The Life of Charlotte Diaz

Chapter 4. Breaking News

It was dark. That was the first thing I noticed when I came too. It was dark, and an annoying beeping noise was ringing throughout my ears. I could faintly make out someone probing me with something, but I paid no mind to it. My mind was too busy trying to conjure up the images or memory as to what happened.

"... sweetie, please wake up. Please." I heard the soothing voice of my grandmother beg from the state of oblivion I was in.

That had my eyes widening in seconds. But as quickly as they opened, they closed on their own accord to shield them from the bright lighting that illuminated from the room. Slowly, I blinked my eyes to try and adjust to the lighting. Once they were comfortable to everything, a worry-stricken grandma stood in my line of vision.

"Oh thank you, Lord," she let out in a relived breath, rushing over to take me in her arms.

I wrapped my arms around her, though still confused as to what was happening and where I was. "You had me so worried, Charlie. When the school called me, saying that you were being admitted into the hospital, I dropped everything and hurried over here. I only thought of the worse and I thought that those kids had hurt you again. Oh, I was getting so angry just thinking of those foolish children laying one hand on you. But then, when I made it here and asked for you, the doctor told me that you had had a panic attack at school. A group of girls found you passed out in the bathroom and called for someone. I-I didn't- I was just so sca-"

I held up my hand, causing her next words to die out on her tongue. Feeling parched, I gestured to the cup of water that was next to my grandma. She caught on and set the cold glass in my hands. I sighed when the cold liquid swam down my sore throat. I drank every last bit of the water, before setting the glass next to me. Despite just waking up from the panic attack, I still felt exhausted. I knew there were bags underneath my eyes- but I was afraid that those would never go away; no matter how much sleep I got.

Just as my grandma was about to speak again, the door opened, and in walked a tall man with a white doctor's coat, black rimmed glasses, and a clip board in his hand. His eyes were a light shade of blue and, from the light balding on the top of his head, I could tell he'd been at his job for awhile now.

"Ahh... Hello Charlotte. Glad to see you're finally awake. Do you remember anything?" He asked in a scratchy tone, his eyes scanning the information on the clipboard.

I noticed the signs of distress instantly. His shoulders were stiff and tense, while the hand that wasn't holding the clip board, lay at his side, twitching slightly. When I looked close enough, I saw the bags beneath his eyes and then, I looked straight into his eyes.

It was weird, seeming as I never really look people in their eyes, but I found it compelling. When I looked into his swirling shades of blue hues, I also noticed the small speckles of gold swimming in his orbs. But, that wasn't all. They say that eyes are the windows to the human's soul. And they were right- of you looked close enough, that is. I saw an unknown glint in his eyes. It was a glint I was all to familiar of. It was a glint that all doctors had. It was a glint that anyone had if they had seen traumatic events unfold in front of them. To other people though, they don't notice it. Mainly, because they don't understand what the glint means. It's unknown for a reason. It's like a shield. A wall built up in someone's own eyes to guard them from the painful, disturbing images that unfold in front of them.

"Charlie, did you hear the doctor?" My grandmother's voice broke me from my thoughts, and I blinked my eyes, before nodding. My grandma then looked to the doctor, and answered for me. "Yes, she remembers."

The doctor didn't even look at me, only wrote something down.

"It says here that you were admitted to this same hospital five years ago..." the doctor then looked up at me for the first time, and I found my body tensing. My grandmother was no different. In fact, her body didn't just tense, but rage pooled into her electric blue eyes almost just as fast.