Can She Go Home?

"Are you crazy?!" A shrill voice broke Charlotte out of her stupor, her eyes blinking back tears as she watched the tubes and wires that dwarfed her son in his hospital bed. She looked over at the woman charging down the hallway, fiery rage in her eyes, and Charlotte recoiled in fear. "You left Danny alone near the pool!" Diana Cade, Charlotte's mother-in-law spat venom through her words. "You're lucky my husband saw him before it was too late, and jumped in!" Charlotte shook her head, the tears rolling down her cheeks, "I didn't mean-" she started, trembling to get the words out. "He could have died!" Diana once again screamed, attracting the attention of a nurse down the hall. "He might still, you stupid little girl!" As the nurse made her way over to them, Charlotte shrunk back, becoming smaller and smaller with each word that Diana hurled at her. "I knew I should have never let my son marry you!" Diana hissed. "From the very beginning I knew you were no good." Charlotte shook her head, trying meekly to get a word out. "I love Dar-" "First you get knocked up, ruining Darren's chances at going to college!" That part had been true. Charlotte and Darren had only just graduated from highschool, both accepted into Ivy League colleges, when the positive pregnancy test had changed their lives. Charlotte had told Darren not to worry about it, that she could figure it out while he went to school, but Darren had been the kind of man that girls only dreamed of - kind, supportive and determined to take care of the love of his life. They had moved into a small apartment together, Darren had taken a pause from school to work at a family friend's construction company, and Charlotte had given birth to the miracle child that made it all worth it. At least, Charlotte and Darren thought that Danny made it all worth it. It appeared that Danny's grandmother did not feel the same way about her son's distraction from college. "Then you took Darren away from us by keeping him so busy with work and fawning over you that he never gets to visit!" "That's not true-" Charlotte gets interrupted again, shutting her down before she even gets a chance to speak. "Now you almost kill the one person in this world that Darren loves - his son! You are careless, ignorant, and-" The nurse finally caught up to them, hand on her hip as she glared at the older woman of the duo. "Would you two mind keeping it down over here, it is a hospital!" She turned slightly to face Charlotte, her hardened look softening a little as she took in the disheveled and clearly upset young mother. "You don't deserve to be a mother!" Diana finally came out with it, the words acting like as a blow that threatened to destroy Charlotte. The young girl let out a strangled sob, turning on her heel and running down the hallway towards the exit. She passed her husband, Darren, as he was coming in. The man reached out to grab for her, taking her forearm, his voice thick with worry. "Babe, what happened, is Danny okay? Is he alright?" His eyes held out fear that she was running from a truth that was far too horrible to even consider. In a way, she felt as though she was. "I am so sorry." Charlotte squeaked through her tears, before pulling away from him and fleeing the hospital in hysterics. The pull to follow his wife was distracted from the pull towards his son's hospital room. Darren needed to know what had happened, then he could help his wife. As he did a bit of a run down the hall, he noticed the look of the nurse that stood across from his stepmother Diana. She looked angry, and unimpressed. What the hell had just happened? As he reached the two women, Diana clung to him, large and overexaggerating cries coming from her. "Oh, Darren!" She cried out, gripping at his arm. "How horrible, Charlotte left Danny by the pool alone and he fell in! Your father noticed when he came outside and jumped in to rescue him! Your poor little boy, how could his mother do that to him?!" It didn't make sense, Darren felt overwhelmed with information. Charlotte had called him from the ambulance, crying how Danny had almost drowned. She wouldn't have just left him alone? Before Diana could say much more, the nurse turned to him and put a gentle hand on his arm. "Mr. Cade, I'd like to discuss your son's condition with you, can we go in the room?" At a loss of words, Darren nodded, following her into his son's hospital room. His heart ached as he saw just how small his toddler son looked against all of the machinery, and a thought tightened in his chest. What had Charlotte done? --- Her tears stained her cheeks as she stood in the room that had been hers for the past two and a half years, ever since an overjoyed Darren Cade had carried her over the threshold, excited to start their lives as husband and wife, very soon to be Dad and Mom. What if Diana had been right? Ever since Daniel had been born, Charlotte had second-guessed herself as both a wife and a mother. There always seemed to be a mountain of laundry to be put away, she never had Darren's dinner ready for him after work, and while Daniel was a sweet boy, he would have tantrums that reduced Charlotte to tears. All of Charlotte's friends would tell her that it would all come in time, that she loved her men fiercely and it didn't matter if she was perfect, they loved her just as much. Diana would pray on her weaknesses though. Words would be slung around about the three-course dinners Diana had always had prepared for her husband and three step-sons. She would question aloud whenever Daniel showed up for a visit wearing anything stained, even if the toddler had only just made that stain on the drive over. Most uncomfortable was whenever Daniel would throw his body down to the ground in one of his tantrums, the sneer that Charlotte would recieve could turn her to stone. Charlotte had always known Diana Cade didn't think well of her - the Cade's were old money, the kind to have a large cottage on the lake, fancy cars, and expensive designer bags that cost more than a mortgage payment. Charlotte had come from nothing, orphaned at a young age, and raised by an aging grandmother. Where Darren had filet mignon and roasted vegetables, Charlotte had mac and cheese and canned ravioli that wasn't always cooked through. It hadn't mattered to them, though. Darren had loved her the moment he first saw her, protesting the renovation (and subsequent destruction) of Haven's Main Street. She had been fifteen years old and full of fire for injustice. He rallied behind her, and they had gone from platonically researching town statutes in the library, to kissing publically after they won their war against the man. He had always seen an intelligent, passionate and headstrong woman - Diana had seen a girl not worthy the ground her stepson walked on, much less his heart. It was Darren's wishes that won at first, his words had swooned Charlotte and sold her on the idea that fairytale men existed. The past two years of Diana's meddling had taken a toll on her though. Charlotte's head screamed at her - don't do this, not to Darren, not to Danny. The emotions of the day were quickly winning though, and the twenty-one year old packed a bag with what little clean clothes she had in her dresser. Darren would be better off without her; he could move home like Diana had always suggested, his parents would probably pay for him to finally go to school, he would never have to come home to dirty laundry or a half-assed dinner. He would never have to come home and see his wife crying on the floor over his son's behaviour. Danny would be better off without her too; Grandma Di always made him lunch the way that he liked, she cut his sandwiches into little triangles and washed his clothes with fabric softener. Diana was right, both of her boys would be so much better without her. Charlotte had to leave, she just wanted the best for the men she loved. She penned a note, short and simple, she couldn't fit all of her feelings and emotions on the lined piece of scrap paper she had found in her old writing desk. And then Charlotte left. --- In the time it took Charlotte to take a taxi to the airport, purchase a plane ticket to Vancouver, and actually board her flight, Darren had left 11 text messages and three voice mails. Charlotte, please come back to the hospital. Our son and I need you here with us. Whatever was said between Diana and you, I'm sure can be worked out. Danny's awake and he's asking for you. The last text had sent Charlotte over the edge, bringing her to tears in the back of the taxi cab. The driver, for what it was worth, gave her a concerned look before ultimately staying out of it. She was grateful to not have to talk about it. They want to keep Danny overnight for observation. Maybe you can grab his Momo and a pair of pajamas and then come back here for a goodnight kiss? I can come and get you so you don't have to drive? Charlotte, please answer me! Danny is okay, he's fine, nobody blames you for what happened. She stared straight forward as her phone constantly buzzed during the check-in process at the airport, turning it off just long enough to go through security without alerting anyone to the desperation and distress coursing through her body. As she sat in the airport cafe, Charlotte turned her phone on to a few desperate texts and felt her heart crumble again. I'm coming home to get you, I'm not going to let you beat yourself up over this. I'll be there in fifteen minutes, my Father is keeping an eye on Danny. I just pulled in the driveway, where's your car Charlotte? By the time she boarded the plane and found her seat, Charlotte had been left three voicemails. Her heart leapt into her chest as she finally listened to them, hoping to hear them all before the flight attendants would request everyone turn off their electronics. "Where are you, Charlotte? Please call me back. Are you going back to the hospital to see Danny, let me know and I'll meet you there. I don't blame you at all, I never would, no matter what my stepmother says. Besides, Danny is fine, everything is okay. Well, I am going to get into a change of clothes and head back to the hospital, I hope you get this before you show up so you know I'm not angry. I love you, see you soon." "Charlotte... Why is your suitcase missing, and your drawers empty? Baby, whatever is going on, we will get through this together. Danny needs us both to help him. Please answer my phone, you can come back, I swear I'm not angry. Diana was an i***t, she said that she suggested you should have been watching Danny closer. She had no right to say that and I told her off, everyone knows you love Danny. This is a little extreme for her being a bit rude though. Please, call me, I love you." "I found your note. Please tell me it's a joke. I don't care what anyone says, you are a great mother and we need you Charlotte! Please, call me, come home, anything... Just say that this letter is a joke. Tell me you're not leaving. I won't let you, I'll find you, I'll bring you home. Charlotte, I love you! You're my wife! You can't just leave, come home, Danny needs his Mama and I need... Well, I need you. I love you baby, please... Just come home." As the plane started to take off, Charlotte wiped her tears sadly, turning off her phone once more and staring out the window. "You both deserve better, one day you'll thank me."