Carla had been back-in at the hospital early the next morning to see Peter. Seeing that he was still asleep, and reasonably comfortable, she decided to head-on-up to intensive care to see if there was any updates on Simon, knowing that Peter would want to know when he eventually woke-up later-on. When she got there, Ken, Deirdre and Leanne were all sat-in the corridor that was outside-of Simon's room. Leanne looked-up when she saw Carla's footsteps approaching.
"What are you doing here?!" Leanne then asked-her, rather harshly considering the situation that they were currently-in.
"To see Si why else?!" Carla replied calmly, too tired to argue with her.
"Yeah well get out. You're not welcome here. Go and see lover-boy or something!" The bitter and stressed-out Mother told Carla, who just frowned-at her sadly with a fed-up sigh.
"Leanne. Carla has got as much of a right to be here as us three have!" Ken told Leanne rather firmly.
Leanne just sighed. "I suppose she has..." She trailed-off tiredly.
"Have any of ya been allowed-in yet Deirdre?!" Carla then asked Peter's Step-Mother very-sensitively.
"We've all been in once but he's still not showing any signs of consciousness." Deirdre then explained to a both nervous and saddened Carla, Peter wasn't going to take that news well.
"Right...The poor-kid...What are the Doctor's saying?!" A concerned Carla then asked.
"They've ran some tests." Ken explained. "But they need-to find-out the results before they can do anything for poor Simon..." He then trailed-off sadly.
"Okay then...Well I best be getting-back-to Peter...He'll be waking-up soon I recon...Let-me know if there's any more news won't ya?! Not just for my sake, but for Peter's...He will wanna know..." Carla told them all softly.
"We will do Carla." Deirdre re-assured her as Carla then began to walk-off.
"Carla..." Leanne then suddenly called-out.
"Yeah?!" Carla replied calmly with a curious-tone to her voice.
"Thanks..." She told-her a little-awkwardly. "For coming-to see how Simon is..." Leanne then trailed-off.
Carla then just nodded-in response. "I'll be back later-on." She told the three of them.
Back-On The Street, Michelle was frantic with worry as she and Steve walked-towards the Factory together that morning. – Still on a friendly basis, but Michelle appreciated Steve's support-at this difficult-time. "Oh Steve what if something's happened...To Peter I mean...Or Simon...Carla wouldn't cope without Peter...Ya see, she doesn't just love-him, Steve, she needs-him...Carla doesn't see a life without Peter..." Michelle then panicked.
"I'm sure that Peter will be just fine my love...It's Simon that we ought to be worrying about..." Steve trailed-off as they walked-passed Carla & Peter's flat to find that there was an older-Lady knocking-at the door.
"Can we help ya love?! We're close-friends of Carla & Peter's..." Michelle then asked-the-Lady kindly.
"Yeah, dya know-if Carla & Peter are around anywhere...It's just that they don't seem to be in and it's moving-in day for Cassia, who's in the car..." The Social Worker revealed-to Michelle, which perhaps she shouldn't have done if she was being 100% Professional, but she gathered-that Michelle knew Carla well through that she had approached-her.
"Oh right...Are you their Social-Worker by any chance?! And Cassia's their daughter isn't she?!" Michelle questioned-as the Social-Worker then nodded-along to Michelle's endless questions. "Right...Well look, there's been a bit of an emergency...Maybe if you and Cassia could come with me to the Cafe then I could explain...It's just around the Corner..." Michelle then suggested to the Social-Worker, who agreed with a worried smile.
"Listen Steve can you go to the Factory and let the girls and Sean-in please?!" Michelle then asked as she then handed-her-keys over-to him. He nodded-in agreement before he then took the keys from her and then headed-off towards the factory.
Back-at the Hospital, Carla was sat with Peter, who was now awake. "How are ya feeling then baby?!" Carla asked-him worriedly.
"Sore...And I'm absolutely exhausted...But not too bad I guess...Considering everything that's happened..." Peter told-her truthfully.
"Well I expect you'll be sore for a while to come yet darlin'...But you're looking-better today...You've got some of the colour back-into your cheeks." She told-him sweetly as she then gently rubbed his red and bruised-cheek. "How's this?!" She then asked, referring to his bandaged-up arm.
"Painful..." He trailed-off. "Any news on Si?!" He then asked-her, calmly, but obviously full-of-worry for his little-boy.
"No change..." Carla then told Peter sadly, making him sigh frustratedley, but this only caused-him pain to both his arm and his ribs. "Take-it easy baby." Carla softly instructed Peter as the Doctor then entered the room.
"Good Morning Mr Barlow...And how are we feeling this-morning?!" The rather-chirpy Doctor asked Peter.
"I just wish that somebody would tell-me why my Son won't wake-up..." Peter replied moodily as Carla soothingly toyed with his hair, doing her best not to touch his injured-arm.
"I'm sure we can get someone to chase that up for you Sir, but you'll be pleased to know that a slot has become available for you in Surgery..."
"Oh...When?!" Peter asked, not really wanting the Surgery, but knowing that he had little-choice in the matter if he was going-to get better any time soon.
"Well...Now..." The Doctor then told-them both seriously, making Peter frown.
"I can't...No...What if something happens to Simon whilst I'm put-out?! No...I need to be awake for my kid...If he wakes-up then he's gonna want his Daddy!" Peter told both Carla and the Doctor rather firmly as Carla then just sighed.
"And what use is his Daddy gonna be ey?!" Carla then questioned-Peter. "Baby once you've had this surgery you'll be on the road to recovery." She told-him, before she then realized what she had just said.
"Yeah well the last road I went one wasn't exactly safe was it?!" Peter commented weakly, and obviously still-in a whole-lot of pain.
"Sorry...Perhaps a bad-phrase to use..." Carla apologised to her critically-injured Husband. "But ya know what I meant Baby...You can see Simon after you've had this surgery...And IF he does wake-up when you're asleep, then he'll just be glad that you're being treated and looked-after won't he now ey?!" Carla tried-to re-assure Peter.
"Your Wife is right Mr Barlow..." The Doctor agreed with Carla as Peter then just sighed.
"Okay then..." Peter finally agreed before he then looked-at Carla with tearful eyes that were full-of fear. "You'll be there when I wake-up won't ya?!" He asked-her worriedly.
"Oh Baby of-course I will be. Where else would I be eh?!" Carla then softly questioned-Peter. "I Love You." She told-him sweetly as she then kissed-him on the forehead.
"I Love You Too." Peter replied nervously as the Porters then came to wheel his bed through to the Surgery-Area, so that he could be prepared for the Operation.
Carla then headed-outside for some space and some fresh-air once Peter was out-of-sight. She turned-her phone-on once she was just outside-of the hospital to find that she had a text from Michelle.
Michelle: Ring-Me as soon as you get this. XXX
Carla just sighed, could she really face another argument with Michelle at the moment without just suddenly bursting into floods of tears?! No She Couldn't. Never the less, she decided that she would ring Michelle, just incase it was important...
Michelle: Hello?!
Carla: This better be worth-it Michelle...
Back-up in Intensive-Care, the Doctor suddenly appeared-out of Simon's hospital-room, infront of a tired and weary Ken, Deirdre & Leanne. All three of them jumped-to life and suddenly then stood-up as they saw the Doctor.
"What's the latest?!" Leanne asked the Doctor worriedly.
"Simon is still unconscious, and I imagine that he will be for a few-days to come-yet I'm afraid..." The Doctor revealed-to them, making-them all frown.
"But he seems to be a strong-lad and he seems to be battling through-it well...However, Simon lost an awful lot of blood from the crash...And we're at the point-now where we are thinking that he may need a blood-transfusion..." The Doctor trailed-off, as Leanne, Ken and Deirdre looked-at the Doctor worriedly.
"That can't be good-news surely?!" Leanne then asked the Doctor.
"As-long as we can-find a suitable blood-donor then I see no-reason why Simon shouldn't make a full-recovery." The Doctor then told the three of them with a soft but sympathetic-smile.
"And if ya can't?!" Leanne asked-in a slight-panic.
"We Will." The Doctor then replied with a re-assuring tone-of-voice as Carla then appeared as the Doctor disappeared-off to do another-odd-job.
"Peter's in surgery now. How's Simon doing?!" Carla asked the three of them tearfully.
"The Doctor has just told-us that he might need a blood-transfusion Carla." Ken then told Carla sadly.
"Okay...Well I guess we should all be tested-to see if we're suitable then right?!" Carla suggested, something which neither of them had thought-of yet.
"Oh Carla that's a wonderful-idea. Thank-You." Deirdre told her Step-Daughter-In-Law Gratefully.
"Oh and by the way, I've just been on the phone to Mine & Peter's Social-Worker...Michelle has explained everything that has happened with us to her, and she has agreed to bring Cassia into see Peter later-on...I reckon that she will really cheer-him-up..." Carla positively-revealed to the three of them.
"That's great news Carla." Ken said with a smile.
"Yeah it is..." Leanne added-in nervously, trying-to-be nice-to Carla, for the sake of this awful-situation that they were all in right-now...
Over-at the Factory, on Coronation Street, Michelle had just informed-the workers about the car-crash, leaving them all in complete and utter-shock as she did-so.
"Oh my gosh that's awful!" Sally commented-first.
"It is yeah...But mind-you, I bet her fella still looks fit-as like...What's his name?! Peter...He's a right looker is that one let me tell-ya!" Beth then said, making a few of the girls giggle in agreement.
"Uh Beth, I don't think that's really appropriate considering do you?!" Michelle asked-her rather-seriously as Beth then frowned.
"Sorry Miss Connor..." She trailed-off with a bright-red-face.
"Are Peter & Simon gonna be okay Miss Connor?!" A concerned Fizz then asked.
"I hope-so Fizz...I really do hope-so..." Michelle then trailed-off sadly as she thought about how Carla would be coping with all of this...
Three hours later, back-at the Hospital, Peter was now out-of surgery and had woken-up. He was now sat with Carla, his arm all bandaged-up again and put-into a tight-sling to allow-it to recover properly. Peter lay-in the hospital-bed rather drowsily as Carla decided to lie with him, before then climbed-onto the bed to join-him, lying on his good-side as she did-so.
"Listen to me Baby; we had some news about Simon whilst you were asleep." Carla began nervously.
"Yeah and?!" Peter then asked Carla calmly.
"They are thinking of giving-him a blood-transfusion...They said that he lost an awful-lot of blood-in the crash, and they think-it might-help..." She explained-to-him softly.
"Okay...Well I guess if it will help-him then...Whatever..." Peter then trailed-off as Carla placed one-of the softest of kisses ever onto his lips. Just as their kiss finished, the Nurse wandered-into the room with Cassia & the Social-Worker following in tow.
"Surprise!" Carla then told Peter with a smile as she sat-up as Cassia then came running-over so that she could pick-her up.
"Cass!" Peter said with a surprised-smile on his face. Carla then sat Cassia onto her lap so hat Peter could talk to her.
"I'll leave you three to it." The Social-Worker said with a small-smile as then waited just outside the room until they were finished.
"I've missed-you my girl." Peter whispered to Cassia sweetly, but he was still quite-drowsy after the operation.
"Mummy, why Daddy got boo boos?!" Cassia then asked Carla extremely innocently as she referred to the cuts and bruises that were on Peter's face.
"Because Daddy's car went crassshhh! That's why." Carla explained in the simplest, yet most truthful way possible to their little-girl.
"Daddy hurty?!" She then asked, obviously worried about her Father as the three year-old girl looked-at Peter.
"Yes sweetheart." Peter replied to their very-young-daughter. "And Simon is upstairs. He was in the car too." He told Cassia truthfully as he then closed his eyes.
"Big brova hurty too?!" Cassia then asked sadly.
"Yes my darlin'." Carla then replied-with. "But don't you worry about them sweetie-pie. Let Mummy do all the worrying for ya okay?!" She told Cassia sweetly as she then noticed that Peter had drifted-off into a sleep.
A couple of tears then fell from Carla's eyes as she then reached her hand-out to gently stroke Peter's cheek.
"Mummy's crying...Whys?!" Cassia asked in an extremely-innocent way that only a little-three-year-old girl such-as Cassia could ever manage to do.
"Mummy's just a bit sad that's all baby." Carla then explained-to her beautiful little-daughter gently.
"Why?!" She asked.
"I just want Daddy & Simon to get better that's all..." Carla then told-her patiently.
"Why?!" She persisted, making Carla giggle slightly for the first-time in a little-while.
"Ya know why ya cheeky little-so n so!" Carla then replied one-again as she then wiped-away a stray-tear.
"Don't be sad Mummy. You make Cassia sad." Cassia then told her very-sweetly in third-person.
"Awww I'm sorry baby. I'll try and smile more. Is this better Cass?!" Carla asked with a fake-smile as the Social-Worker then re-entered the Hospital-Room.
"Carla, I was just thinking, would-it be easier for you if we just held-onto Cassia...Only for now...Until everything calms down a little-bit more?!" The Social Worker then kindly suggested to Carla.
"Urm, yeah that would be great, just until I get this-one home at-least..." Carla replied, referring to a sleeping-Peter as she did-so. "But a daily-visit would be greatly appreciated. She really made Peter smile when she came-in just-now. I think she might be able to help-him to stay positive whilst he struggles through this difficult-patch..." Carla then revealed to the Social-Worker sweetly.
"I'm sure that could be arranged." The Social-Worker replied with a small-smile.
Cassia & The Social-Worker then left for the day as Peter began to awake from his quick-slumber. "Have a good-nap did we my gorgeous-Husband?!" Carla then softly whispered-to him as he then tiredly opened his eyes.
"Sorry did I drift-off?!" Peter asked Carla as he tried to sit-himself-up slightly with his good-arm, but he cried-out in pain as he did-so, his ribs were still killing-him.
"Heyyy. You need to take-it easy Baby." Carla told-him as she soothingly stroked-his good-arm slowly up and down a couple of times.
"Ugh. I hate hospitals." Peter then moaned.
"Don't we all ey Darlin'. But I'm here for ya Baby. And I'm not going-anywhere." Carla said as she then leaned-over Peter to then sweetly kiss-him on the lips. "Now you just rest." She whispered-to him as she then kissed-him again.
Please-Review!
- For those asking for Carla/Simon Scenes...Watch this space.
- Michelle tries to make-up with Carla, but will she accept her apology?!
- Peter faces fresh-troubles as he is dis-charged from Hospital...