Eyes Open [ c.l. ]

↦ chapter three | hot chocolate stains?

Chapter three -

CHARLES

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

          It finally happened. I'm allowed in the hospital's outside garden area. To some, it's not a big deal, however after five days of being constrained in the same room, not being able to even go outside... Well, I'm sure my thrill is justifiable.

          "You're up early, and that's coming from me." Normally Carlos was the early bird of the team. He was always up early to review his progress or improvements in the factory at the crack of dawn.

          But it was my pure excitement that just made my legs jump out of my bed. Not literally of course, because my legs are useless and stationary at the moment. "Yeah, I'm just excited."

          "It's the girl, isn't it?" Carlos smirked whilst tying his shoelaces, refusing to meet my eye. He then came over to me and helped me with my fuzzy socks which went over my cast, still refusing to expand on his previous statement, or rather question.

          "What girl?" Carlos knew I knew who he was talking about. The roles had reversed, now it was my turn to avoid eye contact with Carlos as if he were a deadly predator hunting down its prey.

          "Oh come on Charles," Carlos let out a sigh, as he collected my crutches rather hastily. Upsetting Carlos truly wasn't my intention, "you know who I am talking about. Now, get it over with." I could hear the desperation in his voice.

          "What are you on about?" My confusion was genuine, yet Carlos wasn't having any of it. There was something on his mind that he wasn't opening up about so maybe he's using the so-called mother-gossip-worthy events that were going on with me.

          Although, I really didn't understand what all the fuss was about. My mother claimed that she saw the 'spark' return to my eyes, although I think that's complete bullshit to be honest. She was most likely mistaken by a ray of sun. Nothing had changed, nothing so worthy of the attention that it is getting at the moment.

          And Carlos seemed to be in a dilemma, yet he wasn't revealing anything, possibly because it was personal. I hope to be a friend that he can talk to, I hope that I am enough for him as a friend and that my problems aren't weighing him down, or causing an even bigger than necessary pile of stress on his shoulders. I just want to tell him I'm sorry for being this massive burden he is chained to. I wasn't to untie those chains, "Carlos-"

          "It's inevitable. Your mother was right, when you were looking at the girl in the garden yesterday, the life returned to your being, you suddenly seem more cheerful, and the spark has been restored to your eyes. You can see it." Carlos and I finally made eye contact, and when we did, his furrowed expression transformed into an attempt at a grin. "So get all the non-stop talking out of the way now." He chuckled.

          To be fair, when he met his girlfriend all Carlos did was talk about her until he introduced me. To be fair to Carlos, not a single word that came out of his mouth was wrong about her. One day, I would love to have someone to call my love, to be able to tell the world over and over again how much I love them, and how much I will continue to love them no matter what.

          "You know what," I paused, this seemed to gain Carlos' interest as I'm assuming he presumed I would be giving him the satisfaction of answering his original question. "I think we should finally get to see what the outside world looks like." A smile appeared on my face, as I finally thought about breathing in the fresh air.