Charlie and Miles

Miles

"I want to be there so you don't have to be brave. In a cold world of hate, your arms feel safe." - Long Distance Love (A Phan Song), Eden and Katherine.

***

"David," I screamed as I watched Charlie collapse, not breathing. David came running in after me. He starts to talk to someone through his walkie-talkie, but all of the blood is rushing to my head and I can't hear what he's saying. All I can think is Charlie can't die. Charlie don't die. Charlie, stay with me. Charlie.

"Miles, Miles, we have to get him down to surgery. Come on, Miles."

I move without permission from my mind, my body taking over. I wheel Charlie out of the room, practically running.

"Stay with me, Charlie. Stay with me," I whispered as we kept moving, onto the elevator. His mother ran to keep up with us.

"What's happening? What's wrong with Charlie?" I piled us, sans Charlie's mom, into the elevator.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Young, but you can't follow us. We'll inform you later."

I pressed the button as hard as I could, multiple times. Dave kept calm the entire time. "You know that pressing the button that fast multiple times doesn't make the elevator go faster."

"I know," I snapped.

"You like him, don't you." I stopped pressing the button. "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.

"I've seen the way you look at him. I've also seen the way he looks at you. If you can save him, you could--"

"I can't do anything, David. He's sick, he's dying, and he's probably not into me."

"Don't let that stop you, Miles. If anything, this should teach you to seize the moment." The elevator doors open, and I rush Charlie out.

The ICU was the safest place, and he was checked in a few minutes later. Dave and his colleagues began pumping fluids in and out of him. I heard someone say his heart was still beating. David called to me, and I began to try to help, checking his vitals, helping drain his lungs.

Drain his lungs. They said too much mucus had escaped into his lungs, and that either the Xylotrol or the cancer could be at fault.

I'd dealt with patients like this, but with Charlie, I felt like a rookie, awkwardly trying to figure out what to do, to save him.

David grabbed my shoulder. "Miles, let's do a biopsy and figure out how the cells are."

I ran out of the room, stopping as I rounded the corner, slumping against the wall. I hadn't realized it in the ICU, but there were tears running down my face. I wiped them off quickly, wiping my hands on my Star Wars shirt. It had a picture of General Grievous that said "Why so Grievous?" Charlie had pointed it out and said, "Wookie gonna do about it?" We had laughed so hard at how stupid both were.

Using that memory, I found the strength to stand up and continue on my way, getting the things needed for a biopsy. By the time I was back in the ICU, I had placed Doctor Miles in front, hiding the Miles that loves Charlie Young.

***

A few hours later, Charlie was in a stable condition, and David and I were able to leave the room for a few moments to print out the biopsy.

"You did good in there, kid." David told me as we walked. I blushed. "It was nothing. Just trying my best."

"I know. You were trying your best for Charlie."