Emotional Connection

easy ride

Charlie hadn't stopped trying to figure out if Ashley was to be the new hospital manager. Pete had, so far, refused to divulge any information to anyone other than James regarding if he'd even asked her as Charlie had suggested back in August, never mind if she'd accepted the offer. Charlie was obviously suspicious, figuring out the week he'd taken off in September was to see her rather than his family that no one had ever heard about before.
Sometimes, Charlie's insistence ended in him walking away, disappointed in his lack of information. Mostly, it ended with him being kicked out, disappointed in his lack of information. Whatever he did, Pete refused to share anything to do with the hospital. At this point, Charlie wasn't entirely sure if he was even leaving. So obviously that made him even more determined to find out.

"Charlie, please, you've been trying for months to get information out of me," Pete sighed, healing a few broken bones, "you've got nowhere so far. What makes you think you're going to succeed today?"

Abigale grinned, wrapping up a few burns and sending them back out to work.

"Because maybe this time you're tired enough to let something slip."

"Do you really never give up?" She smiled at him from her seat, "and besides, what's with your obsession with this Ashley-Rae?"

Pete laughed as Charlie froze, looking as though Abi had just stepped on a landmine - which she had, in a sense.

"It's not an obsession, I'd just like to know who to expect once Pete leaves." He turned, narrowing his eyes at him. "If he's leaving at all."

"Charlie, if you are not sick or injured, please get out of my hospital." Pete sighed, sitting back on his chair.

He tried to protest but left very quickly when Pete pulled out his wand.

Pete sighed, shaking his head, refilling his mug with coffee.

"So who is this Ashley-Rae girl? Like, was she Charlie's girlfriend or something?" Abigale joined him.

He smiled softly, knowing why she was really asking. "No. I think he'd have liked her to be, but.. no. They were best friends, though, at one point she was going to move in with him rather than going to Scotland with her dad."

Abi nodded, not saying anything for a while. "Why'd she leave? If she was supposed to move in with Charlie and he liked her so much?"

Pete sighed, eyes trained on the entrance. "She didn't know he liked her. Actually, neither was really aware of the other's feelings, there were very few of us that were aware of it. But her dad got badly injured, and she felt responsible for him, and guilty for not stopping him from getting injured. The guilt ate away at her when he was in here, it wasn't fun to watch."

Nodding, Abi sipped her tea. From what Pete was saying, she didn't know what anyone at the sanctuary saw in Ashley-Rae, considering how they all spoke so highly of her and she really didn't know why Charlie was so hung up on her after all this time. But whatever, she wasn't going to compete if there was no hope. There was part of her, however, that hoped that Ashley-Rae didn't come back. Maybe then Charlie would get the message that she didn't like him back, maybe then Abi would have at least a small chance.

-

Pete looked up as he was handing over to James for the night to see Charlie loitering rather gingerly by the front. "Charlie, are you injured?"

"Yeah," he muttered, holding out his arm where they could see multiple bite wounds. "Kiwi decided I was a chew toy."

James groaned, making Pete laugh as he walked out. "Good look with that one, James."