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Charlie senses my discomfort because she erupts into a temper tantrum. She screams and cries, kicking off the sheets and flailing her arms. Of course, this does nothing to help her case. She has to capacity to be sweet and loving and gentle. It’s this environment making her like this.
I want to cry harder, to tell the doctor this isn’t the child he thinks he sees. All I can do is try to calm her down. I wrap my arms around her and squeeze tightly, repeating over and over again that everything will be okay. I won’t let anyone hurt her ever again.
I can’t keep that promise if she’s taken away. She knows that. She’s too intuitive, but she can’t control her emotions. She pushes me away and screams bloody murder. I back away from the bed and cling to the wall, unable to do anything but watch in horror. Anything within her arm’s reach is fair game. She flings things around the room.
The doctor backs out of the room and shuts the door, the coward. He’s probably going to call in backup, which won’t bode well for Charlie’s future care. I’ve been here before with others. When hospitals can’t control patients, they sedate them and put them under maximum security.
What will happen to Charlie then? Her gifts aren’t like anyone else I’ve seen. Whenever someone touches her, she freaks out most of the time. They’ll medicate her within an inch of her life until she’s a hollow husk of who she is. I can’t let that happen to her. She’s too young to have to deal with that.
I’ve failed as a caregiver. I’ve failed to get her to safety. This is all my fault, and now Charlie will be taken away. Once she’s out of my protection, things will only get worse for her. I can’t let him find her.
CHAPTERSIX
I’m still in the café picking at my muffin when the announcement comes through. Code grey—a belligerent patient. All hands on deck. I consider ignoring the announcement, too caught up in my thoughts when my pager goes off. I look down, and sure enough, it’s a code grey page. The patient is a child.
My mind immediately goes to Meredith and the discomfort she exhibited earlier. Without more information, I know Charlie is the patient. Behind those dark, brooding eyes is someone with the capacity to cause damage. Something about her reminds me of Pocus. I’ve seen what he can do when he unleashes his inner beast.
I briskly make my way to the pediatric unit, my heart racing with fear. Knowing Dr. Talon, he’s abandoned his post. He doesn’t do well under pressure. As I approach the room, I see that, sure enough, only nurses remain. They’re trying to hold her down, but she’s strong. She’s throwing things, flailing uncontrollably, and behaving erratically.
The déjà vu washes over me quickly. It suddenly occurs to me why Meredith is so familiar. I’ve been in this exact situation before, two years ago. The girl wasn’t Charlie, but she definitely had an older sister begging for help. What in the world is going on? I don’t have the luxury to question it further. The situation needs to be controlled.
I quickly key in my credentials to the medicine drawer and pull out a sedative. I hate doing this to children, but Charlie seems possessed almost. The nurses hold her down for me to insert the needle. Then she goes still.
I look up and see Meredith standing against the wall, terrified. Her face is pale and her eyes are wide and distant. She seems panicked and fearful, not that I can blame her. As Charlie’s body relaxes against the bed, Meredith seems to breathe for the first time in several minutes. She looks at me and nods her thanks, but I’m not sure why she’s thanking me. Perhaps I had it all wrong and she’s afraid of her sister.
In any case, once the little girl is sleeping soundly, I ask Meredith to meet me in the hallway where we can discuss her sister’s case. Dr. Talon has suggested a psych evaluation, and I can’t disagree after what I’ve witnessed. Charlie clearly has some deep-seated issues that need to be addressed on an ongoing basis. When I look at Meredith, though, her face has changed from fear to agony.
“Charlie isn’t crazy,” she tells me without me having to say anything. “I know how this looks, but she’s been through a lot. She can’t go to a psych ward. It will kill her!”
I pity Meredith, I do. It has to be difficult to care for a child with so many issues. If I were her, I’d want the extra help. Then I’m reminded of the first time I saw her.
“If you don’t mind me saying so, Charlie isn’t your only sister with anger issues. Is that right?”
She looks up at me quickly in surprise and suspicion. That guarded look is firmly in place. She doesn’t trust me, doesn’t want to trust me. But a storm rages inside her mind. I see it behind her eyes.
“What makes you say that?” she spits coldly.
“I remember you,” I explain as calmly as I can. “A few years ago, you came in with another girl. I don’t remember her name, but I remember she threw a tantrum like that. You were there, furious that we restrained her. How is she now?”
“She’s wonderful,” Meredith answers, softly this time with a wistful look in her eyes. “She’s staying with family members now. She’s absolutely thriving.”
“Again, it’s not my place to say, but would it help Charlie to stay with the same relatives?”
“They won’t take her,” she says, bitter. “No one wants her. So it’s up to me.”
Her voice breaks. I see the desperation in her eyes. She’s struggling to hold on to what little control she has.
“Dr. Graves, you can’t let her be taken away. She’s special. She’s gifted.”
“Gifted how?” I don’t relish sending kids to institutions. Any information she can give me will go a long way toward keeping Charlie with her.
Meredith draws a deep breath and shakes her head as if she’s arguing with herself. She squares her shoulders back and looks at me with steely determination.
“Charlie can sense when people are going to die,” she whispers, daring me to react unfavorably.
I’m surprised by her admission, but more surprised that she’s trusted me.
“I’m not crazy,” she says quickly when I don’t respond. “I know how this sounds and how it looks. But when people touch Charlie, she sees their death. It takes a toll on her and causes her to react.”
