What Reese saw when he got that door open, he will never forget. Charlotte laying in a pool of her own urine, throw up, and blood. She laid still and couldn't stop crying,"Please! Please I've been good I promise. I didn't try to leave. Please!" She began to sob out, she thought with the force the door came open that was for sure Nick coming back to get her.
Reese stood there frozen. Marjorie was asking him questions but he couldn't find the words to answer. "Marjorie. Call an ambulance now." That was the last thing he said before hanging up on her. He was afraid to approach Charlotte.
He felt himself begin to cry. He had never seen anyone this vulnerable. He was the one who took beatings to protect Autumn. He wipes his eyes and bends down close to Charlotte,"Hey Char, it's okay. It's okay" He reached out a hand to gently pet her hair and she began to cry harder,"No! Nick stop!"
Charlotte's eyes were swollen shut from the broken nose and from the hours of crying. Reese's heart broke at the fact she couldn't see it was him and not that monster. He could hear the siren down the road and took a breath of relief. "Charlotte, you're safe. It's me, Reece."
She wanted to believe it so badly but he had been known to lie. She knew she was out of it and couldn't really decipher between voices anyway. She could hear a lot of things happening behind her and all of a sudden it became a lot of people talking and so many things happening all at once.
"Charlotte, my name is Diane and I'm going to be with you as we travel to the hospital to get you better okay?"
Her head lolled to the side and that's what broke Reece. He had to take a moment out of the room as they evaluated Charlotte. He messaged Marjorie she needed to get Charlottes mom to watch the girls and that she needed to pick Mia up.
Marjorie managed to get Michelle, Charlotte's mom, to get to the house at the same time she did. She told her she'd call her once she knew what was going on. Mia was very confused and worried at this point. What had happened to her sweetheart?
"Marjorie? What are you doing here?"
"Not much time to talk. We need to get going now." She never imagined this would be happening but she felt so horribly for Mia. She knew how much Mia loved Charlotte.
"You better tell me what the fuck is going on." Mia's anger started to build as she felt she was being left in the dark.
Marjorie took a breath before beginning to drive to the hospital,"Mia. I called Reece and sent him up to the nursery to look for Charlotte. I'm not sure what he must've found or seen but we are heading to the hospital."
Quickly Mia's anger switched to sadness. She didn't like it when others saw her cry, let alone Marjorie, but she couldn't help it as she felt the tears rain down her cheeks. Marjorie felt a lump in her throat at the sight. She wondered if she should tell Mia the whole truth,"Mia, Nick wasn't the man I thought he was. She told me he would abuse her in front of the girls and degrade her."
Yep. Now it's anger again.
"He put his hands on Charlotte. You're telling me he's been putting his hands on Charlotte for years and nobody fucking noticed." She seethed and paused," My poor baby." Back into sadness it went. She cried quietly the rest of the way to the hospital.
Marjorie helped her out of the car,"Mia I know we aren't the best of friends but I'm here for you and Charlotte." She opened her arms for a hug and was shocked when the other woman actually accepted it.
"Thank you Marjorie."
The walk into the hospital was grilling and caused their stomachs to hurt even more. Reece stood in the waiting room with his head in his hands. He couldn't get the image of Charlotte on the floor covered in herself out of his head. "Marjorie, you need to close the nursery tomorrow."
She looks at him funny,"Why? What did you see? I thought you said this was to make sure she was okay?"
He sighed for a moment,"I'm not sure what happened but it's not good. She had gotten sick all over the room and herself. She was so scared to get up that she went to the bathroom on herself as well. Not to mention the blood." He shakes his head trying to keep together,"She was so terrified. I tried to tell her she was safe and it was me. But she kept saying not to touch her and she had been good this time. She called me…" He tried to remember,"Uh I think Nick."
Mia straightened up and looked around, she wondered if they knew where her mind was going as she began to bolt to the door. But there stood Autumn blocking her from going out there,"Reece told me there was a chance you might try and run off. You need to stay here. Charlotte needs you."
Mia wasn't sure how long she spent crying in the waiting room longing to hear some news. She could feel the 3 others watching her curiously. She felt her phone buzz and she looked to see it was Renee calling her. It was almost 11pm at night. Why was she still awake?
"Hello Ren are you alright?" She tried to still her voice so she wouldn't be worried.
"Mom, I'm scared and can't sleep."
" Did you want Mom to sing to you?" She took a deep breath,"What song do you want, Renee?"
"Seven?"
"Okay sweetheart. Let me get to a quiet spot so I can sing you to sleep. "
Mia walked back into the corner of the waiting room as she sang Renee to sleep with tears in her eyes. She could tell she was asleep because of the breathing change,"Goodnight my sweet Ren, Mom and Mama love you so much"
Marjorie, Autumn, and Reece watched with their jaws dropped. She furrowed her eyebrows,"What?"
"Does Renee call you mum?" Marjorie asked curiously. Mia grinned just a little bit,"Yes she does. Ellie calls me Mommy too."
It felt like an eternity before a doctor spoke asking for Charlotte's family to talk with her. "Hi everyone. My name is Dr.Stevens and I'm taking care of Charlotte. She is conscious but not really aware of what is happening. She currently can't see because of how swollen her eyes are from her broken nose as well as an orbital fracture. She has several abrasions on her back and stomach along with several points of blunt force trauma. Whatever she went through, she is a survivor and very strong."
"Is she going to be okay?" Autumn was one of the first to speak up.
"Over time, she'll be alright. In the morning we will have a few more tests we have to do but she is so exhausted and needs the rest." Dr Stevens looks around the group,"Is there a Mia here?"
Mia sits up straight,"Hi. Amelia Roberts, that's me."
She smiled softly at her,"She's been asking for you. Would you like to go back and see her?" She lead Mia back to charlottes room. The feeling was so solemn. She was trying to prepare herself to see Charlotte in such a vulnerable state. Nothing could prepare her for that moment she saw her face.
"Mia, you need to be strong for her. If you need a moment take one outside and come back. You seem hopeless it will only make her worse." The doctor says before letting Mia into the room. Mia immediately had to walk back out and began to cry. Her poor sweetheart. She should've been there to protect her. Before she knew it, someone was putting their hand on their shoulder.
Reece could predict how Mia was going to react and wanted to make sure she was going to be okay. "When I walked up to the preschool room and could hear her, she was crying for you, Mia. She needs you there. You can fall apart out here but she needs you in there for her."
He wipes the tears from her cheeks and sends her back into the room with Charlotte. She was laying there on the edge of sleep and Mia sat down in the chair next to her. Be strong for her, she reminds herself. She grabbed Charlotte's hand and brushed it gently with her thumb.
"Hello my sweetheart."

Authors note-
I hope you guys are enjoying this story! I love you 💕