Author's note
Thank you for all your kind comments.
Here is another one. And the guest commenter: It is answered in this chapter.
As I told Monroe-Militia, there will be some hard emotional times coming up for Bass and Charlie. Will they make it? You will have to keep reading to find out :D
Enjoy!
Charlie's POV
My phone rings and I pick up with a small smile. "Good morning".
"Good morning to you too" Jason replies. "How are you?"
"I am good" I answer. "What about you?"
"Well…I got to sleep next to a beautiful, sexy woman last night, so that definitely improved my mood."
"Is that so?" I question. We have been seeing each other for the past five weeks and last night, he stayed for a sleep over.
"Yes. How about we do that again tomorrow night?" He retorts and I can hear him smiling.
"I can't, I am sorry." I promised Alex we would go to the cinema in the park, if he did all his chores this week and unfortunately for me he did. Now I have to sit through the movie Frozen for the third time this year. "Alex and I are going to the movies."
"Can I come?" Jason questions and I sigh.
"Jason… We talked about this…" I reply. I don't want to let Jason into Alex's life, until I am sure that this is going somewhere.
"Yeah…yeah…you gotta let me meet him at some Point Charlie" He sighs and then ads "Ok, I have to go. Gotta do some work, I will call you tonight?"
"Sure, have a great day" I reply.
"You too, sexy" Jason retorts, making me blush.
It has been five weeks since I signed those papers and five weeks since Bass left for Iraq. My Lawyer said he hasn't received them back, which leaves me to question why he hasn't signed them. I asked Miles, if Bass left them with him, but my Uncle only told me that he doesn't want to get in the middle of this. "That is between you and Bass. If you want to know where he hit the divorce papers, sent him an email and ask him." Miles said with a voice that told me not to bring up that subject with him again.
I start my car and 'I am walking on sunshine' is blaring through the speakers. It fit's the weather today; sunshine and not one cloud on the sky.
woah yeh!
I'm walking on sunshine , wooah
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah
I'm walking on sunshine, woooah
and don't it feel good!
I am singing from the top of my lunges and the other drives are looking at me weirdly, but I don't care.
As I get to work, Nora is waiting for me at the front door as usual, with a cigarette in her hand. Judging by the grin she is spotting on her lips, I'd guess that she spent the night with Miles.
"When are you finally going to make it official and tell everybody that you are dating my uncle?" I question as I hug her.
"How do you know about me and Miles?" Nora questions with a raised eyebrow. Those two are still under the impression no one knows that they are seeing each other.
"Two nights ago at Revolution, you two were so entangled with each other, that even a blind man would have seen what's between the two of you." I reply with an eye roll. Revolution is Miles's bar, which he opened five years ago.
"Uhmmm…well did you get Jason laid last night or not?" Nora drops her cigarette in the ash tray and together we walk in to the building.
"No…" I answer with a sigh. "It still feels like I am cheating on Bass."
"Speaking of which have you heard from him?" Nora questions and we stop at the coffee machine.
"Not since he skyped with Alex four days ago" I reply with a sigh.
"Why didn't you ask him about the papers?" My best friend probes.
"Because, I want to keep the mood light. He is in a war zone. He can't be distracted by me constantly asking for those damn papers. Alex still needs his father and I don't want him to die out there. Just because he and I are not together anymore, doesn't mean I don't care about him anymore" I answer and hand one cup of Coffee to Nora and keep one for myself. "Besides, he will be back next week and I will ask him then."
"You are still in love with him!" Nora remarks, hitting the nail right on the head.
"Yes" I answer and hang my head low.
"Then why did you sign the divorce papers?" My best friend probes.
"Because…he won't fight for us. He is constantly gone and I can't help him anymore. He doesn't want my help. And then he accused me of sleeping around!" I am still angry about that.
"Did he really or did you just heard what you wanted to hear?" Nora questions.
"Of course it is my business, since Alex is living in your house. I don't know what kind of weirdoes you sleep with, but I know that I don't want them around my son"
"Maybe he didn't exactly say it, but he did mean it!" I concede and drown my coffee. "What is it to you anyways? You don't like him."
"I don't, but he was good to you and Alex. And you were happy. Just be sure this is what you want!" Nora tells me and draws me into a hug.
"You told me to go out and have fun" I mumble into her shoulder.
"Yes I did, because I thought this is what you need. But if it isn't, than do something about the Bass situation." She tells me and lets me go.
In that moment we get a call in and I quickly grab my gear and head out of the door.
Thankfully it is busy day and I don't have a chance to think about Bass, Jason or the divorce papers. As I get home that night, I drop right into bed, grateful that my mother took Alex for the night.
"I AM COMING" I shout and pull on some shorts and a t-shirt, before making my way down the stairs to open the door.
"Mrs. Monroe?" The officer questions as I finally do open the door.
"Yes?" I answer warily.
"There was an accident. Your mother and Son were involved in a car crash involving multiple vehicles…."The officer starts.
"What…? Where are they now? Are they okay?" I interrupt him and panic arises within me.
"Your mother and son were brought to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. We will take you there." The officer, whose name tag reads Brooker, informs me.
"Okay…" I leave them standing at the open door and rush upstairs to grab my bag and phone.
"Mom how is he?" I question, as we finally get to the hospital half an hour later.
"I don't know…they…they took him away as we arrived here and I haven't heard anything" My mother answers. I found her sitting in the waiting room of the ER. She has a Band-Aid on her forehead, but apart from that she looks fine.
"I will go and check" I assure her and walk up to the reception.
"Hi, I am looking for my son, Alex Monroe. He was in a car accident." I tell the nurse sitting behind the counter.
"Mrs. Monroe, your son was brought into the OR. I will get a Doctor out here as soon as I can" She replies.
"The OR? But why? What is wrong with him?" I question and raise my voice.
"A doctor will be able to explain everything to you. Please wait in the waiting room" The nurse tells me and I know I won't get anything else out of her.
"What did she say?" Mom questions as I take the seat next to her in the waiting room.
"They took him to the OR. A doctor will be out soon" I inform her and my head makes up all kinds of bad scenarios. "What happened Mom?"
"I was driving him to school and we…we were talking. I suddenly had to break because the car in front of me did too. Out…out…out of nowhere from the right came a car and rammed the right side….Alex…he…he was…Oh shit…" My mother curses and tears start to run down her cheeks. "He was sitting on the right side in the back. And another car hit us from the back as well…there was glass and blood…" My mother puts her head in her hands and starts sobbing.
In that moment a doctor calls my name and I get up to meet him half way. "Mrs Monroe?" He questions and I nod. "I am Doctor Nate Scott. Alex is still in surgery, but I just wanted to update you on his condition."
I nod again and he continues. "Your son has multiple broken ribs, his right arm and leg are broken, a fractured collarbone. Alex also lost a lot of blood, because his internal carotid artery was damaged and he was bleeding internally. We repaired the damage to his artery and are trying to stop the internal bleeding."
"Will he be okay?" I find myself asking, numbly.
"Mrs. Monroe will try everything we can. I will come and find you after the surgery." He tells me and then turns around and walks back into the direction he came from.
"CHARLIE" Miles shouts and comes running through the ER. "How are they?"
"Mom is in the waiting room and Alex in surgery" I inform him and then it hits me that Bass doesn't know about this. "I have to call Bass…" I tell him and take my phone out.
"Okay, I will be in there if you need me, okay?" He assures me and then leaves me be.
I dial the number of Andrew Jones. He works for BlackOps Security, the same company Bass works for. Andrew is a recruitment agent at their Chicago Office. Bass and Andrew used to go to school together and met again as Andrew got his car detailed at the shop Bass used to work for.
They got talking, met a few times for beers and then Bass signed up. Andrew checks in with me every few weeks when Bass is gone and his wife Cilia and I got closer over the years too. We go to the same gym and meet up for coffee once in a while.
"Charlie, how are you? I meant to call you last week, but there..." Andrew says as he picks up.
"Andrew…uhm can you get a message to Bass? It is urgent" I interrupt him. He will be able to reach Bass a lot quicker than I ever could.
"What's wrong Charlie?" Andrew inquires in a worried tone.
"Alex is in the hospital…he is in surgery. I need you to inform Bass. My mother and Alex were in a car accident." I explain.
"Is he okay?" Andrew questions and adds "I will get that Information to Bass and I will try to get him back home immediately."
"He is bleeding internally. The Doctors are still trying to repair the damage" I answer numbly. Everything just seems like a bad dream.
"I will let Bass know. Is there anything I can do? Do you need anything?"
"No, I am good. Just…Just let Bass know" I tell him and hang up.
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