“My insurance, the nurse said they would be here to take some details but my paperwork is at the hotel.”
“It’s okay Carrie, Nico is dealing with that, it’s all taken care off.”
The Nico influence was in play as within a few minutes porters had arrived to move her to another room. A private room all to herself. She knew she should argue with Nico about the move but her nerves were frazzled after the day’s events.
“Start at the beginning, I want all the details,” her Aunt prompted once Carrie was settled. The waves of nausea were receding but she still felt queasy.
“There isn’t much to tell but I will try, I’ve already given the police a statement and been ‘processed’ for evidence.”
“When did you see them?”
“A couple of hours ago, I’ve kind of lost track of time, they left me a card to contact them if I remember anything else. They said someone else from the sheriff department would come by later”
“Carrie darling, just start when you are ready.” Belle prompted.
“I went to the diner earlier, had a coffee then drove out to Bug light. The weather hadn’t improved much so I decided to head back to the Inn. I wasn’t quite ready to come back so I thought I would return to the same diner first.”
She knew that it would be difficult to repeat everything again but she wanted to get it over with.
“I left after several cups of coffee, about an hour later I guess, I remember the rain had stopped.”
Nico reached over to try and comfort her. It was difficult with her bandaged hands.
“I was a bit distracted and didn’t notice him at first, I walked through the parked trucks, dodging some puddles and then the next thing I know, I felt something push me and knock me off my feet. I didn’t land too great,” she gestured to her bandaged hands. “I scrambled back up; I could feel my hands and knees stinging but had to ignore it. I just knew he meant to harm me.” The last words came out in a bit of a wobble.
“Carrie baby leave it for now”
“I’m okay, I’m okay” she repeated. “I have to tell you both now because I don’t want to talk about this again”
Nico nodded not trusting himself to speak another word.
“He wanted my bag, any money I had, and the car keys. I refused told him to fuck off. The next thing I know I’m trying to keep my balance as he back hands me across the cheek knocking me down. When I tried to pull away and get some distance he grabbed my shoulder,” Carrie pulled her hand from the sling, it was easier to move than the hand that had the drip. She pulled the gown lower and showed them the bruises on her shoulder that he had inflicted. Belle gasped and started to cry.
“I kind of wriggled free from his grasp; I couldn’t remember much from that self-defence class I took years ago. But some of it must have sunk in. Thanks Dad for insisting I go! Oh my God, Mum and Dad, I need to tell them what happened!”
“Carrie, hush its okay, I will call your parents later when I go back to the Inn for some things for you.”
“Okay, he’s going to be so mad. So will Mum, they will be on the next flight out. You have to stop them Belle, I can’t cope just now. Tell them I’ve had a little accident and I will let them know everything when I get home. They have so much on just now with Claire, she needs them.”
“You need your parents too, Carrie. But I do know what my sister is like. I might have to be a little creative with the truth.”
That was an understatement.
“I need to speak to them but I don’t feel up to it just now, I’m tired. Let me finish telling you my story because I know you will want to know more.”
“Carrie this can wait, I think you should get some rest,” Nico interjected.
“No it won’t take much longer. There isn’t much more to tell. Where was I? Oh that’s right he had grabbed my shoulder. I knew I couldn’t turn my back on him, and then I saw the knife. Time was running out so I threw the bag away to distract him. It’s beyond repair now.” She gestured sadly to her bag which was on the table. “When he went after the bag I took my moment and kicked his knees out from under him. He reached for the knife and I kicked it away from him. He fell to the ground, pulling at me. I remember trying to pull free from his grasp as he hauled me lower. He was grasping my arms, my clothes. I didn’t have many options left so I head butted him away from me. They told me I broke his nose. I guess you could say I malkied him.”
“Oh Carrie that’s what you said last night when you were upset, this word malkie, is it a head butt?”
“Yip it is. I wouldn’t have done this to you even though you made me so mad! When it was over, I lay on the ground, picked up a rock and threw it at the diner window to get some attention. The lady, the waitress was so nice to me, I would like to get her flowers or something oh and I need to get the window fixed”
The emotions of the last few hours finally caught up with her and she started to sob.
“Don’t worry Carrie, we will get that sorted.”
Nico felt paralyzed with anger that his Carrie, yes he already thought of her as his, was harmed. Her beautiful skin that he had kissed every inch of was cut and bruised. But he couldn’t let her know how enraged he was, each sob and tear that trickled down her face tore at him. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her forward into his arms as gently as he could. She sobbed into his shoulder and he held her as tight as he could without causing her pain. It had been such a long time that she had felt the comfort of a man’s arms and she had missed that so much. Her head settled into the crook of his neck and sobbed.
“You are okay, you are safe now.” He peppered light kisses on her forehead aware of the bruise and not to hurt her. Gradually the tears subsided and Carrie fell into an exhausted slumber. He lay her back down on the bed.
“What the hell happened here Belle?”
“Don’t be mad Nico, it won’t achieve anything now. For the moment we have to help her recover without any lasting effects. Oh and I have to speak to my sister now that will be the tricky thing. I swear she is like a bloodhound sniffing out the facts. But Carrie is right, her sister is six months pregnant and a bit on the edge just now. It’s been a difficult time for the family.”
“I want my security team here. I want someone to watch her 24/7. But first of all I want to speak to the doctor, see what their prognosis is.”
“That’s a good idea, I think some security, discreet though will help Carrie, give her some reassurance and I should get some more facts from the medical team here too.”
At that moment a nurse had entered the room.
“We just have to do Mrs Reynolds-Davies obs,”
“She’s sleeping, can’t it wait,”
“I’m afraid not, with a head injury we have to carry these things out. She will be fine; I will be as gentle as I can”
Nico stood aside as the nurse carried out her duties. Blood pressure, temperature and a check of speed of the flow of the drip of fluids.
“We would like to see the doctor in charge,”
“Of course Mr Devanti, I will check if the doctor is available”
“I see the Devanti influence at play again!”
“Belle sometimes the name does have its advantages”
Within minutes the MD had returned to the room.
“Hello, I’m Dr Petersen, Mrs Reynolds-Davies physician”
They made their introductions.
“Carrie has had a traumatic experience today. What I can tell you is that she put up quite a fight. She has a mild head injury and with any concussion the symptoms vary. At the moment Carrie is presenting nausea, sickness and headache. This will take around 7 to 10 days to settle, I don’t think her plans to fly home in a few days will be achievable!”
“Oh no” Belle whispered.
“She has some bruising to her left shoulder. A sprain on her left wrist along with lacerations to the pads of her hands and knees. We will continue monitor her and keep her fluids up with an IV to replace what she ha
s lost. The vomiting was a concern but hopefully that is under control now. Are you aware of any of Carrie’s medical history as we don’t have the full access here to her notes?”
“Yes,” Belle replied, “I’m her Aunt. What do you need to know?”
“Her x-rays and scans showed a previous head and ankle injury, both of which were confirmed by Carrie. Do you have any more information on how the injuries occurred?”
“About ten years ago she had a bad fall down a flight of stairs. She was unconscious too then. The break to her ankle was quite severe. She spent a few weeks in hospital then.”
“That explains it; we will take extra precautions as she has had a head injury before, thanks for sharing that information. She did lose consciousness briefly when her accident occurred today. She hasn’t had any further episodes. Do you have any questions for me?”
“How long will she be in hospital?”
“For the next three to five days at least Mr Devanti, we can’t rush these things. Carrie needs rest at this time and we need to see a reduction in the symptoms she is presenting. Particularly with her history. We will gradually reintroduce her to some food tomorrow but for the moment keep her on the IV drip.”
As the Doctor left the room, Carrie continued to sleep and Belle prepared herself for the onslaught of questions from Nico.
“What happened ten years ago?”
“It’s not really my tale to tell but I’m sure Carrie would tell you eventually. I guess I can fill in some of the gaps. From a child she would perform little ‘shows’ at home. Dancing and singing at family parties. What a proper little show off she was! She was full of beans, full of confidence. We knew that all she wanted to do was dance. My sister had her enrolled in ballet lessons at a young age. Then Carrie wanted to go to dance school. Fast forward and Carrie is almost ready to leave school. University beckoning, drama, dance, theatre; the whole works then she had her accident. It has tormented my sister for years.”
Belle paused, her mind thinking back to those events.
“It was just an accident, a simple accident that changed her future forever. Kate, that’s Carries Mum, oh forgot you will know that from your ‘file’.” Nico ignored the jibe. “Well, she wanted the house decorated. Some scaffolding was erected for the high ceilings in the hall way. The usual chaos that ensues with that type of work in progress. Carrie rushed down the stairs on her way to school, slipped on some tool or piping that was hidden under the dust sheets. I only know what my sister told me as she witnessed it first hand as she was waiting for Carrie. She toppled down the stairs, pulling the scaffolding down after her. I don’t know if it was the fall or something hitting her but she was out cold and her ankle broken. They repaired the break but she couldn’t dance again professionally. My poor girl. All those dreams shattered with her accident.”
“I guess that explains the scars on her ankle. I had no idea Belle, ha I even told her not to worry if she couldn’t dance when we were together on Saturday. Mr Sensitive!”
“She doesn’t dwell on it Nico, that girl has had more heart ache in her twenty eight years than most. I love her dearly, I make no secret she is the daughter I never had. I took her under my wing that summer when life gave her its first cruel twist of fate.”
Belle smoothed the bedcover and plumped the pillows for Carrie. Nico was surprised to see this maternal side in Belle. The time they had spent together she had been professional and driven in trying to save Forest to working at the Esperanza. Not at all the protective aunt she was presenting now. He could tell she loved Carrie very much.
“I need to go back to the Inn and get her some things of her own. Then make that call back home. That I will not be looking forward to but they need to know.”
“I will stay with her until you return; I don’t want to leave her alone. I can call Jay to take you back to the Inn.” They made their arrangements and Nico made some calls to change his schedule.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Nico did not move from Carrie’s bedside. They were at a delicate stage in the fit out at the hotel. It wasn’t widely known but Gino had a heart attack a few years ago and that was when Nico stepped up to the plate. He gave up his partying when faced with his father’s mortality. He had been cossetted and allowed to go his own way in life but the prospect of losing his father changed all of that. Gino was very much a figure head for the company and had finally stepped down from the day to day running of their company. There was no one Nico trusted at this stage and he wasn’t leaving Carrie. A point he was explaining.
“Dad, this is a crucial week we need to be on site and have a presence there. The kitchen re-fit is starting. It’s a shell there. The contractors should have completed the electrical work but that’s not what I am being told. I’ve had a conference call with the project managers already and they have assured me we are on track. We have invested 3 million dollars in this kitchen alone. We need to stay on them. The main works are due to complete this week and then it’s on to the remainder of the fit out. We have only allocated a month for that. Can you clear your schedule to fly out for a few days?”
“Okay son but tell me, is this girl worth it?”
Nico paused before replying, “Yes, she is”
“I’m in then, when will you be home?”
“An hour or so, I’ve sent you some emails from today’s call, we can go through them when I get back in, pick up some of the areas I’m not happy with and you can pitch in with your thoughts on it.”
“I will go tell your Mother the good news I’m out of her hair for a few days, unless she wants to join me in LA, you never can tell with your Mom”
Belle returned with a holdall for all the essentials Carrie would need. She had not woken fully during this time. A few murmurs but she didn’t say anything. As he watched her sleeping form he could observe in more detail the injuries she had sustained. God, she was impulsive, why hadn’t she given up her bag? She could have been stabbed or even killed. What the hell was she thinking? He wanted an answer but now wasn’t the time. All he knew was that as every moment passed he didn’t want to be parted from her. He wanted to protect her, keep her safe and never let anything happen like this again. She had already gone through so much. The injuries she had sustained ending her dancing career but she had coped. Widowhood and she had again survived. Yeah, she was a survivor and there was his answer. No one would get the better of her knife or no knife. Hell, he was still angry with her for putting herself in danger.
The nursing staff had popped in and out to continue their observations but didn’t make any comment on her condition.
“Terri helped me pack few things. Just some toiletries and her own pyjamas, I’m sure she will want to get out of that very fetching hospital gown as soon as possible. Everyone is very concerned about her at the Inn. Tansie and Terri both want updates on her condition. They are in shock that something like this could have happened.”
“We all are, I’m going to call the Sheriff’s Department for an update and I need to get back home and reschedule some meetings. Are you okay to sit with her until I get back?”
“Yes Nico, I am more than capable.”
Belle continued to unpack the bag, dispersing items where necessary. She found Carries phone and put it on to charge. It began to beep with announcements of messages.
“Did you speak with Carrie’s parents?”
“Yes, despite Carrie’s pleas not to, I told them more or less the truth. It took a lot of persuasion to stop them getting on the next flight out. I had to tell them what happened as they wanted to speak to Carrie immediately. They were worried she hadn’t responded to any texts or calls today. Well she couldn’t really when she was in the ED!”
“I’m sure Carrie will understand,”
“I told them there was an attempted mugging which she had been caught up in. That she had some injuries and the doctors had decided it was best she had some rest in hospital. I have to get her to call home as soon as she can,”
&nb
sp; Nico left a short while later, promising to return as soon as he could. He had a security team in place much to Belle’s relief.
It had started to get dark outside. Belle had a magazine on her lap and flicked the pages without noticing any of the stories trying to distract herself from a sleeping Carrie. She was so worried for Carrie and not for the first time in her life. These last few days she had seen a change in Carrie. It wasn’t that she had moved on or finished her grieving for Rob. She thought that Carrie would always have that pocket of sorrow within her. But the change she saw was a little of the ‘old’ Carrie. The carefree teenager with the world literally at her feet. Belle had genuinely liked Rob and was very fond of him. It was clear for anyone to see that he had adored Carrie. He gave her the stability she needed and she had no doubt that it was only death that parted them. But Nico was different. He brought that spark back to Carrie. Was it too soon for Carrie to find a new love? She didn’t think so having seen the changes in her niece. Would their family think the same? That she didn’t know.
“Hi Belle” startled she lifted her head from the magazine.
“Carrie darling, you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Oh Belle I feel like I have been hit by a tonne of bricks. Every bone in my body aches. Where is Nico?”
“He’s gone home but will be back soon. He was very worried about you Carrie. We both were. Even before we knew you were in hospital.”
“I didn’t mean to worry anyone. I was so mad this morning with Nico. It seems like a lifetime ago now. Sorry Belle, I feel a bit queasy. Can you help me up to the bathroom?”
With seconds to spare Carrie vomited again, which while hooked to drip was difficult task to do. It took her a few minutes to regain her composure after her sickness spell and found her toothbrush which Belle had left earlier. After a brush of her teeth she struggled to wash her face with her bandaged hands.
“Do you want me to get a nurse?”
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