Secrets and Lies | ✔️

Chapter 47 - Charlie

Ch.47 - Charlie

"Mom!"

Once again, Charlie tried to wake her, but she refused to open her eyes.

"Charlie," the doctor said lightly. She pushed her glasses up higher on her nose, a gesture Charlie had learned to expect from her. "We should let her rest now. She's been through a lot. What's happening here isn't typical. Patients normally come out of comas very gradually, becoming more and more aware over a period of time. This is rather sudden. And besides," she added, "I think you're little one might need some fresh air."

It was then that Charlie focused on Carter screaming in his arms. He'd been so wrapped up in his mother's outburst, he'd barely heard his daughter crying. How frightened she must be! Gently, he ran his hand over her head in an effort to soothe her, but he was just going through the motions. He couldn't forget what his mother had said, or the desperate look that burned in her eyes. He bounced Carter in his lap until crying calmed.

He glanced back at the doctor. "But why would she wake up screaming? Why was she saying the things she said?"

She pressed her thin lips together, as if trying to decide what exactly to say...or not say. "Coma dreams can be very intense. For years medical professionals have tried to make sense of them. What a patient sees in their thoughts while they're asleep can feel very real. Whether it's happiness, sadness or fear, that feeling is enhanced by the situation at hand. It's not uncommon for the mind to overcompensate for it's lack of control. It can make up scenarios, and sometimes those scenarios exaggerate real life."

"Is it possible for a person to come to a conclusion about something? Something they hadn't realized before?"

The doctor shrugged. "Anything's possible. But that doesn't mean there's credibility in what the patient says." She looked down at Enid, now resting peacefully. "Why don't you take a breather, Charlie? Once your mother wakes up, you two will have a lot to talk about. Her vital signs are stable so I'll check back in a bit."

The doctor left without another word. Charlie watched as a nurse cleaned up the mess that had been made when his mother pulled out her tubes. A thick, tan liquid saturated her gown from the tube feeding in her nose, while blood covered the blanket where she'd pulled out the intravenous line. He stood up from the bed and continued to console Carter, who now whimpered quietly in his arms.

"Shhh," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "You're okay. Everything's going to be just fine. Grandma will wake up soon and she'll tell us all about her dreams. You'll see."

But the sinking sensation in the pit of stomach continued to escalate. Something didn't feel right. What his mother had said... Why would she be dreaming about Steven? What would cause her to believe Jackson was his father? Could it be possible?

Charlie pulled his cell from his pocket and pressed Talia's number. The phone rang once, then cut out.

Damn reception!

But he couldn't let the feeling go. He needed to speak with his wife. He needed to know she was okay. She was about to meet with Jackson. If anything went wrong...

Charlie reached for the bedside phone. Dialing the number, he let it ring until the cell went to voice mail. He looked back at his mother, so small and pale in the bed. She was a little off-beat with her colorful insights and quirky ways of looking at life, but in all the years he'd known her, she'd rarely been wrong. As outlandish and unpredictable as her observations could be, there was always truth in her words. Fear gripped his stomach. He needed to leave. He needed to find Talia, just to be sure.

"Charlie, do you mind if I come in?" a male voice asked from the doorway.

Charlie's eyes opened wide. "William! You're just in time." He handed Carter over. "I need you to watch Carter for me."