"What the hell were you thinking?" Harvey asked me, giving me the reaming of a lifetime. Or at least getting readyto.
I honestlywasn't expecting this big of a reaming after I had stood up fromthe concrete ground after flying over the handlebars. I had hit Charlie and good. She was flat on the ground, her dirtyblonde hair, splayed onthe dirty concrete for a moment, giving Harvey the chance tohave myass for yet another thing.
"What do you want me to say? I didn't see her. I amsorry, Harvey."
"Well, you better start looking better! Whythe hell doyou still ride that damn thing?" Harvey yelled, lecturing me even more, making me feel worse about myself.
"What do you want me to say, Harvey?" I asked, trying to find out if there was going to be an end to this.
Before Harveycould answer, I heard Charlie groan as she tried toget up. She rubbed the backof her head where it it concrete. I went fromHarvey and knelt down to Charlie, looking to her eyes. They were trying to focus, I could see it. Trevor and I did that a lot after we smoked more pot than we should have.
"Are youalright?" I asked, worried as I checked her out.
Charlie blinked a couple times at me, obviously trying to focus. "Yeah, fine."
I sighed, glad that she was speaking. I stood up, almost instantly hearing her groan in a protest. That's when Harvey pushed me from her, checking her out himself. She gave hima look of disgust. It was evident that their morning started out less than good.
After Harveyhad checked her out a little, he held up two fingers."Charlie. Hey, Charlie, how manyfingers amI holding up?" He sounded concerned.
She groaned. "Harvey!"
Harveykept his fingers in her fieldof vision, makingher focus on them. After a moment of trying to focus, she answered. "Three and a half?" Bowing his head, Harveysighed. "No, it was two. You failed that test." He then looked to me after leaning her against the car so she was against something protective. "You're taking her to the hospital. You screwed up; you're fixing it."
I nodded as Charlie's voice pipedup. "Hey, I'm fine, really." Her head was swaying just a little as she tried to balance it.
Harveylooked down to her from where he stood with me. "Bull shit, you failed the focus test. You're goingto the hospital."
I watched her frown deeply, looking from him. "You can't make me go there!"
Harveyand I bothfroze as we looked to her. I went beside her again, knowing Harveyjust makes her tense. "Whynot?"
She shook her head, rolling it against the black town car. Her eyes glittered fromthe tears forming. One threatened tocome out. It was then that I realized whyshe didn't want togo to some hospital. I looked to Harvey, who still seemed clueless, which was honestlya first. I was going tohave to tell Donna about it later.
"Do you know how her mother died?" I asked carefully.
"Cancer," he answered simply and casually.
"Then you know what comes with cancer."
"Chemo," he said again, almost like he wasn't getting it.
"And?"
Harveysighed, now getting it. He looked tome after bowing his head again. "You're still going, Charlie."
She groaned in protest. The tear that threatened to show itself did, slipping down her cheek as she uttered, "You're a heartless bastard."
Even I froze when she said that toHarvey. Yeah, the guy can be an asshole, but calling himthat might have crossed the line. When I looked to Harvey, his jaw was set as he gave her a glare.
