Chapter 9

Here is the next chapter….sorry for the wait and thanks for the reviews. Amber

Chapter 9

Chloe felt groggy and everything seemed to hurt. Then she wondered where she was. Oh no that man…he…No it was all a bad dream this is my bed. I'm going to wake up at home…this was a nightmare.

"We love you so much."

Chloe felt safe with that voice her daddy. She turned towards it and opened her eyes. She saw his face. "Daddy." She didn't recognize her voice it was raspy and her throat was sore.

"Hello sweetheart." His voice was full of emotion. She took in her surroundings. Luke was beside her dad. Matt and mom on the other side of her bed…wait…that wasn't possible her twin bed was against the wall. Her walls were purple. This wasn't her room.

Then everything started coming back. A plethora of memories were flooding her consciousness. The man…her bike…being shackled and cuffed inside the van. The pain…her attackers screams. She started hyperventilating. "No…No…" Chloe squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm at home…in bed this isn't real. I'm at home…"

Frank looked at Chloe worried. He did what he could to sooth her. "Baby…it's going to be okay…You're in the hospital. You're going to be alright…it's going to be alright."

"No…not alright…not alright…I was bad."

Callie soothed her. "Oh baby you weren't bad…he tricked you and hurt you."

Chloe began to shake. "But I hurt him…because he hurt me first that was bad. But I wanted him to stop." She was hysterical.

Frank frowned. "Sweetie he hurt you a whole lot more than you could have hurt him."

Chloe had her eyes squeezed shut….She continued without hearing her father. "There was a knife in the back of the van…I cut him with it….on his side."

Frank looked at Callie her face was full of fear.

Fenton opened the door to the room. He saw the state his granddaughter was in and immediately went to get the nurse. She, Fenton, and a doctor came in. The doctor didn't hesitate he told the nurse to give her valium.

Chloe seemed to sense the stranger in the room. She screamed, "No don't touch me…leave me alone…"

Callie had staggered back with her hands covering her mouth. Fenton placed comforting hands on her arms. Matt was gripping the bed but asked the doctor to step back a bit.

Chloe was clutching her arm trying to rip out her IV. She wanted to run. Frank seized her arms. "Baby listen to me…its okay…they are going to help you…it's okay baby."

"Daddy don't let him touch me." The nurse came back in. Chloe saw her and screamed. "HER either."

Her screams must have carried down the hall because Laura Hardy came in with Joe in tow. She took the valium from the nurse who had stepped back in shock. Chloe did not object to Laura approaching the bed.

Laura smiled at her shaking granddaughter and took the lead at her IV. She administered the valium. Frank was holding her against him whispering words of comfort.

"Daddy don't leave me."

"I wouldn't dream of it princess."

Her eyes closed and she fell asleep. Frank placed her gently back down on the bed. He saw his father comforting Callie as best he could. Luke and Matt both looked like they were at their breaking points too. Nothing could have ever prepared them for this. But he'd be damned if she woke up without him there.

"Frank…" He heard his wife's weak voice. He stood up and she hurtled herself into his arms.

Fenton took his grandsons by the arms. "Come on boys. You're coming to my house tonight."

Luke pulled away. "We are staying right here."

Laura tried this time. "Luke honey she is asleep she won't wake up till morning. Come with us."

"Please boys…"

Luke turned so did Matt. They both heard the despair and helplessness in their father's voice. "Please…so that we know the two of you are okay."

They looked at their mother crying uncontrollably in their father's arms. Matt took Luke by the arm. "Come on Luke…we'll come back after school tomorrow."

Luke did not object…he wrapped his arms around both his parents and kissed his mothers cheek. Matt did the same. He said. "We love you…it will be okay."

Frank answered. "I know Mattie."

The door closed. But neither of them moved. Callie finally pulled away enough to look up at him. "Oh Frank…" She whispered. "I don't think I can do this."

Frank kissed her hair. "Yes you can Callie…we have to for her sake."

"I just don't want to get upset in front of her."

"Showing your emotions isn't a bad thing Callie. You don't want to shut down completely she might misinterpret that. She's expecting us to react. Shedding a few tears or crying with her isn't a bad thing at all."

"Should I tell her?"

"It may help her later down the road. Not right now. However…I think it is time we shared that with our sons."

Callie nodded into his chest. "Can you tell them?"

"Absolutely."

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Frank drove to his parent's house he had asked the nurse how long Chloe was going to be asleep and she said till the morning. Frank felt it was safe for him to take a detour to talk to his sons. He had called Tiffany and Hannah to come over…because he knew they were going to need their support. He pulled up just as Tiffany and Hannah did. Hannah threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Well yes. I'd like you to be here for my sons while I tell them something they need to know. This is going to be hard for everyone especially Chloe…but there is something that they need to hear about their mother. You'll understand when you hear the story."

The girls both nodded with identical looks of determination. Frank knew they would help Luke and Matt through this. He opened the door with his key. Luke came out. "Dad! What are you doing here?"

"Where is your brother?"

"In the den." He looked behind his dad as he said this and met Tiffany's eye. He couldn't read her.

They walked forward and Matt stood up when they entered. "Dad! Why aren't you at the hospital?"

"I have to tell you something."

Luke was dumbfounded. "What dad? Is Chloe alright? Considering I mean."

Frank nodded. "Yes she is fine…you know this is going to be hard. I don't want you boys to hesitate coming to talk to me…your mother or your friends about this. Understand…"

They both nodded. Tiffany took Luke's hand. The same moment Hannah took Matt's.

Hannah started the conversation after they sat on the couch. "What do you want to tell them Mr. Hardy… We are here."

Laura and Fenton walked in and sat next to Frank on the second couch each taking one of his hands.

Frank took a deep breath and began to tell a story that happened almost 23 years ago.