One Shots 'The nursery nurse'

Trapped in Limbo Part IV

"Thanks for dropping me off."

Autumn looked next to her. The woman, who was like a big sister to her once. Was gone. Broken.

" Mia...I'm so sorry...about how that just went.... But I'm sure Charlotte will forgive you eventually. "

" No..... but hey... it's payback, right?"

The words left the younger woman.

" I heard you, when Reece drove me to your place. But it's okay. It was the truth."

" Mia... I."

But the redhead got out of the car and disappeared into her flat.

The darkness had enveloped her. She didn't had the energy to go to a bar today. But it didn't stop her from drinking.

Mia sat alone in her living room and drowned her feelings in whisky. When she thought of Charlotte now, all she could see now was the hateful way she had looked at her. It was her fault, she had broken her.

"Mia," her voice cut through the silence.

Mia saw her out of the corner of her eye, she took another sip from her bottle.

" Go away... you're not real."

With slow steps, the ghost approached her.

"No, I am not. I am the image of her that you created in your head, of the person she once was. But you killed her. Now I am the guilt that consumes you."

The redhead laid her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes, if she ignored her long enough she would disappear again.

" You abandoned her... left her behind..... and all you have left now, is your self-hatred..... Mia look at me..." But Mia ignored her." Or should I call you Amelia? Will you pay attention to me then?"

Mia kept her eyes closed and tried to switch off the voice in her head.

"Oh Mia... look at you... you're just a little girl who's still mourning her daddy. And on your way to self-destruction you've taken her with you." Charlotte's laughter rang out, but it wasn't the lovely laugh she had learnt to love. It was a dark, hateful one.

Mias eyes snapped open, the anger burning inside her. "Leave me alone!". But when she looked at the phantom, fear shot through her body.

It wasn't Charlotte anymore, no, but a grotesque version of her. She now looked like a reanimated corpse. Her eyes cold and dead. Her clothes torn and covered in blood.

"This is your fault," her voice was grim. She approached Mia with limping steps.

Mia jumped up, the bottle in her hand fell to the ground and shattered. She tried to run away, but in her panic, tripping over the coffee table and fell to the floor. The figure kept coming towards her.

Before she could reach her. Mia held her hands in front of her face to protect herself and waited for the cold, dead hands. But nothing happened. When she carefully opened her eyes again. The monster that had haunted her was gone.

Mia ducked into a corner of the living room, pulled her legs up to make herself as small as possible and buried her face.

It was a quiet morning at the Nursery. Marjorie and Autumn sat opposite each other. Both absorbed in their work.

But both their minds were elsewhere.

Marjorie's thoughts were with Charlotte, she would drive her to physiotherapy today and pick her up again.

The manager was still hoping, that she would make progress and perhaps be able to walk again at some point.

Autumn, on the other hand, was thinking about Mia. She didn't want to imagine how much she probably spiralled after yesterday.

She would visit Mia after work today, to see how she was doing.

"Autumn, are you all right?" asked Marjorie.

"Yes, everything's fine."

" Really?"

Autumn rubbed her eyes. " Marjorie, you don't want to hear it anyway."

" Don't tell me you're worried about Mia!"

Autumn remained silent.

Marjorie angrily threw her pen on the desk. "Are you serious!"

"I'm not discussing this with you now, Marjorie."

The two of them remained silent for the rest of the day.

Charlotte's arms were shaking and she tried desperately to keep herself on her feet. The physiotherapy appointment would be over soon. But her therapist wanted her to try again, maybe today she would be able to take a step.

Charlotte was standing between two poles, which she was supposed to hold on to and try to walk forwards.

But the only thing keeping the brunette on her feet, was the strength in her arms. She hadn't taken a single step, since the accident.

Her physiotherapist was standing next to her, there to catch her, if she would fall.

"Come on Charlotte, try to take a step," he said in a gentle tone.

Charlotte focussed on her legs. She could feel everything, but it was impossible to move them.

Her strength left her and she fell. But the man next to her caught her.

"It's all right, we'll try again next time."

" No! I can't do it! I don't want to try anymore!" Tears had formed in her eyes.

Marjorie walked into the physiotherapy practice and as soon as she entered the room, she saw Charlotte. Sitting in a wheelchair, just looking straight ahead. The therapist approached Marjorie.

" Can I have a word with you?"

" Of course."

The two of them left the room.

" Charlotte isn't really making any progress. Despite the fact that her spinal injury is completely healed. She is able to feel everything in her legs, but she just can't move then... I'm beginning to think it's not a physical problem, but a mental one. Like a blockade in her mind, that is holding her back... Is there something in her life that could be causing this?"

Marjorie knew the answer. Mia. The redhead kept Charlotte mind racing day and night. Even if Marjorie didn't want to admit it. The two of them needed each other.

The phone rang and Autumn looked surprised when she saw that Marjorie was calling her.

" Hello?"

" Autumn, we have to do something. Even if its pains me to say it. Charlotte needs Mia."