Charlie had no clue where he was going.
He knew where he was, just not where he was going. He had gone straight down the street and made a turn with no destination in mind.
He also had no clue what they were doing.
The whole point of this walk was to shake this dark feeling in him, but it wasn't going anywhere. Well, it might have subsided a little, but it was still there. As now he kept seeing it over and over again, Pearson being dragged back in the room to his death, Ram, flayed and bleeding on the ground, barely conscious.
Charlie could feel bile raising in his throat. Forcing it back down, he leaned up against the nearest wall he came to and slumped down, running his finger through his hair. Just let go of it Charlie. He thought to himself, it's doing you no good to dwell on this, so let it go.
That was when a voice asked from above him, "Charlie?"
He looked up to see a now familiar Pole.
"Mateusz?" Charlie asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I work here." Mateusz answered, bending and offering Charlie a hand, "What are you doing here? On the ground? Looking like something very bad has happened?"
"It's –it's a long story." Charlie answered, allowing Mateusz to help him up.
"Tell you what" Mateusz began, "My shift's over in another hour, so why don't we found you somewhere a bit more comfortable than the floor to wait it out, then you can tell me all about it?"
"No, I wouldn't want to get you in trouble— "Charlie stammered.
"It will be fine." Mateusz assured him leading him into the building.
They pair found themselves inside an old dinner where some song from the 90s was playing. Closing time, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here…
But he did stay there, for an hour in broken both that apparently no one ever sat in and the waitress who managed that section hardly every went, his head on the swivel, slinking down in a seat in the hopes that no one noticed him. His head was making another turn when saw Mateusz coming over with two cups.
"Couple changed their mind, left before they even got them." Mateusz explained, setting the cups down on the table and pushing it in Charlie's direction, "You looked like you could use it. It's okay, no one else touched them."
"Isn't this stealing?" Charlie asked softly.
"I stuffed the difference in the tip jar, it's fine." Mateusz assured him.
Charlie took a sip of whatever was in the cup. Some sort of tea, black, with milk in it. "So, um, you're a waiter here?" Places of employment was one of the few things they hadn't talked about.
"Bus boy." Mateusz corrected.
"Why do you work all the way out here?" Charlie asked, "It's a bit out of the way for you." They had exchanged enough information for him to know that.
"It's just the place where I got a job." Mateusz answered, "And besides, it's not far enough I can't walk." After a beat he asked, "So, what happened?"
"W-Why do you think something happened?" Charlie asked.
"Because of the state you were in when I found you?" Mateusz responded, sounding almost like it was a question, "Look, I know we still don't know each other that well, but you can talk to me."
Charlie looked down at the tea, his mouth suddenly dry. If he told the truth Mateusz would think he was insane and that was if he was lucky. If he actually believed him who knew what would happen.
"Is it your mother?" Mateusz guessed, "Was it a fight?"
"No," Charlie said maybe a little quickly, "Nothing like that." In fact, his mother had been surprisingly nice about whatever was going on. Maybe that was part of what was bothering him. At last he said, "There was an accident. I guess I'm a little rattled."
"What happened?" Mateusz asked.
Charlie was quiet for a moment then decided to just go with the cover, with maybe a few embellishments. "I had to help Mum move something from her classroom." Charlie lied, though technically speaking his mother had been there and he had been helping with something. He stopped a minute, thinking over what he was about to say very carefully, "We heard screaming, and went to see what it was, and—" The pause that time was just to gather himself, "You know Ram Singh? From physics?"
Mateusz thought a minute. He did vaguely recall someone with the first name Ram in the class, maybe. "Not personally, but I think I know he exist." He said at last.
"Well, we go to see what's going on and we find him in a hole." Charlie lied, "Some sort of freak deterioration of the floor." He rubbed his head in his hands as the images of what actually happened flooded back to him yet again.
Mateusz was taken aback for a moment. "What was he even doing there?" He asked finally, "Is he—"
"He's alive." Charlie said, "But his leg was hurt—bad. There was-blood everywhere…."
Mateusz tentively reached out and put what he hopped was a reassuring hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Charlie," He began, "Just take deep breath."
Charlie did, taking a second one for good measure.
"I'm sorry." Mateusz said after a moment, "That sounds awful."
"I'm not the one who were hurt." Charlie pointed out softly.
"That doesn't make seeing something like that any less traumatic." Mateusz countered.
"I'm seen worst." Charlie murmured, not thinking about who he was with. Then his eyes widened when he realized what he said and who he said it to. "I mean—"
"With your aunt, the doctor?" Mateusz asked.
"Yes, yes exactly." Charlie quickly agreed, "With her."
"Still, there's nothing wrong with being shaken up." Mateusz assured him, "It just means you're human."
Charlie was unable to suppress a laugh. Not a scoff, not mocking, a guinue laugh because to him that was funny even if his companion didn't understand why.
"What's so funny?" Mateusz asked, understandably confused and wondering whether or not he should be insulted.
"Nothing." Charlie answered, then he got quiet again. "Thank you." Charlie replied, "For listening, and…." And making me forget about it for a few seconds.
"It's no trouble." Mateusz replied sincerely. Suddenly he got an idea. "Do you want to get out of here?"
"Where would we go?" Charlie asked.
Back at the house, Susan's and Quill conversation had somehow transformed into the swapping of stories.
"So then, Chris says, 'you're grounded young lady! Hand over the nuke!'" Quill finished.
Susan busted out laughing, "Exactly how well did that work out!"
"How do you think?" Quill responded, "She was a grown woman. But it worked thought, we haven't heard anything from them since."
"Well, I've heard of more insane plans." Susan granted, then a after a moment something occurred to her, "Hey, weren't we suppose to call her?"
"Call who?" Quill asked, not sure what she was talking about for a moment.
"Toni Jo." Susan replied, "You know, the nuke-slinging doctor?"
Quill's eyes darted around the room. "Oh, we were, weren't we?" Then pulled out her phone, saying, "Well, I'll try to take care of that. Mind if I blame you if she notices that delay?"
Meanwhile, two teenagers were trying to figure out, exactly where they were going.
"Is anyone expecting you?" Charlie asked, turning his head to look at Mateusz. He didn't want the boy getting in trouble over him.
"They won't notice if I'm a bit late." Mateusz assured him. After a moment he added, "What about you?"
"As long as I'm back by dark, I'll be fine." Charlie answered. After a moment he asked, "So what exactly is the plan here?"
"I'm not really sure there is one." Mateusz admitted.
"Should we come up with one?" Charlie asked. He wasn't sure, but they should probably have a plan for…whatever they were doing.
Mateusz smirked. "Are you afraid I'll get you lost or something?"
Charlie was silent, not sure of how to respond.
"I'm just teasing you." Mateusz said finally, fighting back a laugh.
"I'm sorry." Charlie replied, "I just don't know what I'm doing. I've never really—" His voice trailed off, trying to think of the right word.
"Hung out before?" Mateusz guessed.
"No." Charlie admitted, going with that word for it, "There's never really been the need. We—move around lot, not a lot chance to make friends to do that with."
Mateusz looked at him sadly for a moment then said, "Well, you have one now."
Somehow a little whole after that they wound up at park. It was Saturday, so it still fairly populated, children on the playground, their parents watching him, other people just out, like they were.
A black and white ball rolled in their path, causing Mateusz to kick it back from whence it came.
"Thanks, Mister!" A boy of about eight called out, going back to join the game.
Charlie carefully watched the children. They were really good at the game. At least he thought they were, he didn't really have as good a grasp on it as he should, considering how many countries he had been in where it was the most popular sport. The thought process brought him back to Ram. Has Ram been good at this? Well, he most certainly wouldn't now.
Suddenly his heart was clenching again.
"What's wrong?" Mateusz asked, sensing the shift.
"I'm just—thinking about Ram again." Charlie admitted, "Sorry."
"You can't help how you feel." Mateusz responded.
Charlie shot him a grateful glance. "It's just—who knows if he's ever gonna play again?" Charlie explained, " He's a footballer, apparently, that's the whole reason he was there, there was match on and the school was hosting, but now-I mean, the leg's not broken, or anything like that but he's still not doing anything on that leg until it's healed and by then it's probably going to lose form and- "That was when he noticed Mateusz giving him a look. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"How do you know all of that?" Mateusz asked, "You're not his family, I doubt they told you."
Charlie scrambled for an answered. "I'm just guessing from what I observed." Charlie said, as it was close to the truth, "When I was younger I wanted to be a doctor, so I learned everything I could about amatory. I guess I retained at least some of it. Enough to make a tentive dinosias."
"Ahhh." Mateusz responded. That explanation did conedncide with things he had observed. After a moment, he said, "I'm sorry about, Ram."
"Me, too." Charlie replied.
"It'll work out." Mateusz trued to assure him.
They walked in near silence for a while after that in silence, until Mateusz asked, "What did you mean, wanted?"
Charlie turned his head to look at him. "Excuse me?"
"You said wanted, as in past tense." Mateusz answered, "What changed?"
Life? Charlie thought, but said around, "Have you seen my grades?" Then it occurred to him, "Oh, no, you haven't. It's—um, not pretty. No way I'm getting into med school."
"It's not too late to turn that around." Mateusz said encouragingly, "The way you rattled all those facts off-you're smart, Charlie."
Charlie ducked his head bashfully. "That's nice of you to say." He told the other boy, then trying to change the subject, asked, "What about you? Do you, ah, know what you want to do after high school?"
Deciding to indulge him Mateusz answered, "I was, ah, actually thinking about something in social work."
"That can be hard." Charlie warned him, "There are really bad people out there. Like, really bad." His eyes darted over to Mateusz, commenting softly, "Though maybe you already know that."
"I'm aware, yes." Mateusz confirmed, "But someone needs to do it."
"Well, I know you'll be good at it." Charlie told him.
"And no could ask for a better doctor." Mateusz replied.
Charlie knew for a fact that he was blushing in the moment. He looked down, trying to hide it. He wanted to ask why Mateusz was even bothering with him but couldn't force the words out of his mouth.
He was so preoccupied he didn't notice Mateusz's fingers twitching towards Charlie's hand. Soon his whole hand was edging that direction, until he was holding said hand.
When Charlie realized what had happened, his heart did a flip. So, that was it. His head was telling his to pull away, to find a way to let Mateusz down easy. It wasn't that he didn't like the other boy, it just wasn't a good idea for them to be a relationship. Not like that at least. In fact, them being friends was probably a bad idea as well. As soon as the tears were dealt with they would be moving on to the next mission, or at the very least leaving town before people started to ask questions. In the meantime, he would probably be putting Mateusz in danger. At the very least if something happened he would be distracted worrying about him. Yes, there were some very serious reasons for him to pull away.
Eventually the pair wound up back where they started at the dinner.
"Do you need to walk you home?" Charlie offered, "Maybe explain why you were late?"
"No." Mateusz answered a bit too quickly and a bit too harshly.
Now it was Charlie's turn to be concerned. "Is everything okay?" He asked, then lowering his voice added, "Is it safe for you to go back there?"
"As long as they don't know about you." Mateusz answered.
That didn't exactly ease Charlie's concerned. "Do you need help?"
"It's fine." Mateusz answered, "Really." He smirked adding, "I did function before I met you, you know?"
"Just in case," Charlie began, pulling out a pen and taking Mateusz's hand, writing on it, "Here's my number, if you need anything. Just, keep your hand covered until you can get it on something more permeant and hopefully hidden."
Once it looked like he had finished, Mateusz took the pen, and Charlie's hand, saying, "In case you need anything. And you should probably take your own advice on what to do with it."
"I will." Charlie replied, completely unsure of what he was doing.
"Do I need to see you home?" Mateusz offered.
"No," Charlie began, "No, I'll be fine. See you Monday."
"You too." Mateusz agreed.
And that they parted ways, each of them suddenly a little sad.
"I'm back." Charlie announced as he walked through the door.
"Alright," Quill responded, glancing over. He seemed to be doing better now, though something stilled seemed a little off to her.
"How are you doing?" Susan spoke up before Quill could get the words out.
"Better now, thanks" Charlie replied, which was true. At the very least he wasn't thinking about the dragon or Ram or any of it now.
"Good." Quill commented, "Oh, Toni wanted me to tell you, back when she a candy striper, she nearly fainted a couple of times at the sight of blood."
"Really?" Charlie questioned. He had never known that.
"Surprised me, too." Quill responded, then she narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of something, "Is there something wrong with your hand?"
"No." Charlie said quickly, hurrying up the stairs before she could demand a closer look.
When he was out of her sight, Quill slowly turned around, then declared, "Okay, so he's defiantly hiding something."