Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

46. Brendon

I can't breathe! I can't breathe! I choked and tried to draw breath, but something was blocking me.

I heard a voice. A soothing voice telling me to calm down. Something was pulled from my throat and something was wrapped under my nose. But I could breathe again.

"Your wife is here, right beside you," the voice said. I couldn't open my eyes. My eyelids were just too heavy.

"Callie?" I whispered.

"What's that, darling?" I heard Sarah's sweet voice say.

"Callie?" I asked again. My voice was a raspy whisper.

"They haven't let me see her yet. They sent her to the psychiatric unit and I can't see her until visiting hours," she said. I could hear the fear and sadness in her voice. I frowned.

"Don't let her blame herself," I rasped.

Sarah told me to rest. To relax. I fell asleep.

The next time I woke up, I could see light. It was really bright. I opened my eyes and saw I was in a hospital room and the sun was streaming in the window.

"Good morning, handsome," my beautiful wife came into my line of sight.

"Hi," I whispered, my voice sounding stronger. "How's Callie? Where is she?"

I thought she'd be here beside Sarah.

"She's upstairs," Sarah said, tears in her eyes. They won't let me see her until 11."

"That's bullshit. You're her mother," I frowned. And then grimaced from the pain in my stomach.

"Careful," Sarah said. "You had surgery last night and they're keeping an eye out for infection. Your bowel was perforated and you lost a lot of blood."

"That sounds ... not fun," I laughed, and then groaned.

"Brendon, do you remember what happened?"

"I do. It was an accident. I know Callie didn't mean it," I said. "But I think we really need to get her help when we go home."

"Bren, I don't know if they'll let us take her home," Sarah said.

"They will," I said, starting to doze off.

I slept for a while. When I woke up, the sun was in a different position, Sarah was gone, a nurse was doing something to my I.V. and Zack was staring at me. Wait? Zack?!

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"We came out here to help Sarah with you and Callie when you guys get out of here."

"Where's Sarah?" I asked.

"She's upstairs with Callie. They're only letting her in on visiting hours right now. And obviously they won't tell us anything."

"Us? Did Kala come with you?"

"She did. She's with Sarah upstairs."

I nodded.

"Buddy, what happened?" Zack asked.

"I'm not really sure. Callie was making noises like she was having a nightmare, so I went into check on her. I was rubbing her arm and she suddenly stabbed me. I don't blame her though. Based on what she's been through, and the fact that we haven't gotten her a therapist yet, and the incident with my dad..."

"What happened with your dad?" Zack asked.

"He walked in on her in the bathroom one night when they were visiting. It scared her, obviously. She's still wary of him and I guess she's taken to 'protecting' herself. We've had her for only a few weeks. We have years of trauma and abuse to help her work through."

"Your kid stabbed you, and you're okay with that?"

"Of course I'm not okay with that, Zack. But Callie wasn't trying to hurt me. She was protecting herself." 

I started feeling woozy, so I closed my eyes.

"Don't think me rude, but I'm gonna nap," I said as I dozed off.

Sarah was back beside me when I opened my eyes again.

"How's Callie?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"What does that even mean?" I asked.

"She's not good, Bren. She's catatonic. Staring ahead of herself and not reacting to anything. Not to pain, light, nothing."

"What are they doing?"

"They can't do anything. She can't hear so they can't talk to her. If you wave your hand in front of her, she doesn't react. Her eyes don't move.  There isn't much they can do until she wakes up on her own."

I shook my head. My poor girl.

"I want to go see her."

"For starters, you just had surgery and you still have a catheter in. You're not going anywhere," Sarah said. "And second, we can't go back until four."

"Why?" I asked.

"They won't let us up there outside of visiting hours."

"So they're leaving our daughter in her silent world, alone, unable to communicate, and that's supposed to help her how?" I frowned.

"I don't know, Brendon," Sarah cried. "I don't know. They won't let me stay with her long enough to do anything. They have her in a single room tied to the bed. But she hasn't moved a muscle since they brought her here."

"Why is she tied to the bed?" I asked, getting angry.

"Because she stabbed you, Brendon. And then she had a major - I don't know what. She was screaming and fighting the paramedics and the police. I think they want to arrest her," Sarah said.

"Well, I'm not pressing charges against my daughter. And we are going to fight to get her out of here," I said.

Sarah smiled through her tears.