Eye of the Beholder [Completed]

Chapter 6

Two Weeks Later

My mission to find Brittany failed miserably that night, and it is still, currently, failing. None of us have seen her in a whole entire week. She texted mom and said, "I'm on a getaway." Mom texted her back and told her what was going on. Mom didn't get a reply back. That was the day after Samuel got hurt...Mom has been texting her everyday. Brittany will usually just send a text letting mom know that she is okay, but she never says anything about Samuel.

      We are meeting Samuel at the airport right now. And when I say we I mean my mom, my dad, Samuel's parents and me. I don't know why I decided to come. I feel so stupid being here. I've barely ever spoken to the guy. Now I'm here to witness one of the most gut wrenching moments of his life. The moment that he comes home from war....in a wheelchair. Samuel got injured in both of his legs resulting in them having to be removed....And to top it all off, his fiancé isn't even here.

    We are all waiting when we see Samuel being pushed towards us in his wheelchair. Samuel's mom has been holding up a sign with his name on it. Samuel is still as attractive as he was before...he is just in a wheelchair, but the look on his face is a look that I've never seen him wear before. I gulp. I can't stop looking at him. He doesn't make eye contact with any of us...not even his parents. He doesn't respond when his mom tries talking to him. He just sits there...in his wheel chair looking down...staring into nothingness.

      After a few more attempts to get him to talk, the man that was pushing his wheel chair clears his throat. "He hasn't spoken a word to any one since they....removed his legs, ma'am." With that, he goes back the way that he came from. It feels like just yesterday Samuel was this happy go lucky guy who was so excited to be engaged to the love of his life and now he is staring into....nothingness.

     Nobody makes a move to push his wheelchair. They are all just standing there staring into space. I sigh. "I'll push him." Samuel doesn't even react to me coming over to push him. My mom, my dad, and Samuel's parents wake up from their trance and follow behind me.

    The tricky part is when we get to the van. I look over at my dad and Samuel's dad. "Could you guys maybe help him get into the van?" I didn't want to try to do it myself and end up hurting him. They nod, wordlessly. Samuel doesn't say anything, but I saw him move his head, slightly, so I know he knows what is going on. My dad and Samuel's dad both, gently, pick him up and place him in his seat. My mom grabs the wheel chair and goes to bring it in the  trunk. I came with my parents in their vehicle. I don't know what else there is for me to do here so I start to turn around to make my way to my parents car, but then a voice stops me.

"Karrington."

I look back.

It's Samuel's mom, Alice.

"Yes?" I question her.

"Aren't you a nurse?" She tilts her head to the side as if she is assessing me.

"Yes...." I tell her. Where is she trying to go with this?

"How long have you been working at the hospital?"

"Not too long." I glance back at my parents. Judging by the looks on their faces they seem to be as clueless as me.

"Me and my husband...we both work, a lot." She looks over at Samuel. He's sitting in the back seat of the van, sitting there like an emotionless statue. Nothing like the guy that I remember.

"Yeah...." I don't know what else to say.

"We will be needing somebody to stay at home with him....to help take care of him. We would prefer somebody that we know. Would you be interested? We will pay you very well."

I look over at my mom, frantically. She just nods at me, like I should say yes. I look back over at the broken man in the van and I don't know what comes over me, but the next thing I know...

"Yes. I'll do it."