Chapter Eight.

Disclaimer I don't own Coronation Street or any of the characters.

Westerfield General Hospital

It had become an agonizing wait in the emergency department of Weatherfield General Infirmary as seven people waited for news of their loved one.

It had been over forty minutes since Carla had been brought in and yet there was still no news.

"I just don't get it, I watched her walk down the street towards your flat," Steve muttered, sighing in confusion.

"What do you mean you watched her? So you let her walk home on her own in the middle of the night? You were meant to walk her home, Steve." Michelle asked, spinning around on the spot, her eyes lit with fury.

How could he mess up like that?

"You were meant to walk her home? And what? You just left her?" Frank asked, his tone calm and controlled. advancing towards him.

"She said she'd be fine, it was 200 yards down the street. I watched her round the corner, I promise you she was fine." Steve defended himself.

"She was attacked just as she rounded that corner. Steve. How could you let a woman walk home alone in the dead of night knowing she has alcohol in her system with no way to defend herself?" Frank hissed. punching the wall beside his head.

"My daughter is lying in a hospital bed because of you?" Jonny yelled at him, getting out of his chair.

"Hang on, I'll admit what Steve did was stupid, but he didn't attack Carla, did he?" Michelle came to Steve's defence, stepping in between him and Frank.

"That's not the point, Michelle. If he had walked Carla home like he was supposed to, she never would have been attacked in the first place." Kate replied, not believing what she was hearing.

"And if he had, who says he wouldn't have been attacked and all? And where were you?" Michelle snapped.

"As much as I want to throttle him right now, She has a point." Aidan pointed out to the group, smugly.

"I think everyone should just calm down and keep a clear head. The most important thing here is Carla and we should be constraint on Carla." Came Roy's voice of reason.

"Roy's right, this will be dealt with later, my main priority now is Carla," Frank told the group, turning away from Steve.

"What he said. I don't know about you, but if I was you I'd pray that Carla gets through this. For your sake. Because I'll tell you something for nothing. I couldn't live with the guilt. Frank, he's not worth it. You need to concentrate on Carla. And Adian, I know that you don't like it, but Carla is your sister, there's no hierarchy here. so, get off your high horse and wipe that smirk off your face."Jonny reprimanded the group.

"Yes, alright. Jonny. He knows he made a mistake." Michelle replied.m, rolling her eyes.

"Mistake? No this isn't just a harmless mistake, Michelle. This is Carla. Who is meant to be your best friend and where were you when she needed you most?" Frank asked her, looking her dead in the eye. Taking his worry and frustration out on her.

"How dare you? Who do you think you are?" Michelle spat, how dare he question her.

"You really want to go there?" Frank challenged.

"I've been there for her more than you'll ever imagine, more than you ever have been," Michelle replied, furious that he had the gall to question her friendship with Carla.

"Ok, where were you when Tony happened, oh wait that's right. You were off sunning yourself on a cruise ship with your boyfriend. Do you want me to carry on?" Frank asked her.

Michelle knew deep down, he was right, so just turned her head away from the group.

The group fell into an awkward silence until a doctor interrupted each of their thoughts.

"Are you the family of Mrs Carla Connor?" The doctor asked the group.

"I'm her dad, Jonny," Jonny answered the doctor.

"I'm doctor Owens, I'm the doctor treating your daughter, let's not do this in a corridor. Follow me to the relative room." The doctor told them.

The seven occupants of the group didn't dare ask why in fear of the answer.

The doctor continued once everyone was comfortable.

"Carla was brought in just over an hour ago, she has minor cuts and bruises, a concussion and is in shock. Medically she'll make a full recovery, but she is in shock." Doctor Owens explained.

"What do you mean medically she'll be fine?" Michelle asked.

"We think Carla was sexually assaulted." Doctor Owens replied.

"Oh my god," Kate whispered in disbelief.

"How will you know for sure?" Johnny asked, stunned.

This couldn't be happening, this was his little girl they were talking about. His baby girl. She wasn't meant to walk home alone.

"She can't have been," Frank whispered, feeling sick to his stomach.

"She won't let us examine her." Doctor Owens replied.

"Let me talk to her," Michelle asked.

"No offence, Michelle but I think you'd be the last person she'd want to see," Jonny told her.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Michelle snapped at him, glaring at him.

"That thanks to your boyfriend here that my little girl is even in a hospital bed." Jonny roared, finally losing his temper.

"Why didn't Frank come and get her if you were so worried about her safety?" Michelle replied, smirking just a little.

"You know, Carla told me that you had a nasty streak in you, but this? The reason I didn't come and get her, Michelle was because you reassured me that Steve would walk her home and look how much of a great job he did at that. Get out, nobody wants you here!" Frank snapped at her.

"Don't speak to her like that!" Steve warned him.

"Oh, the guy for the reason we're here finally pipes up. took you long enough." Frank tutted at him.

"You can't put me out, I'm family, so hers staying." Michelle hissed, no way was she being pushed aside. No way!

"He can't, but I can, with an attitude like that. You aren't seeing Carla." Jonny informed her.

"You can't do that, you've been back in her life, what? Five minutes? Don't make me laugh." Michelle sneered, jealousy coursing through her veins.

Where did that leave her?

"I'm afraid if the family doesn't want you here, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Doctor Owens imputed.

"I am family!" Michelle snapped at the doctor.

"The doctor is only trying to do her job and you're not family, you're her ex sister in law, that's not family," Frank told her, coldly.

"Neither are you! You're just the bloke our Carla is shacked up with!" Michelle yelled.

"Fiance," Frank smirked at her.

"What?" Michelle stuttered.

"You heard me, I'm planning on asking Carla to marry me," Frank told her.

"Haha, and what makes you think that she'll say yes?" Michelle sneered at him.

"Because I love her and she loves me," Frank replied with nothing but absolute certainty.

"Very confident, aren't you?" Michelle smirked.

Frank just glared at her.

"I'm going to have to ask you all to calm down or leave." Dr Owens informed the group.

"I'm going to leave it there before I say something really out of turn." He told her.

"Michelle, I think that perhaps it's best you leave," Roy told her, softly.

"And who asked you? What are you even doing here? Carla only gives you the time of day because she feels sorry for you. It's pathetic." Michelle ground out.

"How dare you speak Roy like that? Who do you think you are? if my memory serves me correctly, Carla pulled you out of the gutted a few times! so, don't you dare stand there and have a go at people who genuinely care about Carla, when all you have done is use her for your own selfish gain? Now, do us all a favour and just leave! Your not welcome here!" Hayley snapped, stunning the group into silence and Michelle to pick her jaw off the floor.

Michelle just stood there in stunned silence, not knowing which way to turn.

"I couldn't have phrased that better myself, now you heard the lady," Frank told her.

"Let me talk to her," Frank asked the doctor, turning to face her.

"She'll listen to him, she trusts him," Roy spoke for the first time.

Jonny nodded his head in confirmation.

The doctor led Frank to a quiet side room, as they came to the double doors, Frank saw Carla sitting there staring into space.

"Hey, you." He whispered as he sat down beside her.

Carla shocked Frank by throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing uncontrollably.

"It's alright sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." Frank whispered softly, as he gently moved her hair out of her face.

"You didn't leave me?" Carla whimpered in surprise.

"Of course not darling, I said I wouldn't, didn't I? Everyone is here, you're dad, Aidan, Kate, Hayley, Roy, Steve and Michelle." Frank told her.

"You did, you did. I only want you and my dad. They think I was raped, but you tell them that they've got it wrong, you'll tell them, won't you?" Carla whispered, desperately

Carla was knelt on the hospital bed, facing him, with her hands on either side of his face as Frank gently held her by her hips.

"If they are wrong, the exam will prove that, if you want me to be, I'll be there the whole time," Frank told her gently.

"I don't want to, please don't make me." Carla pleaded, her tears cascading down her face.

"Baby, I know you're hurting and you're scared, I promise you as I stand here. I'll be your safety net, all you have to do is fall. I'll catch you, I promise." Frank told her as he gently rocked her back and forth.

"You promise you'll never leave me?" Carla whispered, despite.

"With everything I am, I promise I'll never leave you, darling," Frank promised.

"Will you get the doctor?" Carla asked, softly as Frank gently lay her back down on the bed.

The next couple of hours were probably the worst of Carla's life, being poked and prodded in places no one ever had the right to go.

First, they took Carla's clothes then they took photographs, measurements and blood and swabs.

Then came the internal exam, Carla held a death grip on Frank's hand, needing reassurance he was still there.

"Ok, Carla. That's us, you were wonderful. You can get dressed now." The nurse gently patted her leg.

"You were amazing, I love you," Frank whispered softly as he gently held Carla as the couple sat basking in the last few minutes of peace and quiet.

Carla felt incredibly violated and exposed, her heart went out for anyone who has ever had to endure this. She was just thankful that it was over, all she wanted to do was go home.

A gentle knock on Carla's hospital door interrupted the couple's peacefulness.

The couple braced themselves, the next few minutes could potentially change their lives…

A/N I hope you enjoy reading this. Keep reviewing!

Shoutouts.

Amymikk

Amazing chapter and I'm glad Carla and Ann are reunited and that the dinner went well. I hope Carla is okay and whoever did this better get punished. X

Aww thank you! Nice touch? You'll have to wait and see. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Xx

CsrlaConnor Lover

The speech that was said about love being doubled was that from a Call the midwife episode by any chance as I feel like I recognise it from one of their Christmas specials the one that was in two episodes more pacifically! I am heartbroken at the ending to the chapter and I hope that Carla will be okay and I am so pleased that Carla finally got to say thanks to the woman who shaped her life xxx

Well spotted! It is. Sorry for your heartbreak! Only time will tell. Nice surprise? Xxx