Charlotte sits within a wheelchair in the brightly lit physical therapy room, lit only by the sunlight. She shys her face away, keeping a hand over her eyes. "I hate this room," she mumbles. Charlie doesn't know these people, and if she's already met these people, she doesn't remember them.
"Oh, I thought you might." Serena offers the young woman a pair of sunglasses from her pocket, "they're your mother's, but let's not tell her that I may have stolen them this morning." She smiles as the young woman takes them from her mother's partner, looking at them as if she doesn't remember what to do with them. Serena steps around to the front of the wheelchair, gently and carefully pushing the glasses onto the young woman's face. "There we go. Better?"
"Much. Thanks." She offers the woman a closed mouth smile. Charlie can tell this woman cares about her, but isn't exactly sure why. She reaches a hand out, gently touching the woman's cheek. There's something in her eyes, "It will be okay." Her tone gentle, but certain of herself.
She clears her throat, nodding as she stands. Serena glances over toward the physical therapists. "Hello. Have you received Ms. Wolfe's patient directive from Neuro?" Upon a confirmation from the young people, she offers a nod, "Very well. Charlotte, I'll be up to get you once you're finished."
"Where's Mum?" Charlie's tone nervous, her hands trembling as she stares forward, at nothing in particular.
"She's on AAU, taking on a couple patients. Helping us out. She isn't going anywhere without you." Serena places her hand over the young woman's noticing the shaking, "I swear to you. Have I let you down yet?"
"Saved my life."
"Exactly." The older woman smirks a little, amused that this is how the young woman is going to remember her for a while at least. "These people are going to get you back up and walking. They're going to check out your balance and some other things...and you'll be fine."
"No, no. I don't want to do this. I don't want this." Charlie begins to mumble, gripping Serena's hand. "Stay."
Serena glances toward the therapists, then crouching back in front of the young woman. "I'm not able to stay during your session, but you're in safe hands. Mum and I are just a phone call to AAU away and we'll rush back up here when you need us. However, I know you want that fag. The only way you're going to get that is if you're able to walk to a portion of this hospital where that sort of thing is allowed."
Charlotte's gaze meets Serena's eyes, "You'll come right back?"
"Right back." She nods, able to see just how terrified the young woman is. "Get through this, with no issues reported by your therapists, and I'll have a treat waiting for you in your room in AAU." Serena smiles a little, "Can you try that for me?" She notices Charlotte nod before she stands again, "Very well." Serena nods towards the therapists again, making her exit. She waits until she closes the door behind herself before touching her partner's face on her mobile, lifting it to her ear. "Anything?"
"This place is...incredibly interesting. It's a simple one bedroom flat, but...She paints, she has a few guitars here. I'm...beside myself." Bernie takes a seat on the sofa. "I've never been here before...and Cam says she's lived here for nearly three years."
"Mum, look." Cam pulls down a few of her framed photographs on her faux mantle, offering them to his mother.
"Oh..." Bernie gives a pleased sigh, smiling to herself, seeing the large photograph of them all two Christmases ago in black and white. A photo of Charlie dressed in her mother's Army fatigues and large combat boots, no more than the age of two. One of she and her brother hanging on their father, Bernie remembers taking that one herself. "We'll take these with us, Cam."
"I promised her a surprise after her treatment if she doesn't give them a hard time. Anything around there that can be construed as as such?" Serena listens to the conversations between mother and son.
"One of the guitars would be too large. What about a notebook?" She asks, hopeful.
"Now, there's an idea." Serena nods slowly, "What else is around there?"
Bernie touches her screen to turn on the speaker, "Cam, can you think of something else we can take?"
"Her iPod?" Cameron holds up the, what some may call, vintage MP3 player. "Looks like there's classics on here, some of her band's stuff as well. They'd do covers, but sometimes, they would perform original stuff. Char was a hell of a song writer if given a chance. Eat your heart out, Kate Bush." He offers his mother the gadget, with neon yellow earbuds wrapped around it. Cameron returns to looking through a glass cabinet, "Here we go, here's one of her band's CDs." He tosses it to his mother, slightly impressed when she catches it midair.
"The iPod would work perfectly. Take one of the guitars home with you lot though. We can keep working on this with her." Serena nods, pushing the button for the elevator, "I'm about to step into the lift. I'll see you soon. Love you." She disconnects the call, knowing her partner would come through with items just fine.
Bernie rises from the sofa, "I should get some of her clothing together. Something she can change into while in hospital." She strolls towards the bedroom, noticing the stacks of large canvases piled against the wall with her daughter's signature near one of the corners on each of them. One of the paintings catches her eye though. She realizes it's her daughter's interpretation of being alone. Kabul written near the center. This was what Charlie felt when she left the last time with the Army. Bernie sighs, clearing her throat to push back her emotions. She pulls open a drawer on the young woman's dresser.
Cameron follows after his mother into the room, watching as she sorts through his sister's belongings. "Need help?"
"No, I...I can do it." She kneels in front of the bottom drawer, pulling it out and finding virtually nothing. "Where are her bloody pajamas?" Bernie attempts to shield her face from her son by keeping it down, overcome with all that is going on. She hasn't really had a minute to just stop. Stop thinking about her daughter, stop herself from autopilot.
"She lives alone...and when she has a gentleman caller, she doesn't have much need for them anyway." He smirks, not expecting his mother to consider anything of the sort. Slowly, Cam takes a knee next to his mother, carefully wrapping his arms around her from her side. He doesn't say anything, doesn't see how he could.
Bernie feels herself grow increasingly frustrated, reaching a hand up to touch her son's arm. She sniffs in her emotions, feeling tears begin to form in her eyes. "The worst part...about all of this..." She licks her lips in thought, "Isn't that she's hurt...or that she has a long road to recovery. No, we'd be there for her concerning that without issue. It's that...everywhere I turn in this place...I realize how little I know my daughter. My own daughter. My own flesh and blood." Bernie clears her throat, shaking her head a little, "You're like your father in that respect. You wear your heart on your sleeve...and you've allowed me to get to know you again."
"I even look forward to it."
"But she...I didn't know she painted or was in a band or was a teacher...I didn't know any of that." Bernie brings a hand up to wipe her cheek quickly, "I keep promising her that we'll try to get her back to where she was before, but how can I honestly do that if I'm not so sure who that person even was to begin with?"
Cameron nods a little, understanding where she's coming from, "You've got me...and you have Serena, and even Dad, as weird as that sounds. She may only truly recognize you for the moment, but...you've got us too. Hopefully she isn't as secretive this time around as she was before..." He smiles a little, "Things would be a bit easier on everyone."
She finally takes a moment to listen to her son's words before embracing him fully, "You're smarter than you let on." Bernie mumbles quietly in his ear, closing her eyes as she holds him there.
"How about I grab something of yours later? Pajamas? You and Char are nearly the same size. At least she'd have something." Cam pulls away a little, knowing they need to finish up.
Bernie nods slowly, "Great idea." She pecks the tip of his nose with a quick kiss, smiling toward him. "Let's get a move on."