“Casen?” Charlie gasped, standing up and grabbing his arm to steady him.
“I’m okay,” he whispered, squatting down and plopping on the floor. “Really, I am,” he added, convincing no one, not even himself.
Charlie looked to Deacon for help. He quickly grabbed the phone receiver from the desk.
“Are there any medics in the building? Okay, send one to room S126. I have a downed agent.”
“Why do they make these hallways so confusing? Was it built by a paranoid person? I bet the blueprint looks like a maze.”
Deacon scoffed and Charlie witnessed a small smile on his face. A tiny bit of elation rose up in her chest. She made Deacon smile! A few minutes later he stopped at a set of double doors. He pulled out his key card and swiped it in a stationary reader off on the right wall. She could hear the deadbolts unlock, and he stepped forward to open the doors easily. Charlie wasn’t sure what she was expecting, maybe a couple of rooms for sick people. But when the doors opened it looked as though she had just walked into a hospital waiting room. Deacon strode straight up to the receptionist and asked where Casen was.
“He’s in recovery. Down this hall, left at the fork. Third door on the right.”
“Thanks,” Deacon nodded as he strode away.
Charlie was reminded that hospitals gave her the heeby jeebies as she looked around. Noticing Deacon leaving, she quickly ran to catch up to him. She followed in his footsteps as he navigated. She breathed lightly, you never knew what was floating in the air in these places. They came to the specified room and Deacon didn’t hesitate to swing the door wide open. It seemed like they walked past a dozen beds separated by only cloth dividers before reaching Casen’s.
“Casen?” she asked quietly, going to his side and taking his hand. His eyes didn’t open to her touch. “Why is he unconscious?” she asked fearfully.
"He's on some intense pain medications," Deacon informed her, checking Casen's chart on his bedside table.
"Okay. I guess I'll stay till he gets up," she said, eyeing the room for a comfy spot to get comfortable.
"Here. Take his car," Deacon said, taking the keys out of the personal effects bin at the end of the bed.
"No. No. I couldn't," Charlie said timidly.
Deacon grabbed her wrist and forced the keys into her palm. “I’m sure Dolen can come and take him home when he’s ready.”
“Who is Dolen?” she asked curiously, closing her fingers around the keys.
“His brother,” Deacon retorted. “Has he never mentioned him?”
Charlie shook her head again slowly. She looked back to Casen’s motionless face. How had she spent so much time with him and never knew he had a brother?
She laid her hand on his arm for a few moments before a nurse came and ushered them out. Deacon walked with Charlie out of the recovery room. Charlie’s mind was full of speculation as they drifted through the halls. He had never mentioned Dolen… or any family. Why hadn’t she asked him about this before? He never even showed her where he lived. What did she really know about this boy? Suddenly she was torn away from her thoughts by the sound of a familiar voice calling out her name. Her mouth fell open as she turned in shock at the sound of that voice again.
“I’m okay,” he whispered, squatting down and plopping on the floor. “Really, I am,” he added, convincing no one, not even himself.
Charlie looked to Deacon for help. He quickly grabbed the phone receiver from the desk.
“Are there any medics in the building? Okay, send one to room S126. I have a downed agent.”
“Why do they make these hallways so confusing? Was it built by a paranoid person? I bet the blueprint looks like a maze.”
Deacon scoffed and Charlie witnessed a small smile on his face. A tiny bit of elation rose up in her chest. She made Deacon smile! A few minutes later he stopped at a set of double doors. He pulled out his key card and swiped it in a stationary reader off on the right wall. She could hear the deadbolts unlock, and he stepped forward to open the doors easily. Charlie wasn’t sure what she was expecting, maybe a couple of rooms for sick people. But when the doors opened it looked as though she had just walked into a hospital waiting room. Deacon strode straight up to the receptionist and asked where Casen was.
“He’s in recovery. Down this hall, left at the fork. Third door on the right.”
“Thanks,” Deacon nodded as he strode away.
Charlie was reminded that hospitals gave her the heeby jeebies as she looked around. Noticing Deacon leaving, she quickly ran to catch up to him. She followed in his footsteps as he navigated. She breathed lightly, you never knew what was floating in the air in these places. They came to the specified room and Deacon didn’t hesitate to swing the door wide open. It seemed like they walked past a dozen beds separated by only cloth dividers before reaching Casen’s.
“Casen?” she asked quietly, going to his side and taking his hand. His eyes didn’t open to her touch. “Why is he unconscious?” she asked fearfully.
"He's on some intense pain medications," Deacon informed her, checking Casen's chart on his bedside table.
"Okay. I guess I'll stay till he gets up," she said, eyeing the room for a comfy spot to get comfortable.
"Here. Take his car," Deacon said, taking the keys out of the personal effects bin at the end of the bed.
"No. No. I couldn't," Charlie said timidly.
Deacon grabbed her wrist and forced the keys into her palm. “I’m sure Dolen can come and take him home when he’s ready.”
“Who is Dolen?” she asked curiously, closing her fingers around the keys.
“His brother,” Deacon retorted. “Has he never mentioned him?”
Charlie shook her head again slowly. She looked back to Casen’s motionless face. How had she spent so much time with him and never knew he had a brother?
She laid her hand on his arm for a few moments before a nurse came and ushered them out. Deacon walked with Charlie out of the recovery room. Charlie’s mind was full of speculation as they drifted through the halls. He had never mentioned Dolen… or any family. Why hadn’t she asked him about this before? He never even showed her where he lived. What did she really know about this boy? Suddenly she was torn away from her thoughts by the sound of a familiar voice calling out her name. Her mouth fell open as she turned in shock at the sound of that voice again.