Just us.

18. The fallout

One of the most awful things happened this morning, a child had a seizure and Jodie took him outside?! As much as I care about Jodie, I think it's time to start focusing on the children. And Jodie isn't right for this job. Maybe Mia was right about something.

The ambulance drives out of the car park, Marjorie and I are outside,
"Thank god they got here so fast"
"I know. Could have been a lot worse" Marjorie agrees
"Yeah, it, it could have. Um, what's gonna happen with Jodie?"
"Well she's a bit shaken up. So I was thinking of putting her in the kitchen for a little while. Chef is absolutely drowning so she could use the extra help" Jodie? Help? In the kitchen?
"You're gonna put Jodie where the food is prepared? For the children?"
"Well she'll just be chef's assistant. You know, taking food to and from the rooms, small things. She'll never have to worry about actually preparing the food"
"I see" I nod "just like she would never have to worry about dealing with an emergency?"
"What do you mean?" She asks
"Well you always said that if there was ever an emergency with a child. Jodie would never have to be involved with it because she wouldn't know what to do. Yet, she found herself in the centre of one today and made it 10x worse"
"I dunno about '10 times"
"Marjorie. She carried a seizing child out to the car park and put them on the ground" I remind her. How could she not see this as seriously as I do?

"She didn't know what she was doing. She thought she was helping by getting the child out to the paramedics quicker"
"Exactly. She didn't know what she was doing. And I think we need to stop burying our head in the sand about that" it has to end sooner or later. We can't keep doing this.
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying maybe a nursery isn't the right fit for Jodie" I suggest
"Why? Because she made a mistake"
"A mistake that's lead to a child being taken away in the back of an ambulance covered in cuts and bruises" can she not see that?
"Trust me, no one feels more guilty about that than Jodie. She's gonna go for some intensive training to make sure that never happens again"
"Until it does" I sigh.

"Charlotte give her a break. It was one time" it's not though.
"Marjorie it's not just one time though. How many times has a child almost been given something they're intolerant to or allergic to by her?"
"Key word being almost. It didn't actually happen" why is she sticking up for her when I know she knows what's really happening. I love and care about Jodie too, but this is serious. Can Marjorie seriously not see that we need to think about the kids in this situation?
"Actually, it did happen on a couple of occasions. And if it didn't, it's because one of us quickly intervened" she folds her arms across her chest and sighs
"Charlotte. I think you're being a bit unfair to Jodie" unfair? Unfair? "A couple of mistakes here and there, isn't grounds to dismiss her"
"But Marjorie one of these days one of them mistakes could result in a child getting seriously hurt. Okay. You've just seen one being taken to hospital!" I exclaim
"Which is why I'm putting her in the kitchen"

It feels like she's not listening at all. Or thinking about the kids.
"Where an accident is even more likely to happen! What if Chef needs her help and she gives a child something they are seriously allergic too? Will it take a child to almost die for you to realise that maybe Jodie shouldn't be here?!" Okay, I'll admit that was a bit harsh but it needs to be said and someone needs to say it.
"Charlotte why are you trying so hard to get rid of Jodie? Honestly! You sound like Mia"

In that moment the world stopped. I sound like Mia? Maybe Mia was right. She isn't the villain everyone paints her out to be. She isn't just a bad person! She was a child too. Just like Reece and autumn was. She got the wrong end of Roger and she suffered all these years under his manipulation and grooming. That doesn't make her a villain. That makes her an innocent child who had no one in her corner to protect her. Just like Reece and Autumn.

"Maybe she had a point" I roll my eyes. I'm done with this conversation now.
"You best be joking! You think Mia had a right to frame Jodie and almost get her fired for something she didn't do?!" No. That's not right at all...
"No! Not the way she went about it" the same way I went about framing her "But did you know that in the week Jodie was suspended, things run much smoother"
"What are you talking about?"
"When you were on holiday. You wouldn't know this. But when the temp came in to cover her, there were far fewer accidents. Parents weren't being sent the wrong pictures of their child, or the wrong daily diaries. Food and nappies and toileting was all updated correctly on the app" I list, "everything ran so much smother and made all of our lives easier" Marjorie sighs,
"Look, I know-"
"No you don't Marjorie!" I interrupt, "you don't actually know anything that goes on in the room"
"Excuse me?!"
"Marjorie you are in the office all day, okay? When you work in a room with Jodie, and she's counted in ratio, but all she does is read books, it means we have to pick up her slack. All her nappies, her naps, her snacks, her activities. We have to do that for her because she's only trusted enough to read books!"
"Because we wanted to make sure she felt included and that she was doing something she was good at!"
"And I'm glad that she's found something she's so good at, but it means it's extra work for everybody else because she's not doing any of the other tasks. So in addition to doing everything for our own groups, we're doing it for hers as well! And on top of that, we also have to keep an eye on Jodie. In case she hurts herself, or far worse, a child!" How can she not see what's right in front of her? My anger is just boiling and boiling. I just want to explode.
"Have a bit of compassion Charlotte. Jodie's trying her best" she says
"We're all trying our best Marjorie!except myself, Winter, Sorscha, Carly, we are drowning in the extra workload because we have to pick up after Jodie too"
"Charlotte" she signs, "I have known you a long time and to be honest, I don't recognise you right now" now that one stung...

"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you have become so cold and detached lately" she calms her voice a lot more "I mean, the Charlotte I know wouldn't be trying to get rid of Jodie. That's something that horrible wrench Mia would do"
Right. Of course. Because she's the bad guy. Or is she the just the only one that can see what's going on here? "Look Charlotte, I don't know what is going on with you at the moment, okay. But trying to get rid of another staff member, that's not the answer. So whatever this is, you gotta leave it at the door" LEAVE IT AT THE DOOR? Is she serious?

"Like you do?!" I blurt out
"What do you mean by that?"
"You're telling me to leave my problems at the door? Yours is practically banging the door of the nursery down! I mean look at the drama we've had going on recently!"
"That is not fair, okay. That wasn't me that was Mia that brought all that  crap to our doorstep"
"It was all Mia? So you've not been being anything personal to work with you?" I ask
"No I don't do that" what? I can't quite fully believe what I am hearing. I love Marjorie, but seriously? She 'doesn't do that'?

"Really? So while children are having seizures on the gravely ground, you're not on the phone having some kind of flirty session with your new boyfriend?" I could tell that made her angry
"Charlotte you need to back off right now" Maybe that was too harsh. I like Reece. And I like that she's finally happy with someone. But she's still so oblivious to what's actually happening here.

"No. It's about time somebody told you that whilst the nursery has become a setting for you to have your notebook moment, the staff are in the rooms killing themselves and now children are getting hurt too and you are still oblivious to it"
"Right I am done with this conversation and I am done with you. Okay? Bottom line, we are not getting rid of Jodie. Do you understand?" Whatever.
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when this ticking time bomb eventually does go off"
"With the right support, it never will. But I'll be sure to not include you in that anymore" Marjorie says
"Fine" Charlotte rolls her eyes and walks away.

Wow. I've never snapped like that before. Especially not at Marjorie. Maybe it's the sleep deprivation or constant back and forth with Nathan. Or maybe it's the way she brought Mia into it. I hate this. I hate arguing with her. We're supposed to be friends.