Chapter 19

Disclaimer I don't own Coronation Street. This is for entertainment purposes.

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"Thank you for having us, we've had a wonderful time!" A slightly tipsy Ann exclaimed joyful

"Let's get you home, Carla, Frank. It was a great day. Thamks for having us. " Sam told them, trying to get Ann out the door.

The others had left a while ago.

"Anytime Dad. Need a hand?" Frank offered, smirking.

"Would you mind, son?" Sam replied, throwing a look of gratitude over his shoulder.

"No problem, come on mum. Home time." Frank chuckled at the state his mother was in.

"Goodnight." Carla told them as her phone chimed with a text message.

To: Carla

From: Michelle

"Need to talk, meet me at the factory please."

Carla looked at the text message and sighed, she didn't want to go in for what felt like the 100th round. No, she couldn't be dealing with Michelle. No today of all days. But yet on the other hand she wanted this sorted once and for all. She needed to get to the bottom of it.

This wasn't the Michelle she knew, the Michelle she knew was loving and kind, not spiteful and nasty. No that wasn't Michelle.

To: Michelle

From: Carla

"Be there in 5"

Carla put her coat on and headed out, meeting Frank in the hall.

"Oh off out?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah, Michelle text. She says she wants to talk. I know, I know what you going to say. Your right I don't need the stress. But love I want this sorted. I need to get to the bottom of this and why she's behaved the way she has. " Carla explained.

"OK, But I'm coming with you. No argument. " Frank told her.

"No, love. She'll think we are ganging up on her and she'll clam up and this won't get sorted. All I want to focus on is me, you, our wedding, and these two." Carla replies, running a hand over her stomach.

"I'm not happy about you being on your own with her, but okay if that's what you want. You call me if anything and I mean anything happens." Frank told her, looking at her.

"I will and when I get back we can curl on the sofa with a movie, snacks, and hot chocolate," Carla suggested.

"Perfect," Frank replied, kissing her.

Carla headed out into the chilly December air, shivering as she did so, pulling her collar up to try and give herself more warmth on the brisk December night.

Carla approached the factory, taking her keys out of her as she made get way up the steps, looking up. Carla noticed the door was open.

Carla looked around the street to see it was deserted, slowly she placed a hand on the opened door.

"Hello?" She calls out as she makes her way cautiously inside.

"Relax, it's on me." They replied.

"God Michelle, you nearly gave me a bloody heart attack. How did you get in?" Carla asks, bringing get hand to her chest. Sighing in relief.

"Used my key, didn't I?" Michelle shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

"You can't just let yourself in anymore." Carla frowned at her.

Michelle rolled her eyes and sat down

"Like what you've done to the place." She spoke as she looked around the distaste.

"Your face says different. What this about Michelle?" Carla asked, sighing fed up. All she wanted to do was go home.

"Thought we could talk. " Michelle replied, looking at her

"Of your behavior towards me, your attitude or let's talk about the disgusting way you've treated poor Roy!" Carla snapped, glaring at her.

"Yes right. Ok. " Michelle scuffed.

"See? There you go again. Not bothered. What did Roy ever do to you." Carla asked.

"Oh, here we go again! Your bloody precious Roy!" Michelle snapped back.

"What is the matter with you?" Carla asked then laughed

"What? What are you laughing at?" Michelle seethed.

"You're jealous of Roy, oh my god. You are., are you?" Carla told her, lifting a piece of fabric, and bringing it down the stairs.

"It is pathetic, Michelle. You need to grow up." Carla told her, making her way up.

"Roy this, Roy that. Sod Michelle, after all, I've done for you. I don't need her anymore." Michelle yelled following her up.

"You like a broken record, Michelle. I can have more than you in my life." Carla replied, setting the fabric down.

Kate had nipped to the shop and noticed the lights were on at the factory, knowing Carla and Frank were at home. She made was way over.

She was relieved to hear her sister's voice, but surprised to hear Michelle's as well. Kate made her way inside without being noticed and listened.

"What? Like your newfound family, you mean. " Michelle hissed, feeling betrayed.

"Leave them out of this," Carla told her.

"But then comes along your precious Kate! What has she got I haven't, hey?" Michelle yelled.

"Oh wow, you are something else. She's my sister, Michelle!" Carla replied, moving in front of her with her back to the stairs.

"Oh here comes Kate, I'm done with Michelle now. I don't need her anymore!" Michelle yelled.

"Oh stop it. There's room for the two of you." Carla told her.

"Why would I want to compete with her?" Michelle spat, jealously cursing through her veins.

"Do you know how childish you sound, Michelle?" Carla asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Childish?" Michelle asked, taking her arm

"Yes and pathetic. You're a grown woman." Carla told her.

"Who are you calling pathetic?" Michelle hissed.

"You. Now let go of my arm. I'm done here, done with you and I'm going home." Carla replied, attempting to pull her arm free.

"We're not done here. " Michelle told her.

"Yes, we are," Carla yelled, pulling her arm away losing her balance as she did so, and tumbling down the stairs, screaming as she hit the bottom onto the hard, cold concrete floor below. Lying in an unconscious heap at the bottom.

Michelle looked on in horror at what had just happened.

"CARLA!" Kate screamed her sister's name, running and kneeling beside her.

"It was an accident. I swear it was an accident. " Michelle mumbled sitting on the step.

Kate calls an ambulance.

"It's alright Carla, you're going to be alright," Kate whispers, stroking her sister's head.

"What have you done, Michelle?!" Kate shouted at her.

Michelle sat there with her head in her hands, crying. Horrified at what had just happened.

Kate calls Frank

"Kate, did you forget something earlier?" Frank asked

"Frank, there has been an accident," Kate tells her.

"What? Where? Is Clara ok?" Frank panics

"At the factory," Kate replies

Frank has already hung up and run to the factory.

"What happened? Oh my god. " He skids to a halt at seeing Carla on the floor.

"She fell the stairs," Kate replied

"Carla, can you hear, come on Open your eyes for me darling. " He tells her as he kneels to the other side of her.

"It was an accident," Michelle whispered

Frank turns his head to the voice.

"An accident?! Look at her! What was she doing on the stairs?" He roars at her, kicking himself for not being with her.

"It was an accident!" Michelle screamed at him.

"Oh my god, what did you do? What did you do, Michelle?!" He yells at her

Carla groaned on the floor.

"Car? It's Kate, can you hear me, darling?" Kate asked her, brushing the hair from her face.

Michelle got up to leave.

"You're not going anywhere." Frank spat out.

The paramedics arrive not long after.

Kate explains to them what happened.

"She's pregnant. " Frank informs them.

"P-pregnant?" Michelle stutters, not believing what she is hearing.

Frank ignores her.

"Can I come with her?" He asks the male Paramedic.

"Are you family?" The paramedic asked.

"Fiance." Came Frank's one-word answer.

The paramedic nods his head.

"I'll call everyone and we'll follow you up," Kate tells Frank, making her out of the factory.

Michelle sat there riddled with guilt, it wasn't meant to go this far, this wasn't supposed to happen. All she wanted to do was talk.

Michelle knew she wouldn't be welcome at the hospital, but she couldn't not go, she had to find out if she was okay.

"If anything and I mean anything happens to tgem..." Frank lets his unfinished sentence hang in the air before following the paramedics out.

Michelle broke down at the loss of her surrogate sister, the damage had been done. She wouldn't want anything to do with her, not after this.

She'd let her emotions and jealousy get the better of her, rationally Michelle knew there was more than enough room in Carls's life for them all. But Michelle was used to being the only one and she didn't like change. She thought they all judged her, but she couldn't have been future from the truth.

Michelle shakenly got off the step and made their way outside and down the street.

"Oh Michelle, what's going on? What happened? Kylie asked her.

Michelle just walked past in a daze.

"Michelle? " Kylie looked at her in confusion.

Michelle just carried on walking.

She walked into the pub in that state.

"Chelle?" Steve called her name.

"I'm so sorry. " Michelle whispered.

"Michelle, love. What has happened?" Liz asked, sitting her down.

"It was an accident. " Michelle sobbed

"What was an accident, love? " Liz asked softly.

"She just fell, Liz. I swear to you. She just fell. " Michelle cried.

"Who loves?" Liz asked, handing the brandy Steve poured.

"Carla," Michelle replied.

"Oh god," Liz whispered.

At the hospital

"This is Carla Conner, she's taken a fall down a flight of stairs, semi-conscious throughout, query broken left arm, cut to the forehead. 6-weeks pregnant. Vitals are stable. Currently condition is stable, " The paramedic did the handover.

"Sir, I will have to ask you to leave. " A nurse told him.

"I'm not leaving her," Frank told her.

"Carla is in the best possible hands and will do everything we can for her. " The nurse reassured him.

"I'll be outside, darling." He told her, turning on his heels and leaving the room.

The words CT, internal bleeding, and surgery were tossed around the room, Carla lay there in a daze. Wounding what was going on.

Frank watched as she lay helpless on the bed, her head dropping from side to side and all he wanted to do was go in there and hold her hand. Let her know he was there.

There rushed Carla for tests and scans.

"Where is she? What happened?" Came Jonny's panicked voice from down the corridor.

Frank turned his head to see, Jonny, Kate, Aiden, Roy, Hailey, and his parents coming towards him.

"Michelle happened," Frank replied, his voice full of venum.

"What?" Jonny asked in disbelief.

"There was an incident between Carla and Michelle at the Factory," Frank replied with a face like thunder.

"What kind of incident?" Jonny asked, looking at him.

"I don't know because I wasn't there. " Frank replied, staring him down.

"They were arguing Dad. Carla and Michelle. Carla tried to leave, but Michelle had a hold of her arm, Carla pulled away falling down the stairs as she did so. " Kate explained.

"Oh my god." Liz breathed.

"So if it wasn't for Michelle, Carla wouldn't be lying in there?" Frank spat out.

"Michelle wouldn't hurt her on purpose, Frank. " Liz told him

"Can you say that, Liz? After everything that has happened?" He glances at her.

Liz just bowed her head, not being able to give an antique response to his question.

The anxious family waited for what felt like a lifetime.

"Family of Carla Conner?" A doctor in scrubs asked, coming out.

"Yes, that's us. How is she?" Frank asked, eager to know how she was.

"I'm Dr. Harris, I've been treating Carla. " She informed.

"Can we see her?' Frank asked, impatiently.

"Yes of course. Carla was very lucky. A mild concussion and a broken arm. She'll make a full recovery. "Dr. Garris informed them.

"Oh thank god. Thank you. " Liz expressed her gratitude.

"Noy a problem at all. There's only one in here til we get her up to the ward for overnight observation.

"You go, tell her we love her and we'll see her later. I'll go and get her some things from the home. " Kate told him.

"Thanks, Kate. " Frank replied and made his way inside to see Carla.

"Hey, you. " He greets her as he goes in.

"Hmm. " Comes Carla's groggy reply as she takes off her oxygen mask.

"Don't try to move. " He tells her, sitting down.

"Michelle. " Carla asked

"Don't even give her a second thought. Love. " Frank tells her, taking her good hand.

"I'm sorry. " Carla whispered, bowing her head.

"You having nothing. Nothing to ve is sorry for." Frank replies, stroking her hand.

"It was an accident," Carla told him.

"Kate has told us everything. " Frank informed her

"Kate?" Carla asked in confusion.

"She was there at the factory, saw the lights on, and went to see if everything was okay. It was her who called me and the ambulance. " Frank told her.

"She was there?" Carla asked for clarification.

"Yes, love. She was. " Frank replies.

"What was she doing?' Carla asked, needing to know.

"Sitting on the stairs when I got there. " Frank replied.

"So if Kate hadn't of been there, she would have just left me lying there?" Carls replies, emotionally.

"I don't know love. " Frank replied, his heart breaking for the emotional pain Carla was going through.

This was meant to be a happy and exciting time for them. Not all this, they, especially Carla didn't need this.

"Carla, sorry to interrupt. There will be someone down from maternity as soon as possible. " The nurse told them.

Carla gasped.

"Frank?" She whispered tearfully looking at him.

"I know I know. Whatever happens. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. " He reassures her, wven though on rhe inside he's petrified at the thought of it.

They deserved this, they needed this. There own little slice of pardise on this earth. This was everything to them and even though Frank Foster wasnt by any means a religous man, he'd pray. Yes, he'd get down on his knees and pray because this was everything they'd ever wanted and for it to be to cruelly snatched away from them, well it was simply unfathenable.

So, that little ray of hope, he was going to hold onto it for dear life.

The couple waited anxiously, uncertain of what the future had in store for them or what would happen next. But one thing was for sure. Whatever the storm. They'd face it together.

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A/N After a break, I'm back. Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, there's plenty more to come. Let me if you think Carla should lose the twins or not.