Chapter Six
"Cora! Cora, I need your help." Cora came rushing out of her office at the sound of Trixie's distressed yells, catching the teen that Trixie was struggling to carry in.
"What happened? Trixie your cheek... who did this?!" Trixie let out a long breath, wiping the blood from the cut on her cheek,
"It was this young one's father, do you remember a Mr Michaels from a few months ago?" Cora nodded shortly, resolving to scoop the teen up and carry her into her office.
"Did he hit you?" Trixie fixed Cora with a glare, before nodding,
"I got between him and her, he caught me with his ring." Cora clenched her jaw, leaving her office to poke her head around the door to Patrick's office.
"Dr Turner I've got some cuts and lacerations in here I need you to patch up, I have something I need to deal with, do you mind?" Patrick shook his head,
"Of course not Cora you go ahead."
If only he knew, if only he knew that Cora's next actions were to storm down to the Barrels Pub rolling up her sleeves before striking Mr Michaels with her fist a number of times.
"Touch her again, either of them, fucking try it I'll kill you myself!"
Until the bartender pulled her off, sending her out to cool down, the police weren't called thankfully, and that all came down to the people of Poplar not wanting to see one of their favourite doctors go to Prison for Assault.
However, Cora did leave with the incentive that after a few whispers regarding the man and how he injured a Midwife that delivered many of their children, that he would be dealt with appropriately.
And well Trixie seemed to deal with Cora appropriately when she returned, clapping her over the head repeatedly.
"You were stupid and reckless and I hope you have learnt your lesson, are you listening?"
Cora nodded immediately, massaging the back of her head, "Loud and clear."
Before, she left Trixie in the capable hands of Doctor Turner making her way to their second patient.
"Alexandra I'm Doctor King, or Cora if you like, do you want to tell me what happened?" Alex scoffed with a small smirk,
"Not when you've got that tone on you Doc, I'm not 5, and there's not much else to explain other than my father's a mean drunk and he's even meaner when sober." Cora chuckled nodding,
"Understood, is it just your cheek and abdomen?" Alex nodded with a huff,
"Yeah." Cora hummed cleaning the cuts on her cheek,
"Do you mind lying back so I can feel around your abdomen?" Alex let out a small nod leaning back raising her shirt.
It took a moment but the previously comedic expression was replaced by a frown and narrow dangerous eyes, "Alex-,"
The teen cut her off, "I know, but I don't want to talk about it."
Cora nodded, pulling the girl into her arms as she sobbed, Trixie walking in and without hesitation comforting her too.
"It's alright sweetie we've got you now." They shared a look, and Cora understood what Trixie meant immediately.
"Yes we do."
"Where the Hell have you been? Cora MacKenzie Carmichael King?!" Cora smiled inwardly as the sound of Trixie's irritation, or perhaps that was the pints she'd had at the pub.
"Investigating." She wrapped her arms around Trixie from behind perching her head on Trixie's shoulder,
"I found out the name of the man who hurt Alex, and I had a chat with him, among other things."
Trixie groaned immediately looking at the Doctor's knuckles to see indeed that the bandage that covered them were now soaked with blood, and had to be redressed.
"When will you stop running into fights willingly, one day you are going to lose Cora King." Cora smirked as Trixie forced her to sit down, grabbing her hands and medical bag.
"Well I'm just glad that if and when that day comes my love that you'll be here to patch me up." Trixie huffed but smiled nonetheless.
"Yes well I suppose that makes you a very lucky doctor indeed." Cora nodded, her eyes glancing at the stairs,
"How is she?" Trixie frowned,
"She's woken up a few times with nightmares, but she's asleep for now. What happened tonight to the man that hurt her?" Cora clenched her jaw,
"Do you really want to know darling?" Trixie hesitated but nodded,
"I do."
"He's dead." Trixie sucked in a breath, "But not by my hands, another bloke got their first, it seems that our rescue isn't the only young girl he's hurt. I got my licks in before going back to the pub." Trixie was relieved, but not because it means that her fiancé wasn't a murderer, but because it meant that it wouldn't be on her conscience.
Because if there was one thing that Cora struggled with most it was the vow of 'Do no Harm' that she took as a nurse and as a doctor, the war meant that doing harm was necessary, but it didn't stop the nightmares nor the flashbacks.
"Is she ours Cora?" The Doctor nodded, sliding across a sheet of paper that had been folded into her pocket,
"He sighed away his rights and responsibilities, before well y’know, which technically means that she's emancipated now but she's ours for as long as she wants to stay." They were both startled by a voice coming from behind them,
"Even if I come with a baby?" Cora stood up walking over to Alex smiling,
"You could come with an absolute army of them and we would still always welcome you in, this is your home now for as long as you'll allow it to be." Trixie nodded,
"She's quite right sweetie, you're ours now if you're okay with that?" Alex nodded into Cora's chest.
She felt safe, safer than she ever had, knowing that if Cora or Trixie raised their hands it wouldn't be to hit her. Knowing that she will never know hunger or cold again. This was their new family, the three of them. Even if three became four 6 ish months in the future.