Ch.45 - Charlie

Charlie thanked the woman at the cafeteria counter as she handed him the hot Styrofoam cup. The smell of mocha lingered in the steam and he raised the lid to his lips and took a sip, feeling his arm scream in response. His shoulder had been throbbing all day so he set the drink down and gave his muscles a stretch before taking another swallow, dodging Carter's little hand as she reached for a taste.

Despite the pain, he enjoyed the warmth of the beverage as it slid down his throat. Hospital coffee wasn't the best, but he'd certainly had worse, and right now he needed caffeine in the worst kind of way. Carter reached again for the cup and he smiled down at her. "You don't want this, baby girl. It'll stunt your growth." Carter continued her pursuit with wide, interested eyes forcing Charlie to finish his coffee in a rush.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that." He chuckled. "You're mom would murder me if I let you have a sip."

"Will the family of Enid Wilson please return to the ICU?" a female voice boomed over the intercom system.

Charlie tipped the cup to his lips, making certain he drained every last drop, and threw the empty container into the closest trash bin. Carter whined in protest as it disappeared into the garbage.

"The doctor must be ready for us. I hope your grandma's ready, too." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let's do this."

As they walked down the long corridor that lead to the elevators, Charlie said a silent prayer. When the tube comes out, please let Mom breathe on her own. And whatever damage that's been done, whatever the tests show, we'll deal with it. We'll get her all the help she needs. Just please...don't force me to say goodbye. I can't let her go.

Charlie pressed the button to the elevator and patiently waited for it to return to the floor. When the doors finally creaked open, several passengers rambled out, each one rushing off in opposite directions. Charlie stepped inside and kissed Carter on the temple. He pushed the button to the third floor and the big steal doors shut, tuning out the noises from the busy hallway.

A soft melody played overhead. There were no words, just a quirky instrumental he recognized from his youth. The memory of his mother humming along to the song while watching American Bandstand hit him so hard he sucked in a breath. He remembered sitting at the kitchen table as a child, his Robocop action figures in hand, while his mom washed the dishes to the sound of Dick Clark on the small television perched on the counter. What he would give to see her happy and carefree again, like she didn't have a problem in the world.

The elevator lurched upward and then slowed to a crawl. Charlie glanced at his watch. "At this rate we'll get to Grandma right around your first birthday."

Carter squealed in delight as Charlie's fingers tickled her side. The elevator inched its way higher when suddenly the lights inside flickered and they jerked to a stop. His heart dropped in his chest. "No, no...not now!"

Standing in pitch black, the baby began to squirm in his arms. Charlie felt for the buttons along the wall and pressed each one frantically, hoping the small lift would come back to life. "Come on..." He slammed his fist into the door. A sharp pain radiated up his arm and he flinched.

Reaching into his back pocket, Charlie pulled out his phone. "Damn it," he whispered to himself. "No bars." He held up the lit screen, allowing the glow to illuminate Carter's face. Her eyes were wide-open, the black of her pupils so big they nearly covered the blue.

"It's alright, don't be afraid." Charlie soothed her in the most pleasant voice he could muster. "We're going to call for help. Someone will get us out of here."

He turned the phone toward the buttons on the wall and searched for the alarm by the light of his cell. As he reached forward, the elevator lunged into motion. "Thank God." He breathed a sigh of relief and tucked the phone back into the pocket of his jeans. "Just get us up there without any more problems," he coaxed.

The elevator staggered upward and when the doors finally opened, Charlie's stomach seized. Doctors and nurses ran this way and that, their hurried movements and panicked faces all he could see. Something was wrong, he knew it in his gut.

"Mr. Wilson," a nurse said breathlessly as she rushed by. She slowed and smoothed down the front of her scrub top. "We tried to call you but your phone went straight to voicemail."

A sliver of panic sliced through him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The nurse paled. "It's your mother--"

Fear bubbled in his chest. "What is it? Is she alright?" he interrupted. No, this couldn't be happening!

The nurse shifted uncomfortably and glanced away. When she looked back he saw the worry in her eyes and his insides tensed. "She's awake. She's awake and she's been screaming for you. We can't calm her down. We're about to give her some medicine to help her relax."

"She's awake?" He could hardly believe it. It wasn't at all what he'd been expecting to hear.

The nurse nodded. "Yes, but she's hysterical. She's been screaming for you ever since she--"

Charlie didn't wait for to finish, he clutched Carter tightly to his side and began to run, making his way down the hall toward her room. A high-pitched shriek pierced through the air and Charlie stalled momentarily before picking up the pace. She was awake--his mother was awake! And she'd been calling for him.

When her room came into view he found it swarming with people, a handful of them trying to hold his mother in place while a young nurse with a needle hovered above her arm. The hospital room was buzzing with noise, everyone trying to talk over the other, but one voice in particular stood out loud and clear.

"Mom!"

When her frantic gaze found his, the look of horror he saw staring back at him made him stop in his tracks and a jolt of electricity slammed into him.

"Look at his eyes," his mother screamed at him. "They're the same!"

Charlie felt himself pale. She was breathing, she was talking! But of all the different ways he'd imagined this moment, this hadn't been one of them. He rushed to the bedside, barely aware of Carter screaming in his arms.

"Mom! Oh my God, are you alright?" Charlie pushed passed the nurses holding her down and wrapped his mother into his free arm.

"His eyes are the same, don't you see?" she screamed again. Her cheeks were flushed and her expression desperate.

"What? Mom, what are you talking about? Just try to relax, okay? The nurse is going to give you some medicine."

The young nurse buried the needle in his mother's arm as the staff holding her down tightened their grip. Enid thrashed a few times more before starting to slow. "It's him," she said, her voice beginning to slur. Enid's eyes drooped and she turned to the nurse. "What did you give me?"

The nurse gave her a reassuring smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I gave you some medicine that will help calm your nerves. You pulled out your intravenous line so I had to give you a shot." Her voice was soft and soothing. "Before you know it, you'll be resting peacefully."

"Haven't I rested enough?" Enid asked, her words heavy as they left her mouth. She turned back to Charlie. "Look at his eyes," she said again. "They're the same as--"

"Shhh, Mom. It's okay, just go to sleep." Very gently, he smoothed back the hair around her face. "We can talk when you wake up."

Enid shook her head and with obvious force, opened her eyes wider. "Charlie, you need to listen to me. It's Jackson..."

"Yes, yes, that's right. Jackson was with you when you collapsed. The doctor told me he saved your life." His mother remembered Jackson had saved her life! If she remembered that, maybe she didn't have brain damage after all. Maybe the doctor's warnings were wrong.

Enid continued to shake her head, her eyes even heavier. "No, Charlie." Her movements were weak now and the nurses let go of her arms. Enid grasped Charlie's hand and held onto it tightly. "Jackson's not who he says he is. Talia's in trouble."

Charlie's blood went cold. "What did you say?"

Her eyes rolled back and her head fell against the pillow. Charlie sat down on the bed and gently shook her shoulder. "Mom! What did you say?"

She turned and looked at him, her eyes barely open. "Steven. Jackson is Steven's father..."

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Hello and thank you for reading Secrets and Lies! If you liked this chapter, please leave a vote/comment.

Ahh, finally! Enid was finally able to tell Charlie! I just hope he listens...

The next POV is from Jackson and I think he might have a little surprise for Talia--you won't want to miss it! I'll try to have it up for you around Tuesday!

Just wanted to thank you all for reading, voting and commenting. Your support helped Secrets and Lies rank #1 yesterday in Mystery/Thriller! THANK YOU! XO