Charlie's Hero (#nanowrimo2015)

Chapter 10

     Charlie sat in the room, waiting to be discharged. The doctors kept her for three days when they discovered her lack of nutrition. Carson had been the most upset, saying it was his fault for not finding her during lunch and making sure she ate. But all her brothers felt the blame.

     Charlie didn't want them to blame themselves at all. She just didn't feel hungry... Didn't feel the need to eat. 

     She sighed and looked out the window, remembered how Carson was freaking out when he rode with her in the ambulance. Not that she blamed him. The doctors said the nightmare caused her to freak out, and her having low blood sugar from not eating and made the effect worse, causing Charlie to go into shock. But Charlie rationalized it as, she didn't eat because of the nightmares, so the state of shock was inevitable and non-preventable. 

     She remembered Cameron too. His face one of worry before they pulled her out of the school. His words he spoke to get her to focus on things other than her nightmare. It worked. Which is why she looked over at him, it's why she didn't want him to leave. It's why she tried to call out his name.

     She wasn't stupid. She knew he told her a story about himself, but that didn't matter to her. She was actually surprised it was him who helped her, especially after the way he was avoiding her, going to the lengths of switching seats to avoid being near her. She didn't know why but it caused her chest to feel lighter. She wondered if she would be seeing him at school again, with him talking to her. She hoped he would, though it wasn't likely.

~

"I can't believe you! We go out of town and we come home to our hospitalized daughter. Did you not say you would watch her?" Charlie heard her mom's voice almost yell at Austin. "She was fine when we left. She was actually eating something. Now we come back and hear she hasn't been eating, and she's lost 10 more pounds!"

"I can't keep track of what she eats all day, let alone shove her food down her throat." Austin said back, his voice irrupted but weak. "And you guys have been gone for two months... Two! You barely call to check in on her, you barley email or even find the time to send a text. YOU are her parents, not I!  She needs you here, we all do, but we know you need to work. That's why I'm fine with taking care of her, but Two months? You've got to be kidding me mother." 

"We're working, we have to make the money to pay these bills. So don't you dare shove our jobs down our throat like its our fault-"

"Your daughter died! Do you honestly expect that everything is going to be alright when you get home after you left, only 2 months after the funeral? That was her twin, It was our sister, your daughter! You're the one who jetted off to God knows where to grieve and make money I know we don't need while you left the rest of us here."

     Charlie couldn't take it. She hated when people argued, and she hated it even worse when it was her family that was arguing. For once, she got up off the couch and decided to go outside. She needed air, needed to breath. 

     When she sat down outside in the cool autumn air that had a hint of north-winds in it, she sighed. Che brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them, looking sideways at her backyard that was covered by miles and miles of land and trees. Her therapist came to see her in the hospital that first day, and the last as per request by Charlie's doctor. She remembered her saying something, something that ac tally stuck with her. About her sister, about her parents. But as she listened to her parents in there argue, or more like her mother argue with Austin, she couldn't help but feel that Evelyn was wrong.