Peter raced over to the Police Station the morning after Rob's arrest. He had wanted to go the night before, but he was just too worked up for all of that, he would have ended-up getting arrested himself.
"Excuse me? Can I speak to someone in charge here please?!" Peter asked as he approached the desk.
"For what reason exactly Sir?!" The Police-Officer asked the man seriously.
"My Brother-In-Law was arrested yesterday. But it's because of me and I'd like to drop the charges." He explained.
"Okay Sir. Well if you could give me the name of your Brother-In-Law then I will go and fetch the Officer leading this case." The Officer said.
"Rob. Rob Donovan." Peter replied before the Officer walked-off.
He returned a couple-of minutes later with an older Detective.
"Hello Mr Barlow." The Detective greeted Peter as he shook his hand civilly.
"Please, call me Peter." Peter told-him truthfully.
"Of-Course it is. So Mr Barlow, I hear you wish to drop the charges made against Mr Donovan?!" The Detective asked-as he lead Peter in a small-office which was just-off from the reception-area.
Back-on the Street, Becky had just left Roy alone with Hayley that morning. The terminally ill Lady wasn't doing so well lately and Becky just felt that the couple needed some space and some time on their own together.
She was just about to head-on into the Kabin, when she spotted Carla walking-down the Street aswell.
"Uh, Carla!" Becky called as she lightly jogged-over to her.
"Oh?! Hello Becky?!" A slightly confused Carla replied, she didn't talk to Becky very often unless Hayley was with one of them so Becky's voice instantly put her on edge.
"Hiya. I just thought that you should know…..Hayley's not doing so good….." Becky trailed-off sadly.
"Oh is she not?! Well that's horrible news." Carla frowned.
"Yeah I know it is. But I know what would really cheer her up?!" Becky nervously questioned the Lady who could sometimes come-across as a little-bit stern, when infact, she had a heart of gold underneath it all.
"Oh Yeah?! And what's that then?!" Carla asked Becky.
""If you went and visited her whilst I take Roy out this afternoon…..I'm gonna chat to him…..I don't think he has the slightest clue Carla, I really don't….." Becky confided-in Carla sadly.
"That Poor Man's heart must be breaking right-now." Carla said. "Listen, of-course I'll come and visit Hayley. Tell her I'll be over this evening at some-point…..Good Luck with Roy yeah?!" Carla told Becky kindly with a weak-smile before they both went their own separate ways once-again…..
At the Police Station, the Detective had now heard what Peter had to say and was now showing him out of the Station once-again.
"So Peter, I have to check, are you absolutely sure that you would like to drop the charges brought against Mr Donovan?!" The Detective asked the man.
"Yes Please." Peter replied-to him calmly.
"And you have no other motive, apart from your own thoughts and decisions that have led you to this decision?!" The Officer had to double-check.
"Well no-one is black-mailing me or threatening me if that's what you're suggesting?! Look, Me & Rob may not exactly get along, but he won't hurt me again. I won't let him." Peter told the Detective seriously.
"I do hope that's not a suggestion of even more violence Mr Barlow?!" The Detective questioned Peter.
"Oh…..No…..No that's not what I meant. Look, it's a long story, but I'm gonna prove to Rob that he doesn't need to be angry with me anymore." Peter briefly explained his situation to the man.
"Well Okay. Just as long as you're sure Peter. Now listen, Mr Donovan…..Or should I say, Rob, will most probably be released later-on today, I suggest you avoid crossing each-others paths for a couple-of days. Just to let the dust settle…..Alright?!" The Detective told Peter, who nodded, before leaving the Police Station alone.
That evening, Becky had managed-to convince Roy to go out for a meal with her and the two of them were now sat-in a quiet corner of the Bistro together.
"Becky, it's very kind-of you to pay for tonight's meal. You really don't have to." Roy said, feeling bad that she was using the girl's money.
"Roy, it's my pleasure. Now listen to me, Hayley wasn't too good today. You do know what that potentially could mean don't ya?!" Becky double-checked with the older-man.
Roy looked-down with an emotionally pained-expression on his face. "I'd rather not talk about that if it's all the same with you Becky….." The Poor-Man trailed-off sadly.
"Well I'm sorry Roy but you're gonna have to talk about it. Roy, whether you like it or not, Hayley is dying, and there's nothing that anyone can do to stop that, not even the Doctor's. And I know that-that's a hard concept for you to come to terms with, but when the time comes, Hayley will want to know that you are and will be ready for it." Becky told him blunty, but truthfully.
Roy remained silent as Becky observed-him and then after a couple-of seconds, took his hand from across the table. "Are you okay?!" Becky asked-him softly.
"Mmm….." Roy just mumbled.
Meanwhile, Carla was now on her way over to Hayley's, when she bumped-into Rob, who had just arrived-back-onto the Street.
"What are you doing back out on the Streets?!" Carla asked Rob a little harshly.
"Well, you're Husband may be a cheating scumbag, but he got me off." Rob smirked.
"Ya What?!" A stunned Carla asked.
"He's dropped the charges Carla." Rob replied-to his Older Sister seriously.
"Oh Right…..Well…..He's even more of an idiot than I first thought he was then….." Carla trailed-off. "Anyway, I'm just off to see Hayley, so I guess I'll just cya around yeah?!" She said as she made her way into the Cafe.
"Yeah. Cya Sis." Rob replied.
Carla then made her way upstairs and into Hayley's bedroom, where she joined the Older-Lady on the bed and hugged her tightly.
"How are ya feeling?!" Carla asked-her.
"Hmmm, well I've felt a lot better to be honest with ya Carla. Anyway, that's quite enough about me. I want ALL of the gossip." Hayley told-Carla, determined to be cheered-up by her extremely close-friend.
"What gossip?!" Carla chuckled. "There is no gossip."
"Carla, what kind-of mug dya take me for?! This is Coronation Street. And this is your life we're talking about here. There's always gossip!" Hayley said, almost immediately enlightened just by seeing Carla's Face.
"Well Rob & Peter had a scrap. I called the Police, but Peter dropped the charges….." Carla trailed-off.
"Oh?! Well since when did those two become best buddies?!" Hayley chuckled.
"They didn't. Besides, there's only one reason why Peter dropped the charges….." Carla said.
"And why's that then?!" Hayley questioned-her friend.
"Because he wanted to impress me. I just know he did. He thinks that if he starts being nice to my brother, and the people closest to me, then he can somehow worm his way back into my life. He thinks I'm clueless. But it's just not that simple Hayley." Carla said sadly.
"Oh well I know it's not Love, but there's absolutely no reason why it shouldn't be, or why it couldn't be for that matter." Hayley said as she caught Carla's eye, she was giving Hayley a less than impressed look. "Oh come-on Carla, get-over yourself, I know ya still love Peter!" Hayley told-her quite firmly, but this caused her pain.
"Hayley?! Are you alright?!" Carla asked the Lady.
"Yeah, I'll be okay." Hayley replied-to Carla with a re-assuring smile as she placed her hand over Carla's arm. "Listen Love, life's to short to keep-on pushing-away the people who ya love the most. I should know that better than anyone. I've had to face up to the fact that I'm gonna have to, when the time comes, leave Roy down here on this earth without me. But you don't have to do the same with Peter, Carla. Look Carla. If you Love him, then who cares if he made some kind-of stupid mistake?! Love is all that should matter in the end." Hayley told her softly, but truthfully all the same.
Carla just sighed, obviously rather emotionally touched-by Hayley's words, but still not knowing what to do about-them or the situation that she was currently in…..
Please-Review!
Coming-Up…..
Hayley passes-away in the night…..
But how will Roy cope?!
As Carla hears of Hayley's death, Carla & Peter finally sit-down and chat together…..What result will that have for the couple?!
Becky helps Roy to plan Hayley's Funeral…..