Saving Charlotte (Now on Radish)

Chapter 12

Daniel Weston

"Charlie!" I exclaimed. "Beautiful, where are you?"

"House," She whimpered, "Hurts."

"What hurts, beautiful?" I asked, getting my keys. I was at Annalise's house with everyone that loves her. I nodded to Ashton and he dialed 911. I had a hunch that she went to see her father. What possessed her to do it, I'll find out later. I just want to make sure she is okay.

"Everything."

I cursed under my breath as I dashed out of the house. "Stay on the line with me, Beautiful. I'll be right there; you just have to stay with me." I said as I got in my car and raced to Charlotte's house. I could see the ambulance lights flashing from half way down the street, and as I pulled up the driveway, I saw the EMT's loading her into the back of it. I stopped the car abruptly and ran to the vehicle with my keys in hand.

"Hey," I called. "Lemme ride with you. That's my girlfriend." I told the closest EMT. He nodded and let me climb in before him. I immediately took hold of Charlie's okay looking hand. The two EMT's in the back with us were already working on stopping her bleeding. They said that they wouldn't touch her left shoulder and collar bone as well as her right leg, and the ribs on her right side. Her wrists were rubbed raw and bright red from something binding them together and the area around her lips looked stick and raw also. My heart shattered at the sight of her. I wanted to kill her bastard of a father.

"What's her name?" The woman asked me.

"Charlotte Moore. She's sixteen years old and lives on Maple Street. Her father, Martin Moore, he did this to her. He's been abusing her since she was six years old." I told the two EMT's.

"Five." Charlotte croaked. God, how could she correct me when she's all broken and maimed like that?

"Sorry, she was five years old." I said.

"Frank... Costello..." She wheezed. "He did... it too...” She took in an extremely shallow breath. The woman nodded and wrapped gauze around her wrists to keep them from infecting. I took back her hand and kissed her knuckles lightly.

"I'm right here, beautiful. I'm never leaving you." I whispered.

When we made it to the hospital, I managed to follow them to the large set of double doors when they told me it was for personnel only. I found a chair and just sat. I didn't know what else to do, so I just sat and waited. I waited for someone to tell me Charlie would be alright. I waited for Anna and Ashton and Mary and Mom and Dad and Clara or someone to be here. I needed someone here with me. Preferably Charlie, but that was a long shot.

In the first hour, Mary, Ashton, Anna and the police came. They took my statement and a left, except for the two that stayed to guard Charlie.

In the second hour, Mom and Dad and Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs came to console Anna and Ashton and Mary and I, but mainly Anna and Ashton.

Hour three, Clara came bearing Taco Bell, McDonalds, and KFC. By now, Ashton was pacing the hall, all the parents had moved farther away from the door and Mary was sitting next to me, gripping my hand to keep the two of us grounded.

Hour four, we waited more.

Hour five, almost everyone was asleep except for Dad, Ash, Clara and I. It’s a good thing too because the doctor for Charlie finally came out. I bolted to my feet, jostling Mary and Ashton awake. Dad and Clara went and woke up everyone else so we could all hear what the doctor had to say.

"Charlotte is stable now. Her left shoulder was dislocated and her left clavicle was broken, as well as a few of her right ribs. Her right knee was dislocated and the kneecap had some surgery on it. The left side of Charlotte's face was battered severely and but we were able to sew up most of it and stop the bleeding. There was some bleeding in her lower regions, we concluded that she either has a heavy menstal cycle or she a miscarriage of a fetus under two weeks old." The doctor said. I stilled. She could have been pregnant, with our baby. She may have miscarried our three day old baby. But it wasn't her fault. It was that Costello and her Father's fault.