Mistakes of our past | Rhekker

Chapter 78- Carlota

"Carlota!"
"Hank call an ambulance!" Connor shouted over his shoulder.
Carlota was unconscious on her kitchen floor and their was a chunk of dried blood in her hair. Connor check her breathing and heart rate, both of which were slowed.
"What can I do?" Hank came running in, searching for any sign of injury injury.
Connor spotted her phone on the table, "pass me that, she's diabetic"
Connor used Carlota's phone to check her glucose levels.

Connor pulled her bag off the table and rooted through it, "tilt her head back so she can get more air" Connor commanded.
He found the packet of insulin and needles in her bag and measured it out.
Connor stuck the needle into her thigh and injected it.
"Come on Carlota, don't do this to me" he whispered, urging her to stay alive.
Her eyes fluttered open slightly before closing again.
"She's there" he confirmed as sirens whaled outside.

Connor rode with Carlota in the ambulance, never letting go of her hand.
"Stay with me, please" he whispered, holding her hand between his.
"Female, 63, diabetic, suspected assault" the paramedic called out as they walked into med.
"Connor?" Will asked, surprised to see him out of the house.
"I gave her an insulin shot in her house" he said.
"This is Carlota, she was my nanny"
"Why don't you go take a seat in the doctors lounge, I'll call you when we're done" Will put a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah okey" he mumbled, walking away to the doctors lounge.

Connor held his head in his hands between his knee's. First his fiancés missing and now the women that raised him was in the hospital.
"Hey Connor" comes a voice from beside him, looking up he spots Natalie, having not heard her come in.
"I heard about Carlota, they think it was a robbery gone wrong" she patted his back.
"Nothing about that was accidental. She was the only one who had an unaccounted for key to our house" Connor salad hoarsely.
"So someone robbed Carlota to get to Ava" Nat whispered.
Natalie brought Connors head to her shoulder, rubbing her back.
"Carlota's going to be okey, we got her sugar levels back up. She just has a minor concussion"
"Why don't you pick Sophia up from school and get Amelia from the sitter? You can go back to ours and watch a movie with them"
"I can't" he cried.
"All I see when I look at them is Ava"
"I'm a coward" he shook his head.
"Connor, you need to stand together as a family, spend time with them. There missing their mother just a much as you are. Don't let them loose their father as well"

Connor nodded, knowing Nat was right. He picked up his things and grabbed his jacket. He went by Carlota's room and kissed her on the forehead, leaving his number at the nurses station to ring when she woke up. Connor drove to Sophias school and waited for her to come to the office.
"Pa" she came flying into his arms. Natalie had taken to dressing Sophia since when he did it she was left in mismatched outfits.
Connor scooped her into his arms and she kissed his cheek.
"Did you find Ma?" She asked.
"No, not yet princess" he zipped her jacket up before carrying her outside.
"Where did you hear that?"
"I went to the bathroom last night and heard Uncle Will say Ma was gone" she played with his hair.

"Yeah, she's gone away for a bit. But I'm going to bring her back to us" he kissed her forehead and strapped her into her car seat. Connor drove to the babysitters and picked up Amelia.
"Thanks again for watching her" he said before carrying Amelia back to the car.
Connor drove to his house, instead of Nat and Will's. He knew his girls needed some normality, which they weren't going to find sleeping on the floor of their aunts house.
Connor carried Amelia in and Sophia ran into the house. He shut the door behind him and flicked on the light. The house seemed quieter and lonely without Ava in it, like it was missing something. Connor passed the living room window and saw the lilacs in the flower boxes wilting, bowing their heads to the ground.

Connor brought Amelia upstairs, passing by Sophias room he saw her playing happily with her dollhouse, not a care in the world. He brought Amelia to her room and changed her into some indoor clothes, stripping off her cold outer layers. He sat down in the egg chair and nursed her, stroking her hair softly.
"Ma loves you my angel" he kissed her forehead, carrying her into the hall.
"Soph? Do you want to watch a move?" He asked.
"Yes, yes. Let's watch rapunzal" she cheered, running down the stairs.

Connor carried Amelia downstairs and joined Sophia on the sofa. He placed Amelia in her portable bassist and went to the microwave. "Sophia do you want butter on your popcorn?"

"Ava do you want butter on your popcorn?" He asked over his shoulder.
"Yes, please" she smiled to him from the sofa.
Connor and Ava were settling in for the night to watch Casablanca in their old apartment.
Connor sat down and handed her a bowl, "Thank you" she kissed his cheek.
"My Cowboy" she rested her head on his shoulder, popping a kernel I her mouth

"Eh, what was that Soph?" Connor shook his head of the memories.
"I said yes pa" Sophia repeated, waving a teddy bear above Amelia.
"There you go" he handed her to bowl, "it's hot, be careful"
Connor took Amelia and held her against his chest. Wrapping his free arm over Sophias shoulders as the movie started.

Connor couldn't follow the story, all he thought about was Ava. How could he watch a movie with his girls while she was missing and pretend like nothing was wrong?
Was she even alive?

Connor shook his head, Ava was alive, he knew it, he could feel it. Sophia yawned and nuzzled her head into Connors arm, clinging onto it.
"Time for bed princess" Connor asked.
Sophia sleepily nodded and Connor turned off the movie. He held Amelia in his arms and threw Sophia over his shoulder.
"Go get ready buba" he nudged her into the bathroom.
While Sophia was washing her face Connor put Amelia down for the night. He laid her down and watched her, putting his finger under her tiny one.

He left the door a jar and got Sophia some fresh pyjamas. He helped her change and brush out her hair. "Goodnight, Princess"
Sophia pouted, looking up to him sorrowfully.
"What's wrong" he stoked her hair.
"I miss Ma" she cried, kicking her legs in the air.
"Oh, Sophia" he took her in his arms, "I miss Ma too, but she's going to come back"
"Okey, I'm going to bring her back to you" he kissed her temple. "I promise"
Sophia nodded her head and laid back onto her pillow.
"Can you stay till I go to sleep?" She asked softly.
"Of course" Connor sat up on the bed with her, wrapping his arm around her.

Sophia was soon out like a light, Connor slipped out from under her, shutting the door softly behind him. Connor looked down the hall to his bedroom door, their bedroom door. He was paralysed by a feeling he couldn't really place. Connor couldn't bring himself to go there without her. Connor went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, he opened the medicine cabinet to put the toothpaste back when he spotted something; Ava's perfume.
Connor spat out the foam and washed his tooth brush. Drying his face he took the bottle, spraying a little bit on his wrist. Connor smelt the fumes and smiled.

Avery

He spayed a little more over his shirt before returning the bottle to the cabinet. Connor closed the door after him and went down to the living room. He set up the sofa for him to sleep on, taking off his short he placed it over his pillow, smelling Ava's perfume, clutching the pillow in his arms. Connor drifted off, getting better sleep the he had the last few nights.

*

Connor woke to his phone buzzing next to him on the coffee table. He rolled onto his side, ignoring the device. It stopped buzzing but started again, making Connor groan.
"Dr. Rhodes phone" he sighed.
"Hi, Dr. Rhodes. It's Marie at the front desk, your friend Carlota woke up about a half an hour ago"
Connor scrambled out of bed, "yes, thank you, thank you for the call"
"No problem" she hung up.

Connor pulled his shirt off his pillow and onto his body. After quickly ringing Will to come over and watch the girls Connor go into his car and rushed off to Med.

"Carlota? Carlota" he ran into her ward.
"Connor" she smiled, holding her arms out.
"Oh, you're okey" he threw his arms around her.
"You're okey" he stoked her hair.
"You smell like Lilacs" she chuckled, patting his back.
"What's happened are you okey?"
"Yes I'm alright now. But Ava, is Ava alright, and the baby?" she gasped, sitting up in bed
Connors face fell and Carlota shook her head, patting his hand.
"I tried to stop him, I tried." She cried.
"Who, Carlota? Who attacked you"
"That Bastard that your sister married" she spat.

A/n: only seven chapters left 🤭