Carnivorous Minds
(Sunday Morning, August 4th)
"Now, let's bring in our star guest of the day—researcher and best-selling author Professor Hawthorne." Chad turns to the TV, the clean shirt slips from his fingers, and when he sees the dark-haired man, he slowly sits on the bed. "Professor Hawthorne's new book Carnivorous Minds compiles the interviews he's had with people infected with the acuti virus and the doctors who treat them. Professor, I think we're all wondering what prompted you to dig into this controversial subject."
"It's simple, really," he smiles. "I teach at a private school, where the assumption is that everyone there is of royal blood. Everyone there is a child of God and every bit as pure as the concept of goodness that governs this nation. No one would assume any of these high-profile subjects are infected with the virus, but the nurses who work at the school can confirm otherwise. Carnivores are everywhere, and the virus does not discriminate based on wealth nor title."
"So, your goal is to bring that to the light?" she addresses.
"On the contrary." He shifts in his seat, "The reason why it's important to know high-profile people can suffer from the virus is because it shows people with the virus can live perfectly normal lives. They are not the monsters people think they are. These so-called predators may live anywhere, but they can be just as kind and honorable as the rest of us."
"Chad?" his father calls, before he watches the door open. "Why aren't you ready?"
Chad frowns back at the television, "I guess I got caught up in it."
"Carnivores are often frightened by the way society sees them," Hawthorne addresses. "This fear of how people may react to their condition can prevent them from seeking medical help or government programs. Half of the carnivores in Cliffside Penitentiary are only there due to accidental assaults and killings—killings that could have been avoided had they felt safe enough to seek the help they needed in the first place."
"This is all in a book?" Charming inquires.
"He's a brilliant man," Chad solemnly agrees, before he shuts off the TV. "Give me five minutes, please."
His father nods, "We'll be waiting in the car."
After the door shuts, Chad sniffles, and the tears escape his eyes. He moves over to his bedside table and steals the pills from the drawer. He crushes it and takes it into his nose, but there's still this hole. A predator living in plain sight, of course he would endorse that kind of thing. Why wouldn't he?
"It must have fallen out," Ben smiles.
"Fallen out?" the nurse doubts. "And how long ago would that have been?"
Ben sighs, "Sometime after visiting hours last night?"
Charming walks into the room, "What's going on here?"
The nurse turns to him, "King Ben's removed his feeding tube."
"Can't you just put it back in?" Chad questions.
"After ten hours?" her eyebrows raise. "Not without surgery."
"He can't have another surgery," Charming comments. "He hasn't responded to any of the medication."
She nods, "I will be back momentarily."
Chad glares at Ben, "Why the fuck would you take your tube out?"
Ben lifts a shoulder, "It was in the way."
"In the way of what?" Chad accuses, "Getting your mom here?"
"Chad," his father starts.
"No," Chad rejects. "He was asking about his mom all day yesterday, and now he's taking his tube out? He's clearly trying to get her attention."
Charming faces him, "Ben?"
"For that to work," he defends, "she would have to care." He crosses his arms, "Which she clearly doesn't if she's not answering her phone."
"You shouldn't have to sacrifice your health to get your mother's attention," Charming opinionates.
"My health was already at risk," Ben reminds him. "She didn't care then either."
"Are you blind?" Chad inputs. "Or are you just a moron? She was already here."
"Because the police brought her," Ben pinpoints. "They made her come see me."
"Ben," Charming addresses, "your mother does love you."
"Not as much as I love her," Ben rejects.
"Didn't you just get back together with Mal?" Chad angers. "What? You couldn't even wait twelve hours to try to kill yourself? Is being with her just that devastating?"
Ben eyes away, "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I know you're skinny as hell," Chad affirms, "and you're going to lose even more weight now that you've uncorked yourself."
Ben's eyes narrow at him, mouth agape, "What the shit are you even saying?"
Chad moves towards him, "I'm saying that you've just turned yourself into a bag of bones." before he waves a finger in front of him. "And if you think anyone's going to—" Ben grabs his wrist and pulls him forward. "Ben." He shakily smiles, "Buddy, let go of me. Please."
Charming steps towards them, "Ben. Let go." Chad glances from Ben to the higher heartbeat on the monitor, as Ben glances from Chad to Charming. "He's your friend, and we don't eat friends. Do you understand?" Ben eyes between them again, and Chad watches as the heartrate lowers. "Let go of him."
When Ben loosens his grip, Chad immediately backs away, "I'm sorry. I forgot to put on the cologne."
"It's fine." His father places a hand on Chad's shoulder, "I didn't think to have you wear a sweatshirt either."
Chad notices Ben's agitated state, "Dad. I don't think he's okay."
The nurse comes back in, sets the bowl of ice chips on the tray, and slides the stand towards Ben, "Start with this, and we'll get you some broth in an hour." The nurse notices their expressions. "Is something wrong?"
Chad points to the monitor, "I think there was a, uh, spike in his readings."
She examines it and nods, "They are a little high. Could just be from excitement, though, from the argument earlier."
Charming notices Ben bite the ice, "When is he getting real food?"
"We want to be able to quicken his recovery process, given his weight," the nurse answers, "but we still need to see how his stomach handles things. That's why we're starting with the ice. If he experiences any pain from that, he might have not healed from the tube, yet."
"Yes." Charming continues, "But when can he have real food?"
"Today will be broth and protein shakes," she answers. "Tomorrow we'll try soft foods like gelatin, yogurt, and smashed potatoes."
"That doesn't really sound like meat," Charming concerns.
"If blood is a part of his diet," she supplies, "it can be reintroduced at that time."
He takes a moment, "Ben doesn't really have a donor."
"That's not an issue," she reassures.
"And then actual meat, right?" he worries.
"Lunchmeat," she nods, "but, unfortunately, steak will be the last thing he can eat."
Charming eyes over Ben, before he whispers to her, "Can I talk to you outside?"
"Of course."
He turns back to Chad, "You too. Come on."
When they exit the room, Charming comments, "I'm concerned about how the lack of food is affecting his mind."
"You've read Professor Hawthorne's new book," she assumes.
"What?"
"I don't blame you." She smiles, "It's actually pretty accurate and credible."
"I don't know what's in the book," Charming confesses. "All I know is that he just had a very predatory response. How much longer can he keep himself together for?"
"We're doing all we can," she frowns. "So, unless you feel he needs to be handcuffed to the bed, I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do."
"Being different is hard," Hawthorne comments, "and when the thing you're hiding is such a big part of who you are, it can cause real psychological harm. Imagine hearing every day from those closest to you about how unacceptable your very being is. The amount of anxiety and depression that can stem from that, my greatest hope is that I can make people see that we were all created equally."
Chad takes the remote, and Ben complains, "Hey. I was watching that."
"It's in English," he protests. "I bet you didn't even understand half of it."
"I was still watching it," Ben sadly replies.
"It's been playing all day," Chad irritably responds. "I think three times' enough."
Ben's brows furrow, "You were barely even here."
"I find his voice annoying," Chad defends.
Ben frowns at Charming, "When's Mother coming?"
"Well, Ben," he starts. "You see—"
"She's not coming," Ben finishes.
Charming watches him set the shake down and move the tray away, "Ben."
"Go," he asserts.
"She just can't tonight."
Ben widens his glossy eyes at him, "I want to be alone."
Charming whispers, "Okay. We'll see you tomorrow."
