Not the only one (formally Chloe)

Chapter 42

Ange had helped Chloe massage the shampoo into her hair. Careful to avoid the area where her head had hit the rocky ground and the scratches on her forehead. When Ange went to find some conditioner for Chloe's hair she came back to her daughter scratching at herself her skin red raw.
"Chloe, Chloe stop that." Ange reached for her daughter and felt the water was scalding. "I just want to feel clean. I need to get all of him off me." Chloe breathed still scratching at her chest some parts bleeding.
"Chloe your hurting yourself darling." Ange reached in to turn temperature of the water down. "Let's just finish your hair." Ange gently brushed the conditioner through Chloe's blonde hair before turning on the shower to rinse it. Chloe was so emotionally exhausted she didn't have the energy. She was also in pain the first dose was starting to wear off. Was she allowed another? How long had it been? She had no idea. She'd ask Jess when her mum had finished her hair.
Ange started to blow dry Chloe's hair. It reminded her of the way Gran used to do it when she was little.
Ange needed to think about the logistics of getting Chloe home. Chloe's car and all of their stuff was at the cottage and she couldn't take Chloe back there not so soon. "Chloe?" Ange asked as she turned the hairdryer off. "What do you want to do now? How's your head. Do we need to get a CT scan? And where do you want to go?"
"Home." Chloe said.
"Holby? Or Aberdeen? Where's home?" Ange asked.
"Holby. I need to get as far away from here as possible. Away from Scotland."
"Hello You two." Jess said after Chloe was showered.
"Am I allowed some more painkillers soon?" Chloe asked, Jess looked up at the clock. "Half an hour." Jess smiled and Chloe nodded her head slightly in reply.
Ange left Chloe with Jess for a moment to find Lorraine. "Lorraine I know it's a lot to ask, but can I leave chloe here for a couple of hours. Her car and her stuff is up at the cottage and I don't feel like I can take her back there but I need to get our things."
"Of course. She can stay here. You've been incredibly brave tonight" Lorraine said.
"Chloe's the brave one. I barely coped" Ange muttered.
"Yes Chloe has been very brave but so have you. You have put your own needs to one side and have supported Chloe amazingly well. She wouldn't have coped nearly as well If you weren't here. You have been incredibly brave"

"Chloe sweetheart. Will you be okay here for a few hours? I want to go up and get your car and your things. Both me and Fletch need to go so we can drive both cars back. Jess and Lorraine will look after you. Maybe you could try and get some sleep? I'm sure Lorraine could get you something to eat if you need it."
"Not hungry" Chloe replied and lay back on the sofa and winced, her head hurt so she turned onto her side. Her whole body ached but there was nothing she could do. Ange found a blanket and placed it over her. "I'll be as quick as I can darling and then we can get you home. You're safe now okay remember that. And if you need me get Lorraine to ring me okay. I'll have my phone on me the whole time" She tucked a loose strand of her daughters hair behind her ear. It broke her heart to leave Chloe like that but she couldn't take her back to the cottage, she just couldn't. Surely this was the lesser of two evils. Lorraine was there. Lorraine who had done so very much for Ange and made her feel safe. Lorraine could do that for Chloe too surely.

Fletch kissed Ange's cheek as he started the car. "You've been amazing." He said. "How's Chloe?" He hadn't seen her, hadn't wanted to crowd her so had just sat on the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the waiting room, which couldn't be as uncomfortable as the pain Chloe and Ange were going through. "I don't know, I mean she's amazing, she went through all the forensic testing which is so hard. Someone's just violated you in the worst possible way. And then a nurse starts sticking swabs in the same area.." Ange stopped, she'd suddenly tensed up remembering, putting it into words had made her feel like she was seventeen again. She took a deep breath. "God, Fletch, it's bloody traumatic." She blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. How had she let this happen to her baby? "This isn't your fault Ange." Fletch said as if he was reading her mind. "But what if I'd gone to Aberdeen with her, or what if I'd got here first. Or what if.."
"Ange." Fletch interrupted "you can't think like that. What matters now is that Chloe is safe."
"Evan?" She asked. "I did ring the ED and all they told me was that he'd been taken up to surgery." Fletch replied. Ange gritted her teeth "I wish we'd left him to die"
"He'll get what's coming to him. The police will have evidence from Chloe"
"But what if they don't believe her? Say she attacked him."
"She acted in self defence, did what she could. It's totally understandable and clear." Fletch placated.