𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗘, greys anatomy

the whole package.

ch 13. the whole package.

Jo leans over the couch to nudge awake a still half asleep charlotte, "are you riding with me or alex?"

"neither." charlotte mumbles, rolling over and burying herself further into the blankets. "don't feel good."

"you haven't done any schoolwork or gone into the hospital all week." jo tries handing the younger girl a glass of iced coffee.

charlotte pushes it away. "yeah, cause i'm sick."

"maybe you should see a doctor." jo sits on the edge of the couch.

"no, it's just a bug."

jo reaches over and presses a hand against charlottes forehead. "well, you don't have a fever, you're not burning up-"

"stop." charlotte moves away from the touch.

"charlie please talk to me. tell me what's going on."

charlotte briefly glances up at the surgeon. "my entire body aches jo, okay? it's just a bug. go to work so i can sleep." she lays back down and turns her back towards jo.

jo glances at alex, who had watched the interaction from the kitchen. with one last concern look toward the teen, the couple heads out the door.

Jo finds amelia shepherd at work. "hey, have you talked to charlie since she got back from visiting her birth mom?"

amelia looks confused. "charlie found her birth mom? woah, what happened?"

"i don't know but it wasn't good. she won't talk to me or alex. she's not doing any school, and she won't even come to the hospital. she loves coming to the hospital with us. she trusts you, maybe you can talk to her. be like her legos, or-" jo tries referencing a conversation alex had just told her about a patient in peds.

"huh?"

"just—maybe you can reach her or distract her. i dunno what. can you try, please?"

"yeah," amelia promises, "i'll move some stuff around."

"thanks."

Amelia pounds on the lofts door, "charlie, i know you're in there!"

charlotte remains silent, burrowing further into her blankets.

"okay, i'll just keep knocking!"

charlotte pulls her pillow over her head. the pounding intesifys. annoyed, she makes her way off of the couch and stalks to the door.

"chicken soup?" amelia greets as soon as charlotte slides open the lofts door, holding up a paper takeout bag. "heard you were sick."

"i'm not hungry."

amelia ignores this, letting herself in and heading past charlotte. "this chinese joint on weller, they sell out most days because it is so good." she places the bag on the kitchen counter, beginning to remove its contents.

"you shouldn't be in here. i'm contagious. i'm sick, like, throwing up sick." charlotte fakes a cough, dramatically holding her stomach.

amelia ignores the teenagers protests. "you want a bowl or just out of the container?"

"i don't want any-"

"i brought some for myself too." amelia removes one of the containers covers. "mmm. soup."

charlotte rolls her eyes. "whatever."

the teen climbs back onto the couch while amelia rummages through drawers for silverware. when she stands back up, she notices charlotte already hidden under her covers.

Charlotte sits up numbly while amelia picks up dirty laundry littered around the couch, "i know what you're doing."

"just laundry. not that big of a mystery." amelia says nonchalantly.

"you're checking on me. i don't need it. i just need to go to sleep."

again, amelia ignores the protests. "do you have a basket or something?"

"please leave."

amelia opens her arms, letting the laundry fall back to the floor. "do you remember when i had that tumor?"

"vaguely." charlotte says dryly.

"vaguely? i had massive surgery, missed so much work i almost lost my mind. but you were there. you were there the whole time. you were there when deluca did my protocol, you were there when i shaved my hair. and you went to meredith's house and cleaned my room and did my laundry so i had one less thing to worry about. and you did all of that despite me constantly telling you not to, that i didn't want you seeing me like that."

"so this is revenge?"

"this is a friend, doing another friends laundry." amelia insists, picking the clothing back up and shoving them inside a laundry basket.

Charlotte and amelia sit silently on the couch until the former quietly speaks up. "i've done that favor a lot."

"huh?"

"even before i came here, i was always running. i ran from friends the moment we started getting close. i stopped going to school when teachers got suspicious of my bruises and clothing. i ran from foster homes every time the police got suspicious of my aunt, even thought i knew it would just end up with me going back to her place. it almost felt like i deserved it. and then paul happened, and i ran from both of them for good. it's only a matter of time before i start running again."

"no, you left paul and your aunt to save your life." amelia assured.

"it's in my wiring." charlotte stares numbly at the wall. "my mother was a runner. she still is, apparently. she can't even sit in the same room as me even though she says she loves me. and my father—" charlottes voice breaks. "i always run. it's what i do." she resets her blankets and lays back down.

watching the teen worriedly, amelia types up a text message to jo, "you guys should come home now."

Alex and jo let themselves into the apartment, noticing charlotte fast asleep on the couch. "hey," alex greets amelia, who responds with the same.

the adults meet in the kitchen. "you scared the crap out of me with that text." jo starts.

"sorry about that." amelia apologizes.

"well, she looks fine now." alex notes.

"she's not," amelia corrects. "i know we've seen her in rough shape before, but never like this. i wanna help, i just don't know how."