Chapter 20
She sat down next to Catherine who took hold of her hand; someone important to both of them needed them to be strong. Both women needed the comfort and they both felt helpless, there was nothing they could do except sit and wait. Three hours later the doctor emerged looking tired.
"Miss Sidle I'm Dr West I've been working on Charlie." He shook Sara's hand and looked at the others stood behind her; Sara followed his eye-line.
"Just tell us how she is." Sara said bracing herself for bad news.
"Critical but stable," He motioned for her to take a seat, "Charlie suffered extensive injuries, the car hit her at a considerable speed."
"I'm a Crime Scene Investigator I know what cars can do when they hit people." Sara said as Catherine and Nancy braced themselves for bad news.
"Multiple fractures and internal injuries, the alcohol she'd consumed didn't help matters either. The next 24 hours will be crucial; she'll need to be in intensive care for a few days." Dr West told them.
"But?" Catherine asked and the doctor looked at her confused.
"She's Charlie's mother." Sara said quietly and the doctor nodded.
"I know Charlie's a fighter, I've had the pleasure of working with her as a paramedic and a med student, there's every likelihood that in time she'll make a full recovery." Sara let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
"Can I see her?" Sara asked and the doctor nodded, she looked at Catherine who also nodded before she followed the doctor to where Charlie was. Catherine knew this was more important for Sara than for her, she'd been part of her daughter's life a lot longer than she had.
- - -
"So you go out drinking with your aunt, get smashed and fall into the path of a speeding car?" Sara said to Charlie even though the young woman couldn't hear her. "What next Squirt?" Sara stroked Charlie's hair and surveyed the damage, numerous cuts and bruises, a machine helping her the breathe, it was heartbreaking. Catherine watched from the doorway after telling Nancy to go home and check on Lindsey, at that moment she saw just how important Charlotte was to Sara, the love between the two women that was stronger than to bond between her and Nancy. They were a team, they shared things that nobody else could understand, that nobody else should have to understand. Catherine didn't want to spoil that; the only thing she wanted with all her heart was for Charlie to be ok, nothing else mattered. "So Catherine's here, she hasn't left and I don't think she's going too. Big brother is on his way expect a lecture on alcohol consumption when he gets here, but don't worry I'll remind him that you're not 15 and you haven't been doing coke at the same time." Sara smiled and Catherine listened, she knew Sara had felt her presence. "I thought about Blake today, I bet you think about him a lot. He would have been good to have around now, but then again things would have been different then. Chances are I'd be playing Aunt Sara to a pair of screaming kids, love you Squirt." Sara head Catherine sneeze and gave Charlie a kiss on the head before turning around to face Catherine.
- - -
"The doctor said I could come in." Catherine said and Sara nodded, she knew it was important for Catherine to be there at that moment, she needed to be.
"She looks so vulnerable; she always does when she's asleep. Like a child who's never had a bad thing happen to her." Sara replied walking out the door.
"You're forgetting the good thing," Catherine said and Sara responded with a puzzled look, "She's got you to look out for her." She placed a hand on the taller woman's shoulder. "Thank you."
- - -
Sara left Catherine alone with Charlie, she took in the state of her first born and it broke her heart, she would have swapped places with her in an instant.
"I'm so sorry for everything; you deserve a better mother than me." Catherine said stroking the brunette's hair. "I love you Charlotte, I always have done and I always will do." Catherine placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead and left the room.
- - -
Sara was speaking with the doctor when Catherine emerged.
"You can go you know, Charles will be here soon." Sara told her but Catherine shook her head.
"I'm not going anywhere until she wakes up; she's my daughter and she needs me, she needs both of us." Catherine said again taking hold of Sara's hand.
- - -