Chapter 10
"I can't believe I'm in the hospital," Charlie grumbled, staring at the ceiling. "I want to go home."
Alan glanced up from his crossword puzzle and looked at Charlie over his glasses. "I'm glad to hear that, son."
Charlie looked back, confused. "What? Why?"
Alan stood and stretched his legs, and approached the hospital bed. "Because you've been too sick to complain," he answered. "It was…unnerving."
Charlie looked up and contemplated the bags hanging on his IV pole. Saline, and piggybacked onto it, Prednisone, Vincasar, Dexamethasone, an antibiotic so new Charlie didn't even know its name…and that was just for starters. He sighed.
"I've had three chemo sessions since I got here," he said. "The infection is better. If I promise," he looked towards his father with his best, pleading, left-over-from-childhood liquid brown-eyed look. "If I promise to eat, can I go home?"
Alan smiled at him. "Ah, don't give me that look, young man," he said. "I grew immune to that look long ago!"
"Good for you," they heard, and they both turned their heads toward the door see Dr. Stevens. "I probably would have fallen for it if you hadn't warned me!"
Alan laughed, and Charlie looked confusedly between them. "What's going on?" he asked. "Am I to be kept here indefinitey, against my will?"
Alan's eyebrows arched as he went back towards his puzzle. "I've got to cut down Larry's visits," he muttered. "The kid's starting to sound like him."
Dr. Stevens checked the chart at the foot of Charlie's bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked, looking up.
"Better," Charlie said, unable to meet the doctor's eyes. "Really."
Dr. Stevens sat down in the chair closest to the bed. "Well, I guess that is a pretty stupid question to ask a man in the middle of a chemo treatment." He checked the chart again. "Still not eating much," he noted. "How can I take you off that IV and send you home?"
Now Charlie looked directly at him. "Is that all it will take?" he asked hopefully.
Dr. Stevens smiled. "Dr. Eppes," he said, "if I see better numbers on your input by mouth tomorrow, I will release you after tomorrow afternoon's chemo session."
Charlie's face began to break into a wide grin.
"But that's it," the doctor continued sternly. "No more teaching. For the remainder of this round of chemo, you're on house arrest."
"Luckily, his brother is an FBI agent," came a third voice, and the men turned towards the door to see that Don had joined them. "I'll break out the cuffs if I have to."
The doctor stood, smiling, and looked down at Charlie. "It's only a week-and-a-half, doc," he reminded him. "Then we can start the remission blood tests. Can you hang in with us that long?" Charlie nodded, and the doctor began his exit. At the doorway, he turned with one last parting shot. "Oh, and Charlie?" When he was sure the patient was looking at him, he grinned. "I'll be sending the nurse in soon with some blue gelatin. Your dad told me it's your favorite."
