Fighting For What's Missing

9.

Agnes

My head is spinning, I feel like the bed is rocking back and forth, I could throw up. But I honestly feel better now that William's here. I really want to stay with him, he listens to me and likes Tigers and dislikes milk and plays Candy Land all day, and likes Ponyo. He never hits me.

I grab the remote for the tv and flip through the channels until I land on Garfield the show. William and Spencer are taking forever. I shut my eyes and wait.

*********

Drifting out of sleep, I hear different voices. It takes me a moment but I realize it's the tv being flipped through channels. I open my eyes and see William sitting in the chair next to my bed.

"William?" My head feels like a thousand pounds, I can't move.

"Hi, sweetie," he smiles. "How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy."

"Yeah, um," he glances at the door then returns his blue/grayish eyes to me again. "Ms. Spencer told me you haven't been eating. Agnes, you get really dizzy when you stop eating."

"I don't feel like eating."

"Why?" He gets up from his seat to sit on the edge of the bed. I try to shrug. "Can you try for me?"

"Sure."

He briefly smiles again. I reach up with my good and feel his beard, it feels funny. My dad had a bigger beard than his but I like William's more. I also like his slightly lazy eye.

*Knock Knock Knock Knock*

William pulls away. "Come in!"

"Is Ms. Spencer taking me away?" Fear crashes into me like a large wave. I don't wanna go back. The door opens and Charlie steps in. I can breathe again.

"Agnes, it's okay," William whispers, brushing my hair out of my face. "I asked Charlie to stop by."

"Oh, hi, Mr. Charlie," I smile at him.

"Charlie's fine," he returns the smiles. "Is it alright that I stopped by?"

"Yeah."

"He called me about thirty times in the past hour," William tells me then turns to Charlie, "can you go down to the cafeteria? I know you just got here but I don't want to leave Agnes."

"I understand. What do you want to eat?"

"Agnes?" William turns to me, and I shrug. "Cheeseburger?"

"Oh, yes!" I answer excitedly, my stomach growls, answering too. William smiles and tells Charlie to get two. He offered to pay, but Charlie promised it was fine. "Where's Ms. Spencer?" I ask once Charlie was gone.

"She's trying to convince the doctor to let you stay longer." A few hours? I maybe only have a few hours with William. I try to blink away the tears threatening my eyes. "Hey," Will sits down, cupping my face. The pad of his thumbs catches my tears. "It can't be like last time, sweetie. You gotta eat and talk more. Now, I know it makes you uncomfortable to talk to others, it might even be scary, but I can't always be there to speak for you."

"I can talk to people. I've just been sad. Will, I'm not ever staying with you again, am I?"

He drops his hands from my face, frowning. "I can't take care of you."

"You're not gonna try?"

"Kid-"

The door opens again and Ms. Spencer steps inside. "Mr. Granger, can I speak to you for a moment?"