Chapter 7

Frankie told Carly she will be moved to a reputable hospital in D.C, where she would also get some reconstructive surgery. Afterwards, she will stay with him and Piper, for as long as she wanted. Sensing she was still upset by Melanie's visit, he added, 'I don't expect you to completely write her out of your life, Katerina. But I think it's best if you two don't see each other for a while.'

Sternly warned by Dr Gage not to force herself to talk, Carly managed to nod in agreement. She was too sore and her mind too fevered to gather her thoughts together. She needed to be far away from Salem, away from the people who'd given her so much pain and the attacker who almost killed her. Why anybody would want her dead, she was yet to realise. But until she was out of Salem, she and her unborn children were not safe.

As promised, the hired bodyguards were posted outside her room, one during the day, the other relieving him at night, closely monitoring whoever went in or out. A tall Korean-American, who introduced himself as Cain Walker, a war veteran. The other was a hefty woman called Meredith Taggart, a former professional athlete; versed in martial arts and kickboxing. Stern-faced with a mass of frizzy curls, her eyes were however gentle. 'I hope eventually they'll catch the guy who did this to you.' She said.

'Were you allowed to see her?' Daniel asked Lexie, who had told him she was going to visit Carly and take her some flowers.

'I did.' She replied quietly. Frankie got Carly's permission, after much earnest pleading.

'I know I've not been a friend to you at all,' she'd said. 'Taking sides and then not bothering to find out how you were after you and Bo broke up. I was just like everyone else, pretending nothing happened. All I can say is... I'm really sorry, for everything you went been through, on top of this. I got your letter. And I can imagine how angry and bitter you must be. We all treated you badly. But... I hope you'll reconsider your resignation. This isn't just the Chief of Staff talking, it's me Lexie... who hopes to make it up to you in many ways. Abe feels really guilty too. Of course, you can take all the time you need to get better. I know just how much you're hurting inside. But please, don't leave. You're still a beautiful woman Carly, and a great physician. You can get through this somehow, and I will help you in any way I can, if you'll give me the chance to.'

'She said no,' Daniel guessed, his heart sinking.

Carly wasn't able to speak, except for a slow but firm shake of the head. 'Nothing I said moved her. I keep putting myself in her shoes, and I can't say I don't understand her decision to leave town.'

'She can't leave town. Melanie will be devastated.'

'And why exactly would she be?' Lexie asked scornfully. 'Or you, for that matter?'

Daniel flinched at Lexie's jab. 'We both regret the way we behaved, okay? You could've least asked Carly to forgive our daughter. They need each other more than ever right now.'

'First off, you need to do that yourself, Daniel. And second, how come you didn't say so to Melanie the whole time Carly was coping with her pain, all alone? All Carly has to do is put one tiny foot wrong and Melanie throws one of her stupid tantrums. It's obvious, Carly finally got tired of it!' Lexie snapped.

'That's a cheap shot!' Daniel snapped back, angry Lexie was likening Melanie to a spoiled brat.

'Have it your way, Daniel. You and your kid want forgiveness from Carly; earn it. Don't expect any help from me.' Turning her heel, Lexie stormed to her office.

Daniel glared after her. His own behaviour he could put up being criticised for. But not his daughter's, who was very upset at her mother's coldness. Maggie Horton, Jennifer or Brady couldn't intercede because they weren't allowed to see Carly either. Carly simply didn't want to see anyone.

How would they be able to be reconciled if she was bent on leaving Salem?

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Adrienne Kiriakis took one look at Bo's black eyes and split lip and gave a derisive snort. 'Frankie should've done much worse.'

'How's Carly?' Bo asked quietly, sliding over Adrienne's remark.

'She's being taken care of.'

'What about... what about the baby?'

Adrienne looked hard at Bo, whose face was grim. 'Why do you care?'

'Just answer, alright? Did our baby make it?'

'By a miracle, yes.' Adrienne didn't bother telling him Carly was carrying twins. He didn't deserve to know.

Bo hadn't been able to do anything except think about Carly since her attack, living with his painful guilt. Their baby was alive, a miracle like Adrienne said. But Carly... he wanted to beg forgiveness for his betrayal... there were so many things he wanted to say to her. Only a fool would expect a betrayed woman to easily forget what happened but he had to try.

'I need your help.'

'I already know what you want and I'll see you in hell before I let you anywhere near her. Just leave that woman in peace.'

'Then you'll just gonna have to because I have to see her. I need to see her, you hear me?' Bo barked, urgency mixed with anger in his voice now.

'I can't do that. Frankie will...'

'I don't give a damn!' Bo's blazing hazel eyes met his. 'You do all you can to get me into her room or so help me I'll march in there without it!'

Adrienne knew only too well Bo Brady would do just that.

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'Thank you for coming, Marcus.' Maggie said, holding out her hand to him then dropped it when he made no effort to take it.

'What's this about?' he asked, arms folded. 'I don't want to be in this house longer than I have to.'

'If it's Victor you're worried about, he's not here.'

Marcus scoffed at the idea of being worried or scared of Victor Kiriakis of all people. 'Well?'

Maggie looked over his shoulder. 'You can come in, honey.'

Marcus turned sharply as Melanie walked into the living room. 'You've got to be kidding. I'm out of here.'

'Dr. Hunter, please don't go, wait please!' Melanie begged, blocking his way, palms up. 'I really need your help.'

'Little girl, you don't get to ask me for anything. Get out of my way.'

'Please,' Melanie stood her ground, eyes firmly on Marcus' face. 'Please listen to me. I need you to talk to Mum. She still won't budge and I really need to be with her.'

'You should've thought that when she really needed you.' Marcus spat disdainfully.

'Marcus, please let's not drag that out.'

'You dragged it out.' Marcus turned to Maggie, his dark eyes glinting with her. 'You sat back and let her hurt Carly as if Bo hadn't done enough. You cared more about this girl's feelings than Carly's. What was the terrible thing Carly did that her own daughter would turn her back on her? Why didn't you or Jonas do anything then?'

Melanie lowered her eyes, heartsick. Marcus interrupted before Maggie could speak again.

'No, I don't want to listen to anything else. I'm ashamed of all of you. The Hortons, the Bradys... you all ganged up on that innocent woman. I wonder what Dr Horton or Alice would think of all of you right now.' He turned his cold glance back at Melanie who had tears running down her cheeks. 'Carly doesn't want to see you. So, don't expect any help from me.'

'What are you doing in my house, Hunter?' Victor entered just as Melanie and Maggie were trying to stop Marcus from leaving.

'I asked him to come. Please stay out of this, Victor.'

'Don't worry, I was already leaving this damned house anyway.' Marcus said, flinching with dislike at the sight of Victor.

'If it's about that whore, I don't know why you're bothering with her. Maybe now she'll get out town like she was supposed to.'

Melanie gasped in horror.

'Victor!' cried Maggie, shocked.

'I know you didn't just call Carly a whore in front of me.' Marcus said slowly.

'I did, loud and clear. Because that's what she is.' Victor replied calmly. 'And frankly, she deserved what she got.'

'Shut up, Victor! How dare you!' Melanie cried, infuriated.

'Kiriakis, I might just forget myself and hurt you.' Marcus snarled, hands balled into fists.

'Marcus... please no.' Maggie pleaded, holding on to his arm.

'You had many chances to call me out, Hunter. Did you ever raise a hand, much less your voice, to ever defend Carly the whole time you trailed after her years ago? You probably had your own intentions the whole time she was married to me or when she was sleeping with Bo behind my back.'

'What?' Melanie whispered, stunned, not sure she heard right.

'Victor, that's enough.' Maggie snapped.

'But you were too scared to say a word to me,' Victor taunted on relentlessly, pleased at the look of fury on Marcus' face. 'Like the night she was caught in the elevator. Everyone accused me of paying to get it sabotaged, but not you. Instead, like an obedient little boy, you did your job and let Bo do all the talking. So don't pretend to be that whore's white knight now.'

Marcus' fist immediately made contact with Victor's jaw.

'Marcus, don't... I beg you please!' Maggie screamed as Marcus grabbed Victor by his jacket lapels and hit him again.

'That woman's a filthy whore!' spat Victor, his mouth bleeding. 'Do your worst!'

Marcus' hands gripped Victor's neck, trembling with rage. 'That's what you feel huh?'

'Yes.'

'Carly Manning's a lady. And guess what... you, Alamain and that worthless son of yours aren't fit to wipe her shoes. The night I saw her lying on that gurney, I wanted to kill you. I wanted to thrash you within the inch of your pathetic life, Kiriakis. Whatever fear I felt that night was not of you. It was the fear I wouldn't be able to save Carly's life. And the more I think of it, I suddenly wonder if it was really Bo who was meant to die that night.'

Victor struggled but Marcus held him in a vice grip, causing him to gasp. 'Underneath your thousand dollar suits, you're evil. You're beyond evil, you're pure filth. If I ever find out you did this to Carly, you're a dead man. I swear to God, I will come back and kill you.'

He shoved Victor on the nearest armchair, wiping his hands in disgust as Maggie rushed to tend to her husband. Melanie stared at them and back to Marcus, green eyes filled with shock, her expression stricken.

Without a word, Marcus let himself out, still feeling no sympathy for her. Like Maggie, she'd chosen to marry a Kiriakis- according to Rafe- which further disgusted him. She obviously knew nothing about Carly's full past with Bo, how Victor had tricked Carly into marrying him by swapping Bo's love letter to her for a forged one. Or how Victor planned Bo's death but Carly almost got killed instead. Both families told the girl nothing. But the way she had treated Carly was still inexcusable and his loyalty lay with Carly and Carly alone. Marcus wasn't prepared to lift a finger for Melanie Kiriakis.

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'It's alright, Meredith, he's with me.'

The hefty woman nodded, watching Bo with narrowed eyes.

'Five minutes,' Adrienne said for the umpteenth time, wondering what the hell she was thinking, allowing Bo to talk her into this. 'I don't want Frankie suddenly coming back and find you here.'

Bo brushed past Adrienne, barely hearing her as he closed the door behind him. That... that disfigured woman on the bed isn't Carly, it can't be Carly, he thought, heartsick. His princess was beautiful. The woman on the bed was battered and unrecognisable, her injured eye covered and one arm in a cast across her chest. As he stared down at her, Bo's mind went back to the night Carly returned to Salem, when she told him the number of times Lawrence beat and tortured her. He didn't want to visualise how she must have suffered all those years. Seeing her now, bruised and battered, he did...vividly. This is all my fault.

Sitting down, Bo ran a trembling hand over her feverish cheek, not bothering to hold back his tears. In seconds, a green eye was staring up at him.

'I'm so sorry princess,' he choked hoarsely. 'Forgive me, please forgive me, baby.' He leaned down to kiss her but she made a little noise, glaring at him.

'Get... out.' She whispered with effort.

'Princess, listen to me, please. I did a terrible thing and I don't expect you to forgive me right now. I broke a lot of promises I made to you, I know. But I swear... I *never* meant to hurt you. This isn't what I wanted for us.'

'You...' Carly whispered again. 'You... you... did this. You ... let... this... happen to me. You... lied... to me. Always Hope. I... was a...mistake.'

'No... no...' Bo replied, gripping her hand. 'It's not true, don't say that.'

'You... told her that.' An angry tear rolled down her eye, and she weakly struggled to pull her hand away from him. 'I... hate...you. I...hate you... both. Will... never... forgive you. Get...out. I... never... ever... want to... see you again. Get...out.'

The door open and Adrienne came in, just in time to hear what Carly said. 'Bo, that's enough. You promised you weren't going to upset her.'

'Carly, please listen to me. There's something I really need to tell you.' Bo said desperately, refusing to let go of her hand, ignoring Adrienne.

'Leave. Me. alone. Get. out.' Carly's voice was rising, which was bad for her. Her lower lip was bleeding again and her heart rate was going up, by the monitor's erratic beeping. Next thing, the babies could be in distress.

'Bo, get out right now.' Adrienne ordered, rushing to Carly's side to calm her down. The door opened again, this time it was Meredith. 'What's going on here? Is Dr Manning okay?' She glared at Bo, her initial suspicion mounting. 'What did you do to her?'

'I'll deal with him. You get Dr Gage now.' Adrienne turned to Bo who stood by, upset by Carly's distress. 'What are you still standing here for? I said get out!'

Only for the sake of Carly's state of mind that Bo obeyed Adrienne, with a very heavy heart. By the time he got home that night, he was so drunk Hope had to help him up the stairs to their room.

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Bo waited two days before calling Adrienne. And she dropped a bombshell. Frankie chartered a private plane and took Carly away, accompanied by Piper and Marcus