The Flatliners

Chapter 6

"He's already lost a lot of weight. Even still, he's good looking."

"I was better looking when I had hair."

"Couldn't keep the girls away, I'll bet." She winked.

I grinned as an answer. It wasn't true though. I could easily keep girls away not that many were interested in me. I wasn't that type. Not the bulky, smooth-talking sort. I always offended girls somehow. I'd only dated three in my life and one was when I was only six. That hardly counted other than the fact I kissed her. Her parents never allowed her to see me afterwards.

"When's Big Bry coming in then?"

She shrugged. "Within the week if they decide here rather than the center an hour from the house. They're all staying in my apartment right now. We'll talk about it tonight."

After a long time, she looked up at me from where her head rested. The warmth of it spread where it touched my leg. "Bev found out about your leaving yesterday."

"You told her?"

"No but she found out this morning. She was wondering if anyone had checked on you and when no one had, she knew you'd have done something. Turns out, Hal knew and didn't want to admit it since it was on him. He was just going to wait until you came back even when his shift ended. Tilisha ratted him out earlier."

I pursed my lips. "Then she'll be in here soon?"

Charlotte nodded. "And she plans to skin you alive."

I wasn't in the mood for a skinning but what would it matter anyways? There weren't many ways she could punish me and I wasn't afraid of what she would do. Honestly, I doubted if she'd do a thing.

I suddenly remembered how Zoe had left completely. I wanted to ask Charlotte if anyone had noticed but didn't want to draw attention to the situation. Surely since her "parents" were coming the day before they noticed then. If not, they were possibly the worst guardians in the country.

I noticed I had pretty much slipped into a proper sleeping position, my head barely propped. Charlotte was partially asleep, breathing slowly. I removed my hand from hers, lacing my fingers on my chest.

I wondered if it was harder to discover that you were majorly ill or find out someone close to you was. There weren't many people I was close too. If any of them were to fall to my state, I guessed I'd worry myself. Then again, I'd feel stupid for worrying. I feel pathetic when I'm worried over though.

Charlotte would take the leukemia for Bryan if she could. I wished I could say I'd do that for someone but after experiencing it, I wouldn't do it again. Not by choice, anyways. I was doing it again nevertheless. The long, painstaking chemo was only prolonging the inevitable.

I didn't ever want to experience that feeling of your life the way you know being ripped away. Then once you find a shred of hope of getting it back someday, it's taken again forever.

"You took Zoe with you, didn't you?"

I was violently startled from my thoughts. Charlotte flew upright when I jumped, wiping drool from her lip. Bev stood over her, lamplight reflecting off her glasses. I hadn't heard her come in at all or notice the light shining in through the crack left between the wall and the open door.

Charlotte removed the IV from me and waved a goodbye as she rushed off. She was supposed to take it out of me when the fluids were gone over twenty minutes ago. More than likely, she had other important things she was supposed to get to. It was hard to tell how many patients died within her nap time.

"She went with me, yes." I answered.

"Where is she now?"

I shrugged, honestly having no clue where she could be.

Bev wasn't convinced. "Who is she with?"

I shrugged again.

"David, you're not one to lie to me."

"I'm not lying!"

She groaned, throwing her hands up with frustration. "Honestly, why would you just let her go? It's one thing for you to go out for the day but to leave completely?"

"I'm not her parent. I can't tell her what to do."

"She's a fifteen year old girl. Probably alone out on the streets. And guess who's held responsible?"

Not me. I stared at my thumbs.

"Me, David. This is a mess." She fell into her chair, massaging her forehead.

My head throbbed with a sudden migraine. There was no way they'd find Zoe out there. It was a big city and no one knew where she rode off to. If I were her, the most likely thing I would have done would be go back to my birth parents or run off with friends from home.

Of course, she hadn't gone back to her foster home. My guess was she ran off with the boyfriend she mentioned. I didn't share my theory though. If I did, they'd have somewhere to start looking. Zoe probably should've been brought back only because she needed medical help. She was smart though and would figure that out on her own. I did the time I escaped for a day and I didn't want to be the snitch.

"I didn't mean to yell at you." That was the closet to an apology I'd probably ever get from her.

"I think you took about five years off my life."

She almost made a cruel joke, probably the same one I almost made on myself but held it back. Really, I wasn't offended by the morbid jokes. It was reality whether I wanted to accept it or not. Still, it sometimes put me in a foul mood. The more I thought of it though, I laughed at myself inside.

Bev smiled. "I'll probably get sued by the foster parents."

"Maybe it was Zoe's plan all along. A get-rich sort of thing."

"Wouldn't be the strangest thing I've heard of in this place." She rushed up, always quick with her movements. "I have a lot to do so please stay in bed."

I held up a hand as a wave. "See you tomorrow?"

"I'm out tomorrow. I'll come in the day after."

"I'll try and stay alive until then."

Her face contorted in an amused but confused way. I smiled back as a response and she understood. At least, I thought she did.

Once she left, I felt what I'd imagine it's like to be dead. I was cold and could hardly move. The room was silent and I was completely alone. The door was closed like the lid of a coffin.

Sometimes, I wasn't afraid of that. I knew I wasn't going to die and live on in the coffin forever. It was still such an overwhelming thought even when I knew what would happen afterwards.

I threw up in the bin and tried to rinse my mouth with water. There was a possibility I'd live past all the treatment and hospital life. Like I said though, I'd always been a pessimist and the way things looked, I wasn't about to convert to optimism.