Chasing Charlie

Chapter Eleven | Playing Nurse

Charlie

I sighed and leaned back onto the wooden door. I shouldn't have been home right now. I should've been at school trying out for the soccer team but the rain had ruined everything.

I hadn't been on a team in over three months and I missed the feeling. I was excited all week for the tryouts and when they arrived, the rain started to pour down right before school ended.

Joseph had let me borrow his umbrella since he had one in his car. I was grateful that he had one so I wouldn't have to get wet and sick. He knew by now that I wouldn't accept a ride home from him so he didn't bother asking.

When I saw Chase on the way home, alone without anything to shield him from the rain, my heart broke for him. He looked helpless, as he tried to push himself back to the orphanage. I wondered why Miss Lancy didn't pick him up. I knew she had the smaller children to pick up first, but he could always wait.

I knew I had to help him. Even if he was angry at me for helping him, it didn't bother me. He was already sick and cold because of the rain, I just couldn't leave him like that.

What got me more confused was why he called me cute. I didn't think Chase was that kind of guy to admit or at least say those kind of things. I blushed at his words and what confused me was I didn't even know why. I was starting to get nervous around him. If I slightly brushed my hand over his I would get a few tingles. It was probably nerves, I thought.

"Charlie," I heard a weak voice call out, that snapped me out of my thoughts.

I opened the door and sticked my head in. "Yeah."

"Come here," he said softly.

I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me. I walked up to him and sat down on the shorter side of the couch. I took in his appearance. He looked a bit better now, his cheeks had regained some colour and he wasn't shivering as badly as before. His clothes were now dry but his hair was still wet. It was messier than before, now sticking up in every angle. He looked tired and his nose was slightly red.

A shiver ran through his body and he tried to curl up for warmth. I noticed he was still lying on the wet towels so I stood up.

"I'll take the towels away. Do you want a blanket?"

He looked up at me with his tired blue eyes. "Yes, please."

I came closer to him, gently removing the towels and heading towards the door. I dumped the towels in the laundry basket and set off for his room. I grabbed the blanket off his bed but I didn't think it would be enough to keep him warm. I ran up the stairs to my room and quickly pulled the blanket off of my bed before rushing downstairs.

I came closer to him and covered him with his blanket and then my own.

"This isn't my blanket," he said confused.

"It's my blanket."

He furrowed his eyebrows, "but you'll be cold."

I smiled a small smile. He was cute when he was sick. "It's okay."

I sat back down, in case he needed anything else. I had this urge to nurse him through his sick state. Maybe it was an instinct, I thought. My mum was a nurse, maybe that's the reason.

My mum. My parents. I missed them so very much. I still thought about them every day. I guess after living a week without them, I started to realise this was real. That they were actually killed and they wouldn't be coming back. A tear slipped from my eye.

"Lee," I heard Chase call.

I turned to face him. He had his eyes closed, while his head laid gently on the pillow.