Chapter 24

When I was finally out of the wheelchair, I had to go through tons of physical therapy. The process was slow, but I moved along rather quickly. I graduated high school, and then graduated from the wheelchair to a walker. I use a cane now, but plan to get rid of it very soon. My friends and I had a senior trip up in the mountains, we did a lot of hiking and sight seeing. It was a good work out for my legs.

While on the trail we all stopped to catch our breath and admire the scenery. It had like a granny smith green apple palette on the horizon. The lake was as blue as it could be. Geese flew overhead and it was tranquil. The fish cascaded up the river and the sun produced twinkling sunspots along the surface of the lake. The rocks very bright and you could just bask in the air, it felt hypnotic. I leaned on my cane, and looked out at the water. I smiled. Earth was so beautiful, and I couldn't wait to protect it. Deanna opened a bottle of water and sipped from it. She put her arm around me and smiled.

"We're really gonna miss ya, when you're gone."

"Don't start Dee."

"Sorry..." She sipped her water again. "I'm feeling up for a swim once we get back to the hotel, how about you Harmione?"

"Me too...I just can't wait until we actually get back to the hotel and see how Charlie is."

"Yeah...he really shouldn't have come."

"I tried to stop him, but he wanted to be with me."

"I understand...I'd want to be with you too...who knows when we'll see you again."

I frowned shyly. In reference to Charlie, he had pneumonia, but he came on the trip anyway. His doctor said that he had complications of something called diabetic ketoacidosis, and needed to be treated promptly. Charlie said he took care of it, but hasn't been out of the hotel bed since we got here.

"I understand Charlie...but at the same time I don't understand Charlie, he can't spend time with you if he's sick." Deanna exclaimed.

"I'll see if I can't get him to go home today...it wouldn't worry me as much if he was with his parents, or in the hospital...but not here."

When we got back to the room, the girls started looking through their suitcases for their swim suits. I left them and went to the room Charlie booked for the two of us. When I entered he was lying in bed on his stomach, shirtless. Empty candy wrappers, insulin syringes, an insulin pen, an insulin pump, a blood sugar meter, and test strips were on the bedside table. Along with a box of tissues, two pill bottles of pain relivers, an empty mug, a thermometer, and a plastic bottle of water that was half full. Charlie moved his arm slightly. I could see his tattoo. I smiled then frowned again. I sat on the bed and sighed heavily.

"Charlie..." I mumbled.

He didn't move, he just continued to sleep. I brushed my fingers through his hair and touched his face. He was extremely hot and his cheeks were flushed. Though he was warm, his body quivered. I knew he had fever. He gasped at my touch and I knew he wanted me to leave my cold hand pressed against his skin.

"Charlie..." I said a little louder. He slowly opened his eyes, and rolled over on his back.

"Hey..." He whispered his voice hoarse with mucus.

"Go home, love."

I stroked his face and he kissed my palm.

"I can drive you back to Bellwood right now...it wouldn't be a problem."

"And let you miss out on time with your girlfriends...no...besides...isn't it better for you to divide your time with us like this, like time with them during the day, and me at night...what could be better before you leave for your training?"

"You know I love you, but I'd enjoy it more if you were well Charlie."

"I'm not that sick Harmione."

"Charlie..."

"I'm not..."

He sat up and kissed my cheek. I pecked his lips. He was so warm, and such a liar. I know all he wanted was to make me happy, but he was going about it the wrong way. I know we aren't married, but I still care as if we are. I wish Charlie would understand that his health and safety meant just as much to me as mine did to him. As we kissed he quickly pulled away and made a beeline for the bathroom.

"Charlie?"

It was then I heard Charlie gag.

"Charlie?!"

I heard him dry heaving heavily as I approached the bathroom door. I limped on my cane and tried to get there as fast as I could. I grabbed the door frame to stabilize my balance. Charlie dry heaved again, but he never actually vomited. He was kneeling over the toilet, holding onto to the rim of the bowl, and he had his head resting on his arm. I limped over to him as he gagged. Promptly, like a strong violent invisible force, he vomited heavily. I placed my hand on his back and stroked the back of his head, running my fingers through his hair. His back arched and his muscles tightened as he spit up again. I heard him whimper.

"It's okay...you're okay." I whispered. He slowly sat up against the tub of the shower and rubbed his stomach. I got down in the floor next to him. He closed his eyes and exhaled vigorously.

"Har..." He breathed.

"Yes...I'm here for you Charlie."

"I...I'm sorry I should have stayed home...you're right...but I want to try to spend every waking moment with you that I can...I...I probably sound obsessive or something...oh God, I'm so sorry...Why do you even continue to tolerate me?!"

"Charlie?"

"I...I...I see why you erased my memory but I...you should do it again...that way you won't have to deal with me anymore!"

Due to his high fever he was getting hysterical. I grabbed his face.

"Charlie...look at me...I'm going to check your sugar and then I'm taking you home..."

I grabbed my cane and eased myself up.

"Stop talking like that." I told him as I exited the bathroom. I knew if he had low blood sugar, he'd be talking out of his head, and he'd start to get anxious. Limping I picked up the blood sugar meter, and his pen. I looked at the mini-fridge in our room. I thought it couldn't hurt to give him something if his sugar was low. It might even make him feel better long enough to get him to the car. I thought about a cookie, then immediately changed my mind to orange juice. I filled up a paper cup with the juice and put the carton back in the fridge.

"Harmione!" Charlie screamed.

"I'm coming babe, I'm coming!" I shouted back. I couldn't carry everything and my cane too, so I had to make two trips. Charlie was sweating and crying.

"Why do you keep leaving me, if that's the way you want it, I'll just leave you." He said.

"Charlie, ssh..."

I prepared the meter and pricked his finger. He didn't flinch. Charlie showed me how to help him if he ever needed it. I was hoping I was doing the right thing. His blood sugar was low just as I suspected. I picked up the juice and held it out to him.

"Charlie here..."

I held his head and helped him drink from the cup. He told me once his pen normally had to be injected before he ate or drank anything, but his pump could be used to regulate and stabilize his sugar if it was an emergency. I left the bathroom again. I could hear Charlie crying. It broke my heart. I gathered up the rest of his supplies and tried to run to the bathroom. My legs were still pretty weak so I could only move so fast.

"Charlie...Charlie, I'm right here!"

"You keep leaving me, don't you love me anymore?!"

"Baby ssh...of course I do..."

I pecked his cheek as I prepared his stomach for the pump.

"I love you so much Charlie."

I applied the pump to his stomach. When I started the pump, there was a loud click that inserted the needle into Charlie. He grunted furiously and screamed. He then began to pant heavily. I wiped a bit of juice off the side of his mouth and kissed him. He kissed me back, and I held onto him. He hid his face in my shoulder.

"Will you be alright while I pack our things?"

He just nodded.

"Okay..."

I started to let go of him and he held me closer.

"Don't leave me Harmione please..."

I grabbed the hair on the back of his neck and caressed him.

"I'm not going anywhere...I just have to get our stuff and then you and I can leave together...okay?"

"Harmione please don't go to the Academy, I want you with me please..."

I just stared I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. I took out my cellphone from my back pocket and called Deanna to come to our room. Then I remembered she was at the pool. I sighed in frustration.

"Charlie...I love you, you know that right?"

"Then why can't you stay with me?"

"Please stop..."

I couldn't fight back my tears anymore. I cried softly. Was becoming a Plumber really my dream, or did Charlie give me a new dream I never saw before? I know Charlie didn't feel well, but was he telling me the truth? He wouldn't want me to give up on my dream, but was he accidentally telling me too? Before Charlie it was just me, he was never apart of the plan before? My sights were so far away from Charlie, that it made me feel selfish, but I loved him. I thought my choice was clear. I would become a Plumber and then I could be with Charlie and my friends all I wanted. Was Charlie being selfish or obsessive like he said?

I shrugged off my thoughts. It wasn't easy but as Charlie sat in the bathroom floor crying, I packed up our suitcases and cleaned up the room. He'd whimper and his voice would crack. Each time it chipped away a piece of my heart. We left that day. On the drive home, Charlie slept. His fever had gone down tremendously, and his blood sugar was finally regulated. We pulled up to an old diner. It was close to lunch time. I stroked Charlie's shoulder. My jacket that he was using as a blanket fell down his shoulders as he woke up.

"Where are we?" He asked, wiping sleep from his face.

"We'll be back in town in another 30 minutes, but I thought we should stop for lunch."

"Okay..."

"How do you feel Charlie?"

"Stupid."

"You're not stupid babe...are you hungry?"

"No..."

"Well...you need to ate something anyway...you want me to see what they have, maybe get something to go?"

"I...I'll go in with you." He mumbled and got out of the truck. I sighed and got out after him. I pulled my cane out of the back of the truck and limped beside him into the diner. He held the door open for me as we entered. We found a booth and flipped through a menu. It was quiet when we ate our meal. We didn't even look at each other. Charlie looked out the window and began to stir the ice in his water, with his straw.

"Charlie...I...I want to be a Plumber."

"I know."

"And if that means I have to go off and to train for a few months...I will."

"I know Harmione."

"But back at the hotel you said-"

"I know what I said, I remember...but I was being...it wasn't right the things I said so just forget about it...I'm proud of you and I want to support you in anything you decide to do."

"Charlie, I'm sorry."

"No don't...I'm sorry it was wrong of me to come on this trip and get so sick, I pour out my desire for you to give up what you want just to make me happy."

"Charlie...I want you to come with me."

"I should have stayed at home that way you...what?"

I reached across the table. Our promise rings in full view of each other.

"Come train with me, we can be Plumbers together."

His eyes grew wide.

"Har...I...I'm not cut out for that-"

"Sure you are...you just don't know it yet..."

He sighed.

"And college...I can't trade that for something I know nothing about it."

I looked down. We both knew there was just something we had to do for ourselves before we could be together.

"I'll be training for a year and a half..."

"And I'll be in college for the next 4 years."

We sighed. There was nothing else to discuss. It was just a hard pill we both had to swallow and it wasn't going down easy. When we got back to town, Charlie got better, and I was able to walk without my cane; we spent a few days apart not talking to each other. We thought it would help prepare us for what was coming next. The day I packed for the Acadmey was rough. It was supposed to be bittersweet, but it was nothing but bitter. Separation anxiety is real and it hurts.