Chapter Twenty One

Charlotte

The two police officers stood as I entered,

"This is Bella Whitlock's sister." the nurse explained.

They shook hands and waited for me to sit down before seating themselves again.

"I can't really tell you anything. I didn't see the accident. I didn't know about it until the hospital rang."

"We understand that Miss Whitlock, we just wondered if you had any idea who the driver of the car she apparently fell from was"

"She fell from a car? Are you sure?"

"Not really. There were two witnesses in a car coming the other way. The driver thought your sister fell from the other car but the passenger thought she was hit by it"

"That sounds more likely to me. My sister just went for a walk. She likes walking, it helps her think"

"Was she in any trouble?"

"Trouble? No why?"

"Well whoever hit her didn't stop."

"Maybe they panicked."

"True. A hit and run you think?"

"I've no idea. I just want to see Bella is OK."

They stood up and shook my hand,

"Sorry to have bothered you. If we find out anything about the driver of the car that hit your sister we'll be in touch. The doctors don't think she'll remember any more so well leave it for now."

The taller of the two smiled and touched Graces cheek then stiffened before looking at me.

"Is your little girl OK? She feel like she's got a chill"

"Nope she's always like that. The doctor says she's fine so we don't notice any longer."

Grace peeped over horse again and smiled,

"Bye"

He laughed,

"She sure is a pretty little thing."

I sat down as they left and heaved a sigh of relief. Holding my hands against the radiator as we were talking had worked. I wondered what the police would have said to my usual icy touch. I felt my cellphone vibrating insistently again and took it out, putting Grace on the floor to play with Shadow.

"Where the fuck have you been Char? Are they both OK? What the hell happened? Where are you?"

"Stop Peter. Give me a chance to answer. I'm at the hospital with Grace"

"What? Is she OK? Wait a minute Major."

Peter was anxious himself,

"Grace is fine. Bella was going to meet Rose but I got to her first. She gave Grace to me and told me to run so I did"

"You left Bella for Rose?"

"Hey, I couldn't protect them both and I accepted Bella's request, so shut up and listen. Rose tried to grab Bella who'd fallen over and hurt her ankle"

"She's in hospital with a sprained ankle? You could have told us that straight off instead of worrying us"

"Number one who is worried? The Major wouldn't even speak to Bella so why has he got his panties in a twist? Secondly Bella escaped from Rose by apparently throwing herself from the car as it took off and just avoided being squashed by one coming in the opposite direction. She's in with the doctor now with a badly sprained ankle, bruised ribs and severe contusions, according to the nurse. Anything else you want to know?"

I felt a tug at my leg and looked down to see Grace standing there, her hand outstretched to the phone. I smiled at her.

"OK Grace. Grace wants to talk to you"

I handed her the phone, wondering what she was going to say.

"Hi there Grace, you OK baby?"

"Mummy hurt."

"Yeah I know but she'll be fine"

"Daddy?"

I heard a whispered exchange then heard The Majors voice,

"Hello Grace"

"Daddy, mummy hurt"

"Yeah I know."

"Daddy"

Her lip was quivering and I saw tears start to roll down her cheeks as she put Shadow to her face.

"What's that noise Char?"

"Grace is crying. I have to go. Are you coming?"

"Yes as quickly as we can"

"Good. At least then you can meet this figment of our imagination Major"

I cut off his response, angry at his former treatment of Bella and his daughter.

Grace and I sat and waited for another hour before we were allowed to see Bella for just a few minutes. She opened her eyes sleepily as we came in and smiled one-sided at Grace.

"Well I've seen worse but not still breathing. What did you do? Try to dig up the road surface with your face?"

She nodded lifting her undamaged arm to touch the raw graze running down the entire left side of her face. Grace leaned down and touched her mother's face with her lips,

"Love you Mummy"

"Love you too Grace"

Bella's eyes closed again and she was soon sleeping. Wearing a hospital gown she looked so small and frail, one shoulder was bare and the grazes continued down across her shoulder and under her collar-bone, she must be in agony. Grace and I stayed a little while then went asking the staff to tell Bella we'd be back the next day to see her again.

On the way home we stopped off at a cafe for Grace to eat. As a treat I let her have her favorite, chicken nuggets and she polished them off as if she hadn't been fed in a week! After a look of longing at the menu I caved in and allowed her ice cream too. I was a sucker for her looks, she had me wrapped around her little finger and I wondered what The Major would make of her when he finally met his daughter. She fell asleep on the drive home and I carried her up to bed changing her into her pajama's without waking her. Only when Shadow dropped on the floor did her eyes open,

"Shadow please"

I picked him up and she cuddled him close,

"Thank you Charlotte"

Even asleep her manners were impeccable!

Once downstairs I got her clothes ready for the following day and sat looking into the fire I'd lit earlier to keep Bella warm. She really never got a break, a baby she had no choice in carrying, the child's father unaware and now apparently unwilling to acknowledge the child, and a crazy doctor looking to take her or at the least steal the child. Well she would be welcome here as long as she wanted to stay, whatever happened between her and The Major. She deserved a stable home for a while. I wondered what she would tell her father when she finally rang him again. Her story was so unbelievable even in our world, let alone her fathers.