Charlotte's POV
"So, is there anything else I should know?" The police officer asked, scribbling things on a notepad. They were taking my statement about what happened for the billionth time. All I wanted to do was forget what happened but I couldn't with them wanting me to retell the story every other day. But one thing had been nagging at me, like an itch on your back that you just can't quite reach.
I yawned, exhausted. Listening to the nurses and doctors pace outside my room last night had kept me up along with my racing thoughts.
"Miss. Palmer?" The officer brought back my attention "It's okay, this is a safe place. You can tell me anything" He soothed.
"When I was crawling through then vent and I fell through...I found something. In the basement" I said, stuttered.
"What did you find?" The officer sat forward, now at the edge of his seat next to my bed.
"A document. Adoption papers" I replied, tears dripping down my face.
He took my hand "It's alright, you're safe. Do you remember who it was for?"
"For Peter Carlson. The adoptive mother was named as Laura Browne and the birth mother was named as Julia Hoffman" I finally said. My throat was tight and slick with tears.
"Peter, as in the man that took you?" He replied.
"Yes" I nodded.
"Julia Hoffman...isn't that your grandmothers name?" The officer asked.
"Yes" I repeated.
"So" he sat back "you're saying that you are related to him?"
"It would appear so"
"Did you take the document?" He asked, eagerly.
"Yeah, I did. It was in my jacket...which I dropped at the scene. It was covered in Claire's blood. I didn't think about it at the time" Why couldn't something go my way for once? The mention of Claire brought more pain. I missed her. I wonder how her mother is doing, terrible I'd assume. Her baby didn't come home.
The officer nodded "Okay, I will look into it. We didn't find a jacket or any sort of paperwork at the scene. They must have taken it with then when they...escaped"
"Okay" I nodded and shook his outstretched hand.
"Thank you Miss. Palmer" He turned to leave.
"Officer?" He stopped "Would you mind telling me what you find out?"
He nodded with a sad smile "Of course" and with that, he left. I wiped my face and took a sip of water from the bedside table. McKenna was with Niall so I was all by myself now.
Harry walked in minutes later.
"Hey, love" He greeted, flashing his dimples.
"Hey Harry" I replied, feeling immensely better. I scooted over.
"Would you...?" I let the question trail off. He knew what I meant.
Harry nodded and laid down next to me, putting his arms around me.
"Thanks" I replied, putting my head in the crook if his neck.
"What did the police want?" Harry asked.
"Just another statement" I told him.
"Yeah, someone took mine again yesterday" They probably took everyone's again.
"Harry, I wanted to talk to you about something and I'm not sure how you're going to feel about it" I said in an uneven voice.
"What is it?" I felt the rumble of his voice under my head.
"Well...I was thinking that-" I stopped, unsure if I should continue.
"Yes..?" He urged me to go on.
"I don't want to have a long distance relationship. And neither does McKenna" I got out. Harry tensed.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Harry gasped.
"Oh!" I realized how it had come out, sounding like I was breaking up with him "No! Not that. I was thinking that me and McKenna could move out to London in a month or so. My parents left me everything in their will and I can't go back to that house so I could sell the house and use the money to get a flat with McKenna in London or something"
"You would move away from your home to be with me?" Harry questioned.
"This doesn't feel like home anymore. Besides, I would go anywhere to be with you" I replied.
"I love you so much" Harry said, kissing me. He brushed my check and tangled his fingers in my hair.
"So, what do you think?" I asked when we pulled away.
"I think you're the best girlfriend I've ever had" He smiled and I blushed.
"A yes, then?"
"Yes, I would love for you to come to London" We laughed "I'm sure Niall and the other lads would agree with me"
"Well, McKenna isn't sure yet. She doesn't want to leave her family and I don't blame her" I reported.
Harry nodded, understanding "I hope she does come, though. It would mean a lot to Niall is she did"
"Yeah" I agreed.
"But why a month?" He questioned.
"Well I want to get my GED and McKenna wants time with her family. I was thinking I'll just go up to Vancouver with her and stay up there for the month. I can celebrate her birthday with her" I told him, feeling drowsy.
"Right, she's turning 18?" Harry replied and I nodded.
"I think we'll be discharged within a day or two" Harry murmured.
"So...you'll be leaving soon" I realized that made my stomach twist in knots.
"Well with your brilliant plan, it will only be for a month" Harry assured me.
"I miss you already" I mumbled, closing my eyes.
I felt him chuckled and replied "I'll miss you too. I could use a nap, I'm beat"
"Way ahead of you" I sighed, in that place between asleep and awake. He laughed again and kissed my temple as I drifted off to sleep.
**
I woke up to Officer Dubois, the guard posted outside my door, talking to someone. I couldn't see who because my door was only open a little bit. Harry was still sound asleep beside me, snoring softly in my ear. I sat up, interested in who was outside. It sounded like a woman's voice.
I listened hard "She is sleeping right now, Ma'am"
"Please, I just want to see them" She begged. I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Harry, and cracked the door open further. I saw a petite woman seeming in her later thirties. She had brown hair with grey peaking out. She was dressed in black and looked worked down to the bone. When she saw me, her lip trembled and she swallowed hard.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" She asked, averting her gaze.
"No, you didn't" I lied "Did you want to talk to me?"
The woman nodded "If you don't mind"
I slipped out into the hall and we took a seat in an empty waiting room down the hall a little, still in full sight of the guards just in case.
"I'm Lauren Rowland" Lauren greeted. Rowland...all at once, I knew who she was and why she was here.
"Mrs. Rowland, I'm so sorry. Claire was a good friend" I replied, feeling guilty that she wouldn't see her daughter again.
"I just wanted to see all of you" Lauren sighed, trying not to cry "Maybe hear what you had to say. Just know that...her death had meaning" Despite her efforts, tears tricked down her face.
"Claire gave her life so all of us could live" My voice sounded uneven "We wouldn't be here if she hadn't done what she did. We were all just so beaten down and exhausted. We didn't have another fight left in us. We barley made it out of the first one. We could see them getting up and we tried to get her out but we couldn't. We weren't strong enough. She said she knew we wouldn't be able to and thought she would bleed out anyways" I took a deep breath before continuing. Remembering was hard but Lauren deserved the truth.
"She wanted me to tell you that she loves you and that you will get through this. Claire said she will be watching and waiting for you. She's sorry she didn't say goodbye" Lauren pressed a Kleenex to her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably. She was shaking with grief and heartache.
"Claire saved my life and I will be forever grateful for it" I finished, wiping my tears away. Lauren nodded, squeezing her eyes shut. I wish there was more I could do. I wish I could have been stronger so I could have gotten her out. I wish I could have saved Claire.
But I didn't.
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