Her Eyes

Chapter 46: HELP

Alex turned to find her staring off into space. She was in pieces. He reached over and grabbed her hand, gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "He's gonna come back."

She broke out of her daze and stared at him. "I know." She shrugged slightly, shaking her head. "I just don't know where I went wrong. I thought that if I took good care of him—if he stayed with me it would go away, but it only made things worse. And now I don't know what to do."

"You're gonna take him to that place you told me about—that's what you're gonna do." He stared into her eyes, basking in them. "We're gonna get him some help. That's what he needs."

She breathed deep, trying desperately to calm herself—to stop herself from falling to pieces in front of him. "I can't afford that place—"

"Then we'll figure something out," he cut her off. He leaned in closer to her, hoping to comfort her. "I'm here to help you, Norma." She rested her head on his shoulder and slowly began to sob. Soon she fell asleep and the room went quiet. He stared around the room for a while. He'd never really been in their house for anything other than an emergency. He could feel himself sinking with them. He had been lost for a while, but now he was more far-gone than he's ever been. The saddest part was that he preferred it this way. Being in their house only felt odd because it was a home...and Alex hasn't had a home in a long time. Her light breathing soothed him. He fell asleep on the couch holding her, the sweet smell of her filling him.

Alex woke up to find Dylan staring down at them. He pulled away from Norma awkwardly. "We fell asleep," he mumbled, standing up from the couch.

"Yeah. I see that," Dylan stated with a knowing look. "Norman came back. He's in the kitchen."

The worst thoughts were running through Alex's head. He didn't know half of what this boy was capable of. "Is he all right?"

The kid shrugged indifferently. "Yeah. He seems fine. He's acting like nothing happened—like he never left."

"We're taking him to that place today." He spent one night there, and he was already acting like he belonged to the family.

Dylan shot him a confused look. "What? Pine View? He'll never agree to go to that place."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Who said anything about asking him?" He liked Dylan. He was a good kid. In a way, he was the son he never had. "I'll wake up your mother. You go tell Norman to get in the car. Tell him we're going out to breakfast or something." The kid furrowed his brow, turning to leave. For as much as Alex hated lying...he sure lied a lot.

The car ride there was awkward. Pine View wasn't exactly close, which made it less believable that they were going for breakfast. "You're taking me there, aren't you?" Norman spoke up from the back seat. He didn't sound angry; he sounded dejected—like he'd given up.

Norma glanced over at Alex, who was driving. "They're just gonna run some tests, Norman." She was lost. They all were lost. But there was no way back. They'd have to find a new path. "They're gonna help you. It'll be good. It'll all be good. I promise." She was struggling to keep it together. It was painfully obvious. The damage was written across her face. Alex glanced at her for a moment. It'd be a tough fix, but it'd be worth a try.

Alex felt out of place. They had to keep explaining who he was to the nurses and doctors. He knew he probably shouldn't have been there—that it was probably only making things worse for Norman. But he also knew that Norma wanted him there—that she needed him there. He gave her a sense of security that no one else could provide her.

Alex and Dylan waited in the lobby as Norma discussed things with the doctors. Tension started to fill the air as the silence grew longer. So Dylan spoke up. "The two of you have been spending a lot of time together lately."

The sheriff shot him a look. "It's not like that." Dylan didn't believe him, he could tell. "Your mother's a mess." The kid only laughed. "She's needs to be focused on Norman right now."

Dylan rolled his eyes. "She's always focused on Norman. The only thing she ever thinks about is Norman. She needs to focus on herself...she's a mess." The men smirked at each other as Norma approached them. "What'd they say?" Dylan asked, his eyes dropping to the sorrowful look on her face.

She sighed deeply. "They wanna keep him over night for observation." She tried to shrugged the feeling away. "They don't really know what it is yet."

"How much is it gonna cost?" Alex asked, his eyes reaching hers.

"Five hundred for tonight." The anxiety began to fill her face the more she held everything in.

"All right. I'll take care of it." Alex pulled out his wallet and made his way towards the desk.

Norma ran after him, forcing him to stop. "Alex—"

"Let me do this for you." His eyes met hers, warming every bit of her.

She nodded hesitantly. "Okay."

When they left, Alex dropped them off at the house and drove back home alone. They had spent a majority of the day there, and they were all exhausted. Alex pulled up in his driveway, sighing as he shut off the engine and entered the empty house. He stepped into his bedroom to find Norma's clothes scattered about the side of the room. He rolled his eyes, plopping down on the bed. The presence of her would always remain in his house. She plagued him. She plagued his life. She was a drug, and he needed her. His life depended on it.