Part two of Kidnapped

"None that I know of. How about yourself?"

"Haven't had the time to break any hearts. I teach full time, then I
have to take care of little critter when I get back. She takes after
me."

"I can just imagine."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"No, but I know how hyper you can get; so I can just see a five year
old version of you."

"You had to remember that one thing about me didn't you?"

"It's kind of hard not to, especially when you seemed to be constantly
bouncing off the walls."

"I wasn't that bad was I?"

"Okay, I exaggerated, you only bounced off walls every other
day."

"Yes, and you were always there when I came down."

"Then, you were back to bouncing again."

"If you want something or someone to blame for my hyperactivity, you'd
have to look in the mirror."

"Are you implying that I was the cause of you being hyper?"

"Well, yes."

"Ok, now who's the one being insulting?"

"Just pointing out the facts. Besides, I didn't ever see you
complaining."

"You still won't either."

"Ok, now that we have gone in a complete circle, why don't we go inside
and see Ronnie."

"You're the one who brought it up."

"Me? You were the one who said I was hyper."

"Man, I missed this."

"What?"

"The two of us, just joking around like we were back in school again.
It's as if the years didn't really pass us by. I'm glad you haven't
changed too much. I mean of course you've changed, but you're still the
feisty, funny, easy-going girl I knew five years ago."

"And you're still a pain in my neck or a body part lower," Erica said
opening the car door."

"Takes one to know one," Charlie said meeting Erica on the other side
of the car.
Erica laughed easily and nudged Charlie with her elbow. Charlie put an
around Erica's shoulders and they entered the hospital together. Erica
shuddered as she remembered the last time she was in a hospital.
Charlie squeezed her shoulder gently, to remind her that he
understood.
The hospital's hallways seemed to stretch and grow as they made there
way to Ronnie's room. At one point Erica got so uncomfortable they had
to sit down for a few minutes.

"It's that smell, it would be like any other building if it wasn't for
that smell." Erica said as she sat with arms wrapped around her knees,
and Charlie stroking her back gently.

"That sterile sick person smell."

"When I'm sick I'm going to make sure my hospital doesn't smell like
this."

"I'm afraid they all smell like this."

"Ugh, I hope Ronnie doesn't have to stay here for very long."

"He'll be out of here by this time tomorrow."

"From your lips to God's ears." Erica said smiling weakly.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"What that I'm a closet church go-er? No, my sister used to say that
when I would say something like about her getting out of the hospital
early, not staying sick for long things like that."

"So, she was optimistic about God?"

"She believed he wouldn't let her suffer for too long."

"I wish I would have known her, she sounded like a remarkable
person."

"She was, not to be negative toward her, but if you like me you
probably wouldn't have liked her. When I was cheery, she was dark. I
think it had to do with the fact she knew she was going to die."

"Like you were total opposites of each other."

"Not so, severe, more like compliments. I taught her how to face life,
and she taught me to face death. I hope I'll be able to teach Carrie
half of the things Elizabeth taught me." Erica said looking at Charlie
her eyes filling with tears.

"There's still a lot of time, we'll get her back," he said
instinctually wiping her tears away and then wrapping his arms around
her in a protective hug just letting her cry.
They both sat their arms wrapped around each other; well after the
tears had stopped flowing. Neither Charlie nor Erica wanted to let go.
Erica for the first time in nearly five years she felt as if she could
actually let go.
A few minutes later Erica whispered into Charlie's ear. "I'm glad
you're here right now. I missed you so much." As she said this a new
batch of tears spilled free.

"Shh," Charlie said stroking her hair softly.

"I'm going to go and splash some cold water on my face, then we'll go
see Ronnie." Erica said untangling herself from Charlie.

"Ok, I'll be here," he said standing up as she left.

Erica made her way down to the bathroom; the feeling of being able to
let go had disappeared once she left the comfort of Charlie's arms. She
opened the bathroom in the mirror and tried to remember what she was
like five years earlier. Her hair back then was lighter then it was
now. She no longer wore glasses; she had laser surgery a few years
back. Other than that, she hadn't changed all that much over the years,
a new freckle or two here and there, a slight weariness that shows up
in her eyes after a long day with the kids at school and Carrie at
home. One thing that she didn't remember being there was the smile that
was on her lips that very moment. She could vaguely remember smiling,
she wasn't unhappy, but it was tough being a guardian to two kids, and
teaching full time. She remembered the last time she had smiled, and
Charlie was there then too.

Charlie looked at his watch, it was 10 at night, and did the two of
them really spend two hours talking? He smiled, he remember all of
those nights when the two of them would sit in Charlie's apartment just
talking because Erica didn't want to go back to school. One night in
particular he remembered and smiled.