Deathbed

Charlie Wilson sat at her mother's deathbed staring absentmindedly at the wall; she had no step-father, no siblings, and no grandparents to comfort her. Soon enough she'd have no mother, and then she'd be alone in the world.

There was her father but god knows where he was. Her mother had fallen pregnant at eighteen and her father had scarpered leaving them to fend for themselves. All Charlie could feel was hatred towards a man she had never met, he had no right to abandon her mother, no right to vanish into thin air and no right not to pay for his mistake.

For years Charlie had asked her mother who the man was, but she'd refused stating there was no need to bring the past back into their lives, what was done was done and bringing her father back wouldn't change anything.

But she needed to know who he was now so she knew she wasn't alone in the world and that she could make him face up to what he'd done to her but also what he'd done to her mother in the process of leaving. He'd broken her heart and it had never mended over twenty years, Charlie was pretty sure this seperation hadn't affected him at all.

Many times she'd tried to find her him on her own as on her birth certificate stated that she'd been given his last name; however Charlie hit a brick wall realising how many people in the world had the last name of Wilson.

There was no use trying to find out who he was unless she asked her mother one last time before there were no other chances left.

--

Joanne Wilkins was lying on her bed pretending to be asleep whilst secretly watching her daughter crumble before her. The cancer that was growing inside of her lungs was taking its toll and now there was nothing to do but wait here and die.

The last three years had been hard and looking after a teenage Charlie had been trying, she'd had to face the tears, the depression and the arguements as her daughter had been in denial. Charlie had been determined to think that her mother's cancer wasn't terminal, but this recent decrease of health had forced Charlie into acceptance.

It was heartbreaking to watch her sit here each day trying to not break down as they talked about everything and anything.

At thirty-eight Joanne had thought that she'd live to see her daughter get married, have children and then die. But life was cruel. She only just been alive to witness her daughter grow from a child to a young adult and that was all she was going to see. The doctors had told her she had about a week left and that they would make her as comfortable as possible, but where was the comfort in knowing you were going to leave the most important person in your life behind?

The truth was that there wasn't any.

Joanne decided to open her eyes properly and she watched her daughter turn her head slightly to face her and give a small smile.

"Good morning mom." Charlie greeted her.

"Good morning...honey." she replied having to take a deep breath as she clutched the oxygen mask to her face.

"You're looking better."

Joanne rolled her eyes before she took another deep breath "you were...never good...at lying."

"I thought I'd get you on your good side before I ask something." She said taking her mother's hand and stroking it with her forefinger.

"What is it?"

"Who's my father?"

Joanne recoiled slightly and looked away, she'd been dreading this moment ever since Charlie had been eight and asked her who he was the first time. It was easy to dismiss the question, but now it was harder to deprive her daughter of the knowledge of her parentage, especially since it was really the last chance to she could tell her.

"His name is..." she paused taking breath once more, she was finding it harder each day to take a simple breath of air without feeling like she'd taken none at all. "James Wilson...was going...to study...medicine...that's all I...know."

"Are you sure mom? There must be something else...anything else; I can't just go on that."

"Last I heard...he was in...New Jersey...don't know if...he became...a doctor."

"You don't know where in New Jersey?" Charlie asked desperate for more information.

"No...try...hospitals...just in case."

Charlie remained silent in thought, she was thankful with this small shred of information and decided to drop the subject. She sat with her mother for a few more hours before she fell asleep and Charlie was made her way home. She was going back to the empty house that used to be a home for her mother as well, but because of her decline in health the hospital became her permenant residence.

She decided she was going to take her mother's advice and ring round the hospitals in New Jersey till she found a James Wilson, and when she found him she was going to pay a little visit.