One Shots 'The nursery nurse'

It all fell down Part VI

It was a hot and sunny day. The midday sun was beating down on London. Winter decided to spend the day indoors. He was reading a book, when he heard the honking of a car horn. Immediately afterwards, he heard quick footsteps racing down the stairs.

"Jen?"

His daughter leant into the living room. She was wearing a top and shorts, with a towel under her arm and a backpack.
" Yes?"

"Where are you going?"

"To the lake with Nate and Quinn."

Winter shut his book. "What's in your back?". He had already heard the rattling of glass bottles from there.

"Dad... We're all eighteen..."

"Nate is only been eighteen for a week!"

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Quinn's twenty and I'm pushing twenty. Dad we just want to sit by the lake and have a drink..." She saw her father about to say something. "Before you ask, Uncle Reece is driving us there, Sorscha will pick us up again. And yes, I will be careful. "

"All right then, have fun."

Jennifer nodded hastily." I will! Love you!" She disappeared out of the front door.

Winter opened his book again, but stopped and raised his eyes up to a picture on the wall. It was the wedding picture of him and Autumn. "Look after her..." he murmured.

The lake was little away from the town. Surrounded by a forest. Sand was around the water, so that it was a bit like a beach. There was also a jetty. On one side of the lake, were some high stones, that could easily be climbed, to jump into the water.

The group had sat down on the sand near the water. Quinn was already drinking her first beer. "So how's it going?" she asked.

"Well Quinn, we're in the working life, not everyone can go to Dublin to study.," Jennifer said.

Quinn just grinned at her. "Well, I'm studying child psychology. Maybe I'll work for your family business one day."

"I don't know if we want you as an psychologist," Nate said with a laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

The hours passed and the sun slowly set. Even now, the heat was still unbearable. So they wanted to cool off. Nate was eager to jump into the water and climbed up the rocks near by. Quinn promptly followed him, but Jennifer was a little suspicious of the whole thing. But she eventually let herself be persuaded.

Once at the top, Nate immediately took a running start and jumped down. Immediately followed by Quinn. Jennifer looked down sceptically.

"Come on Jen! Don't be a partypooper!" shouted her cousin.

"Well here goes nothing.." she mumbled and took a running start.

The water engulfed her and for a brief moment she knew exactly what was going on. But then something hit her head. It was cold, she fell deeper and deeper. But it was also peaceful.

When Jennifer opened her eyes again, she was no longer under water. She was standing in a room. Immediately she realised, that she must be in a hospital patient room. She saw a man sitting on a chair near the bed, holding something in his arms. A woman was sitting on the bed. Jennifer recognised them both immediately. It was her father and aunt. They both looked shocked and sad. But what was her father holding in his arms? As she stepped closer, she saw that it was a baby. Before Jennifer could really think about it. She heard the giggling of a child behind her.

When she turned around, she was no longer in the hospital room, but in the living room of her house. Again she saw her father, this time sitting on the floor. A toddler was running towards him, still a little unsure on her feet. Jennifer knew who the little girl was. It was her.

What was going on?

The ground beneath her gave way and she fell into the black unknown. But suddenly it became light again, and now she was standing in front of her old primary school. Right next to her near the school building. She saw her aunt, who was taking a picture of her six-year-old self and her father.

Something pulled her back and now she was standing in the auditorium of her old school. She saw herself again, two years ago, receiving her diploma. Behind her were the other students and their parents. Jennifer saw her father, sitting in the front row and clapping.

Slowly Jennifer realised what she was seeing. Her life was flashing before her eyes.

It suddenly became so bright that she had to squint her eyes shut, as the light went darker again. She was no longer in the assembly hall of her school. But now she was in the break room of the Knight Nursery. There herself was sitting at the table with her colleagues, chatting.

The floor beneath her suddenly moved and when she looked up again, she was now standing on the jetty by the lake.

The water danced calmly in the setting sun. She heard a distant scream, as she looked along the water. She caught sight of a helicopter. Near the water she saw rescuers, working on a person lying there in the sand. A little further away were Nate and Quinn. Her cousin was sitting in the sand and Quinn paced up and down.

"Jen."

She turned her around. There on the jetty was a woman and she knew immediately who it was.

" Mum..."

Her mum looked at her sadly and walked towards her. Until she stood right in front of her.

"It's not your time yet..." she said.

Jennifer didn't quite understand what was going on. " What do you mean?"

Her mum cupped her face. "Go back."

Hundreds of emotions came over the girl. She had always imagined meeting her mother, even though she knew that this was not possible. Now she was standing in front of her. Jennifer fell into her mum's arms and hugged her tightly.

"I don't want to go back..." the girl murmured.

"But you have to... think of your father... He needs you..." her mum slowly released the hug and took her face in her hands again.

" Jen... I'm so proud of you.... you've already achieved so much in your life and you'll achieve so much more. You've never seen me, but I've always been with you..." she pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you mum..."

Autumn smiled at her. "I love you too and now go back..."

"But how?" Jennifer asked.

Autumn put her hands on the shoulders of her daughter and pushed her back. Jennifer fell behind in the water.

The water rose. With a loud cough, it spurted out of the girl's mouth.

"We have a pulse!" a man's voice rang out.

Jennifer continued to cough up water. She was turned onto her side. A hand was placed on her cheek. She could only open her eyes slightly.

"Jennifer, I'm Dr. Morris, stay awake for me ok?"

She could only nod weakly.

" Get everything ready. We're heading out!" the doctor called out.

Jennifer was placed on a stretcher and lifted up, she managed to look in the direction of the footbridge. Part of her hoped to see her mum again, but unfortunately it was now empty.

When she opened her eyes again, she looked up at a white ceiling. Slowly she tried to move, but her body felt heavy.

"Jen." Her father appeared next to her and hugged her tightly. " I was so worried! Don't ever do that again!"

" Hey Dad..." she whispered weakly.

Winter leant over her and stroked his daughter's hair. Jennifer managed to lift her hand, taking the ring that hung around her father's neck, between her fingers.

" I saw her... Dad... Mum saved me..."

Tears welled up in her father's eyes and he hugged her tightly again.