Peter had held Carla in a tight embrace for several minutes as she clung to him as though her life depended upon it. "I…I don't wan…want his baby. I can't have it Peter I can't!" Carla sobbed as a bout of hiccups overcame her. Peter gently rubbed her back as he nodded gently at her words. "That's understandable Carla. But I know that you probably really don't want to take the test but you do need to know, either way. The last thing you want is to leave it too late for you to have any options." Peter said wisely as Carla bit her lip, tugging at the skin with her teeth. "You're right Peter bu…but what if I am?"
"Oh Car, look there's no point wandering what to do next when it's completely plausible that this could be down to stress. I tell you what I can drive you into town and we'll get you a test there. I'm guessing you don't want any of the locals gassing." Peter said as he let go of Carla with some reluctance unsure she would be okay standing alone. She nodded slightly as she knew he was right she had to take a test and well at least this way it wouldn't become local gossip. She'd had more than enough of been the number one subject of gossip on the cobbles and didn't need the likes of Norris and Gail. "Wo…won't Leanne mind though. I don't want you getting in trouble because of me." She said as Peter stood with his hands in his pockets. "Listen Carla, I'm a big boy and I can stand up for myself if needs be, besides she doesn't need to know anything more than I'm helping a friend." Peter said as Carla nodded.
"Thanks Peter." She said genuinely glad he was there for her.
Peter drove into a space in the city centre multi-storey car park and turned off the engine. He turned his head slightly to look at where Carla sat in the passenger seat drumming her immaculate nails somewhat anxiously against the dashboard. "Carla love, I know you don't particularly want to do this but we can't sit here all morning. You need to get that test and find out. But I promise you I'll be by your side for as long as you need me to be." Peter said gently as Carla looked up at him.
"Peter?"
"Yes love."
"Wil…will you come back to my…my flat with me. I can't take the test at Maria's. She's lovely bu….but if she finds out about the test then she'll only fuss over me and well she might not mean to but she'll try and tell me what to do an…and I need to be able to make my own mind up." Carla said as she felt Peter's fingertips gently stroked her hand. "Are you sure you'll be okay going back to the flat Car. I mean.."
"It's where it happened. I'm going to have to go back sometime Peter and well as lovely as Maria is putting me up, she's got Liam to cope with…and Kirk. She doesn't need me as well." Carla said as Peter looked unsure. "Well I suppose if we're only going back for you to take the test then it won't be too bad but I'm not sure you should be thinking of moving back in so soon."
"It's not soon though is it. It's almost two months since it happened an..and I need to go back at some point. Else I might as well sell up." Carla said as she leaned against the window of Peter's car.
"Well just don't rush back too soon Carla. I don't want you to….to take a step backwards after you've been doing so well." Peter said as he gently captured her hand with his.
Leanne frowned as she dialled Peter's mobile and only succeeded in reaching his voice box. "Peter….where the hell have you got to?…Look call me when you get this message….Bye." Leanne said as she put her phone back under the counter as she saw a punter walk through the door. She knew it was daft to be so irrational and possessive of him but she hadn't forgotten how close he was to Carla, how he called her 'sweetheart' when he was pleading for her not to leave the mortal world. She knew it was wrong in a way to be jealous of a woman who was still recovering from a horrific ordeal but she wasn't oblivious to the concern her husband had for the raven-haired factory boss, her former friend. Well ironically they'd just made amends prior to Carla's ordeal but somehow Leanne couldn't forget Frank's words in that visiting room when he said Carla had said Peter was the reason that she couldn't marry Frank. Ever since then Leanne had dwelled upon how Peter had been an obstacle in Carla and Frank's relationship. Part of her wanted to just ask Peter whether he had feelings towards Carla but part of her too was terrified that he'd turn around and admit he did. "Erm sorry love but can I put on two pound fifty on Water Nymph at the 4:15 at Doncaster?" The customer asked as Leanne was brought back to the here and now. "Oh sorry I was miles away. Course." She said taking his betting ticket from him along with the money.
Carla stood wide-eyed in the Boot's store as Peter wrinkled his nose wandering whether he should take a test and pass it to her for approval. It was as if she thought that prolonging the purchase of the test would make the fact she could be carrying Frank's child less. "Carla hun."
"Those tests. They're so fucked up, a smiling baby on the front making out that every pregnant woman should be thrilled by the fact. Do they not think of the poor teenage girls pressurised into sex by their boyfriends? The baby conceived by a battered wife? The unwanted reminder of a rape?" Carla said hovering dangerously close to tears. Peter looked at her unsure whether she would receive any physical comfort well at present. He gently reached out to touch the back of her hand and sighed slightly as she grabbed it tightly, as though it was a lifeline. "I'm been stupid, I know I am. Putting it off isn't going to change anything now. An…and I need to know. Just pick one for me Peter." Carla said as Peter nodded and picked one that said it gave as near an accurate result to the gestation of any pregnancy. "Okay here." He said as she nodded numbly, her eyes tearful though she had a determined look on her face as if she wished to just get this done with whatever the result.