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Charlie Brown looked around for a moment. This wasn't the first time he fainted, but this had been quite an inconvenient time to do so, right in the middle of a baseball game.

''Charlie Brown, you blockhead! Can't you do anything right?''

The rest of the team stared daggers at him. It wasn't his fault he'd collapsed on the field, but he knew that didn't matter much to them. This was just another proof to them that he was just a liability.

Looking down at the ground, he walked away from the field, hoping someone would follow him to reassure him, showing him he had some sort of value to the rest of the team there.

However, as he moved away from the field, he could tell no one was catching up with him. It didn't exactly surprise him, but a part of him had wanted to hold on to the hope that someone out there wanted to help him a bit.

Feeling dizzy and lethargic, he had to make quite an effort to get home, as if something had sapped his strength. Opening the door with his last remnants of stamina, he shambled toward the living room to fall on the couch, unable to move.

Trying to move, he heard the door move on its hinges; could it be Sally? Trying to call for help, he felt a presence near him and was able to move his head before passing out. It was Snoopy, looking on with indifference before heading for the kitchen.

''Man's best friend, ha...''
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''Blah Blah wa wa wa Blah''

Charlie Brown opened his eyes, only to realize that he was now in a hospital bed, with several tubes coming out of him. He felt crushed and empty, but at least he was still alive, for the time being.

''Wa wa, blah blah blah, wa blah''

The chatter of the adults was deafening, and left him unsure of what was happening to him. Moving his head, he noticed a strange-looking machine next to him. On it, a single word froze him in place. As he watched the red liquid flow through the tubes, he read the word dialysis. Even though it was a hard word, he knew what it meant; without it, he would die.

''Blah wa wa Blah, wa wa wa blah blah wa''

The adults left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts and his misery. He hoped his friends would come to visit, since he had a feeling the doctors wouldn't leave him on the machine forever...
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Months passed, leaving him wondering if someone would come to see old Chuck, as they used to call him. Maybe they were planning a party for him, or something like that to cheer him up.

He smiled as he saw his friends passing in the corridor. He couldn't wait for them to delight him with all sorts of stories and jokes so he could take his mind off from this unpleasant ordeal, especially with the adults whispering around him now.

However, his friends continued walking without stopping at his room. Maybe they were lost, maybe they wanted to bring him something special. But he needed to be sure of their intentions...

''Hey gang, what happened during my absence?''

The gang froze for a moment while they stared at him, as if he was disturbing them on some level. Perhaps it was the case, since the machines weren't a pretty sight, but he was sure they'd put it aside soon.

''You just don't even try, Charlie Brown, do you? We're here for Lucy, she broke her left leg, show some compassion you blockhead.''

The gang left as Charlie Brown closed his eyes, counting the minutes before he'd be unplugged...