Charlotte's leaning against a nurses' station on the fifth floor, her eyes closed and her arm bent on the counter with her head resting on her hand. She has a pen between her fingers and a patient file open.
Addison slides up beside the blonde and glances at her. She raises an eyebrow and nudges her.
Charlotte jerks and lifts her head. "Huh, what?" She pushes her hair out of her face and swallows. She straightens out, rolling her neck out. "Oh, hey, Addison."
"Um, are you ok?" Addison asks, handing the nurse a binder.
"I'm fine."
"You look like crap."
Charlotte rolls her eyes. "Gee, thanks."
"How's Cooper doing?"
Charlotte shakes her head. "Not good. I have to force him to eat, he only gets out of bed to go to the bathroom, he's been in the same clothes for almost two weeks now, he hasn't shaved, and he hasn't muttered a single word since we left the hospital that night." She sighs. "I go home at lunch just to check on 'im, just to make sure he's still breathin', just to make sure he hasn't tried to jump out of our bedroom window."
"I didn't realize it was that bad."
"It's that bad." Charlotte wipes the corners of her mouth and conceals a yawn. She closes the patient file and walks around the counter. She sets the binder in the proper slot and slips the pen back into her breast pocket. She rubs her grainy eyes and fights back another yawn. "I have to get back to work."
"Have you eaten lunch yet? I was about to grab something from the cafeteria if you want to join me."
Charlotte shakes her head. "I don't have time for lunch right now, but thanks for the offer." She stumbles forward a little, but catches herself on the wall.
"You ok?"
Charlotte nods. "I'm fine." She continues down the hallway and slips into the elevator.
At around 4:30, Charlotte's sitting on the fourth floor stairwell landing at the practice, pressed up against the railing, her body trembling, her heart racing, her breathing slow and labored, tears pouring down her cheeks, and her nose red and runny. The door opens and quickly shuts. She feels a gust of wind, and out of the corner of her eye, she sees someone sit down beside her.
"Charlotte?"
She takes in a shaky breath and swallows. Her head turns slowly, and she blinks back tears. Once her vision isn't as blurry, she realizes that the person sitting next to her is Jake. She sniffles and quickly wipes off her cheeks and rubs her eyes. She clears her throat and shifts. "I'm fine."
"If you're fine, why are you in the stairwell?" Jake smiles at her. "You look like you could use some wine."
She shrugs.
Jake stands up and holds out his hand.
She reluctantly takes it and pushes herself up. "I'm fine," she repeats, but follows Jake down the stairs and to his office. She sits on his couch and focuses on catching her breath.
Jake opens a bottle of wine and pours two glasses. He walks over to Charlotte and hands her one before sitting down beside her.
She stares at the liquid for a few seconds before taking a small sip, then another. She sets the glass down and leans back on the couch.
He picks up a bowl from the table and looks at her. "Chocolate?"
She takes one and unwraps the foil. She bites into it and smiles. "Thank you."
"Everything ok?"
She swallows and shakes her head. "No, everything is not ok." She pauses. "I can't handle all this. It's too much."
Jake blinks.
"I'm tryin' to be supportive, I'm tryin' to be understandin', but I can't take it anymore!" She pauses. "He just lies in bed all day, staring out that damn window, and I swear the babies have figured out that they outnumber me three to one. Plus, Lucas hasn't stopped askin' where Violet is since we took him home, and I'm runnin' out of ways to explain it to him. Then there's Mason, who has decided that he'd rather spend every second with his friends than help me with his brothers and sister." She sighs. "I can't handle all this. For the first couple days it was fine, I could manage, but since I've gone back to work, it's just—it's too much." She finishes her wine and blows out a puff of air.
Jake rests his hand on her shoulder and presses his fingers into her sore muscles.
She shifts and closes her eyes.
He balls his other hand into a fist and kneads his knuckles into her back. "Just take a few deep breaths in and let them out slowly," he whispers.
She nods.
He twists his body and manipulates hers, so he can continue massaging her. "This is how I get Addison to relax after a particularly stressful day."
She smiles and raises an eyebrow. "Then I can see why she loves you," she jokes. She sucks in air and winces.
"Sorry."
She shakes her head. "I'm fine. Keep goin'."
He nods and spends the next half hour massaging every inch of her back and shoulders. "Lie down."
"Why?"
"Just lie down, Charlotte."
She shifts and lies on her back on his couch, propping herself up a little with a pillow.
He scoots down and takes off her heels, setting them under the coffee table. He picks up her left foot and slowly presses his thumbs into the sole. "Just take a few deep breaths in and let them out," he repeats.
She lets her eyes fall shut, and without meaning to, she ends up falling asleep.
He finishes her foot rub and stands up. He drapes a blanket over her and leaves his office. He shuts his door quietly and leaves.
Charlotte wakes up, jerking her shoulders as she sits up abruptly. She rubs her eyes and looks around. She swings her legs, so her feet are on the floor, and twists her upper body towards Jake's desk. She swallows and fights back a yawn.
Jake smiles. "Have a good nap?"
"What time is it?" She asks, completely forgetting that she has a watch on.
He looks at his computer screen and then back at her. "A quarter to seven."
She blinks and slowly stands up. She stumbles a little, but quickly composes herself. She smoothes down her blouse and combs her fingers through her tangled blonde hair.
"How're you feeling?"
"Like I've been hit by a freight train." She pauses. "It's gonna take a lot more than some wine, a two hour nap, and a fifteen minute massage to make me feel any better, but thanks for tryin'."
"Any time."
She sits back down on his couch and closes her eyes.
"Are you ok?"
"I—I don't want to go home yet." She pauses. "It's quiet here, and I have a headache."
"Have you eaten?"
She looks at her watch. "Not since ten." She holds up her hand. "Don't."
He shakes his head and smiles at her. "How does Chinese sound?"
"That's a temptin' offer, Jake, but I can't. I don't want to go home, but I have to. Thanks, though." She pauses. "Can I just sit here for a little bit?"
"Sure." He opens his desk drawer and tosses a granola bar at her.
She smiles and shifts on the couch, getting a little comfier. She peels back the wrapper and takes a bite. She's starving. She turns her head and looks at Jake, who has gone back to work. "I hope I'm not keepin' you here."
He shakes his head. "You're not. I have some work to finish up before I head home. Addison's delivering the Henderson baby, so I'm going to surprise at the hospital when I'm done here."
"Oh, ok." She lets out a breath and leans back. She closes her eyes and enjoys the last bit of her honey granola bar. She's missed this, someone other than Cooper looking out for her at work. It's nice, especially now with Cooper in the state he's in, and Pete not being here.
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