A Love Like No Other.
So this idea just popped-into my head. It will just be a one-shot because I want to get-on with my other-fics after I have written this!
So basically, it is set after Carla has found-out about Peter & Tina's affair. Peter has been out drinking and has hurt himself quite badly. However, now he is sober, it is clear that he needs some medical help, but when Carla stumbles across him on the Street, will she be willing to help her Ex-Husband whom she still loves so much?!
It was a dark and rainy evening on the cobbles as Peter limped along the Street. He was clearly in pain as he clutched his ribs tightly, and the side-of his head, just above his eyebrow was cut too, and was now bleeding. He struggled along breathlessly, barely able to put one foot infront of the other as he made his way towards Number One, just hoping that Deirdre was in and would be able to offer him some help.
However, despite having recently been-on a massive-bender, the alcoholic was actually, and surprisingly stone-cold sober whilst he was in this state. Not that he could remember who or what had caused-him to get these injuries.
He sighed in frustration as there was absolutely no-response from Number One. Deirdre was obviously out. He thought to himself. Although, just when he thought his luck was about-to run-out, he could hear some heels clunking along the Cobbles. This was his only hope.
As the clunking-of the heels and the dark-shadow got nearer and nearer, he recognised that the person walking-closer-to him was infact Carla. Peter smiled as much as he could without causing-himself any pain. Carla may have hated-him more than anything right-now, but they were ex-lovers, surely, somewhere in her broken-heart, just somewhere, there was still enough love left for the obviously-injured-man to help him out.
"Carla!" Peter called breathlessly as he limped-over towards-her, still clutching his ribs.
"Ugh! What do you want?!" Carla replied-to him coldly.
"I need help Carla." He cried-to her softly, clearly in a lot of pain.
"Yeah, well the kind-of help you need certainly won't come from me. You need help up-top Peter! In the part-of your brain that makes you think it's okay to cheat on your Wife!" She replied-to him harshly, currently too wrapped-up in her hatred-of him to realise that he was infact badly-injured.
"No Carla! I need your help! Help-Me Please!" Peter told-her as he struggled-to stand with the amount-of pain that he was currently-in. "Ow…..Ah…..Please Carla!" He breathed-out.
Carla walked-on. "No Peter!" She walked-away, determined-not-to give-into the Cheaters pleas for help.
"Carla Please!" He shouted as he fell-to the ground-in pure-pain, unable to remain standing-up for a second-longer.
It was only Peter's crash-to the ground that made her turn-around.
"What have you done?!" She asked-him from the spot she was at.
"I don't know…..I can't remember….." Peter cried-to her breathlessly.
"That drunk were ya?!" Carla practically-taunted-her Ex-Husband before turning-on the spot and walking-straight-into the Rovers, ignoring Peter's cries for help.
Carla walked-straight-over-to Michelle, who was now working-behind-the-bar. "Michelle, I need ya to call-an ambulance." Carla told-her friend quietly.
"Why?!" Michelle asked as she grabbed the phone that was in the bar.
"It's Peter." She whispered-in reply. "He's outside, and I think he's quite badly-hurt."
"Ugh! Why should I call-an ambulance for that cheating-scumbag?!" The good-friend-of Carla's replied, still disgusted-at Peter's behaviour over recent-months. He had hurt Carla so badly, and she would never forgive-him for the hours she had spent trying to calm the broken-woman down as she cried her heart-out. Emotionally hurting someone that badly was totally unforgiveable in Michelle's eyes.
"Oh Come-On Michelle!" Carla told-her firmly. "If I can get-over my hate-of him on just this one-occasion then I'm thinking that so can you! The fact-is, is that Peter needs some serious-medical help right-now! I couldn't careless if he's hurt me or not Michelle! But I'm not the cold-hearted witch that people seem to think I am!"
Michelle sighed-in disapproval. "Fine." She gave-in as she then picked-up the phone once-again and rang-for-an-ambulance. Michelle knew that Carla still deeply-loved-Peter somewhere deep-inside-of her already-fragile-heart, and it worried Michelle, it really-did.
The ambulance had soon-arrived and the Paramedics had now gotten Peter into the ambulance and were now treating-him as best they could before the ambulance left for the hospital.
"Is anyone coming with him?!" The Paramedic asked the crowd that had gathered-around the back-of the ambulance, the crowd that included Carla & Michelle into it.
There was an awkward-silence for a couple-of seconds. The rest-of the Barlow's didn't seem-to be around, meaning that they weren't there to go with him. And no-one else particularly liked or knew Peter well-enough to feel-like they wanted-to go with-him at that precise-moment.
"I Will." Carla spoke-up after a couple-of seconds.
"Okay. Come-On Then Madam. Sorry I don't know your name." The Friendly Paramedic replied-to her.
"It's Carla." She replied-to him.
"You don't have to do this Carla. He's got nothing-to do with you anymore." Michelle told-her softly.
"Yes I Do Michelle…..Listen, I might hate-him at the moment Michelle…..But I don't hate his Family, infact I have a lot of respect for them, and they're not here at the moment, but they still deserve-to know what's going-on. So I have to go with him for their sake…..And besides…..I don't think I'll ever stop loving that man….." Carla trailed-off as she walked-forwards towards the back-of the ambulance and then climbed-in.
"Don't let-him sway-ya Carla!" Michelle told-her before the Paramedic then shut the door behind-them.
It didn't take long for the word to spread-around the Street, and Rob was soon-in the Rovers, asking Michelle about what had happened.
"So then, has the Alcky finally got what he deserves?!" Rob asked with a smirk on his face, although, despite all the hatred that gone-on between himself and Carla recently, he did still love and deeply-care about his Older-Sister, really…..
"Carla's gone-to the hospital with him now…..I tried-to tell-her not too, but she wasn't having-any-of it. She still loves-him Rob. Even-after everything that he's done to her recently. She still loves-him…..And Somehow…..Just Somehow…..She still cares-about-him." Michelle revealed-to Rob.
"Oh for goodness-sake…..Look, I know that Peter has helped-her through a lot and everything…..But it's about time that she drew-a-line under their relationship….." Rob said, still super-protective-over-his-Sister, even-after everything that they had been-through together in recent-months…..
"But it's not that simple is it Rob?! Not when it comes-down to Love. She adores that man! And I mean totally adores-him. She was absolutely besotted with him until Tina came-along!" Michelle replied. "But unfortunately for Carla…..I think it's gonna take a lot-more than Tina to stop her from loving-Peter….."
"Oh No…..I think I better get-myself-over-to the hospital then…..And stop her from making the biggest-mistake-of her life…..Again!" Rob told Michelle.
"No Rob! Leave-her to it. She's A Grown-Woman and she can make-her Decisions. Whether they are the right-ones or not. We just have to be here to pick-up the pieces when she comes-home….." Michelle replied-to Rob quite-wisely, and Rob just sighed-in acceptance.
Over-At the hospital, Peter was now led-in his hospital-bed, with Carla sat-in a chair that was next-to his bed.
"Thanks for staying. You really didn't have too. I hardly deserve your company at the moment, do I?!" Peter told-her humbly.
"Yeah well I'm not here for you Peter. I'm here because your family would be devastated-if anything were-to happen-to ya." Carla told-him, calmly, but quite firmly at the same-time.
"Who'd have thought-it eh?! You caring for my Family?!" Peter chuckled, although it did cause-him quite a bit of pain.
"Your family weren't the ones who broke my heart Peter!" Carla replied-to him being deadly-serious-now, and she had-to stop herself from crying.
There was then a couple-of seconds where the ex-couple sat-in an awkward-silence before Peter looked-at Carla with apologetic-eyes.
"I Am Sorry Carla. Ya Doknow that don't ya?!" He told-her really quite sweetly.
"Yeah well sometimes sorry just isn't good-enough Peter." She replied-to him, still angry with him despite everything that had happened this-evening.
"Please Carla, I'm begging-ya. Just give-me another chance." He gently-pleaded-with her.
She sighed-heavily in response to him before taking an extremely deep, but sharp breath-in.
"No Peter! Look, I'm sorry alright?! Well actually, no, I'm not sorry! But we can't get back-together…..Not Now….." She told-him quite-emotionally as she felt a couple-of tears then trickle-down her cheeks.
"But Carla, we've been through so much-more that has been far-worse than this! Haven't We?! Peter replied, also crying himself-now.
"Yeah we have! But most-of that was because you were ill, Peter! Either you were ill, or my head was in a mess! And ya know-what Peter, I could deal with the drinking, and I could deal with your constant fighting against Nick…..And Rob! Flippin' 'Eck, I even stuck by your side when you tried-to flamin' kidnap Simon! But this…..The cheating…..And With Ti…..No I can't even bring-myself to say-her stupid-name…..Of-All People! Why Her?! I Mean, I think I could have just about gotten-my head around-it if it had been Leanne! But No! No Way! Not With Her! She's half your age for-goodness sake Peter! But No! There's no-coming-back from this Peter! Not-now! Not-ever!" Carla cried-to her Ex-Husband, as she then stood-up in an attempt-to leave the room.
"But Carla, I Love You!" Peter cried back-to the Woman who he truly loved and cared-so much about.
"And I Love You Peter! Goodness Knows Why?! But I Do!...But I don't trust-ya anymore Peter…..And ya know you've helped-me through So, SO much Peter Barlow, and for that, I thank-you. Infact, I can't thank-you enough, and I'll never forget how supportive you've been to me! But we can't carry-on anymore. This is the end-of us Peter. This is the end-of us." Carla cried before leaving the Hospital-Room in floods-of tears.
Later-On that night, after closing-hours at the Rovers, Michelle sat-with Carla, in the back-of the pub, and just hugged-her tightly as she cried-her eyes-out.
"Oh Carla, I know this isn't what you want-to hear right-now Darlin'. But what you did…..It was for the best." Michelle tried-to re-assure her completely and utterly broken-best-friend.
"But I Love Him Michelle. I always have…..Ever-since our first proper conversation at that flamin' alky-meeting…..And I think I always will." Carla cried-to Michelle.
"Oh Babe. I know it's hard. But you don't need Peter. You've got us." Michelle told-her softly.
"Oh Yeah?! And who's us?!" Carla asked-her rather-tearfully as she rubbed her red-eyes sadly.
"You've Got Me…..And then there's Rob…..Steve…..The Factory Lot…..They'll be there for ya….." Michelle replied.
"Except one-of them is dying….." Carla said, choking-out some-more-tears as she thought-of her beloved Hayley. Her amazing, but dying friend who had spent-hours and hours sewing her beautiful-Wedding-Dress for her. What a waste-of precious-time that was for the Lady who Carla absolutely idolised.
"Oh Carla…..I don't know what I can say or do to make-things any better for ya….." Michelle said, getting quite-tearful herself-now.
"Turn-back time and catch Peter before he slept with Tina and stop-him in his tracks!" Carla cried before she then burst-into yet another flood-of tears.
Back-at the Hospital, Deirdre was now sat with an equally upset Peter. He may have been the one-in the wrong-here, but the truth was that he now deeply-regretted his affair with Tina.
"What am I gonna-do without-her Deirdre?!" Peter cried-to his Step-Mother.
"Honestly?! I don't know Peter. I really don't know. I thought you two were for keeps…..I was thinking…..'Great! Peter has finally settled-down with someone who he loves and someone who he is truly happy with!' What went wrong ey Peter?!" Deirdre asked-him.
"Ya know what went wrong Deirdre. I went and slept with Tina didn't I?!" He replied-to her sadly, annoyed with himself for ever-being-so-stupid.
"Why though Peter?! You already had everything you could have possibly wanted or needed with Carla?!" Deirdre asked-him, more confused with her Step-Son's recent-actions, rather than angry with him-now.
"Well I know that now don't I Deirdre?! But I stupidly thought that-that wasn't enough?! Boy how wrong was I?! Carla was and always will-be the perfect-Woman for me. She stuck by me through everything…..And I mean, absolutely everything Deirdre! But then I go and pay-her-back by cheating-on her…..I'm such an idiot Deirdre…..I don't blame-her for walking-away…..I really-don't." Peter replied as his crying then became hysterical.
"Oh Peter. Come-Here." Deirdre told her Step-Son as she stood-up and leaned-over his hospital bed to gently hug-him, being careful-of his recent-injuries.
Over-at the Rovers, Michelle had finally managed-to convince Carla to get-some-sleep. She had sat with her in the spare-bedroom until she had practically cried-herself to sleep. Michelle sighed-as she watched her very-best-friend ever sleeping, apparently peacefully, but who knew what was going-on in that messed-up head-of hers at the moment.
"Stay Strong Darlin'." Michelle whispered-to a sleeping-Carla, not wanting to awake-her, before she then left the room, and gently shut the door behind-her, leaving Carla to sleep, before heading-into Hers & Steve's Bedrooms to catch-some-sleep herself.
Please-Review!