Saving Lotte Sullivan | Collingwood/Carlton

130: Go Team

August 15, 2023.

'Rochelle? My name is Bella...I got your number from Lotte's phone. Look, there's been a really serious emergency...Lotte's had the worst week of her life...she went into labour and medically died in the ambulance and had to be revived...now she's severely anaemic and the doctors sense there's some sort of blood disorder but please...um, she needs blood transfusions to live and she's a rare type...I tried calling the mother but she didn't answer...please call me back, I'll leave you a message with my phone number...we're at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Please, help your sister. Don't let her son and daughter grow up without a mother. If you know something about a blood condition, let us know. Um...thanks. Thanks a lot, thanks so much. Bye'

February 27, 2024.

'No answer' Sam De Koning said, a terrified look on his face - Rochelle's name displayed on Lotte's iPhone, photo of the two girls and their brother when they were kids. Call failed.

'What's the number? I'll try' Jordan Boyd said, glancing over his shoulder and tapping the number into his own phone, and calling that. Once again, it beeped three times. 'Damn it! She must have Lotte's number blocked or something' he groaned, flopping down on the waiting room chair.

'If Lotte's number was the blocked one, why didn't your phone ring?' Sam asked, leaning his head on his hand, stumped. 'The mother's phone number is no longer in use - we know that for sure. But why isn't Rochelle answering?' He asked, sighing.

'Can't even try social media. Rochelle's had Lotte blocked there for years - and we don't know her married surname' Jordan said, severely annoyed.

The surgery to save Lotte - while it had been successful in the way of removing the troublesome clot from her lungs, she'd bled far too much, almost having very little blood left at all. Jordan already knew from the year prior that he wasn't a match, and Sam - posing under the name 'Trent', had learned the same fate. And Sam matched his older brother - so Tom couldn't donate either. Basically nobody could - nobody seemed to match Lotte's blood type - except Rochelle. And Jack Ginnivan. Lotte had found that out by complete accident one evening, when Jack asked her to look after his health insurance and medical paperwork. But sadly - he was no longer alive to save her.

Trent.

Trent hadn't picked up his phone in days. He hadn't been seen - hadn't visited Lotte in the hospital. Tom was ready to kill him for his negligence - he understood all Lotte wanted was to see her son and daughter before she died. Trent was dead to Sam for the exact same reason - although it was almost as if Trent knew something and was deliberately staying away, so Sam could keep pretending to be him. Jordan didn't know what to say - Trent hadn't been the most responsible guy when the twins were born either, leaving all the work up to Bella and Monique, and once Lotte was awake - running away for weeks. He didn't like the guy, but he didn't make his feelings known unlike the De Koning brothers.

'I'm really sorry - I feel quite useless that I can't help any more' Molly Carey said, from where she sat on the other side of the room, also stumped.

After Jordan and Tom had spoken to the club and their teammates about Lotte's condition, Lukas Cerra had immediately called Molly - now residing in Melbourne - to let her know. The Cerra brothers and Claudia had visited too, of course. But then the club had to rush up to Sydney for the game, and Lotte was once again left alone. Well, sort of alone. Jordan refused to leave her. Josh had left more calls to see if she was doing any better - the short answer, much worse. Monique had called too, and Bella had stepped in to visit - unfortunately at the wrong time, when Lotte was in surgery. Patrick and Chloe had left cards and flowers too - Lotte had grown quite the collection there, on her bedside table.