Demons Aren't Usually Called Charlie

Alexander

Four days awake. It felt like torture. Alexander was already sick and tired of being conscious. It was too much effort. His body stung with every movement, breath, sound. Everything was so itchy, yet he just could not scratch. He remembered that comatose dream, this retched thought of scratched away skin made him gag. What had happened to him that had disturbed his psyche so much? At this rate he would never know. That bastard Dr. Thomas just refused to tell him, trying to'protect' him. It was just making everything worse that he did not know. This ignorance, to tell the truth, just made his ward feel more and more like a prison cell. The white-washed walls dead to the imagination, the blue curtain just mimicked his emotions

In these four days, someone had already died in his ward. The ward was small, it was intensive care. Only three people in it at the maximum. Alexander barely ever saw them however, that blue curtain was pulled around him for most hours, he was too weak to stand, his hands too heavily bandaged to open it. But when the nurses left it open, he saw his two other cell mates. There was an elderly woman the furthest away from him, in a deep slumber just like he had been. The only difference was that the doctors didn't think she'd ever wake up.

His other cell mate had been a youth, at the most he had been seventeen. It was a tragic waste of human life. From what Alexander had picked up from eavesdropped snippets, the youth had been a victim of gang violence, severe brain trauma they'd said. The poor lad had been conscious through the whole ordeal, at least Alexander didn't remember anything. Just the other night, the boy had passed away in his sleep. His death had been peaceful, he'd gone out quietly, like a candle in a breeze. Alexander didn't feel sad or emotional about this death. Even when his family had rushed in, weeping over his dead body, Alexander still felt nothing. He was sure that if the elderly lady had been awake, she would've cried like the wolf at his death. But she never would wake up, so he'd never know.

Someone swished the curtain open, rudely awakening Alexander from his daydreams and thoughts. It was Daisy. She smiled and softly spoke to Alexander in her natural calm tone.

"Your family is here to see you." she tucked her fire for hair behind her ear, beckoning them in.

And there, scuttling in, where his mother and brother, his remaining family. His grandparents had died moons ago, his father was god knows where. It was just the three of them left.

Alexander and his mother got on like a house on fire, she had always been his best friend, his guardian angel. This was partially down to the fact that he was the youngest and everyone know the youngest is the favourite. But other than that, he respected her. She had been a single parent for most of Alexander's life and she had raised two intelligent, well-rounded and successful children alone.

Alexander and his brother on the other hand, they hated each other. Well at least that's what they liked to think. Even though his brother had permanently scarred him, mentally and physically, they still stood up for each other. Whenever Alexander had cried when he was younger, his brother would comfort him, only to be at his throat minutes later. And this still went on to this day. If either one was having a hard time, they'd make a trip to see the other one. They'd often have movie nights together, but they'd always argued over something. It didn't matter whether it was girlfriends, money, cars or how well they were doing at life, they'd find a way to argue over it.

Alexander's mother put her hands up to her mouth when she saw her beloved son. She'd never seen him, once so athletic, so immobile before. The wires connected to him, machines supporting his life, she wished it was all happening to her instead. She wanted to take the pain away, like ever mother does, but she was so helpless. Rushing over, she scooped him up in a hug. Alexander hug weakly back, a lump formed in his throat, sucking all the moisture from his mouth. He was so happy to see her again, he felt safe in her arms, like a child again. She squeezed him before letting him go, sitting on the edge of his bed. Her bottom lip wobbled as she looked at him, pain in her eyes. She took his hand in hers.