I've had this idea since I watched the storyline way back when it first aired, and I've been writing bits of it down for about two years now, so I've decided to piece it all together! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
5th June 2014
"I'm going to phone an ambulance." Peter announced. Carla was bundled on the floor, with Michelle crouched on the floor next to her, cradling her. Rob also crouched down, doing his best to calm Carla down. Peter was kneeling on the floor, getting in the way. He was drunk and was could offer no real help, as it seemed that Rob and Michelle were more than capable of looking after Carla. "Get him off me." Carla told Michelle, through gritted teeth, in so much pain that she could barely speak.
"You, get away from her!" Michelle told him, getting up from where she was crouched with Carla to push Peter away, knowing that physical contact may get the message through to him, and that words wouldn't be enough. "Oi! He's trying to help." Tracy said, sticking up for her intoxicated mess of a brother, knowing that for a reason that was beyond her sight, he loved that woman with all his heart.
"Right, listen darling, it's all going to be OK, right, were gonna get you to the hospital, OK, Rob, go and get the car." Michelle reassured Carla, coming back down to Carla's level and taking control of the situation, as everyone else surrounding the collapsed woman seemed to be in shock at what they were seeing. "What?" Rob asked her, not hearing what she had said before, instead focusing on his sister. "Get the car Rob!" Michelle repeated, raising her voice slightly. "Uh, no, we've got plans." Tracy interrupted. "Right keys, your keys." Rob said, whilst the pair got Carla to hand over her bag, with the keys inside of them. "Come on, quick Rob!" Michelle shouted, knowing that Carla needed urgent medical help. "Alright!" Rob snapped back. "Oh great, I'll go on my own." Tracy commented sarcastically. "Tracy!" Michelle barked back at her.
"Right, listen darling, I'm going to ring ahead to A&E, and let them know that we're on our way, OK?" Michelle told Carla. "Maternity, Maternity." Carla stressed, knowing that there was something wrong with the baby. "Right, right, right." Michelle told her.
"Carla, I know you hate me, but this is our baby, and if there's a problem I need to be there." Peter pleaded. "She just said she doesn't want you there – now do one!" Michelle shouted at him, knowing that at that moment he was just adding to the list of problems. The focus was getting Carla to hospital.
"Is there anything we can do?" Rita asked herself, Norris and Dennis, who were all stood on the corner of the street watching the drama unfold. "I feel awful standing here gawping." She admitted. "I don't think we should go anywhere until the car leaves." Norris told her. "Worried you might miss something?" Dennis asked him frankly.
Rob pulled the car up just in front of where Carla was, in the middle of the street. "Steady, steady, steady." Michelle told Carla as she helped her to her feet, so she could get into the car. "Can you at least let me know what's going on can you do that?" Peter asked Michelle, begging almost. "I won't have time. Phone the hospital." Michelle told him, aggressively looking out for Carla, who was in agony.
"Can someone let Liz know where I've gone, I was meant to be going to Amy's show." Michelle asked the neighbours that had gathered on the corner of the street. "Don't you worry, I'll tell her." Rita told her, as Michelle went to open the door to get into the car, whilst Peter was doing his best to 'help.' "Good luck!" Norris wished, as Michelle shut the car door.
"Don't be scared. Don't be scared." Michelle soothed Carla, as Rob drove them to Weatherfield General.
"What's happened now?" Deirdre asked, noticing the commotion on the street, with Peter leaning onto her shoulder. Knowing that his wife was going through hell and he couldn't help her or be there for her.
Michelle and Rob were waiting in the reception of the maternity ward, waiting for any news on Carla. When they had arrived at the hospital she had been taken through straight away to be examined as a priority. "I hope she's going to be alright." Rob prayed, after a long silence between him and Michelle. "Well, fingers crossed they both are." Michelle said, coming over and standing by Rob's side. "How far along did you say she was?" asked Rob. "About four months." Michelle said, casting her mind back to when she and Carla first discovered that she was pregnant. "Look, I don't want to sound like I don't care about the baby, because I do, but I can't help thinking that Peter only got her pregnant to keep her occupied, so she wouldn't notice what he was up to." Rob told Michelle. "I don't know." Michelle said, not knowing whether Rob's theory could be correct. "I don't know" she repeated. "One thing I do know, is that she really wants this baby, even after everything that's happened." She told him, going to sit down on a chair opposite to Rob was standing. "She's usually as sharp as a tac, but all her facualtys went out the window, since she got together with him. I tried to warn her..." He told Michelle, feeling guilty for not protecting Carla enough. "Well, you can't tell people who to fall in love with, can you?" Michelle reminded him, attempting to stop making him feel so guilty. "Yeah, but you can protect your family, I didn't though, did I?" Rob reflected. "I just let her get on with it. Peter Barlow was always bad news." He added. "I've let her down." He told Michelle, feeling like he hadn't been there for Carla, or done enough to protect her from the love of her life. "Hey, come on." Michelle told him. "Don't be so stupid, you're a brilliant brother." She added. "She thinks the world of you." She reassured him. "You couldn't stop her falling for Peter, nobody could." Michelle confirmed.
At that moment, a still drunk Peter stumbled through the doors of the maternity unit, with Michelle standing up, acting almost as a guard. "Sorry, I couldn't stay away." He began. "Is there any news?" He asked. "Yeah, she doesn't want to see you ever again, so just get lost!" Rob told him. "She's still my wife Rob, and I'm not going anywhere." Peter answered back. "I mean it." Rob warned the drunk. "I want to see Carla, and I want to know how she is, OK, and I want to know it now!" Peter demanded.
"I have just as much right to be here as you have." Peter told Rob. "She doesn't want you here!" Rob said, angrily through gritted teeth. "Can you stop it, right stop it, the pair of you." Michelle said, making her way in between the two men, who were edging closer to one another, as if they were about to have a rematch of their previous fight. "Carla is going through hell in there, and you two are squabbling like a pair of kids." She snapped. "Alright, alright, I'm going to go." Peter said, giving in, knowing that, right now, Carla would much rather see Rob, as opposed to him, and as much as that hurt him, the best thing he could do for his wife is give her some space. "Peter, if there is any news, I will text you, OK." Michelle told him. "Just give her some space please." Peter nodded in acceptance, throwing one last glare at Rob, before making an exit from the hospital.
"Can you come through?" The nurse said, coming out of the double doors that separated the patient's rooms and the busy reception area. She stopped the two outside of the door that Carla was behind.
"Is she OK?" Rob dared to ask, after looking at Michelle, who was scared stiff. "She's fine. Your sister has had a very lucky escape." The nurse said, as Michelle took a massive sigh of relief, before Rob wrapped his arm round Michelle's shoulder, which she was very happy to relax into. "The pain she has been experiencing is a result of an extreme amount of stress." The nurse continued "Yeah, well no wonder." Rob interrupted sarcastically. "Now is not the time or the place." Michelle scolded him, as she stood up straight again. "What do we do now?" Michelle asked the nurse. "We're going to keep her in overnight, keep an eye on Carla and the baby. I recommend that any plans for the next few days should be put on hold, she must get a lot of rest, giving her body time to catch up on things like sleeping and eating properly, otherwise we will be looking at another scenario." The nurse warned. "I'll take care of that." Rob assured her. "Thank you." Michelle said, smiling. "She's just through there." The nurse told the pair, signalling towards the door to which they were only a step or two away from. "Thanks." Rob said, turning with Michelle to go into the room. Despite having his suspicion that Peter got Carla pregnant to preoccupy her, and the fact that this would tie her to that waste of space forever, he knew that, deep down, this is what Carla wanted.
"Hey, you had us worried there!" Michelle told Carla, giving a slight laugh and coming over to her bed. "Had me worried too." Carla told her honestly. "The nurse told us what was wrong, too much stress." Michelle told her, sitting on the blue chair that was next to the bed. "Yeah, well, we all know who's to blame for that." Rob said, quite frankly. "Rob!" Michelle barked. "Now is not the time or the place. All that matters right now is that Carla's fine and the baby's doing OK." She reminded him. "They said they're gonna keep me in overnight." Carla told them both, changing the subject away from her husband. "Yeah, the nurse said." Michelle smiled. "I hate these places, I would normally just say I'll be fine, but the baby is the most important thing now - I'm not just doing this for me." Carla smiled weakly.
"Do you want me to go back to the flat and get you some clothes and stuff?" Rob offered. "Yeah, would you mind?" Carla answered, as Michelle took her hand comfortingly. "Of course, do you need anything else?" He asked, moving over to the opposite side of the bed to Michelle. "Can you do me a massive favour?" Carla asked back, looking up towards her brother. "Just name it." Rob said. "Can you tell Peter that everything is, well, alright." Carla said, as her voice faded slightly. The thought of her husband not being by her side, even after all he did, made her heart break. He said that he would be by her side every step of the way, yet he was having to be told how his wife and baby were through a messenger. "Yeah, anything you want." Rob said reluctantly, sighing. "Thank you." Carla smiled.
"No need to thank me" Rob said, "just concentrate on getting better." He added, kissing Carla on the forehead, before leaving Michelle and Carla to it.
"You feeling alright?" Michelle asked Carla, noticing that she seemed very distant. "Yeah," Carla began. "I just can't help but feel like I could have lost the baby. I never thought I would want to be a Mum, I didn't think I could be." Carla said, pausing whilst Michelle squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I was so scared Michelle." Carla admitted, as a few silent tears began to roll down her face. "Hey," Michelle said in a soothing tone, "If that baby is just half as strong as you, then you have nothing to worry about, OK?" Michelle added. "Come here." She said, pulling her friend in for a much needed hug.
"I've been booked in for a scan tomorrow, will you come with me?" Carla asked, as the pair pulled away from the hug. "Of course." Michelle said, delighted that Carla seemed to be looking forward, "There is no way that I am letting you do this on your own." Michelle smiled.
"How is she?" Deirdre asked Rob, getting up from the head of the table, as he came through the door. "She's OK, they both are thank God." Rob told her, as Deirdre breathed a massive sigh of relief. "I couldn't believe it when Peter said what happened. I thought, surely after everything, not the baby as well." "Yeah well, I think that Peter should stay away for a bit, after all, he is the one that's put Carla in the hospital in the first place." Rob remarked, sitting down on the sofa placing his head in his hands tiredly, as Deirdre brewed up. "I think you might be right." Deirdre told him, as much as she hated to admit it, some time apart is what the couple needed. "Do they know what caused the collapse?" She asked. "Yeah, stress, would you believe." Rob informed her, as she came over with a mug of tea.
"You look knackered." Deirdre said. "Yeah well, I would take a nap, but I need to go round to the flat really, get some stuff for our Carla. She's staying in overnight, as a precaution. She's still in some pain. The only reason I came round here was to tell Peter the news, on Carla's request." Rob informed her. "Right well, keep me in the loop." She asked him. "I will do, thanks Deirdre." Rob smiled. "Oh, and could you let Peter know if you see him?" He asked her, getting up to leave number one. "I will do." She assured him, as he left and began and heading in the direction of the flat.
"Rob!" A voice called from outside Roy's. It was Leanne. "How's Carla? Only, Norris mentioned in the Pub that she's collapsed." She said, worried for her son's step-mother. "She's fine, they're keeping her in overnight." Rob explained. "How's the baby?" She asked worriedly, half expecting the answer to be bad. "Baby's fine." Rob said. "Peter won't be if I see him." He added. "Yeah, I know, I could kill him. I just can't believe he's done this to Simon - again!" She raged. "Anyway, I best be getting off, I need to get some bits for Carla, they're keeping her in overnight." Rob explained, touching Leanne's shoulder comfortingly. "Alright, well give her my best." she smiled "Will do, thanks Leanne." Rob said, going into Peter and Carla's flat.
Later, Rob returned to the hospital, where Michelle was watching over Carla whilst she slept.
"I brought her things." Rob told Michelle in a hushed tone, being careful not to wake his exhausted sister up. "How long has she been asleep for?" He asked. "About an hour." Michelle said, with her hand on the top of Carla's. "Right. Is she OK?" He asked her, knowing that she would have opened up to Michelle. "She's scared." Michelle revealed. "She doesn't want to do this on her own." She added, getting up off the chair to talk to Rob properly. "Well, she's got us." Rob said. "Yeah, we need to make sure that she knows that she can rely on us." Michelle told him, with Rob nodding in agreement. "Speaking of relying, did you manage to speak to Peter?" Michelle asked. "I saw Diedre, she'll tell him when she sees him." Rob explained.
6th June 2014
"Morning." Rob softly greeted his sister as she had woke up. Rob had a coffee from a vending machine in his hand and was sitting in the chair next to the bed. "Do you want a drink, tea, coffee, water?" He asked her, as she sat up slowly. "Have you been here all night?" She asked him. "I did yeah, I wanted to make sure you were alright." He explained. "What did Tracy say?" Carla asked, worried she had given her brother a one-way ticket to the dog house. "She was alright with it, she told me to wish you better." He smiled. "Do you want anything, or?" He prompted Carla, noticing that she hadn't answered his earlier question. "I'll think I'll have something later." Carla told him. "Carla, you've got to eat." He reminded her, frightened that she was neglecting herself once more. "Yeah I know, the baby's just making me feel a bit sick this morning, that's all." Carla explained. "Yeah, well, as long as you eat something later on." Rob told her. "Yeah, I will, just stop fussing baby brother, I'll be fine." Carla smiled.
"Morning." Michelle said, coming into Carla's room, as Rob was packing the last few bits and pieces into Carla's bag. Carla was dressed, and was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, sitting on top of the sheets. "Morning." Carla greeted her friend. "How are you feeling, darling?" Michelle asked her, perching on the side of the bed. "I'm fine thanks." Carla told Michelle, taking her hand. "Apart from the fact that she won't eat anything." Rob mentioned, sounding slightly annoyed. "Now come on Carla, you have to have something." Michelle told her. "I know!" Carla told her back. "I just feel a bit sick, that's all." She explained. "How about some dry toast then?" Michelle suggested. "Alright, fine." Carla caved, knowing that between them, Rob and Michelle would get her to eat at some point this morning, no matter how ill she felt. She didn't mind though, she knew they were just worried about her.
Carla had just finished a piece of toast when a nurse came and knocked on the door. "Hi Carla," she began." The doctor's ready for you if you want to follow me." She finished. Carla got off the bed and followed the nurse out of the door, as Michelle held her hand in support. Rob followed the women, carrying Carla's bag. The nurse led them down the corridor and into a white room, which looked quite bare.
"Hello Carla, my name is Doctor Matthews and I'll be your doctor for the rest of your pregnancy." The doctor explained, introducing himself. "Now, as the midwife explained to you last night, we're just going to be checking on your baby. There is absolutely nothing to worry about. It's just to make sure that baby's not stressed and that your body is doing everything it needs to." The doctor explained, as Carla was laying on the Bed. Michelle was stood next to her, with Rob a few steps behind Michelle, holding Carla's bag, ready to get her home.
"So, Carla, how many weeks are you?" The doctor asked her. "Sixteen, nearly seventeen." She replied, moving her hand to take Michelle's. "Alright so the pains you were having last night, where were they exactly?" He asked. "Mainly on her my left side, down where the baby is." She explained. "OK, and what sort of pains were they?" He asked, as Carla's eyes caught Michelle's. "A really bad cramping pain, like someone was squeezing my stomach." She explained, looking back to face the doctor.
"Have you had any more pain this morning?" The doctor asked, flicking through Carla's notes. "Nope." Carla smiled softly. "And do you know roughly what time the pain stopped last night?" He asked, as he came and stood round the side of Carla's bed, getting ready to assess her properly.
"They started fading around seven-ish, and they had gone by nine." Carla replied. "But she did have a sleep around five, woke up about half six." Michelle added, making sure that the doctor knew everything so that he could help Carla as best as possible. "OK great, and have you had any bleeding or further discomfort around the abdominal area?" He asked, with Carla shaking her head in response. "Alright Carla, before I start with the scan, I'm just going to have a feel around where the baby's lying, is that OK?" He said, as Carla rolled up her top to reveal a slight bump. "Now, I want you to tell me if where I'm pressing is causing any pain or discomfort."
"Are you OK?" Michelle asked, concerned about her friend's head state. "Yeah, fine." Carla told her.
"OK Carla, no pain at all?" The doctor asked hopefully. "Nope." Carla replied, as the doctor had finished the examination. "That's brilliant. I'm going to start with the scan. Just to warn you, the gel is a little cold!" The doctor told her as he put some on Carla's stomach.
"You'll be fine, it's all going to be OK." Michelle told Carla, as the doctor placed the transducer on Carla's bump, with all eyes on the screen.
After about a ten second silence, Rob asked "Is everything OK?" "Just two seconds." The doctor said, with Carla's eyes filling with fear and worry. "Ah! Here we are." The doctor said, with the baby appearing on the screen, and a loud and strong heartbeat filling the room.
"Oh, thank God for that!" Rob said, breathing a sigh of relief with Michelle smiling from ear to ear. "The baby seems really healthy, and in a perfect position to tell the gender, if you'd like to know."He told them. "Yeah please." Carla beamed. "It looks like... you're having a baby girl!" The doctor told Carla, turning to face her. "A little girl?" Carla asked, to confirm that she had heard right. The doctor nodded. "That's great!" Michelle exclaimed placing her spare hand over her mouth, as if to stop herself from screaming in excitement.
"Thank you so much." Carla said to the doctor as he concluded the scan. "I'll get all your paperwork together and then you can go home and rest." The doctor told Carla. "Thank you." Rob said, shaking the doctors hand, displaying his gratitude. "Complete rest, no work for at least a week." The doctor told Carla sternly. "We'll make sure of that!" Michelle smiled, reassuring the doctor that Carla would be resting, which was something that she wasn't really used to. "Good, so I'll see you in three weeks' time - and in the meantime, if anything happens, don't hesitate to come back to us." The doctor concluded.
"I won't." Carla said, rolling down her top, as the doctor left the room to sign the discharge papers. Michelle hugged Carla after she sat up on the bed. "I can't believe I'm going to have a niece!" She beamed. "I can't believe it either!" Carla smiled. "Are you going to tell people the gender, or keep it a secret?" Michelle asked her. "I might pop round to Leanne's in a few days and tell Simon." Carla told her. "What about Peter?" Rob asked curiously, wondering whether his sister was going to cut her husband out of their baby's life. "I don't know." Carla replied honestly. "I suppose he's gonna find out at some point."
"Well, if you decide to tell him, at least wait for a few days, and just remember we're here for you." Michelle smiled, as Carla got up off the bed, ready to leave the hospital after what seemed like a long time. "Yeah, whenever you need us, day or night." Rob confirmed. "Well, thank you, both of you." Carla said. "I don't know what I would do without both of you."
"Carla?" Peter asked, coming across the road as Michelle helped Carla out of the car, with Rob getting her bag from the boot of the car. "Oh, back off Peter!" Rob warned, as he stood before the alcoholic husband of his sisters, who looked as if he had made no effort to stay sober for his pregnant wife's sake. "I'm talking to my wife Rob." Peter replied as Michelle opened the door to Carla's flat. "Please let me look after you." Peter begged her. "You really think she wants to be anywhere near you after what you've done?" Rob asked him spitefully. "Rob, leave it." Michelle called as she followed Carla into the home she once shared with the man she loved the most.
"Here we are, home sweet home." Michelle remarked, as Carla went and sat on the sofa. "Do you want anything; do you want some water?" Rob offered. "I'll have a cup of tea if there's one going." Carla replied. "Oh yeah, me and all." Michelle said, joining Carla on the sofa.
"You feeling alright?" Michelle asked Carla, as Rob went into the kitchen. "Yeah, I already feeling one million times better." She smiled weakly. "Hey, I can't believe it's a little girl!" Michelle said. "Yeah I know, knowing that just makes it feel so much more real." Carla told her friend. "It'll feel even more real when she's born!" Rob laughed. "I just hope she'll be OK." Carla said honestly. "Stop fretting." Michelle told Carla. "She'll be fine, and you will be a great Mum." Michelle added. "Well, I'm not too sure about that. I'll do my best." She replied. "You'll be a better mother than most women." Rob told his sister, approaching the women on the sofa with the mugs of tea. "And don't forget, she has the best Auntie and Uncle ever." Michelle laughed, as Rob sat down on a chair opposite the women. "Is that an offer of free babysitting I hear?" Rob joked, making Carla laugh slightly. "Just so long as you know that you've always got us two." Michelle told Carla, as she wrapped an arm round her, as the buzzer went off.
"If that's Peter again." Rob began, getting up, before Michelle interrupted him. "Then we can send him away." She said calmly, not wanting Carla to stress out. "Hello?" Rob asked the person at the other end of the intercom. "Rob, it's Deirdre. Can I come up?" She asked. "Sure." Rob said, buzzing her up. "Who is it?" Carla asked. "Deirdre." Rob replied opening the door for her. "Oh, Carla love, how are you?" Deirdre fussed. "I'm fine thanks Deirdre." Carla smiled. "Do you want a cup of tea?" Rob offered her. "Oh yeah please, if there's one going." She replied, coming and sitting by Carla and Michelle. "So, what did the Doctor say this morning?" She asked her daughter in law. "He said that the baby is healthy, the heartbeat is as strong as anything, and he told us the gender." Carla smiled. "No way!" Deirdre beamed. "So, do I have another Grandson or another Granddaughter?" She asked, as Rob passed her a mug of tea. "You've got to promise me that you won't tell anyone, not even Peter." Carla reasoned. "Alright." The excited grandmother replied. "It's a baby girl!" Carla beamed, placing a hand on her very small bump. "Oh wow! That's great news! Congratulations!" Deirdre exclaimed. "Thanks Deirdre." Carla said.
"Where is she?" Rob asked about Carla, as he entered the flat, having just bought some milk from Dev's. "She's gone for a rest." Michelle explained. "That's good. She needs to rest." Rob approved. Deirdre had left after about twenty minutes of being with Carla. "When are you going home?" Michelle asked Rob as he put the milk in the fridge. "I don't know." He replied. "Why, do you need to get back?" He asked in return. "No, I told Steve I would be staying here for a few days, just until Carla gets a little stronger." She explained. "Are you sure?" Rob asked her. "I don't mind staying here if you want to go home to Steve." He offered. "What, and have Tracy go mental?" Michelle laughed. "I don't think so!" She continued. "OK, then I'll head off then." Rob told Michelle. "If anything happens, you'll let me know, right?" Rob asked Michelle, giving her a hug goodbye. "Will do." She replied, getting up to close the door quietly after Rob, being careful not to wake Carla.