"You killed her didn't ya?" Carla mutters tearfully, in front of Rob who is looking rather emotional himself.
"Come on, it's me." She whispers. "You did it?"
"Yeah." He replies, Carla already knew but having heard Rob admit it; she was out of control with her emotions and gasped.
She felt her heart rip into two.
He done this for her.
Her little brother. She watched him open his eyes for the first time; she watched Rob grow up, how could he be so messed up now?
"I've got to go." She mumbles, walking to the door.
"Carla no!" He abruptly shouts getting in the way.
"Rob, move!"
"Where are you going?" He questions.
"Out."
"Where?"
"I-I'm going to see Michelle." She lies.
"You can't tell her! You can't tell anybody!"
"I'm not telling her; I just want to sit with her and drink wine."
"Bullshit, I won't let you leave. Carla, don't tell a soul." he warns her.
"Or what? You gonna kill me too? She smirks sarcastically.
"What is wrong with you..."
"What's wrong with me is that my brother, my little brother who I practically raised is capable of murdering a young girl!" Carla yells hysterically.
"I don't it for-..."
"No dont! Don't you dare make out that you did this for me! I didn't tell you to go kill her!"
"And then making Peter get sent down for life; he has a son a life..." she adds angrily.
"And he ruined yours, you think I could let the two people that hurt you so badly get away with it?"
"IT WASNT YOUR RIGHT! You had no right to kill her and you had no right to make out Peter done it!" She yells.
"Why are you always on his side!" He snaps.
"...you made me loose my baby."
"No that wasn't me, I looked out for you Carla."
"All that stress; me going to the police station day in, day out...you could've said something then but you didn't! When I thought the love of my life killed his mistress you knew I wanted to kill him but I didn't...you know why? BECAUSE ITS NOTHING YOU SAY, NOT SOMETHING YOU DO!"
"You're acting as if I've hurt you as much as Peter..." he murmurs.
"No...you've hurt me more than Peters ever hurt me." She shakes her head.
"What?" He spits.
"You've broken me, Rob I'm never gonna be the same again." She cries.
"Listen Carla, it's a shock I know that but I've had to live with this too! The guilt, self-hatred! Sometimes I lay in bed thinking about it, it plays over and over in my mind and then I feel arms around me, brunette hair and I don't see Tracy...I'll see her."
"Aww look at Rob with the self-pitying! Get a fucking grip!"
"Please let me just have one day, my wedding day please. I can't go to prison, you know what it did to me last time." Rob calms down.
"Then why did you do it? If you know how bad prison was..."
"I didn't think- I just did it out of anger Carla. Please, don't tell anyone."
"How cant I? I've got to give Ken, Tracy, Simon eye contact, Ken confiding in me about Peter gone when I know I can change all that!"
"And have me take his place."
"Well it's a chance I'm going to have to make, goodbye Rob." Carla whispers before walking out the apartment, leaving Rob stood there gathering his thoughts before realising what Carla's about to do.
"Carla!" Michelle shouts from across the street at the Rovers as she sees Carla rush out of Victoria court, a hand to her mouth to she silent her sobs.
"Carla?" She repeats, running over. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing, I've got to go." Carla replies, dropping her car keys before kneeling on the floor to pick them back up as Michelle frowns.
"Has something happened? You've been crying?"
"Just reminiscing on the past that's all, can't blame me can I? Knowing the year I've had." Carla shcukles fakely.
"Of course I understand but try not to eh? It's not worth it, we need to be looking to the future yeah?" Michelle reassures her.
"Michelle! Hurry up and come back inside!" Tracy shouts, opening the doors of the Rovers.
Carla stares at her, emotionally thinking about how much she can ruin Tracy's life.
She wonders whether she should go to the police, like planned but she doesn't know if she can do that to her brother.
Her own flesh and blood.
Peter really did hurt her, he hurt her in ways that were indescribable. Some could say he did deserve to go to jail but he was innocent of murder, he didn't kill anyone. So why should he get the punishment for it when the actual culprit is going to have the best day of his life tomorrow, a honeymoon probably going to try for kids in a few months...he didn't deserve that.
"Car?" Michelle waves her hand in her face. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Sorry I was miles away, got to go. Seeya." Carla kisses Michelle quickly before Tracy shouts for her again.
"Carla!" Rob yells from Victoria Court.
Breathing heavily, Carla quickly gets into her car, locking it immediately as Rob gets to her and hits the window multiple times.
"Leave me alone!" Carla screams.
"Let me in!"
"NO" Carla turns red in anger.
Carla turns the car on and goes to drive off however Rob gets in front of the car, putting his hands on the bonnet and Carla stares at him in shock.
Was he seriously going to risk getting killed just so Carla doesn't go to the police?
But Carla starts driving which makes rob rush out of the way so he wouldn't get his after all, 1 second later he would've definitely got hit. He runs to number 1 and gets into his car to chase after Carla...
Speeding round corners and busy roads; Carla starts crying more when she sees Rob going after her and calling her repeatedly on her phone.
Cars are beeping at her but her main focus was to get away from Rob. As he rings her once again, she answers and screams "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Then hangs up.
Carla soon realises that Rob is going to get to her if she stops at the police station now so she carries on speeding on a main road.
"DONT YOU DARE DOB ME INTO THE POLICE! YOU'LL REGRET IT!" He screams.
As Carla turns around at the sound of his voice coming out the window, suddenly a car horn beeps loudly drifting her attention back on the road.
The car screeches loudly, Carla spins the wheel; trying to gain control but it was no use.
Her car crashes into a fence and rolls rapidly down a hill.
Spinning, spinning and spinning.
As Carla is turned upside down repeatedly, her hope for survival is extremely low. It happened so fast but she tries to sum her whole life up, knowing it was the end.
Quick quick quick.
At least now she could be with Liam. At least she can be with Hayley. At least she can be with her little girl.
And she'll never reunite with Rob...
The car jolts, stopping at a tall tree.
Carla lay lifelessly in the divers seat. Blood has splattered all down her face. Her hair on the right side is completely dosed in a deep red substance which is then streaming down her prominent cheekbone. She has many cuts, scraps and red marks coating her face and is sure the red marks will soon turn into nasty purple bruises.
The car doesn't even look like a car anymore. It's got dents all over it, scratches, all the windows are smashed leaving sharp glass particles landing on Carla. The bonnet isn't attached either and other parts of the car lay around this hill. It's also smoking excessively.
At the top of the hill; Rob stops his car abruptedly. Gasping and putting a hand through his hair stressfully and stopping at his mouth, in shock.
"No" he whispers. He can't be a cause of another death, surely not. Especially his older sister.
All he sees is a destroyed car, down a steep hill. Immediately thinking the worse, he sobs as he opens his car door and stands still.
His legs feel like jelly and he can't quite work out how to walk to her.
Left foot, right foot.
Realising he needs to get a grip, be there for his sister; he speeds his pace up, eventually reaching the car and he plucks the courage to see through the window, even if it'd already smashed.
Horrified, he turns round and kneels in the flooor taking a few breaths, feeling rather queasy.
"Oh god, no Carla. Stay with me." He cries after a few minutes silent and eventually opening her car door. Her head rolls to the side, facing his as he stares at her severely damaged face.
Her nose looked broke; it was bleeding rather viciously and looked slightly crooked and her face, especially her eyes looked as if they were swelling up.
"Yeah um ambulance please. M-my sister has been in a really bad car accident. Please...please get here as soon as possible...no she's not responding. There's a lot of blood. Hurry." He calls the ambulance shakily.
Minutes felt like hours, days even when the ambulance finally arrive.
"What's her name?" The male paramedic questions seriously.
"C-Carla Connor. Please help her."
"How long has she been here like this?"
"I-I don't know. 15 minutes? I'm not sure, it's gone so fast." Rob replies emotionally.
"And has she been conscious at all?" He asks.
"Nope, not at all."
"Were you in the car? Do you need to get checked out Sir?"
"No, I was driving behind but she's my sister. Just help her."
"We're gonna do everything we can sir." He smiles weakly before placing an oxygen mask on Carla face as other paramedics help out.
"All set?" They day to each other.
Carla is laying on a stretcher in a neck brace, an oxygen mask, head protector and many various wires coming in and out do her body.
"Can I come on the ambulance with her?" Rob pleads.
"Sure, come on."
Driving to the hospital, Rob stares down at the body. Feeling sick me guilt, a tear escapes his eye followed by many more.
Until, a repetitive beeping noise cuts his thoughts as it goes through the back of the ambulance.
Jolting to a stop, the crew shout things to each other, blunt and serious and start doing chest compressions onto Carla's chest.
"Oh my god..." Rob whispers. "Don't let her die, don't let her die, god no please don't let her die."
"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8..." they shout, pressing with strong force.
"She isn't responding!" One of them say firmly.
"Come on Carla." The other days, carrying on the 30 chest compressions each time.
"We've got a pulse, right we need to get to the hospital now. And fast!" They exclaim.
"Thank god." Rob breaths deeply.
10 minutes later; Carla gets rushed through doors whilst Rob has to wait patiently in the relatives room.
He can't believe it.
He soon realises that he needs to probably contact Michelle.
Ringing her repeatedly, he sighs in frustration when she doesn't pick up. Instead, he instantly calls Tracy who answers.
"Trace." He whispers.
"Heya, checking up on me are you?" She giggles.
"Tracy, listen."
"Rob are you okay? What's happened?"
"There's been an accident. Carla's in a really bad way. Get Michelle and rush to weatherfield general as soon as you can."
"Accident? What kind of accident? Are you okay?" She panics.
"I wasn't in it. I was driving behind Carla and she lost control, she's in a really bad way Trace. What if she dies." Rob cries.
"Why were you driving behind her?"
"Oh for god sake Tracy just get Michelle and come here now!" He snaps as the multiple questions being thrown at him insensitively.
"Michelle?" Tracy calls, coming out the lady's toilet and gaining her attention as Michelle serves people at the hen do. "Michelle."
"Don't worry the drinks are still free." Michelle rolls her eyes, laughing slightly.
"Carla's been in a bad car accident apparently. We need to go to the hospital. Robs there." Tracy explains, seeing a gasp emit from Michelle's lips.
"Oh my god." A a hand flies to the brunettes mouth.
"I can't drive, I've had a drink. You'll have to." Tracy says.
"I've had a drink too!"
"Er...we'll go and get my dad."
Later that night, Michelle, Tracy and Ken turn up at the hospital and run to Rob whose sitting there in a daze.
"Rob!" Michelle shouts as she sees him fidgeting in the waiting room. "What's happening? Have they told you anything? Rob!"
"I don't know Alright. I don't know." He puts a hand through his hair. "What if she's dead 'chelle."
"She won't be! Carla is strong, she's been through worse and has come out the other end! This will be the same." Ken reassures them after being told on the way what had happened.
"Oh but Ken, you didn't see her. I did, I saw her. She was an absolute mess." Rob breaks down, crying hysterically in his hands.
"It could look worse than what it actually is?"
"Oh will you just shut up! There is no fucking positives about this! My sister has been ripped apart, literally. She had to be recsusiated! Don't you get that? She isn't fine!" Rob looses his temper.
"Rob calm down!" Tracy places a hand on his shoulder. "Carla doesn't need you shouting abuse at my dad."
"...Rob, why were you even there when it crashed if you weren't in the car with her in the first place? Why were you behind her?" Michelle frowns emotionally.
"So now you're saying this is my fault! Thanks a bunch!" He snaps, leaving the hospital and waiting outside as he tried to regulate his breathing.
"No one said it was his fault." Michelle mutters. "Is it just me or do you find something very odd about this whole situation?" She asks the Barlows.
"Like what?" Tracy replies.
"Well...Rob must've been following her or at least he was behind her. Why weren't they in the car together? And she must've been really speeding to cause so much damage right? Something doesn't make sense here." Michelle says.
"But why would Carla have a reason to run away from Rob like that? What's rob done?" Ken inputs.
"I don't know...but I'm going to find out." Michelle warns them just as a doctor emerges.
"Carla Barlows family?" A nurse questions, they all nod before Tracy goes outside to collect Rob.
"So there's no easy way of saying this but it's not looking good I'm afraid. Carla has a severe brain hemmorage; a bleeding on the brain. We're going to have to take her to surgery immediately if we have a chance of saving her. She also has internal bleeding coming from somewhere we suspect so we'll have to sort that out too. Also other injuries such as multiple broken ribs and a shattered right leg." The doctor explains.
"Oh god..." Rob says.
"What's umm...what's the chance of her surviving?" Michelle stutters.
"Right now we don't know her chances. But people with brain haemorrhages ususally have a 40% chance of living. And 60% of patients who survive will most likely be left with long term effects."
"I can't cope with this..." Michelle cries.
"And lomg terms effects meaning?..." Ken pipes up.
"Mrs Barlow could be left with brain damage or long term or short term amnesia..." the nurse sighs.
"I-I need some air..." rob leaves once again, Tracy following.
"I just keep remembering seeing her before it must've happened I think. She was really upset and was shaking then she just rushed off in the car...what if that's the last time I saw her." Michelle sobs.
"Did she tell you why she was so upset?" Ken questions.
"No, your stupid daughter made me go back inside before I had the chance to go with Carla. What if she needed to talk to someone but we were all to busy partying?"
1 month later and Carla's brain surgery had been a success. Surgeons discovered Carla also had internal bleeding in her spleen which had been sorted out. People had been in and out visiting Carla these past 4 weeks; even Peter had come in with handcuffs and a police officer to see Carla. He was so devestated that she managed to get so injured.
Tracy and Robs wedding had been put on hold which had obviously angered Tracy though. Rob was still acting extremely shifty and not himself- something that hadn't gone unnoticed by Michelle who hadn't left Carla's side for longer than a few hours.
Today, they took Carla's ventilator out too get her too respond. Michelle and Rob were at her bedside waiting to hopefully speak to her finally.
"How long will it take for her to respond? Michelle croakily questions.
"She might not even respond, but it could take minutes or hours." A middle aged nurse replies.
3 hours later there was no change. Until now...
"Carla?" Michelle whispers, and in return Carla murmurs something inaudible.
"Open your eyes Car. I know you can do it." The brunette encourages her.
Carla squints at the bright hospital lights but locks eyes with Michelle's. "It hurts..."
"It's okay Carla...I promise you, you're safe now."
"I'll erm...I'll go get the nurse." Rob pipes up nervously.
Carla flips her head round suddenly, staring Rob in the eye.
"It's okay babe, it's only Rob. Your brother remember?" Michelle softly says stroking her arm.
"You..." Carla croakily whispers.
Rob knew that Carla remembered, looking anywhere but at her he tries to leave before Carla pipes up again.
"He..he's tried to kill me...just like Tina."
So this was a random one-shot but I've had this plot stuck in my head for AGES and wanted to write it down so I finally have. If you're an Emmerdale watcher too, you've probably realised I found some inspiration with the car crash because of when Jenny died in 2013. I wanted something that wasn't about Carla getting with Nick or Peter because that seems to be what everyone only cares about at the moment, so I thought now would be the perfect time to do a story based mainly on Carla and Rob. Please review xx
