Nathan walked into his sister's room and sat down in a chair next to the
bed. He opened his backpack and took out photo of them with their
grandmother. Suddenly Gretel started to cough badly. Nathan wasn't sure
what to do he ran for the door, dropping the photo on his way. "Excuse me I
think my sister needs a doctor."
"What's wrong?" Mitch asked jogging towards the door.
"I don't know she just started with this really bad cough." Mitch quickly made his way to Gretel and realised straight away what was wrong.
"Don't worry mate, she's just waking up. Can you get one of the nurses out there to get Doctor Beaumont and I'll get this tube out of her mouth." Nathan ran out of the room while Mitch carefully pulled the tubing from the respirator out of Gretel's throat. Her coughing started to slow down and eventually stopped.
"Mum." She whispered hoarsely. Before Mitch could get a word in Charlotte raced through the door.
"Greta sweetie, open your eyes for me." Charlotte patted her cheek and smiled when she finally managed to get her eyes open.
"Mum."
"She'll be here soon Greta, do you remember who I am?"
"I don't know. I want my mum." Tears streaked Greta's cheeks. Charlotte nodded and walked out the door. Mitch got up and headed out after her.
"Charlotte!" He called out but she just kept walking. "Charlotte!" He jogged up behind her. "Charlotte." He said and put a hand on her shoulder.
"DON'T." Charlotte screamed suddenly causing everyone on Ward 17 to freeze. "Keep your hands off me!" She spat out at Mitch and ran towards the nurses' lounge slamming the door behind her. She curled up in the corner with tears streaming down her face. "Please just leave me alone." She sobbed as Von walked in.
"What's going on with you?" Von attempted to hug her but Charlotte just shrunk into the corner and didn't answer. "Looks like there's only one person that would be able to talk to you in this state." Von said as she walked towards the door. "And she's probably long gone by now but we may as well try." She closed the door silently leaving Charlotte alone and scared.
"What's wrong?" Mitch asked jogging towards the door.
"I don't know she just started with this really bad cough." Mitch quickly made his way to Gretel and realised straight away what was wrong.
"Don't worry mate, she's just waking up. Can you get one of the nurses out there to get Doctor Beaumont and I'll get this tube out of her mouth." Nathan ran out of the room while Mitch carefully pulled the tubing from the respirator out of Gretel's throat. Her coughing started to slow down and eventually stopped.
"Mum." She whispered hoarsely. Before Mitch could get a word in Charlotte raced through the door.
"Greta sweetie, open your eyes for me." Charlotte patted her cheek and smiled when she finally managed to get her eyes open.
"Mum."
"She'll be here soon Greta, do you remember who I am?"
"I don't know. I want my mum." Tears streaked Greta's cheeks. Charlotte nodded and walked out the door. Mitch got up and headed out after her.
"Charlotte!" He called out but she just kept walking. "Charlotte!" He jogged up behind her. "Charlotte." He said and put a hand on her shoulder.
"DON'T." Charlotte screamed suddenly causing everyone on Ward 17 to freeze. "Keep your hands off me!" She spat out at Mitch and ran towards the nurses' lounge slamming the door behind her. She curled up in the corner with tears streaming down her face. "Please just leave me alone." She sobbed as Von walked in.
"What's going on with you?" Von attempted to hug her but Charlotte just shrunk into the corner and didn't answer. "Looks like there's only one person that would be able to talk to you in this state." Von said as she walked towards the door. "And she's probably long gone by now but we may as well try." She closed the door silently leaving Charlotte alone and scared.