*** Charlotte***
Title: Charlotte
Author: Ritaann
Characters: Mark & Elizabeth
Rating: PG 13 I think.
Summary: Elizabeth meets a girl whom which she has a special bond with. This is tale of tears, past, present and a future of uncertain happiness.
Archive: Sure, just e-mail me fist please.
Feedback: there is never enough, so please tell me what you think at: er_aussie@hotmail.com
Spoilers: None. Mark and Elizabeth have not been married yet, Elizabeth has not given birth. This story stars somewhere between A walk in the woods and The Crossing. Kerry's incompetence testing thing-o with him never happened.
Disclaimer: The characters and settings in this fanfic do not belong to me. I do not intend any harm to those who created them or the actors who portray them. I do not wish to discriminate, harm, get anyone into trouble, hurt or be mean to anyone that reads this fanfic as it is for entertainment purposes only.
~*~*~*~*~
Part 1
A little girl, no more than seven years of age lay huddled in a snow bank trying to keep herself warm with the thin cotton blanket she had around her. Peeking through a hole in the linen, she spied many feet all dressed in warm boots and the bottoms of thick woolly coats rushing past backwards and forwards on their way to and from the EL tracks. Snuggling deeper into her tiny blanket, she shivered as it began to snow once more...
Elizabeth hurried through the crowd of people rushing on their way to work. It was her day off but she had been called to see a patient who had developed a few complications and to meet Mark for breakfast as he had been on all night. Rubbing her barely noticeably four month stomach, Elizabeth stepped down the last flight of stairs and hearing a small whimper coming from the deep snow bank by the pathway she stopped. Leaning over to see who or what was crying, she was shocked to see a tiny socked foot, blue with cold covered in a light dusting of snow. Looking upwards at the blanket, Elizabeth noticed a lock of red hair. Bending down, she gently tugged at the material. A strong tug came back and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you ok?"
No reply came back.
"I'm Elizabeth, what's your name?" Suddenly, a tiny head poked out of the hole. She had large blue eyes that seemed to take over her facial features, and thin red hair covering her head. Her lips where blue and shivering as the girl answered the question.
"Charlotte."
"Hello Charlotte, do your parents know where you are?" asked Elizabeth again.
"I don't have a mummy and Daddy like most kids."
"Oh." said Elizabeth a little surprised. "Can you get up?"
Charlotte tried her best to stand but her legs were weak from the cold.
"I can't." she said disappointed.
"Well, we can't have you sitting in the snow, you'd freeze." Elizabeth took off her favorite thick, brown coat and put it round Charlotte's shoulders.
"We are going to where I work. It's much warmer there." said Elizabeth lifting the tiny girl up to find that she was much lighter than expected.
"Where's that?"
"The hospital." answered Elizabeth, rushing as fast as she could with Charlotte rapped in her coat to County before she herself freezed.
"Are you a nurse?"
"Nope. A doctor." and that was the end of the conversation as the two rounded the corner to find themselves infront of the ER.
~*~*~*~
"Elizabeth, what are you doing?" asked Mark getting up to greet Elizabeth who was rushing through the double doors with a large bundle in her arms and no coat on.
"I found Charlotte hiding in a snow bank by the EL." said Elizabeth, putting Charlotte down on an unattended gurney in an empty exam room.
"Charlotte?" As soon as Mark said that, Charlotte's small head poked from beneath the folds of the coat. Immedialty, she began to whimper and bury her head down in the wool.
"Mark, can you give us a minuet?"
"Yeah, sure." said Mark walking out of the room, a confused expression his face.
"Charlotte, what's wrong?" asked Elizabeth grabbing a set of blankets and putting them round Charlotte and her coat.
"Is he gone?"
"Yes, he's gone."
Charlotte looked out from her safety of the coat and looking around wearily, snuggled back in them.
"Dr Corday, do you need any help?" asked Chunny coming into the room and grabbing some supplies from a cupboard in the corner.
Charlotte covered her head once more. The nurse looked at the bed where Charlotte's frame was covered in a heap of blankets.
"Ah, no thanks Chunny. She's a little scared. Can you give do a patient cheak for me?"
"Sure. Who's the patient?"
"Charlotte, what your last name?" asked Elizabeth loudly.
"Withford." came the reply from beneath the material.
Elizabeth looked up at Chunny, looking for her facial expressions. Chunny was more than surprised to find that the patient was a child. "I'll get onto it." she said leaving the two alone again.
Elizabeth giggled and pulled the blankets away from Charlottes face.
"You know, you don't have to hide from everyone."
"Yes, I do."
"No you don't."
"They'll hurt me." came Charlottes fearful explanation.
"I didn't hurt you." reasoned Elizabeth.
"That's because your special." She said logically.
"I am, am I? Well, not even my special friends?"
"Like who." demanded Charlotte.
"Well, there's Mark."
"Why is he so special?"
"Cause he's my fiancée and I've known him for a long time."
"Won't he hurt me?"
"No. I'll protect you." said Elizabeth, finally convincing Charlotte, but not satisfying her curiosity. "Why do you think that?"
"Because my Daddy and Frank used to hit me." it was then that Elizabeth noticed the skin lacerations, abrasions and bruises that covered her throat.
"Charlotte, may I look at your back for a minuet?" Charlotte leaned forward and allowed Elizabeth to view her skin. Gasping at the amount of dark, week old bruises with dried up cuts all over her. "Who did this to you?"
"Frank."
"When?"
"Last night."
Elizabeth looked deep into Charlottes eye's, "Could you tell me the full story before I start making you better and introduce you to Mark?"
Charlotte lost her look of innocence as soon as Elizabeth mentioned the full story. Her face went white as she began her story.
"My mother promised me that he wouldn't hurt me again, but she broke it....
*** flashback ****
"Charlotte, where are you darling?" came a cruel voice from behind the door. Charlotte was dressed in jeans and a white jumper and was coloring in some pictures with crayons.
"I'm here, Frank." came her scared voice over the door. Frank, bottle in hand face unshaven and eye's lolling around like he was at mercy of the mad cow's disease entered the room, shirtless and in a pair of boxer shorts.
"What did you call me?"
"Whoops, Daddy..."
"That's right Kido and don't you forget it. Who provides for you?"
"You do Daddy."
"Who protects you?"
"You do Daddy."
"That's my girl." he said trying to muzzle Charlottes long and straight red hair but hopelessly missing. Charlotte ducked to avoid being hit in the face.
"Where's Donna?"
"You mean mummy? Well, she's out." said Charlotte slowly.
"No, not mummy. She does not provide for you. Only I do. Ok?"
"Yes Fr-Daddy. Donna's out." whispered Charlotte softly. She hated calling her mother by her first name and her step-father Daddy. He wasn't her real Daddy but she would do anything to miss a beating even if it ment being rude to her mother.
"Out? Out! Out where?" yelled Frank, his face getting dangerously close to Charlottes as he bent down and stared deeply into her eyes. His breath reeched with the smell of alcohol. But Charlotte was used to it and didn't move a mussel. She stared at the spot between her step-fathers eyes.
"Doing the shopping." answered Charlotte meekly.
"I don't believe you. Where is she?"
"Like I told you Daddy, she went out shopping to get us something nice for dinner." Charlotte dropped her crayon and began to edge her way around the room using her tiny child-sized wheely computer chair.
"I don't believe you. She's out with another man, isn't she?" Charlotte shook her head very fast, her eye's not leaving the spot on his forehead as she continued inching her way to the door. Frank followed her without fail, yelling in her face as she shook her head vibrantly. Tears were in her eyes and her lips were quivering in fright.
"She's out with another man I know it! Don't you lie to little Miss- who provides for you?"
"You do Daddy."
"Then ANSWER ME PROPERLY YOU LITTLE TWIT!" Charlotte couldn't take it anymore. Tears had already spilled and her face was as red as tomato.
"Yes!" she whispered. "She is."
"Thankyou." said Frank straightening up. But Charlotte didn't stop on her way out the door. She continued, her tiny socked feet pushing against the wooden floor. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!" He yelled, slapping the left Cheek of Charlotte who immediately stood up from her chair and bolted out the door. But her short legs were no match for those of her step-fathers.
"Come 'ere you squirming worm of shit!" he said, lunging forward and grabbing hold of Charlotte's favorite jumper and nearly choking her with his strong hold, dragged her to the bedroom.
"Take your clothes off, every bit." he ordered. Charlotte reluctantly began to take off her jumper, then her pants. Frank was getting impatient and grabbing a belt off the vanity, pulled it tight between his hands to test it's strength and drawing his hand back brang it forward again to make contact with Charlottes clear and flawless white skin.....
~*~*~*~
Title: Charlotte
Author: Ritaann
Characters: Mark & Elizabeth
Rating: PG 13 I think.
Summary: Elizabeth meets a girl whom which she has a special bond with. This is tale of tears, past, present and a future of uncertain happiness.
Archive: Sure, just e-mail me fist please.
Feedback: there is never enough, so please tell me what you think at: er_aussie@hotmail.com
Spoilers: None. Mark and Elizabeth have not been married yet, Elizabeth has not given birth. This story stars somewhere between A walk in the woods and The Crossing. Kerry's incompetence testing thing-o with him never happened.
Disclaimer: The characters and settings in this fanfic do not belong to me. I do not intend any harm to those who created them or the actors who portray them. I do not wish to discriminate, harm, get anyone into trouble, hurt or be mean to anyone that reads this fanfic as it is for entertainment purposes only.
~*~*~*~*~
Part 1
A little girl, no more than seven years of age lay huddled in a snow bank trying to keep herself warm with the thin cotton blanket she had around her. Peeking through a hole in the linen, she spied many feet all dressed in warm boots and the bottoms of thick woolly coats rushing past backwards and forwards on their way to and from the EL tracks. Snuggling deeper into her tiny blanket, she shivered as it began to snow once more...
Elizabeth hurried through the crowd of people rushing on their way to work. It was her day off but she had been called to see a patient who had developed a few complications and to meet Mark for breakfast as he had been on all night. Rubbing her barely noticeably four month stomach, Elizabeth stepped down the last flight of stairs and hearing a small whimper coming from the deep snow bank by the pathway she stopped. Leaning over to see who or what was crying, she was shocked to see a tiny socked foot, blue with cold covered in a light dusting of snow. Looking upwards at the blanket, Elizabeth noticed a lock of red hair. Bending down, she gently tugged at the material. A strong tug came back and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you ok?"
No reply came back.
"I'm Elizabeth, what's your name?" Suddenly, a tiny head poked out of the hole. She had large blue eyes that seemed to take over her facial features, and thin red hair covering her head. Her lips where blue and shivering as the girl answered the question.
"Charlotte."
"Hello Charlotte, do your parents know where you are?" asked Elizabeth again.
"I don't have a mummy and Daddy like most kids."
"Oh." said Elizabeth a little surprised. "Can you get up?"
Charlotte tried her best to stand but her legs were weak from the cold.
"I can't." she said disappointed.
"Well, we can't have you sitting in the snow, you'd freeze." Elizabeth took off her favorite thick, brown coat and put it round Charlotte's shoulders.
"We are going to where I work. It's much warmer there." said Elizabeth lifting the tiny girl up to find that she was much lighter than expected.
"Where's that?"
"The hospital." answered Elizabeth, rushing as fast as she could with Charlotte rapped in her coat to County before she herself freezed.
"Are you a nurse?"
"Nope. A doctor." and that was the end of the conversation as the two rounded the corner to find themselves infront of the ER.
~*~*~*~
"Elizabeth, what are you doing?" asked Mark getting up to greet Elizabeth who was rushing through the double doors with a large bundle in her arms and no coat on.
"I found Charlotte hiding in a snow bank by the EL." said Elizabeth, putting Charlotte down on an unattended gurney in an empty exam room.
"Charlotte?" As soon as Mark said that, Charlotte's small head poked from beneath the folds of the coat. Immedialty, she began to whimper and bury her head down in the wool.
"Mark, can you give us a minuet?"
"Yeah, sure." said Mark walking out of the room, a confused expression his face.
"Charlotte, what's wrong?" asked Elizabeth grabbing a set of blankets and putting them round Charlotte and her coat.
"Is he gone?"
"Yes, he's gone."
Charlotte looked out from her safety of the coat and looking around wearily, snuggled back in them.
"Dr Corday, do you need any help?" asked Chunny coming into the room and grabbing some supplies from a cupboard in the corner.
Charlotte covered her head once more. The nurse looked at the bed where Charlotte's frame was covered in a heap of blankets.
"Ah, no thanks Chunny. She's a little scared. Can you give do a patient cheak for me?"
"Sure. Who's the patient?"
"Charlotte, what your last name?" asked Elizabeth loudly.
"Withford." came the reply from beneath the material.
Elizabeth looked up at Chunny, looking for her facial expressions. Chunny was more than surprised to find that the patient was a child. "I'll get onto it." she said leaving the two alone again.
Elizabeth giggled and pulled the blankets away from Charlottes face.
"You know, you don't have to hide from everyone."
"Yes, I do."
"No you don't."
"They'll hurt me." came Charlottes fearful explanation.
"I didn't hurt you." reasoned Elizabeth.
"That's because your special." She said logically.
"I am, am I? Well, not even my special friends?"
"Like who." demanded Charlotte.
"Well, there's Mark."
"Why is he so special?"
"Cause he's my fiancée and I've known him for a long time."
"Won't he hurt me?"
"No. I'll protect you." said Elizabeth, finally convincing Charlotte, but not satisfying her curiosity. "Why do you think that?"
"Because my Daddy and Frank used to hit me." it was then that Elizabeth noticed the skin lacerations, abrasions and bruises that covered her throat.
"Charlotte, may I look at your back for a minuet?" Charlotte leaned forward and allowed Elizabeth to view her skin. Gasping at the amount of dark, week old bruises with dried up cuts all over her. "Who did this to you?"
"Frank."
"When?"
"Last night."
Elizabeth looked deep into Charlottes eye's, "Could you tell me the full story before I start making you better and introduce you to Mark?"
Charlotte lost her look of innocence as soon as Elizabeth mentioned the full story. Her face went white as she began her story.
"My mother promised me that he wouldn't hurt me again, but she broke it....
*** flashback ****
"Charlotte, where are you darling?" came a cruel voice from behind the door. Charlotte was dressed in jeans and a white jumper and was coloring in some pictures with crayons.
"I'm here, Frank." came her scared voice over the door. Frank, bottle in hand face unshaven and eye's lolling around like he was at mercy of the mad cow's disease entered the room, shirtless and in a pair of boxer shorts.
"What did you call me?"
"Whoops, Daddy..."
"That's right Kido and don't you forget it. Who provides for you?"
"You do Daddy."
"Who protects you?"
"You do Daddy."
"That's my girl." he said trying to muzzle Charlottes long and straight red hair but hopelessly missing. Charlotte ducked to avoid being hit in the face.
"Where's Donna?"
"You mean mummy? Well, she's out." said Charlotte slowly.
"No, not mummy. She does not provide for you. Only I do. Ok?"
"Yes Fr-Daddy. Donna's out." whispered Charlotte softly. She hated calling her mother by her first name and her step-father Daddy. He wasn't her real Daddy but she would do anything to miss a beating even if it ment being rude to her mother.
"Out? Out! Out where?" yelled Frank, his face getting dangerously close to Charlottes as he bent down and stared deeply into her eyes. His breath reeched with the smell of alcohol. But Charlotte was used to it and didn't move a mussel. She stared at the spot between her step-fathers eyes.
"Doing the shopping." answered Charlotte meekly.
"I don't believe you. Where is she?"
"Like I told you Daddy, she went out shopping to get us something nice for dinner." Charlotte dropped her crayon and began to edge her way around the room using her tiny child-sized wheely computer chair.
"I don't believe you. She's out with another man, isn't she?" Charlotte shook her head very fast, her eye's not leaving the spot on his forehead as she continued inching her way to the door. Frank followed her without fail, yelling in her face as she shook her head vibrantly. Tears were in her eyes and her lips were quivering in fright.
"She's out with another man I know it! Don't you lie to little Miss- who provides for you?"
"You do Daddy."
"Then ANSWER ME PROPERLY YOU LITTLE TWIT!" Charlotte couldn't take it anymore. Tears had already spilled and her face was as red as tomato.
"Yes!" she whispered. "She is."
"Thankyou." said Frank straightening up. But Charlotte didn't stop on her way out the door. She continued, her tiny socked feet pushing against the wooden floor. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!" He yelled, slapping the left Cheek of Charlotte who immediately stood up from her chair and bolted out the door. But her short legs were no match for those of her step-fathers.
"Come 'ere you squirming worm of shit!" he said, lunging forward and grabbing hold of Charlotte's favorite jumper and nearly choking her with his strong hold, dragged her to the bedroom.
"Take your clothes off, every bit." he ordered. Charlotte reluctantly began to take off her jumper, then her pants. Frank was getting impatient and grabbing a belt off the vanity, pulled it tight between his hands to test it's strength and drawing his hand back brang it forward again to make contact with Charlottes clear and flawless white skin.....
~*~*~*~