𝙲𝙰𝙺𝙴 (𝙰 𝙵𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚡𝙱 𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕) 🍰

㉘ 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙺𝚄𝙿

~~~

Charlie

I waited there all night.

I waited there all morning.

I sat there, outside of his hospital room, waiting for Skyler to wake up.

It was 5:32. I was shivering. The hospital was freezing cold.

My left leg bounced rapidly. I rubbed my paws together, trying my best to stay warm.

I made a terrible mistake, choosing not to leave. My car was outside with my coat and my luggage, but I did not want to abandon Skyler as I did so foolishly yesterday.

5:40.

He's still not moving. I can see his rock-solid figure through the blurred window.

5:50.

Claire came down the hall with two cups of steaming hot coffee from Amber's.

"You don't have a coat?" She worried as she handed me the coffee.

"I couldn't leave him," I muttered, taking it from her hands.

The burning heat around the edges of the styrofoam cup began to warm my paws. I held onto it tightly for a few minutes before taking a sip.

6:00.

Jonathan comes down the hallway with crutches under his arms and Becca by his side.

She walks slowly and doubtfully.

She's scared. Scared to see what her 'twin' did to such an innocent animal.

A black cast is wrapped around Jonathan's foot. He stumbles into the chair next to Claire and wraps his arm around her, Claire snuggling closely into his chest. Becca walked up to the window and pressed her paws to it. She gasped softly, covering her mouth with her hand. She couldn't get a clear vision of Sky since the window was blurred, but it was enough to shake her.

She began to cry silently.

I walked up to the wolf and placed my hands on her shoulders tenderly, trying my best to comfort her. She collapsed into my arms, hugging me back.

"I... I'm sorry... I'm sorry he..." Becca tried to enunciate.

"Shh, It's okay... I know..." I whispered, my muzzle resting on her head, my paw rubbing her back as we swayed in an embrace of grief.

But I didn't know... I don't know how she feels or what she's thinking...

I can't imagine what it's like to find out that your best friend is really a... monster. I don't know if she just found out or if she has known the whole time. What I do know is that she's hurt by this. She didn't want this to happen. She feels lied to.

He raped Skyler, behind my back, and betrayed his best friend's trust.

I'm more than glad that he's gone.

6:30.

The floor shook as I tapped my heel to the ground repeatedly.

Jonathan and Becca were half-asleep. Claire was on a phone call in another room.

I sat there, on the bench, bent over, resting my chin on my fists, my elbows resting on my thighs. I stared at the ground. The tile pattern on the floor. The squares, all lined up in rows.

It feels like I've been here for months.

Unexpectedly, two adult cats, one male and one female, came rushing down the hallway. They seemed incredibly disturbed and extremely exhausted. They had bags under their eyes and their fur and clothing were messy and unkempt. It looked like they just got out of bed. I could tell they were trying their best to remain calm, but the fear in their steps uncovered the truth.