The Poison, The Knight and The Guillotine [TNN]

The Ripples - Chapter 2

Shock. It was a stilling, suffocating feeling. Like everything had stopped all at once, and the very foundations of the nursery had been tampered with and damaged. The rest of the staff that had still loitered inside of the building - collecting belongings or locking up - had been evacuated. Charlotte had watched as Roger, Shiobhan, Janice, Agatha, Chef and Deliah had walked out, confused, out of the loop. The paramedics had arrived and stayed in the office for the longest time. There had been a commotion - they had found Mia desperately performing CPR, screaming at Marjorie, begging her to wake up, to not leave Reece.

"HE NEEDS YOU DAMMIT, YOU'RE THE ONE GOOD THING TO HAPPEN TO HIM."

The pair had left the building together, supporting one another. Reece looked as if fifty years had just passed him in a blur. His face was pale, eyes wide and pupils shrunk as he stumbled outside, arm wrapped around Mia. Her hair clung to her soaked face, skin damp with sweat and tears as she clutched onto Reece's side, trying to get them both out without falling over.
Charlotte had been the first to break away from the crowd, narrowly missing the outstretched hands of police as she pulled the pair into her arms, clutching them close. Their arms automatically wrapped around her back and waist, faces sinking into her arm shoulders, bodies shaking with compressed sobs.

"Shhh...it's okay, I've got you both." Charlotte whispered, feeling a horrible lump forming in her throat.

Winter stood with the crowd, holding Carly as the news had reached them. He gently covered her eyes as the paramedics wheeled out her dead body. She didn't need to see her motherly figure this way. The police had questioned everybody stable enough to answer questions. They got their notes on who was where in the building when the murder took place, and they proceeded to tape off the entrance of the building to conduct their investigation.

"What a mess." Roger muttered angrily, jabbing into his phone as he called up some people he knew to sort out this mess. The Nursery was a few days away from being reopened after their merge, and he did not need bad press on day one. Janice and Shiobhan stood close to his side, watching the flashing lights and listening to the crackle of radios.

"At least it was only Marjorie. She'll be easily replaceable, and it's not like her family will care enough to take it up with you." Janice replied, her voice eerily pleased with this turn of events. Reece stopped in his tracks as he heard what Janice said, letting the words properly sink into him. He turned, feeling a plethora of emotions bubbling up his throat and onto his tongue, ready to spill as he grabbed Janice, spinning her round.

"That is the love of my life you're talking shit about." He hissed in her face, watching the way she recoiled from him with a twisted sense of satisfaction.

"Not like you'd understand anything about love, you miserable bitch, I bet you killed that husband of yours you claim to have divorced." He continued, the words tumbling from his mouth faster than he could register what he was saying. He barely noticed Janice trying to pry her arm free from his tightening grip. "Where is he, huh? Six feet under in your rose garden?"

"That's enough son." Roger gripped onto Reece's shoulder, causing him to immediately let go of Janice. She stumbled back, caught and straightened by Shiobhan who she immediately waved away, rubbing her red arm sourly. Reece stared at her with widened eyes as he let his actions settle in.

"Don't call me son." He rasped, shrugging off Roger's hand roughly. He frowned, but said nothing, letting Reece slink back towards the crowd.

"Hey, we'll take you home, okay?" Charlotte appeared, a small, forced smile on her lips as she took a hold of Reece's hand. "Or you can come to mine for a bit. The kids are with their Dads, I'll make you a cuppa, how does that sound?" She suggested. Reece nodded pitfully as he wiped at his face with his hoodie sleeve. He couldn't bear the thought of returning home, to their shared home, with all of her untouched things, not just yet. Char led him back to her car, risking a glance over her shoulder at Janice and Roger, a horrible feeling of guilt and anger worming its way into her chest at her inability to step up and defend her friend. She turned away again. She would focus on those two another day. Right now Mia and Reece needed her, and she would be there for them.

Carly sat on the edge of the pavement, her knees curled up to chest as she rested her chin on them, staring at her untied shoes. She swung her feet very lightly, not wanting to look at the road drain covered in her sick. She sniffed softly, trying to hold back her snot and tears, and felt Winter start rubbing her back gently again.

"Feel any better? Physically, I mean." He added sheepishly and Carly bunched her shoulders up, burying her eyes into her already damp jeans.

"Im sorry Carly I didn't mean-"

"I know. I...I know." She mumbled.
They sat in silence, his hand slowly travelling up and down her spine in silent attempts at comfort as they tried to block out the sounds of police and the other staff members crying.

"Here." A soft voice appeared to Carly's right and she glanced up to see Autumn leaning down, holding out a bottle of water. "Rinse your mouth out with this."

"Are you sure it's not poisoned?" Carly tried to joke, her voice raw from the bile and tears immediately sprung to her eyes as she said it. "Marjorie..." She whimpered, covering her eyes with her big sleeves as her shoulders shook.

"Oh, Carly..." Winter frowned and pulled her gently against his shoulder as she started up again, her body wracked with sobs. Autumn sat down beside them, unsure of what else to do as she held the water bottle, rolling it between her palms as reality set in, her eyes fixed on the ambulance where Marjorie's body was currently. They had been talking to each other just half an hour ago. Marjorie had been alive. And just like a rug being pulled out from under her feet, she was gone. And somebody standing in that car park had done it.

"Come on Carly, we'll drive you home, okay?" The voice of Winter brought Autumn back into the present and she turned to look at him, his eyes glancing at her pleadingly as he rubbed Carly's shoulder, her cries dissolving into hiccups. She nodded slowly.

"I'll even let you have the aux." Autumn suggested. Carly sniffed, wiping her nose again, her Kenough jumper would definitely need a wash.

"Really?" She asked, her voice still shaky. Autumn nodded again.

"But you can't throw up in my car." She added.

"Deal." Carly replied, and let the two older coworkers help her to her feet, as they headed towards Autumn's black car.

Sorscha had sped herself home, narrowly avoiding her own death with colliding cars as she pulled into the driveway. She barely bothered to lock her car, or close the front door as she sprinted into her house.

"Clodagh? Clodagh!?" She yelled as she burst into the kitchen. Charlotte's braid had started to become frazzled and fuzzy from her reckless driving and erratic movements as she ran to the living room.

"Clodagh!?" She yelled again, feeling her breath become short, fear and panic gripping her throat and heart and-

"Goodness me what is all of this fuss, Sorscha? I'm right here, and I just put Quinn down. Why are you yelling-? Oh-!" Clodagh had appeared at the door of the living room, rubbing her tired eyes and yawning before Sorscha tackled her into a hug. She clutched onto her wife, burying her face into her shoulder and taking in everything - her scent, her softness, her familiarity.

"What happened, my love?" Clodagh asked softly, trailing her hand gently onto of Sorschas braid as she waited for her breathing to slow.

"Marjories dead."

The room grew chill as the two women stood in the door frame, arms in arms, chest against chest.

"What.?" Clodagh asked, unsure she heard correctly as she tried to get a good look at Sorschas face. Her darling wife pulled away, glasses crooked, eyes glassy with tears.

"Marjorie she, someone attacked her I think, she's dead Clodagh. Someone killed her." She sobbed and Clodagh immediately pulled her back in for a hug.

"And so you came rushing home to make sure I was okay?"

Sorscha nodded against her shoulder as she gasped for breath.

"Oh my love." Clodagh whispered, kissing her cheek.

"I'm okay. Me and Quinn are okay. We're not going anywhere." She murmured as they sank to the ground, intertwined, crying.

This was only the beginning.