The Incredibly Consequential Life of Charlie Zappala

Chapter Fourteen: Char-field and Friends

Charlie was able to get up and out to work on Monday without any hassle. The post-dimension travel hangover was minimal this time around, and any time they started to doubt the validity of anything that had happened, they remembered Bert's interactions with Harold the herald. It made things better. Not great, but better.

The doctor's office was a little more active today than it was on Friday, which was to be expected. The constant stream of patients made it a lot easier to distract themself from thoughts of the Holy Kingdom of Whatever the Hell. Not that they needed the distraction as much as last week, but there were still a great deal of unanswered questions that kept Charlie's stomach churning.

Like, what really was the purpose of Charlie going to that other world? What skills could they possibly possess that would make them a valuable asset? Why them? Why not anyone else? Why now? Why not two years ago? Why not eight years ago, when Charlie would have taken Althea's offer without question?

The racing thoughts were interrupted by the next patient, who had approached the reception desk without really making their presence known. Charlie looked up. A familiar looking guy with big glasses and an oversized sweater shifted awkwardly.

Charlie chewed on the end of their pen. "Hey, weren't you just here?"

The guy looked down. "Uh, yeah. I'm back for some tests."

"Alrighty, then. Can I get your name again?" They turned to thor computer to check the patient in.

"Gershwin. Pedro. Pedro Gershwin." He coughed. "Yeah."

"Aight Mr. Bond, go take a seat."

Pedro took a seat close to the receptionist desk.

The only other person in the waiting room was called back, leaving the two alone once again. It was quiet for a minute.

Charlie tapped on the desk a few times. "So how're the buses today?"

"Hm?" Pedro turned to them. "Oh, they're pretty good, actually. Might not have to wait three years before I get home this time."

"Cool. Good."

"Yeah, the ride over wasn't the worst. Did have a run in with Voltron guy again, though."

They laughed. "Oh yeah?"

He nodded. "Yep, but this time he decided to switch it up and talk about Thundercats."

"Ho."

"Don't," he tried to sound stern, but it was overtaken by giggles. "He literally said that every five minutes. And it wasn't even quiet either, he made sure the whole bus could hear it.

"Hey, homeboy loves feline-themed cartoons from the eighties. Can't blame the guy."

"I guess." He sunk in his seat. "I've never even seen most eighties cartoons. I feel like I'm missing out on this hyper wave of nostalgia."

"None of them?" Charlie gasped in exaggerated shock and horror.

He sat on the question. "I've seen like, five episodes of Ducktales," he concluded.

"Dude, you are missing out. You've never seen great classics like He Man: Masters of the Universe?"

"I saw the 'Hey yeah' video, does that count?"

"No," said Charlie definitively. "No it does not count. You could have even gotten points for seeing the reboots. I give you partial credit for not being totally out of sync with early 2000s memes, though."

"I wasn't even born in the eighties," Pedro defended. "How would I have watched them?"

"You get an older sister who recorded all the reruns on VHS as a kid in the nineties and just binge those nonstop for the first half of the aughts, duh."