elle explained, Charlie grumbles something in annoyance, which was unusual for him. Elle raised an eyebrow,
"You okay Charlie?" She asked, grabbing his wheelchair from the corner of the room so that he could get to the car. Charlie nodded, not looking at her. Elle gave a worried look and rolled the chair towards him,
"What up? Your leaving! You get to be out of here finally!" Charlie shrugged, Elle's shoulders dropped and she sat beside Charlie,
"I don't know... Yeah, I'm out of here, thank god. But I'm just going to lay in bed all day anyway. I can't go to school for like, forever, so what's the point of moving from here?"

Charlie didn't take his eyes off of the ground. Elle sighed, she out a comforting arm around Charlie,
"Look, sure, it's not much of a change. But you've made it so far already. Before you know it you'll be at school again wishing you could just stay in bed. You just need to be patient." Charlie looked up at all and smiled softly,
"Yeah, okay." Elle smiled back, she giggled softly and hugged him tight,
"Okay let's get you into that dumb chair." Elle said, standing up and turning the chair to its side. Charlie laughed softly and nodded.

Secretly though, he didn't want to wait, he didn't want to be patient to be better. He's waited so long already to even get out of the hospital. And all because of fucking Ben, why should he have to wait. He never wanted to be like this, he never wanted this to happen, why should he have to wait for it to be over? But he shouldn't say anything to the others, they would think he was just selfish and didn't understand how healing worked. And the last thing he needed now was for his friends to think that. So if he pretended everything was fine it would end up fine, right?

Elle carefully helped him into his chair, before pushing it outside of his ward and out of the hospital. It was weird seeing the place he had been staying for so long. He knew the room, but he didn't recognize the hospital whatsoever, it was very weird to him. He realised he was staring around like a confused child so he quickly looked down at his lap, no expression on his face.

Elle took him to her parents car, where Tao, Isaac and Aled were. Charlie was confused as to why Charlie's parents and Nick weren't there, they would be here to see him get out of the hospital, they cared about him, right? He pushed the thought away and Elle helped him into his seat, he sat next to Aled who gave him a kind smile. Elle placed his wheelchair in the boot and sat in the middle seat, (they have a van with three rows of seats.)

They drove away from the hospital, Charlie watched the large hospital fade away, getting smaller and smaller, he was finally gone, back out, still alive. He looked at the houses and trees that they drove past, never before had he found them so interesting. But now, he gently placed his hand on the window, mesmerized by the outside world, he had a window in his ward, but he couldn't see it from where he was. So he was so happy seeing something other than machines and bland white colour everywhere, it made him so happy.

Aled watched the mesmerized Charlie, he elbowed Isaac to look, Isaac smiled and they both chuckled silently. They were just happy that he was happy, they didn't know what would happen after this, they didn't know how traumatised Charlie would be. So far, he seemed to be doing well, but you can never judge how someone is feeling just by how they look, and knowing Charlie, he would always be repressing something.

They reached Charlie's estate and Charlie got even more excited, he would get to see his house again! He didn't know why he was so excited, he just was, it was his home after all, it's just all so exciting.

Elle's parents parked in front of Charlie's house, and everyone got out of the car. Charlie was helped out of the car and back into his chair, luckily the pathway to his front door was smooth and had no stairs. Charlie took a moment to look at his house, it was exactly the same as before. Two cars were in the driveway, mums old car which now belonged to Tori when she got her driver's license, which would be soon, and another for his parents. So they were home? Than why weren't they at the hospital to pick them up.

Elle pushed him towards the front door, everyone was awfully quiet. Elle's father twisted the doorknob with a suspicious grin on his face, but before Charlie could ask any questions, the door swing open and he heard a number of voices shout,
"Welcome home Charlie!"

Inside his house, all gathered around a small table with a cake on it, was basically everyone Charlie knew. People that lived near him, neighbours, parents friends, his friends, friends parents, and most importantly, Nick Nelson. Charlie gasped, he put a hand to his mouth and his face lit up. Elle pushed him to his parents, and Nick who gave him lots of hugs,
"I hope you don't mind sweety, we just really wanted you to come back and see all the people that have missed you while you were gone." His mother explained, giving him a kiss on the forehead. Nick hugged him and kissed him on the cheek whiteout his parents noticing,
"And I baked the cake!" He said proudly, laughing along with Charlie who blushed and giggled at his enthusiasm.

The rest of the day till night was spent laughing, talking, dancing, eating, and just everyone enjoying themselves. It was a great night, a great welcome, and Charlie knew that then and there, people cared about him, he couldn't deny that. And that's what made it so special to him, all of these people were here, some knew him, some didn't, but they were all still here, celebrating the fact that he was there with them. They brought gifts, cards, pastries and hugs, no matter what it was, they just got him something, and that made him feel so so special.

Because he, Charlie Spring, was still there. And he wasn't going to be going anywhere, no matter how much someone wanted him to die, because of how he acted, because of who he was. He wouldn't let them knock him down, he had people who cared about him who believed he could fight it. And he would never let them down.