CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Bee
Although I was driving as slowly as I possibly could, Malcolm still whimpered when I hit the bump.
"Shh," Charlie soothed, rocking her son gently back and forth on the floor of my delivery van. "It's okay, baby. Mama's got you. Mama's got you."
"My sweet little boy," Charlie's mother cooed from the passenger seat. Her hands fluttered to her purse to close around her pack of cigarettes, but when she caught me looking at her, she slid them back in again. "I don't know how he did it," she repeated. She'd been saying the same refrain since we'd pulled up to the town park and collected her and her grandson. "He just climbed up to the top, just as quick as you please. I ain't never seen him move so fast before."
I pressed my lips together. Charlie wasn't blaming her mother, so I tried not to either. Instead, I pressed the accelerator just a bit faster. The hospital was on the outskirts of town, and it seemed like it was taking forever to get there.
Malcolm whimpered again, and I heard Charlie kissing him. "Shh, baby," she murmured.
"Charlotte Grace, don't you let that baby fall asleep now," her mother barked. She twisted around. "Pinch him."
"Mom!" Charlie gasped, snatching him away.
"You can't let him fall asleep, baby. Not if he has a concussion."
Malcolm whimpered. "There's my handsome man," Charlie cooed, and I glanced down to see that his eyes were at least open, if a little glazed.
"I'm gonna lose my job," Charlie whispered to herself. But when I glanced in my rearview mirror, I saw her brushing her son's hair back from the swollen bruise on his forehead, and holding him tight.
"It'll work out," Charlie's mom declared. "I'm sure your boss'll understand it. You being a mom and all."
Charlie said nothing. I glanced down again to see her staring angrily at a fixed point on the floor. I had a feeling that this was a frequent topic of conversation between the two of them.
"How's the little guy looking?" I asked, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry, these tourists, they think the rest of the world's on vacation too."
The crush of Main Street visitors in midday was something I was completely unused to. I was used to rolling through the deserted pre-dawn streets, the traffic lights still set to blinking yellow.
"He's doing just fine," Charlie murmured, kissing her son's hand. "He's a big, strong, brave boy and Mama loves him so much."
Malcolm let out a small, whimpering cry at that, and my heart squeezed tightly in my chest. "There it is," I said with relief when I saw the big, sprawling 60s style building up ahead. "We're at the hospital."
"Oh, my poor nerves," Charlie's mom mumbled, and reached for her cigarette pack again.
I didn't even bother trying to find a place to park. I pulled right up into the loop where the ambulances sat waiting, wedging my bakery delivery van in between them like it belonged there.
Then I hurried inside to the front desk. "My friend's son fell at the playground," I told the nurse behind the desk. "He's bruised up and pretty groggy."
I looked behind me and saw Charlie's mom enter first, then stop to press her hand to her heart. Charlie sidestepped her, carrying Malcolm in, his head resting on her shoulder. "Charlie, don't let him fall asleep," I called out.
Immediately, she started touching his face, and tugging on his ears. "Wake up, little man," she told him, the tension pouring out of her voice. "Come on little guy, wake up for Mama please."
"You can go right back," the nurse said, rising up. "If it's a concussion, we need to treat now. Are you the mother?" she asked Charlie. Charlie nodded, biting her lip.
"And I'm her mother," Charlie's mom declared, putting her hand on Charlie's shoulder. Even from several feet away I could still see how badly it was shaking.
"You can both follow me then," the nurse said. Both women nodded and started to head to the double doors.
But once she reached it, Charlie paused and looked back at me. I quickly turned around, grabbing at slip of paper from a notepad at the reception desk and jotting down my number. "Call me," I said, reaching out and handing her the piece of paper. "Let me know how he is. I'll take you home. Whatever you need, okay?"
Charlie stood frozen for a moment, her lower lip wobbling slightly. Then all at once she threw her arm around my back and hugged me tight.
I squeezed her, and then brushed my hand on Malcolm's back, feeling strangely grateful for some reason.
Then I let her go so that she could go back and be with her son.
The drive back to the bakery was strange one. Worry for that sweet little boy ate away at my stomach, but at the same time there was a weird pride twisting in my stomach.
You need someone to look out for you, Zach's voice piped up in my head. I suddenly realized just how long it had been since the last time I heard it.
Not since I'd met Finn and Jackson.
"No I don't," I reminded it. "And what's more, I can help people."
The thought made me smile.