Broken Descent (Bruno Mars)

Day 4: Silence

At the stroke of three o'clock in the morning, Bruno tossed and turned. His phone rang and jolted him out of his daze. His heart beat out of his chest. He assumed the worst, that he wasn't going to see her again. The police were not, however, the ones making the call.

"Hello?" He answered, the first words he'd spoken in twenty-four hours.

"Bruno, this is Dr. Harrison..."

"Wh-who?" Bruno said, extremely groggy.

"I'm from Charlotte General in Charlotte North Carolina."

"Oh," Bruno stuttered. "Yeah I...I remember you."

"Bruno we found Charlotte."

Bruno's jaw dropped, not exactly knowing what to say. Even at this point, he feared the worst.

"Bruno she's really scared...but she's okay."

Bruno burst into tears, jumping up from his bed. He felt the adrenaline running throughout his body. "She's...she's in North Carolina? How'd she get there?"

"We don't know anything yet. She was brought to us. A police officer found her in the park down the street."

"Can I talk to her? I know it's late but..."

The phone made noises until he heard a cry that was so familiar.

"Charlotte...it's Daddy."

Charlotte cried but Bruno kept talking. Even though she was upset, hearing her again warmed his heart.

"I'm coming to get you, don't worry."

Charlotte kept crying.

"You can count on me," Bruno sang softly.

Charlotte's quiet cries made it through the phone.

"Come on, peanut. Don't cry. Sing with me."

"You can count on me..." he sang again.

She didn't answer. Bruno heard her breathing over the phone. He smiled and cried at the same time.

"Charlotte go to sleep and I'll be there as soon as I can. I love you, sweetheart. I love you very, very much."

Bruno hung up and threw his phone on the bed. He squatted, putting both hands on his head. Shaking from happiness, Bruno picked up his phone again to call Phil.

"Yo Bruno ya alright? It's in the middle of the night."

"They found Charlotte!" Bruno exclaimed louder than before. Minute by minute, he began to process the new information.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah she's in Charlotte, at that hospital where we found her."

"That's weird."

"Yeah they didn't tell me much. We gotta get over there fast."

"Alright," Phil said. "Meet you at the airport in 15?"

"Naw that'll take forever...and I don't want her to be in public after everything. I'm thinkin' I'm gonna get a private plane."

"Alright man," Phil said, laughing a little. "I'll see ya soon."

Charlotte sat on the hospital bed. She didn't want anyone to touch her, or even talk to her. She was in another world, holding tight onto her bird.

Dr. Harrison sat in front of her, smiling with a clipboard.

"I bet you're excited to see Daddy."

Charlotte didn't respond. Dr. Harrison spoke to Bruno before he went to go see Charlotte.