In Charlotte's Eyes

Initiative

A few days passed. Parker had tried getting into contact with her multiple times. Charlotte ignored him every time. He needed to take things into his own hands. After work, he waited a few hours, then left for Charlotte’s house. Due to his time working with her, he knew her schedule. She should be at home now.

When he finally made it to her house, he powerfully walked up to her front door. He knocked on it. It was an overcast day, the sky covered by gray clouds. A few moments passed, then the door opened. Charlotte’s top right side of her face was covered in mold. It was even bigger than in the photo Suzuki had taken of her.

Charlotte was surprised. “Parker?!”

“Oh my god, Charlotte.” His eyes were wide with concern. “Why didn't you tell me?”

She instinctively took a step back, unprepared. “Uh.”

“This is awful! How long have you had this mold for? Is this why you've been avoiding me?” He frantically asked.

“N-No..! I-..” She grunted.

“Charlotte, is this because it would've hurt your pride?” He frowned, disappointed. “Because we would have been right about going down into the silo cavern?!” He shouted. “Charlotte, I don't care if I was right or not! All I care about now is taking care of this mold infection.” He let out a huff of frustration. “H-How long have you had this mold infection for?”

“W-Wait, how do you even know if this is mold?” Charlotte argued. “It could be something else entirely.”

“I know because my grandfather died of a mold infection at a young age!” Parker admitted. Charlotte gave an apologetic look. He paused and sighed, looking at the floor. “My grandma taught me about the dangers of mold. But, anyway, even if it wasn't mold, you should still get it checked. The doctor should have told you about the dangers. Have you even seen a doctor about this yet?”

Charlotte groaned uncomfortably. “..No.”

“So.. So you lied to me before about seeing one..?” They made eye contact. Charlotte quickly looked away. Parker grunted. “And-.. how long have you had this for again..?”

“..I don't know.. A week only?”

He felt hurt by the fact that Charlotte had lied to him. He thought she was okay, unaffected this whole time. He took a deep breath. Whatever. All he cared about now was doing whatever it takes to rid this infection. “Charlotte, come with me, please.”

She met his eyes again, looking up at him. “Why?”

“I'm going to take you to urgent care. Please don't fight with me on that.”

She grunted uncomfortably. He didn't understand why she was so reluctant.

“Please. This means something to me, personally, too.”

“..Does it?”

“Yes.” He answered quickly and firmly. “I've seen how much my grandpa’s death affected my grandma. I don't want to suffer the same sadness she has because you refuse to do something about this.”

She sighed. “Fine..” She muttered. “I'll.. grab my things.” She closed the door on him. Parker sighed in relief. The breeze kept him company. He sat down on the front steps after a moment. He squinted, looking at his car.

A minute passed. The door opened. Charlotte, with her purse, met him. He stood up. “Great. Let's go.” She looked away from him.

He led her to his car. They both entered. Things were awkward as he began driving to urgent care.

During the silent ride there, he blurted a forced, “Thanks.”

She barely looked at him. “..Yeah.”

…

“It should spread some more.” Doctor Dell explained. He was a flashlight. “Once it covers your body adequately, the growth on the outside will slow down significantly. Once that happens, the fungus will begin growing from the inside, and that's where things will begin getting dangerous.”

“Do you think the mold will continue growing on the outside still?” Parker asked.

“I'm not sure. It's different for everyone.” He looked at Charlotte. “It's already covered almost a fourth of her body, so if it grows more, it shouldn't be that much more.”

Parker hummed and nodded. “What happens when it starts growing inside of her?”

“Various things can occur, but the most common symptoms are a change of limb and eye color, general weakness, trouble sleeping, and sudden faintness and fatigue.”

“How long will it take until it becomes life threatening?”

Doctor Dell sighed, leaning forward in his chair. “On average it takes around nine months until it becomes deadly. But the suffering caused from infection begins much sooner, so it'd be better to take care of it as soon as possible.”

“A-And how much will getting rid of this cost?” Charlotte asked, with a hint of frustration.

“It's different for everyone; you'd have to consult the billing department. If you want, I could grab a financial counselor so that you can discuss that.”

“Yeah.” Charlotte sighed. “That'd be good.”

The doctor looked at Parker. “Do you have any more questions?”

He shook his head. “No. Thank you, doctor.”

“Of course. I'll notify a counselor to come and speak with you.”

The two nodded, Charlotte giving a less enthusiastic one. Parker looked at her with sorrow.

…

The counselor left. They were free to leave whenever they were ready. But the two stayed in the small enclosure for a little longer. After discussing it with the financial counselor, the projected cost of the surgery after insurance coverage would be two hundred thousand dollars. A ridiculous amount; an amount Charlotte definitely didn't have.

“You okay?” Parker asked quietly.

She sighed roughly. “Peachy.”

He sighed softly. “I.. understand why you're frustrated. It's a lot.”

“Yeah.” She agreed bitterly.

“What do you plan to do?”

She side eyed him. Her eyes were on the verge of tears, despite her angry, tense expression. “I'll figure it out.” She muttered.

Hearing that hurt his soul. She sounded so defeated. “..Do you want some help..?”

“No.” She answered quickly. She sniffled, looking forward. “I don't need it. I said I'll figure it out.”

Parker felt guilt. He couldn't help but feel that that was a cry for help. Charlotte would never admit she wants help. But the absolute distraught look in her eyes cried for the universe to help her. He needed to do something.

He'd spend the rest of the night pondering how he could help her.

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