Meet Charlie

(16) Scenarios In A Hospital Bed

As I expected, a nurse walked into the room soon enough, telling me vague details of my injuries as if I needed to know (whether it was necessary or not). After insisting that I take it easy, she left me alone again. There I was left, listening to the haunting sound of my own life going at a repetitive rhythm beside me.

I didn't even hear or notice the cautious boy walk in and sit down on the nearby chair.

"My injuries weren't as severe," he started, obviously taking care in his words. "Let me out early after doing a few tests."

"Makes sense," I said, not bothering to expand. I heard him ask if I was okay, and I wanted to say I was. In all honesty though, I was far from okay. Along with the thoughts of Spike and Adri-

"Did they find Adrian?" A sudden thought struck me like lightening as I looked up in hope. The last time I saw her in person was when she managed to escape from the prison they kept us in. I shook all images of that place out of my head, afraid it might consume me.

Charlie looked up from where his eyes were on his lap in what looked like, surprise. He furrowed his eyebrows, but answered nevertheless.

"Dunno," he shrugged. "Police didn't bring her up. Just said about the gang - locked up by the way," he said. At that I was relieved. The thought about Adrian probably on the loose however, took over my mind.

Charlie continued gazing at me with interested eyes.

"Why are you so concerned about her anway?" he asked, his voice sounded with dislike towards the woman.

"Just cause'," I said, hoping to avoid the question. "She seemed important, that's all."

Charlie seemed to grasp the awkwardness of the concept and changed the subject, but what he brought up next was far worse. "The rest of the kids and staff are fine by the way," he said after a few moments of silence. My heart stopped for a split second. "Incase you were wondering," the boy added with no emotion. There was no doubt that after that blunt statement, I felt horribly conceited. I forgot about the rest of them. That we were all victims of this brutality. I felt like anything I said in reponse was pointless - what could I say anyway?

"That's good," I said, sounding pathetic in my head. Charlie gave a faint scoff, but I pretended not to notice. Luckily he kept the conversation going.

"They've decided to relocate the kids," he said.

"Where?" I asked. Charlie caught my eye and replied with, "Anywhere away from the children's home. People who're interested in fostering - that kinda thing."

The way he described the home made me flinch slightly. Whether that flinch was out of fear or anger, I do not know. Maybe both.

"Where are you gonna' stay?" He asked.

The nurse told me I would have to be hospitalized for another week, but the question of where I was going to go after never entered my mind. Surely I would just be relocated like the others. Not that the idea appealed to me in the slightest, but it was the only possibility I could think of.

"Relocated like the others I guess," I shrugged, moving my gaze back onto my fidgeting hands; one of which had an arterial line attached to my wrist. The sight of the plaster covering the needle injected into my skin made my heart beat a little faster. Things like that never agreed with me.

It was just after I got over the needle, that I realised Charlie wasn't responding. I looked up and his eyebrows were furrowed, but not in a frustrated way. Almost like he was deciding upon something in his mind. He took a deep breath and sighed before meeting my waiting stare.