Carla's Version

                                    

                                          
"Oh thank god!" Nana exclaimed, rocking her fully grown granddaughter back and forth in her lap.
"It's not... she's not stable yet. They've said she was shot in the leg, shoulder and chest. Her heart has stopped three times-" Ruth paused as Carla cried.  "But she's fighting and we need to be strong too ok?"
"When will she be out of surgery?" Rob asked, paler than his wife had ever seen him.
"They have no timeline, it's touch and go I'm afraid. Look, she may not pull through and even if she does, the lack of oxygen..."
"Ok, it's ok Carla." Nana soothed the shaking young woman in her arms as she sobbed.
"This is all my fault. She didn't want me to work, she told me it wasn't safe. If I'd just stayed at home like she wanted then she wouldn't be-"
"Carla they were hunting you. Working or not, they'd have found you eventually." Rob assured, trying to ease her pain. It could be felt by everyone in the room, her heart was breaking and it was palpable, they could feel it.
"While she's in surgery and we're waiting, I need both of your first accounts. I'll give you some time."
"Wait, what about Brian and Jemal?" Carla sat up, still on Nana's lap, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
"Brian is also in surgery. They think he has a traumatic brain injury and need to reduce the pressure in his skull. Jemal is being observed and a tox screen has been run, we're awaiting the results but he's stable and that's the main thing."
"Is Chantelle ok?" Carla asked while thinking she's the only other person who knows exactly how she feels right now.
"She's fine. She's with him. Worried about Brian but she's fine."
"I want to do my statement now."
"Carla, it doesn't have to be done straight away. You should shower and change first. Take your time to get your head around it all." Rob said as kindly as he could.
"Actually it would be really helpful to get a first account."
"Ma'am!" He protested. "Look at her."
Ruth glanced her eyes toward the door before opening it and he followed her out.
"I understand your hesitation but you saw that crime scene, it was complete carnage and I have a lot of people breathing down my neck right now. You and I both know the Mantaz investigation never really closed but what we've all been doing was never official! Now, now I have 12 dead criminals, a detective in surgery that isn't meant to be operational during the transfer process and one alert witness. Carla's all we have here Rob and she's confessed that she shot Elena Mantaz. The NCA are going to be all over this."
"They can't do anything! She was defending herself, her wife has been..." he didn't want to say murdered, not yet.
"Exactly, and who shot her wife? Who shot Thea? We don't know! And we won't know if Carla was defending herself until we work out what happened. Forensics will take years, you know this."
"Fine but only if I do it and she has Abi and Nana stay for support."
"That's a minefield Rob. For a start, Abi's your wife-"
"It's not official is it? Just a first account and no one takes anything official until she has a lawyer. That's what T would do."
"She won't need a lawyer, I'll make sure of that but we have to give them all something and soon. They're already trying to shut me out." Ruth sighed, her connection with Brian and Jemal had been discovered and they didn't want her running this investigation but she was stalling, doing everything she could to remain in control until they knew more.