The Sea Turtle

Chapter 2

Ben was in the kitchen the next morning making breakfast for Charly and on the phone talking to Uncle Jack before Charly got downstairs.

"No I don't care what it takes. It's not happening, I will figure it out. My mom would never want that" he was getting mad. Then he calmed down "I know. I'm sorry..... I know it will be......thank you for that." Just then Charly came down the steps. "I have to go" said Ben quickly and hung up the phone. Charly though to herself, why her brother was being so suspicious? "Good morning sweat pea" he said.

"Good morning" she replied happily.

"Why is normally grumpy little sister in the morning so happy?" He said with a smile

"Because Uncle Jack said I can help out more!"

"Ya Charly we got to talk about that" Ben didn't want to burst her bubble and cause a panic attack but he didn't want her to get hurt and she was only 11 and small for her age.

"No Ben..." she complained.

"I'm not saying you can't help. I'm just saying maybe not as much as you think. These are wild animals. So there are limits"

"But Mom started when she was my age!" Yelled Charly

Ben sighed...here we go. First the yelling then the panic.

"I know, okay. And you will help. Just you not..." he didn't finish it sentence

"No!" She yelled then the heavy breathing started. Ben put down the towel and walked quickly around the counter over to the stool she was sitting on. He held on to her arms.

"Charly look at me" he said. There were now tears. Worse then last night. She didn't look up at him. "Charly" he said. She then looked up still breathing heavily and crying. He wiped a tear away with the back of this thumb and said "slow deep breathes" and she did. Then soon calmed down. Ben approached basically everyone of the panic attacks the same. It worked. But only he could get them to stop. He is  the only person she has. And she is the only person he has.

"Good" he said. Then he pulled her into him and held her tightly as he rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head.   The conservation was over. Best not to bring it back up. "Let's eat some breakfast and then get ready to go?"
Charly nodded. With that Ben pulled away from her and started to finish getting her breakfast together. 

About 30 minutes later they were heading out the door to get to the rescue. As soon as they walked in there was chaos. They were bring in a massive leather back sea turtle.

"Woah. Cool" said Charly in shock

"Stay right here" demand Ben. Charly did as she was told as Ben ran over to help.

"What happened?" Asked Ben.

"Hit by a boat propeller.... lets get on to the table" they walked into the medical room and put it on to the table. It was freaking out. There were 12 people lifting it. It was heavy. Charly ran up and watched from the window. She stood there and watched it kick and try to escape. It was so scared. She then snuck through the door and around everyone, over to its head. No one noticed she was there. She reached out her hand and stoked the top of its head.

"Shhhh" she said, "it's okay". She said this a few times. Then it started calm down. Everyone turned to look. Ben was about to yell at her but Uncle Jack stopped her. He nodded at Ben to just watch. The turtle and Charly had locked in eye contact and Charly calmed it down so it wasn't moving.

"We are here to help you" she said to it. And almost as if the turtle understood there it became completely calm and just laid there keeping eye contact with Charly. Ben and everyone was amazed.

"Charly keep doing that. Why we fix her up" said Uncle Jack.

Charly nodded and looked at Ben. He smiled at her.

Later Uncle Jack, Ben and Luke were in Ben's office.

"She's just like your mother. She has her touch.  That way with the animals"

Ben was watching Charly watch the sea turtle that was now swimming in a tank.

"I know"

"Hey there's s marine biology summer camp thing I know of. She might like"

Ben shot him a look "if it involves other kids or going in the water than she'll hate it"

"Right" said Luke, "Still won't go in the water?"

"Haven't asked"

"She will one day" said Uncle Jack, "the moment will come and she'll just do it"

"I hope so" he still watched her. Then just then she slipped and fell into the tank. Ben jumped up and Uncle Jack and Luke went running out the door and over to her. Ben jumped in the water immediately. She was just barley keeping herself above the water. He grabbed her quickly and swam to the side with an arm around her. Luke pulled her out and Uncle Jack helped Ben out. Luke held on to Charly has she breathed heavily. Ben crawled over to her and took her from Luke.

"Hey it's okay" he said holding her close "You're fine. I got you" she didn't say anything just held on to Ben.

Ben had gotten her dry clothes and cleaned up. He got cleaned up himself. Charly was just sitting on the couch under a blanket in the break room
just staring at the wall. Ben went up to her and bent down in front of her.

"Hey" he said as he combed over her wet hair with hand, "I'll be right back. You okay?"

She nodded. He kissed her forehead and got up and left. He found Uncle Jack and Luke. Ben sat down in a chair.

"God. What the hell am I going to do now. She won't even speak" said Ben.

"She will be okay" said Luke he didn't know what to say.

Uncle Jack motioned for Luke to leave. Jack sat in a chair across from him.

"Ben. I promised your mother I would look after you and Charly and Brian. You have a lot on your plate now and the only thing you need to be taking care of is Charly. I will take care of everything else"

Ben sighed. He didn't know what to say. Jack was right.

Meanwhile Charly was still sitting on the couch not saying anything as Luke walked in. She was remembering the day her mom died.

Jessica and Charly were at the rescue. No one else was there. They just had to stop by real quick to check on a dolphin that was just brought in. Then they were going to meet Ben and Brian for dinner. Jessica was carrying some boxes. When she stopped suddenly. She dropped the boxes and fell to ground. She hit her head and rolled into the empty tank next to the Dolphin. Charly was only 7. She screamed and ran from the place she was sitting next to the tank. She kept screaming "Mom! Mom! Mom!" As she saw her float to the bottom of the tank. She was 7 she couldn't save her. Then she got up and ran to her mothers office. She had her brothers numbers memorized and called Brian. She just screamed and cried over the phone. She couldn't say words. It took about 15 minutes for Ben and Brian to get there. Ben grabbed Charly who was now in complete panic. Brian jumped into the tank and pulled his mother out. Ben called 911 and Brian performed CPR. But Jessica never took another breathe. 

It was determined that she had a heartache then hit her head before falling in and drowning. Charly was never the same. She's gotten better over the years but never the same.