Page 86 of Claiming Charlotte

Iwalked down the halls and heard meticulously beeping heart monitors present as I did my rounds for the day. Lottie and I have been going strong, and once things settled down, I lived up to my promise to go back to school, trying to live the nine to five life.

It proved difficult at times, but I enjoyed it, and Lottie never really returned to her place. She liked what she did and I admired her for it, though it was a bit ironic. She was happy and so was I. It was too late for me to become a doctor, so I became the next best thing. I became a nurse.

My shift at the hospital was coming to a close, and I wanted to get home, I had an insane number of fluids on me and my stomach was still churning from someone’s handsy grandma.

“Hey Rowan,” Tiffany asked. “Do you have a minute; I have an issue with a patient, and I think you can help.”

“When can I say no to you?” I said sarcastically. Tiffany was the best. She took me under her wing and showed me everything I needed to know. The good, the bad, and the ugly. So if she had a request I had no problem helping.

I walked into the room to see a female no older than nineteen or twenty. She was laying on her side with a ghostly look in her eye and flashes of Lottie came to mind, but I quickly shook them away and grabbed her chart.

My eyes flitted to Tiffany in understanding. I came clean to her once, when she had shared about her past, and what she went through.

“Are you staying?”

Please stay, I don’t want anyone else here.

“Of course,” she replied.

I pulled up a chair and sat next to her, but she didn’t acknowledge me, she didn’t need to.

“Hello, my name is Rowan and I’m another nurse here, can I start with at least your name?”

She didn’t answer. So, I leveled. I pulled out my phone and there they were, and I faced it toward the girl.

“Do you see this beautiful woman, that’s my wife and our kids. She was gang-raped and abused for days. Some days I don’t even know how she did it, move forward I mean, but she did. It does get better.”

I didn’t get a name, but I got a chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“She looks like she’s out of your league.”

I raised my eyebrows but played along. “Right, the twins took after her, but poor Gracie took after her father.”

“Can you help get it off?”

“Get what off?”

I looked over at her and ushered Tiffany to come and help. She pulled her gown up midway and I stumbled backward seeing the familiar W etched upon her thigh and my jaw clenched in anger.

They are moving back in.

Fuck.

There’s nothing I can do, But Lottie can.

“You’re actually in luck, have you ever heard of the Cardinals?”

“Not much other than what’s heard on the streets,” she replied.

“Well, my wife happens to be the leader of the organization, we can help you, if you want, but it has to be your choice. Here’s my address. As long as you don’t mind two four year-olds and a six-month-old, I think it would be beneficial to meet her.”

“Can you wait until they discharge me? Please? I don't want him to come after me.” She pleaded, grabbing my hand.

“I’ll wait, nobody is coming in here.”

“I’m home!” I called out and everyone came barreling downstairs followed by Lottie gracefully stepping down, before placing the baby in her swing.

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