Chapter 69

The girls were all lying so that their tails were pointed towards the house. Chris and I were the only ones who saw John and Charlie come outside. Charlie looked good, considering what he'd been through. He had a patch over his right eye. He was wearing shorts and a short sleeve dress shirt. The shirt looked like it was a little big for him but wasn't loose. I assumed he had a brace of some type on. His posture was a little too perfect, too stiff.

I put my index finger up to my lips, making the universal "ssshh" sign to all three of them. I held up the sunscreen I'd just used and pointed at Mary. Charlie nodded and walked over.

"So, Chris. I hear you and Old Lady Simpson are an item these days." I figured I could cover up any noise of Charlie's movements if we were talking.

"Huh?"

"Well, from what I hear, you knocked on her door and the next thing you know, Sara's walking home by herself. And then she has to eat all by herself because the old lady talks you into staying for dinner."

Charlie had the sunscreen and was heading over towards Mary.

"It wasn't like that. She's just lonely. And I figured I'd help her out."

He was kneeling next to her butt. She was on the towel, her head on her hands. Her face was turned to the right, Charlie was on her left. A snore wouldn't have surprised me.

"Yeah, right. I've heard that one before. She was lonely. She just wanted company. I figured I'd help her out."

Charlie was rubbing the lotion into Mary's shoulders.

"No. She's just a sweet old lady. She doesn't have anybody. She's glad to have me help out with the lawn. And she just needs somebody to talk to."

"Jack, I've got enough sunscreen on me already. I don't need any more."

"It's not me, Mary. I'm way over here."

"Chris. Stop it."

"I'm over here."

Mom lifted up to see who it was. She held her hand to her mouth so she wouldn't blow it. I could see the smile and the twinkle in her eyes.

My sister finally lifted her head and started to turn around. "Well then, who is..."

"CHARLIE! What are you doing here?"

She rolled over and sat up in one smooth motion, wrapping her arms around him. She pulled back quickly and looked at him.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Nah. I can't feel anything through this stupid brace. You could throw a rock at me and I wouldn't feel it."

She reached for his hand and took in both of hers, holding it to her chest.

"Are you OK? Are you out of the hospital?"

"I'm about to fall over. I'm not used to squatting down like this. Could we go sit down someplace?"

"Oh, Charlie. I'm so sorry."

"It's OK. You didn't know."

She'd already started to stand when she was talking and now she pulled him upright by both hands. She wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and started to walk towards the table with the food on it.

"Mary, you don't need to carry me. I'm not a cripple. There are just some things that are a little difficult with this stupid brace."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

She let the arm slide off her shoulders but made sure to hang on to his hand. They made it over to the table without any trouble. The sat down next to each other on the bench.

"OK. Now I can answer your questions. First off, yes I'm as OK as can be expected this early. I have some work to do but I'm surviving well without having to take any medication for it. And in the second place, yes, I am out of the hospital. If I was in the hospital, I wouldn't be here."

"I'm sorry."

"Mary. Please. I'm OK. Stop saying you're sorry every time I say something. There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

"I'm sorry. I mean... I'm sorry. Oh Charlie, I don't know what I mean."

He reached up and put one hand on either side of her face, pulling her toward him. She looked surprised as he started to kiss her, then she settled into it. I could hear her moan from where I was.

They separated and she went to put her arms around him, pulled back, then held his hand.

"I don't know where I can touch you without hurting you."

I was still next to Jill. I mumbled, "I know where she can touch him." That got me a punch in the arm.

"You can touch me just about anywhere. I have a brace on from here to here," he motioned from just under his arms to above his waistband. "I can't feel anything where I've got the brace."

"How's your eye?"

"Mary, I lost my eye. All I have there is an empty socket."

I could see the pain in her face. "Oh, God. Oh, Charlie. Does it hurt?"

"No, not any more. I had some other things that hurt a lot more. But I'm pretty much over the pain unless I do something to mess up my ribs. And that's pretty hard whenever I wear this brace."

"Charlie. I know you don't like it, but I am sorry. It's my fault all this happened to you."

He stood up, towering over her. I could see the anger in his face. Mary was looking at him but she actually shrank back a bit.

"If you're going to talk like that, I don't want to be around you. This is not your fault. We happened to run into a bunch of doped up criminals who got off on beating us up. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have protected you. I feel badly every time I think of you. And I think of you a lot. I don't ever want to hear you apologize for that again. Do you hear me?"