Hi everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been away for a week. Hope you enjoy and ill be updating my other stories too. Keep your amazing reviews coming as always! X

I won't give up on us, god knows I'm tough enough. We got a lot to learn, lady you're worth it

Peter stood outside the bookies, leaning against the wall with a sigh. This was the last place he wanted to be. He wanted to be at home, looking after his wife and their unborn baby, making her smile again however briefly. But of course she had insisted on working the next day like nothing had happened. Like her best friend hadn't betrayed and humiliated her after years of friendship and love. He was just counting his lucky stars it was Friday and soon the weekend would be upon them and they could spend some time alone together. He could try and fix her.

As Peter flicked his fag out he looked up to see Michelle leaving the Rovers with a handful of bags and red raw eyes. He made his way over to her quickly, "oi Michelle, I want a word with you." She didn't even look at him. Couldn't. "How could you? Do you know the state she's in? She's meant to be your best mate, Michelle." Peter could see the tears in her eyes as she tried to hurry up, "Don't Peter, please just don't." He walked beside her still, incandescent with anger, "Oh don't play the pity card Chelle, it won't wash with me. You 'ad the nerve to take the high road with me, at least I owned up to what I did, at least I didn't make it her fault! She cried herself to sleep last night, Michelle. She's at work, pregnant with our baby and she's a mess. I hope you're happy."

Michelle looked up at the factory and chocked back a sob, shaking her head quickly as she headed away from the street, "I do care about her Peter. I do, I love her. Please tell her that." Before Peter had a chance to respond Michelle rushed off and away from him, heading somewhere neither of them knew where.

Later that evening, Carla let her head lull back with an exhausted sigh as she sat in her leather chair at work. It was gone six but she couldn't face going home. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Peter, but she was too tired and sad to eat or speak or think properly anymore. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She rolled her eyes as her phone rang for the second time in as many minutes and an unknown number appeared on the screen again. This time she answered, just wanting whoever was hassling her to leave her in peace.

"Hello?"

"Hello is that Ms Connor?"

Carla sighed, "It's Mrs Barlow now but yes, speaking."

"Sorry Mrs Barlow, I'm calling from Weatherfield general hospital." The polite woman had her full attention now as Carla sat forward, listening intently, "We had Michelle Connor admitted this afternoon and we're unable to contact her next of kin, a Mr Steve Mcdonald. You're titled as an emergency contact and we needed to let you know we think you should come down, if possible."

Carla swallowed back, she didn't want to ask the next question when she was sure she already knew the answer, "What's happened to her?"

Carla could hear the tone of the woman's voice changing before she even spoke, "Miss Connor was found unconcious in a car we believe she had hired this morning. She had large amounts of alcohol and another substance in her blood-" there was a pause that Carla could swear went on forever, "The car was crashed into tree and, I'm sorry Mrs Barlow but we don't believe it was accidentially. We'd really like you to come in so we can talk in person."

The world seemed to stop for a moment and subconsciously, Carla's hand fell to her bump as she rubbed her hand along it soothingly, protectively. She shook her head, "No, god, no.. is, is she okay?"

"Im really sorry Mrs Barlow, I think you should get here as soon as possible. I'm so sorry love."

Carla couldn't even answer, she couldn't move. She didn't know how to respond. She let her mobile fall to the desk and forced herself to take a deep breath. She hated Michelle, she hated her with every inch of her but god she loved her so very much. She wasn't sure she'd cope if she lost her too, not like this, not this way. Please, not this way. She couldn't shake the image from her mind of Michelle broken and bruised in a crashed car, her fear and desperation, the hopelessness she must have felt.

Carla knew what she'd have been thinking as she drank the ridiculous amount of alcohol, maybe swallowing tablets as she had done herself. She knew she'd have been reliving all the cruel words people had thrown at her. She'd be replaying horrible memories over and over and telling herself it was her fault and she deserved it. It was her fault, Carla knew, but she didn't deserve this. Her Michelle, the one who'd, until recently, stuck by her through thick and thin, she didn't deserve this ending.

As she grabbed her things and made her way to the hospital, still in a daze, Carla was already blaming herself. She should have been there more in the last few months, she should have seen the signs that she wasn't happy, that something wasn't right. Maybe then she wouldn't have thrown herself at Rob and sent herself into a downwards spiral. Maybe then she wouldn't be fighting for her life, a life she had tried to end.

As she speeded through the Manchester roads towards the hospital, Carla's mind raced with terrified thoughts, scared what she would face when she finally reached Michelle.

What felt like hours later, Carla rushed into the hospital and to the icu which the person she had spoken to told her to head towards. She pushed the doors open with force and looked around for someone to speak to. But before a nurse could approached her, Carla caught sight of Michelle and stood still in horror, her hand up to her mouth as she felt sick to her stomach. Michelle lay unconcious, attached to wires and machines that beeped every so often. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises and Carla thought she looked so broken and fragile.

Carla dragged her eyes away from the window and looked up at the nurse as she explained the situation. She leaned against the wall to hold herself up when the sorrowful nurse told her to prepare for the worse, telling her the machines were practically keeping Michelle alive currently but they were monitoring for any signs of improvement. Eventually, Carla braved entering the room and slowly, almost scared, she approached Michelle's bed. "'Chelle.." She whispered, as if expecting a response. When of course nothing came, she sank down into the seat beside her and held her bruised hand, crying softly. "God you're a flaming idiot Michelle Connor. Look at the state of ya."

As she sat beside her oldest friend, Carla thought of the many previous times she's faced this situation. She remembers crying over Paul's already cold body and watching, numb, from afar as they carried Liam away. She hadn't got to say goodbye to either of them and that chance had been taken from her again. With both Liam and Paul, the last words they had shared had been angry, hurtful. And now she faced the same fate with Michelle. She may never get to tell her that she would forgive her, that they could overcome it.

Michelle may never get to meet Carla's first child, never get to find out if it was a boy or a girl, never get to choose pretty clothes and give advice when the sleepless nights started. She would miss it all, just like her brothers. Carla would give anything for this not to end the same fateful way. No matter how much Michelle had hurt her, she still needed her. She really, really needed her best friend. If only she could tell her that.

If only everything was okay again.