Shielded.

Chapter 16

CHARLIES P.O.V.

The air is hard and cold today.

I lay in stalemate. My face throbs as if Code: Red is still hitting me. I sit up but I go very slowly.

Twiggy is in the bed next to me. And next to me is...

Brian.

How long has he been there? Did he watch me sleep?

He wasn't under the covers like I was, he was on top. But he smells like alcohol, so I can't imagine he did this willingly.

I shake him awake.

"I think i need to go to the doctor. The cops need to be involved. My mom is dead."

He wakes up and rubs a spot of dried blood off of my chin.

"Yeah sure. Cmon."

He helps me up, and wraps me in a blanket.

He's way too calm. He's too willing.

Oh my god. Does he PITY me?

Jesus fucking christ. He pities me!

BRIAN'S P.O.V.

I can't help it but to pity her.

It takes everything inside of me to not take advantage of how vulnerable she is right now.

It turns me on.

I like vulnerable girls who feel like they have nothing else to lose. I like breaking their hearts to make them realize that they were wrong and they had so much more to give up.

But with Charlie, it's different. I don't want to break her heart.

But god something about that black eye and busted lip just gives me an edge.

What the hell is wrong with me?

"You don't have to pity me you know."
She says after we're both seating in my car.

"What are you talking about."

QUICK ACT NATURAL!

"I know that you pity me right now. You're being too nice."

"Oh i'm sorry. I forgot that you were too much of a hard ass to accept a nice gesture."

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me, Charlie. Don't start walking around thinking you're hot shit because Brian Warner is being a sweetie pie to you."

I say as I grab her chin pointing it towards me.

"You're such an asshole."

"No i'm an asshole to you. But only because you let me in."

"Shut up."

It got quiet.

You pushed it too far Brian. Goddammit you pushed it too far.

CHARLIE'S P.O.V.

I'M GOING TO SCREAM.

"You're mad because i let you in... blah blah blah."

I can't believe this.

"Just pull over at the police station and let me out. I'll handle this shit by myself."

The way he grabbed my chin. The way he knows me.

What the fuck? Am I turned on by this?

"Yeah whatever. I'll be waiting out here when you're done."

Jeordie's P.O.V.
I wonder what happened to Charlie.

She's too nice for whatever happened to her.

Her face was all bruised up and her lip was busted. She walked with a limp.

It looked nice on her. The black eye did.

But i noticed something different.

Her eyes weren't as bright and hopeful as they were back stage that night.

Jessicka isn't as pretty as her. Brian is very lucky.

Charlie's P.O.V.
"Woah woah woah ma'am, slow down?? You said your mother was murdered and then he tried to kill you too?"

"Yes! It was my step father and then he left but i fell unconscious because he-"

"There's so much paper work that you have to fill out for this, we can't just assume he did anything ma'am." The cop says.

Pigs of course.

Why would they believe someone who obviously has a black eye and a busted up face??!!!

"Okay but I am evidence. My ribs are broken look!"

I lift my shirt to reveal the black and purple spots that protect my ribs.

"Oh god." I heard the secretary say.

Horrified.

The kind of horrified Brian talks about in his songs.

"We're going to need you to wait here while we investigate okay? We'll call for medical attention." The cop says.

I walk back to Brian, "They want me to wait here. Just go home." I say.

He rolls the window up in my face and speeds off.

I wait for hours. I'm transported to the hospital. The x-rays show that I have 3 ribs broken, and my nose is fractured. I have a busted vessel in my eye, but "nothing major." Says the doctor.

Except my mom is dead.

And i'm dead inside.

I never got to tell her thank you. Even though she fucked my life up.

"Thank you for raising me!"

Tears sting in my eyes.

Crying is for pussies.

I suck it up.

I'm given pain medicine and i'm wrapped in ace bandages for my ribs.

"Bed rest." They say.

What is rest anyway?

I stand up to leave, but I see the officers from earlier come through the ER doors.

"Can you come to the coroner?"

"Yeah if you give me a ride." I scoff.

"Cmon." he says gruffly.

The car smells of metal and spit.

"Do you enjoy doing this?"

He looks at me.

"I'm serious."

"It's a job."

I scoff again.

"No ones happy with their jobs." I say.

He doesn't say anything.

As we arrive to the coroner, they show me the way to the room to where my mother sits on a platinum table, bruised and cut up.

"So the cause of your mother's death, for starters, was more than likely hemorrhage on the brain due to concussion inflicted by..."

"My step father." I finish.

"Ah. Right. I apologize for your loss Mrs... uh-"

"Just Charlie. It's just Charlie."

"Yes, Charlie."

"The time of death was 7:03 pm."

My heart races.

7:03. Fuck.

I lose focus.

"But in my regards, Charlie. I hope they figure this out and your mother gets justice."

"Uh yeah. Thanks." I murmur.