The Call 10/10

Epilogue:

"Amita will you quit hovering over me? I'm fine." Charlie had only been home for a few minutes and she'd been like a hummingbird running and fetching him things, covering him with an afghan, and making him put up his feet.

"She can't help it," Larry remarked as she fluttered out of the room again. "None of us can, Charlie. We're all just so happy to have you back."

"I'll second that," Don said carrying platters of food out from the kitchen.

"Here here!" Alan added, a few steps behind Don with more food.

"You know guys, they fed me at the hospital," Charlie protested. "I almost choked to death not almost starved to death." Charlie wanted to make light of the situation but the stares he got in response told him he wasn't going to get to joke his way out of this one.

Alan walked over to him and crouched at his feet. "Son, they fed you through a tube. You can't imagine how that feels as a parent to know your child is hurt so badly they can't even eat or drink much less speak."

Charlie's voice was still a bit raspy but at least he was back on solid food, well mostly solid food.

"But Dad..."

"No buts, Charlie. You may be almost thirty but today's your first day back from the hospital after almost dying from anaphylactic shock and until your doctor gives you a clean bill of health I'm the parent and I'm in charge."

"Fine, as long is it's not the same doctor who gave me the prescription that I had the allergic reaction to in the first place."

Alan gave up and walked off but Don came and took his place.

"Come on buddy, don't joke about this. You remember how hard it was with Mom." Charlie sobered up at the comparison, not wanting to think of his family in pain at his bedside as he had been with their mother. He looked away but Don pulled him back to look at him, taking his hand to get his attention. "We almost lost you, Charlie. So what if we want to fuss over you for a while. Let us. Let us be glad we didn't lose you."

Charlie couldn't speak and merely nodded.

"Here's another one," Terry returned from the front door with yet another floral arrangement. "This one's from the Burdick family." She handed the card to Charlie to read then placed the flowers with the others in the solarium.

Charlie looked at the card, looked around the room at his friends and family, then back at his brother.

"I'm glad too, Don. I'm glad too."