It Fell

(Sunday Morning, August 4th)

"Alright," Aladdin says, as Carlos joins them for lunch. "What are we tackling today?"

"I don't want to tackle," Carlos frowns. "I'm not good at it."

"It's almost been a month." He addresses, "The next time Belle asks about you, I want to be able to tell her that you ate more than just brownies."

"I eat more than brownies," he defends.

"Yeah," Aziz tiredly agrees. "And dip and crackers."

"You've never even tried the salad," Jasmine suggests.

Carlos furrows his eyebrows, "You eat the salad."

Aladdin gauges Jasmine's expression, before he turns to him, "Carlos. You can try it."

"Vegetables don't even taste like anything," he complains.

"Better than tasting bad," he inputs.

"I don't like noisy food," Carlos adds.

"There has to be something here you want," he challenges. Carlos eyes from the rice to the beans, shaking his head. "What do you want? Grilled cheese?"

Carlos grumbles, "Can I be honest?"

"Of course."

He glances at Aziz before facing Aladdin, "I think I just really miss meat."

"You don't need something just because you miss it," Aziz reminds him.

Carlos looks at him, "Maybe I'm missing like protein or something."

"You can get that from the beans," he points out.

"What about iron?" Carlos questions.

"That's what the salad is for," he irritably responds. "You only need twenty milligrams a day. There's no reason why anyone needs to eat meat other than selfishness."

"Hold on," Aladdin holds up a hand, keeping his brown eyes on Carlos. "It's not like you've gone this whole time without meat. I just got you some lunchmeat last week."

"He went through that in less than a day," Aziz enlightens.

"A day?" his eyes widen.

"I'm sorry," Carlos whispers, as he stares at the empty plate.

"I guess, I just don't understand," he explains himself. "I thought the Isle of the Lost lacked resources. How could someone from there not know how to save food for later and be so picky about what they do have?"

"I mean, if you didn't eat it, someone else did," Carlos whispers, before he shakes his head. "But no. Mal gave me her scraps. If something didn't taste right to her or whatever. Even on the Isle I had more than a pound of meat a week."

"There's two weeks left, until you're back at school." Aladdin considers, "If you can't stand staying here that long, I can call Belle and give you a ride back."

"Don't you mean a ticket?" Carlos corrects. "For the train."

"I'd rather drive you back," he affirms. Carlos quiets, and Aladdin takes a deep breath, "So, which is it? Staying or going?"

Carlos unsurely smiles, "What's two weeks?"

"Okay, then." He thinks, "And I can get you an extra pound of lunchmeat this week."

"Another one?" Aziz complains.

"You don't think I should?" he questions.

"He already said he'd stay," Aziz points out. "And it's called a family pack for a reason. He's already eating four times more than his fair share."

"Five ounces of meat a day," his mother informs, "if you're not having a cup of beans." She faces Carlos, "But you're also supposed to be getting in two cups of vegetables, so I recommend that you try it."

Carlos crosses his arms, "I've never needed vegetables before. I don't need them now."

"You're not even going to try it?" Aziz disbelieves.

He faces him, "Why do I need to? I already know I don't like them."

Aziz stands, "I need a minute." before he walks away and heads up the stairs.

Carlos sighs, rolling his eyes, before he follows him up to the living room, "Az."

He turns around, "What?"

He quiets, "Look. I tried the whole Gandhi lifestyle. It's not working for me."

"Does that include the praying too?" Aziz's voice raises.

"I mean, it would be nice to be able to sleep," he inputs.

Aziz steps towards him, "If you didn't stay awake until three A.M., then you could."

"I have a hard time getting to sleep," Carlos stresses. "What's your problem?"

"You give up so easily."

"Okay," Carlos slowly acknowledges. "Why would that even matter?"

"Because," he shouts, before he takes a deep breath. "You promised me you would try dating girls this year. But if you can't even try a couple vegetables because you don't like them, then why wouldn't you back out on this?"

Carlos frowns, as he calmly answers, "I don't have a reason to eat vegetables. I have a reason to date girls. It's a scientific study to prove that you can't be a monk forever, and if by some miracle it works… At least I wouldn't be breaking the law anymore."

"You can't get miracles without God."

"I'll still pray with you," Carlos counters. "I just don't want to wreck my sleep for it." Aziz's eyes lower. "Please, tell me you understand."

"It feels like you're always asleep," he notes.

"I really tried, Az. I've tried coffee. I've tried energy drinks." Carlos widens his eyes, "I've tried to stay awake for days just so that I'd be tired enough to reset my sleep cycle. Nothing works. It's like if I don't sleep in, I sleep twice as much."

"You woke up for school," Az reminds him. "What changed?"

"Nothing." He laughs, "I got so tired some days that I would skip my later classes. And then I started being late for my first one, even if I went to sleep earlier."

Aziz eyes over him, "What are you going to do about school this year?"

"I can try to sleep after school," Carlos considers. "I really don't know, though."

"And tourney?" he inquires.

"I don't even like tourney," Carlos confesses. "I'd rather just make it to class."

"Ben," Charming comments, "They're going to be giving you dinner in three hours, and you still haven't eaten anything today."

"Well, maybe, they shouldn't be trying to give me breakfast when I'm asleep," he argues.

"If you don't drink the shakes, they're going to think you're not healing," he warns. "They'll give you broth instead."

He faces him, "And?"

"You're purposely slowly your recovery time," Charming comments. "If you don't eat, it won't matter if you're better or not. They'll keep you here, and you may even miss the start of the school year. Is that what you want?"

Ben scratches the blender bottle with his thumb nail, "I don't need to go home, yet. I can stay here."

He takes a moment, "Ben."

He meets his eyes, "I'm not eating, unless my mother is here. You can call her."

"You know she's busy," he frowns.

"Yeah." Ben points out, "She's busy choosing him. I'm always in the hospital, so she doesn't need to see me." He scratches at the shake again, "But one of these times I'm not going to get better." before he opens the cap and drops it on the floor.

"Ben. What are you—"

"Does she even know I took my tube out?" Ben accuses.

He sadly answers, "She didn't answer. I sent a text." and he watches him look away. "Ben. What's going on?"

He shakes his head, "Just tired."

"Maybe you should try sleeping some," Charming suggests.

Ben frowns at him, "Not that kind of tired."

"You're depressed," he understands, and he turns back to the door.

A nurse stands in the doorway, "King Ben?"

He eyes down at the shake's spill, "It fell."

He watches her go to the sink to grab some paper towels, and he sees Charming's concern. "That was a lie."

"No, it wasn't." Ben evenly reasons, "It fell out of my hand. I fell down the stairs. Things fall all the time." His eyes lower. "It was an accident."

He barges past the brown-haired officer, "I'm here to see my son." before Adam enters the hospital room.

Ben gapes, "Dad." as he leans against the bed. "Where's Mother?"

He strides forward, pointing a finger at the ground, "Do you even realize how distasteful it is to use someone's children's health as leverage. And to get your mother, no less."

"I just wanted her here," he defends.

"Do you hate me that much, that you're willing to starve yourself to death?"

Ben stares, and Charming stands, "Maybe you should go."

When the officer takes his arm, Adam elbows him away, "I don't think so." He turns back to Ben, "Well. What you've got to say for yourself?"

Ben partly smiles, "I'm very sick."

When Adam takes another step, Officer Rinehart handcuffs him, "Adam Beast. You are under arrest."

He flexes, the chains snap in half, and he turns to him, "You're arresting me?"

"We said we'd be back in a week," he informs. "A week's passed, Belle's attempted to schedule Ben his appointments; meanwhile, you yell at her to leave her home, and you come to your son's hospital room to threaten him—when he's at the hospital for suspicious injuries."

Adam straightens, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you can come peacefully or I can get security."

"You won't be able to hold me," he asserts.

"Maybe," Officer Rinehart agrees. "Maybe twenty-four hours is all I need."

- Posted: 05/10/2020