Chapter Nine.
Disclaimer - I don't own anything related to Coronation Street or any of the characters.
Carla and Frank's Flat
It had been two months since that fateful night, that's 8 weeks, 56 days, 80640 minutes and 4838400 seconds. And that was a hell of a lot to live with.
Imagine living that for the rest of your days on this earth? It was a fate you wouldn't wish upon the devil, let alone another human being.
But it was the hellish existence Carla was having to live through, it consumed her every waking moment, every day, her every minute, her every second.
Jumping at the slightest noise, at the shadows in every corner. This was her reality, but she didn't want this reality. She wanted her old reality back, she was happy in that reality, she was Carla Connor in that reality. In this reality, she was what she'd always feared she'd become- a shell of her former self, a stranger to all that knew her.
Everyone had tried, but nobody could get through to her, not even her beloved Roy. And if her beloved Roy couldn't get through to her, then nobody ever would.
Frank and Roy were sitting at a table tucked in a quiet corner of the cafe, where they wouldn't be disturbed.
"Who's with Carla at the moment?" Roy asked as he starred sugar in his tea.
"My mum, she won't let anyone else near her. She was having a shower when I left." Frank replied as he nodded his thanks to Hailey as she set his coffee on the table.
"I just want to help her, Roy." Frank sighed sadly, as he took a sip of coffee.
"This is going to sound heartless and unfeeling, but you simply can't, you have let her know and show her that you're not going anywhere and you'll be there for whenever she's ready and you'll not leave her side. She'll come back to you, that I promise you. Our Carla will come back to you, you just give her the time she needs. Our girl will come back to us." Roy vowed.
"There's only one way I'd ever leave her, Roy," Frank told him.
"How bad has it gotten?" Roy sighed, disheartened at the sad state of affairs.
"She's not sleeping, barely eating, jumping at the tiniest of noises, scared of the shadows, wants to be on her own, yet never to be left alone. But Roy…" Frank trailed off, unsure if he should continue. Not wanting to betray Carla or her confidence.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure we can get our girl through it," Roy replied.
"Your girl? She's not your daughter!" Jonny yelled, overhearing the conversation between the two men.
"Dad, that's out of order, Roy is only trying to help." Kate harshly whispered in her dad's ear.
Frank jumped from his seat.
"Adjust your tone and show some respect. How dare you? You ignore Carla for the first 37 years of her life, let her go through hell and pretend she doesn't exist. And the man, who by the way has been more of a father to her than you'll ever have been. Has been nothing but there for her and you have the nerve to stand there and have a go at him for doing the one thing you should have been doing from the day Carla was born. Apologize now!" Frank ordered as the cafe fell silent.
"You what?" Jonny stuttered, not being used to being put in his place.
"Do as he says." A voice from across the room shocks the occupants of the cafe.
"Carla, love I was just." Jonny tried to explain.
"You weren't just anything, now apologize now!" Carla hissed, disgusted at what she had just witnessed.
"I'm sorry, Roy. I was out of order." Johnny apologized.
"Now, if everyone is finished gawking. I would like to sit down at my local cafe and a nice cup of tea with my boyfriend and my dear friend. Is that alright with everyone? And you, Roy, has been more of a dad to me than you have. You want to be my dad, start acting like it." Carla asked as she took a seat next to Frank.
Johnny stared at her in shock.
"I wasn't talking to you, now if you don't mind. Roy where's my tea?" Carla smiled at Roy.
Roy Cropper thought his heart was going to burst, nobody had ever called him dad before and the thought that Carla held him in such high regard left him speechless and made him feel on top of the world.
"Coming right up." He smiled back at her.
"But Carla.." Carla cut him off.
"But nothing, Johnny. Now leave me alone." Carla told him.
Johnny went to say something but was cut off by Kate.
"Dad, just leave it. Give her some space." Kate advised.
Carla knew her journey would never be over, but with the people she loved most in the world by her side, she knew she could conquer anything.
"So, where does it go from here?" Frank asked.
"Well, I have a few fires to put out and few bridges to mend but then after that, who knows," Carla replied as she put her coat on.
"Where to?" Frank smiled, his girl was back.
"I've got the doctors, then the police station, then your mum and dad's and then the Rovers and then home." Carla listed off.
"Then let's go, my lady," Frank replied.
The couple made their way down Coronation Street towards Underworld to get their car.
"I need to pop into the factory a sec, you want to come with me or wait in the car?" Frank asked as he let go of Carla's hand.
"Eh, I'll come with you," Carla replied, as the couple made their way inside.
The Underworld Factory
A welcomed wave of heat washed over them as they crossed the threshold.
"Where is everyone?" Carla asked as they got to the office.
"It's lunchtime, babe," Frank replied as he quickly checked his emails.
"You want a cuppa?" Carla asked, heading for the office door.
"Yes, please love." Frank smiled, following her out.
"SURPRISE!" Came the cheer from their employees.
"What the.." Carla trailed off.
"We saw you coming in and we wanted to do something nice," Julie told them.
"Aw, thank you. That's really thoughtful." Carla smiled, touched.
"Don't look at me, I'm as surprised as you are," Frank replied as Carla gave him the look.
"So, Mrs C. When will you be back at work?" Sean asked.
"I'm not sure yet, but hopefully soon, Sean," Carla replied, as her phone started to ring.
"Michelle, what can I do for you?" Carla answered, icily.
"Finally decided to answer your phone, then?" Michelle snipped.
"I haven't got time for this Michelle. Was it something important?" Carlavasked, feeling a headache coming on.
"Yes, actually it is, can you come to the pub. I and Steve need to talk to you or are you too busy?" Michelle snapped at her.
"I'll come now," Carla told her, hanging up the phone.
"Something's happened and you are going to fill me in." Carla turned to Frank with a look of venom.
Frank knew that it would come out eventually, but not like this, Carla didn't need this. Not on top of everything else.
"Let's go to the car and I'll explain everything," Frank told her.
"Thank you, everyone. This was lovely and a lovely gesture. But we have to go." Frank thanked the group before he and Carla left
The couple sat in their car so that they would be away from prying ears.
"What the hell is going on? Michelle has ignored me, won't talk to me and crosses over the other side of the street when she sees neither of us." Carla asked in confusion.
"There was an argument at the hospital and some things were said that in hindsight maybe shouldn't have been said. After that, a few days later. Michelle resigned from her job at the factory." Frank explained, tapping the steering wheel.
"Everything and don't you dare make me look like a fool going in there with half the story. Please don't lie to me." Carla sighed, sadly.
"OK, but I don't want to upset you. But you're not going to like it." Frank warned her.
Flashback
"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.
"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 constraint on her." 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.
"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.
"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 to 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're 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 an 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! You're not welcome here!" Hayley snapped, stunning them 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.
End of flashback
Carla sat there in shock and disbelief at what she had just heard.
"Our Chelle behaved like that?" Carla asked, in shock.
"I know, I wasn't expecting it either, I'll apologize for my behaviour but I will not apologize for defending you," Frank told her.
"I told Steve he didn't have or need to walk me home that night. I told him I would be fine and that was a mistake on my part." Frank cut her off.
"You've done absolutely nothing wrong and don't you dare sit there and apologize for anything. We were all worried and scared that night and yes, some maybe shouldn't have been said. But they were and it can't be unsaid or undone." Frank told her.
"I don't care what the situation was, she'll not get away with speaking to Roy like that," Carla replied.
The Rovers Pub
The couple stood outside the Rover's as Carla knocked on the door.
"You alright, love. Come in out of that cold. You'll catch a death." Liz told the couple.
Steve was behind the bar while Michelle was in the back.
"Look, Carla. I just wanted to." Carla cut him off.
"Steve, you have nothing to apologize for, you're not to blame." Carla smiled at him.
"Please, tell me you're not apologizing to her?* Michele's voice bellowed from behind them.
"Michelle, let's just put it behind us and move on," Steve told her.
"Look, it was a tense situation for all concerned and things were said in the heat of the moment. Steve's right, let's just put it behind us and move on." Frank advised the group.
"That sounds like a good idea." Cara seconded.
"No, it's not a good idea." Michelle hissed.
"Come on, Michelle. I have enough on my plate without you adding to it." Carla snapped, sick and tired of the childishness.
"So it's childish that Steve was blamed for your attack, was it? It was childish being told I wasn't family or almost being thrown out of the hospital, was it?" Michelle yelled.
"Michelle, just drop it. It's done. Steve was apologized to and he accepted it, why can't you?" Carla asked, running her fingers over her forehead.
"No, I won't! Sure I'm not family, so why should I?" Michelle yelled, frustrated.
"Well, you're not acting like it, are you?" Carla yelled back, finally losing her patience with her.
"You what?" Michelle roared.
"Look at how you're behaving, you ignore me, won't take my calls or answer my texts, cross over the street when you see and the way you spoke to Roy. That was disgraceful. What has Roy ever done to you?" Carla hissed, disgusted at her former sister in -law's behaviour.
"It's always him, isn't it? Him you go for advice or a shoulder to cry on when things go belly up. Sod Michelle, we'll throw her on the scrapheap!" Michelle yelled.
"You're jealous, that's it! You are jealous of Roy. Oh my god. Could you stoop any lower? Frank, come on we're going." Carla told him, throwing a look of disgust over her shoulder.
"We're not done here, I want a clear break," Michelle called after her.
"You what?" Carla asked, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion.
"This is a contract that means us buying you out of your shares for this place," Michelle told her, throwing a contract over the bar.
"Michelle babe." Steve tried to intervene.
"Don't, I'm sure you can get your fiancé to get his lawyer to look at it for you," Michelle smirked.
"You've gotta be kidding me? Wait, hang on. My what?" Carla asked, looking at frank.
"You cow." Frank glared at her.
"Chelle, why would you do that?" Steve asked, asked in shock.
"You were planning on asking me to marry you? Carla asked in disbelief.
"Fish and chips, red reck," Frank replied.
Carla stood there for a minute, weighing her options.
"You can have your precious pub and as for me and you. We're done." Carla told her, scribbling her signature on the city contract and walking out of the pub.
A/N I hope you have enjoyed reading this. Keep reviewing!
Shoutouts
ImGonnaBuildCastles
Awh I really like this
Hi! Welcome! Awe thank you! I'm really glad you like the story. Stay tuned! There's alot more to come!
CarlaConnor Lover
Yes it was a lovely surprise. I was a bit confused with this chapter as Johnny wasn't even mentioned in the last chapter and also it is the wrong year so how come Carla knows who he really is now and why wasn't it mentioned in the previous chapters? I am so proud of Hayley for taking control of the situation and I cannot wait to see what happens next xxx
I'm glad. Sorry for the confusion, Carla and Johnny knew about each other but Johnny never made an effort because he was married with kids and didn't want them to find out his nearly 40 year secret.
This is completely AU, so the timeliness is going to fairly.
Gotta love our Hails! And there's plenty more to come xxx