Red Band Society

~Charlie~

I sat on my bed, strumming my guitar. Singing a song I'd written, but of course as soon as I heard footsteps I shut my mouth.
"Hey Charlie." I smiled up at Mark.
"Hey!'
"How's my favorite little girl?"
"I'm nineteen." And terminally ill with no hope for a future.
"Anyways, there's some guy going to stay with you for a little.
"What's his name?"
"Ashley Purdy."
"Cool." That being said a man got pushed into my residential room on the emergency ward floor. He was barely awake from the painkillers and had bandages wrapped around him from upper torso to lower abdomen. Four other guys came in with him. They were all pretty hot in all honesty, but the boy- Ashley- held my eyes.
"What's he in for?"
"Something stabbed him."
"What?" I hissed between my teeth,
"Just a frat party accident. Prank gone wrong."
"Oh." One of the boys with Ashley finally noticed me and walked over as Ashley got hooked up. The other three followed.
"I'm Andy. This is CC. My boys Jinxx, and Jake."
"I'm Charlotte."
"That's a pretty name. Mean anything?" I laughed. Hard not to. Charlotte meant freedom.
I would never be free.
"Not really. This is my best friend Mark."
"Sup?"
"What are you two in for?"
"Just visiting. Charlie was my sister's best friend a few years back." Andy nodded. That always meant they died.
"And you?"
Crap.
"I'm a stay in." Andy looked confused.
"I've practically live in a hospital. Have since I was born." Andy nodded sadly. But Ashley started to wake up and all thoughts of me went out the window.
"Hey Ash, how you feeling?"
"Like I got stabbed. Why didn't you tell me it sucked?"
"I said you could do it. I didn't say you could get away without a damn hospital visit."
"Why? You said I'd be fine."
"Appearances. The room was crowded, and you have a bed buddy so shove it."
What are they up to?
"Oh, hey. I'm Ashley Purdy."
"Charlotte Faith."
"Well Charlotte-"
"Charlie." He laughed slightly.
"What?"
"Well, I have a girl name, and you have a boy name."I laughed because he was right, and it was pretty funny. A nurse walked in,
"Hey Lyn."Oh, hello Charlotte. Visiting hours are over. Honestly Mark, you should know that by now, you come by everyday."
"Hello Lyn. Come on guys, let's go." He kissed my forehead and walked out. Andy and the others following behind him.
"So, Charlie, how long are you here?"
"Until such a time when I no longer have need for oxygen."
"Huh?"
"Until I die." I said frankly. He looked surprised.
"I have a weird blood disorder. I'll never be able to survive by myself."
"Oh. I'm so-"
"Don't. I hate hearing 'I'm sorry'. You're too cute to look that sad anyways." I said smiling. He looked surprised.
"Did you just call me cute?"
"Yep! Thing about being Sick Girl, you never learn to flirt. Not that it matters I'll be dead before I get the chance to get a relationship."
"Who told you that crap?" Ashley asked, swinging his legs off the bed. I jumped up and pushed him back down.
"You can't stand up with a wound like that. And my doctor did five years ago. Said it'd be a miracle if I lived past twenty. My body isn't healthy enough to develop that much."
"How old are you?"
"Nineteen."
"So..."
"I've got... five months to live. You know, if I'm lucky."
"What kind of fucked up doctor would say that to you?"
"HE didn't. My mom asked when I was thirteen if I was if I would make it. I'd had a really bad heart attack that day. He told her that I would never that I would never live to be twenty. I talked to him again, he said my body was failing. I have five months." He gasped and fell back. Not standing by myself because i was trying to shove Ashley onto his bed, i fell onto his chest. His breathing was irregular, so i climbed onto his chest and pulled his hair from his face. I checked his pulse, but his hand was on my thigh suddenly and I couldn't count.
"What are you doing?" He asked,
"Checking your vitals. You shouldn't be moving to much with a serious wound like that."
"Why do you know so much Medical crap."
"I wanted to be a doctor when I thought i would live to go to college. I graduated high school online, but it seemed a waste of oney after that."
"How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Go on knowing you won't live."
"I've survived a while. But I havn't been alive for years Purdy."

Notes