One Shots 'The nursery nurse'

What I love most Part II

Mia was humming to herself, standing in front of the coffee machine and making herself a cup. The sunlight was shining into the kitchen.

" Good morning Mia."

She turned to the voice, Charlotte entered the room. With a broad smile.

"Good morning sweetheart. Would you like a coffee too?"

The brunette nodded and leaned against the kitchen counter next to her.

" Mia?"

"Yes, sweetheart," Mia looked up. There was sadness in Charlotte's eyes.

She put her hand on the redhead's cheek.

" Don't blame yourself."

Mia looked at her, confused. " What do you mean?"

"Mia, it's not your fault..." she smiled weakly at her.

A sudden headache spread through Mia. She put both hands over her face out of reflex. A metallic odour immediately hit her nose.

She looked at her hands. Blood.

Mia looked at Charlotte, startled, but she had disappeared.

The redhead opened her eyes.

Silence. She sat alone in the dark in her bed. Mia looked next to her as she always did, hoping that this time she would be lying next to her again.

But the side of the bed was empty. As it had been for years.

Mia pulled her legs to her chest and rested her head on her knees. Tears flowed quietly.

The water ran down her body. She still had time before she had to turn up at the board of directors meeting.

Mia closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the tiles in front of her.

The warm water calmed her down a little. But the images from that night were buzzing around in her head again.

How she held Charlotte in her arms.
How the rescuers pulled her away from her. The blood spreading like a lake on her wooden floor.
How the emergency doctor tried everything. While three police officers had to hold her back.

And finally how the doctor looked at the police officers and just shook his head.

The water was getting cold.

Before she went to the nursery, she made a detour somewhere else first. She drove to the little flower shop that was already open at six in the morning. The old lady who ran the shop knew Mia by now and knew exactly what she wanted.

Then she drove to the place where Charlotte was now resting.

She carefully laid the single black rose on the ground in front of her.

"Hey sweetheart..." she murmured.

Mia looked up. The gravestone in front of her had her name on it.

The name of the love she has lost.

Mia entered the room, she was the last as usual. Autumn had already started the meeting.

She sat down in silence and immediately noticed the eyes on her.

Autumn gave her a brief nod before she continued talking.

But Mia wasn't listening, she looked around the room.

Reece was sitting at the other end of the table, typing on his laptop. Marjorie sat next to him and seemed to be listening intently to Autumn. She was playing with the wedding ring on her finger.

Mia looked to the other side of the table where Siobhan sat alone, taking notes. She had turned out to be one of Roger's victims. But no matter how much she said she didn't know about Roger's plans, Mia would never forgive her.

Finally, Mia looked at Autumn as she stood in front of everyone and pointed to the Nursery's income. That she was still working at all. In six weeks she would give birth.

Everyone in the room seemed to be getting on with their lives.
Everyone had somehow managed to come to terms with the loss of Charlotte.

Except Mia.

Because the monster responsible for her death was still on the run.

Roger may not have pressed the trigger that ripped Charlotte out of life. But he had given the order. The coward had gone into hiding afterwards and has been untraceable ever since.

" Alright, so if nobody has anything else to say now. Then this will be the end of the meeting for today. We'll meet again in 4 weeks, same date, same time. As I'll be on maternity leave at this point, Reece will take over my Position." said Autumn.

A unanimous nod went round the room.

Mia immediately jumped up and left the room. She didn't want to stay and talk to anyone. Because she was always asked the same thing 'How are you?' and she didn't want to hear this question any more or answer it.

Mia reached for the pendant around her neck and stroked it. She was still wearing hers. Charlotte's was underground along with her.

On her way to the exit. She walked past Kate.

Kate started after Charlotte's death. She was a nice, quiet and caring woman in her early thirties. Everyone here liked her, except Mia. Although she had never spoken a word to her.

But it was the fact that she was Charlotte's replacement.That made her so angry.

As Mia reached for the exit door handle, she stopped.

Part of her still hoped that Charlotte would suddenly come out of one of the classrooms and that all of this was just a nightmare. But she didn't, just like all the other times. Only her ghost and the memory of her still lived in this building.

Mia now went to the place where the love affair between her and Charlotte had begun.

She took a seat on one of the bar stools. Sara immediately placed a gin tonic in front of her. Mia didn't even need to order any more.

She sat there for hours, caught up in her own thoughts.

Night was falling and Mia had just paid her bill and was on her way out when suddenly her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mia!". It was Siobhan on the other end. She spoke in a hushed but panicked voice.

"What do you want?"

"Mia, you have to come to me quickly! He's here!"

Her body suddenly felt numb.

" Please! I don't know what to do! I..." the call suddenly cut off.

The redhead stood there for a moment, trying to understand what had just happened. But then anger rose inside of her.

The rat would pay tonight.
The rat would die tonight.