Trigger warning: mental health issues
25th May 2023
As the days went on the more the police were arriving at the house baring no news, they knew time was running out and they needed to find Carla before her condition deteriorated more, they suggested that Peter did a missing persons appeal which would go on the local news which he eventually agreed to after being persuaded from Johnny and Michelle, hoping that it would reach a wider audience so that they could help find Carla. They were tracking Carla's bank account, card transactions and CCTV of the most common areas she may have been. Peter was getting increasing concerned as it was nearing, what would've been Eloise's first birthday and he knew that Carla would definitely be struggling on that day.
Carla was taking refuge in a secluded guesthouse on the outskirts of Manchester after Isobel led her there, she had plenty of supplies stock piled for Isobel so she could ensure she was safe. It was a small room with a cot in it, a double bed and a en-suite, something very basic. Carla was very delirious and confused she wanted to know why Isobel kept taking her places that made no sense to her, it just enhanced her muddled mind even more.
"Are we hungry Isobel?" Carla questions as she adjusts herself to feed Isobel turning on the TV briefly, the local news coming on Carla narrowing her eyes as she rocks Isobel gently watching the local news seeing Peter appear on it doing a missing person's appeal, turning it off in a panic, scared that she would be traced
"Come on, hurry up sweetheart we need to go, they're after us, they want to take you away" Carla panics as Isobel finishes feeding, Carla burping her quickly packing up her stuff and sliding the sling on and tightening it around Isobel so she was secure
"Right, let's go sweetheart" Carla smiles as she hands the keys back to the receptionist of the guesthouse, continuing on to her journey heading to a coach station someone pulling up beside her in a van
"Carla?" Tracey questions, Carla dipping her head walking away rubbing Isobel's back hoping she would tell her where to go to be safe, Tracey phoning Peter on loudspeaker still following Carla
"Tracey?" Peter questions
"I've just seen Carla, I'm following her" Tracey says keeping her eyes on the road and Carla following where she was heading
"Where? Let me phone the police" Peter says
"Back streets of Salford the outskirts" Tracey explains as Peter rings the police using the landline, Tracey staying on the call as Peter talks to the police
"What road?" Peter questions frantically as Tracey dips her head down to look at her sat nav
"Umm she's just gone down a dead end, it's Livingston Drive" Tracey explains as Peter recites it into his phone call with the police
"Try not to spook her Trace, just watch what she does, I'm heading there now" Peter smiles as Tracey ends the call keeping an eye on Carla as she sits on a bench thinking she lost Tracey as she parks the van behind a couple of cars hoping Carla wouldn't see, Peter arriving 15 minutes later parking at the bottom of the road
"Where?" Peter whispers as Tracey points to the bench Carla was sitting at stroking Isobel's head as well as kissing it repetitively
"Ok let me see if I can reason with her" Peter smiles sliding out of the car to go and see Carla
"Carla?" Peter questions as Carla looks up at him getting out of her seat rocking Isobel
"Get away!" she shouts tearfully kissing Isobel's head repetitively shaking her head repetitively folding her arms over Isobel as some sort of shield to protect her
"I'm here to help you sweetheart" Peter says as Carla shakes her head rapidly not believing him
"I saw you" Carla cries as Peter sighs glancing down to Isobel who was snuggled in the sling, her hand gripping a piece of Carla's hair
"Where darlin'?" Peter questions as Carla wipes her eyes furiously
"You were on the TV you were looking to get me, I saw you" Carla replies tearfully as Peter sighs knowing that it probably would've stirred some uncomfortable feelings for her
"You're not well sweetheart, I'm here to help you" Peter cries as Carla sobs into Isobel's head whispering to her
"No you're not! You were the one that made us leave, the other baby was going to hurt Isobel and you let it happen so I needed to find Eloise" Carla cries as Peter's eyes widen in shock
"Eloise is dead sweetheart…" Peter starts as Carla narrows her eyes glancing at the end of the road as cars drive into it going up to him kicking him before running off down an alleyway which led to a recreation ground, Peter chasing after her, Carla coming out onto a field as she goes down a gravel path seeing a bus, she gets onto it handing money over and taking the ticket, sitting at the back of the bus, with Isobel and her bag
"It's ok sweetheart, we're safe no one can hurt us now, just you and me and Eloise when we find her obviously" Carla smiles tearfully as Isobel shuffles around as the bus pulls up near the street Carla getting out and walking to a place of safety, going into her handbag and getting her keys and heading into Victoria Court and going to Michelle's flat
"Hey it's ok, don't cry…I'll unplug everything that'll make you happy then you can tell Eloise to come here, yeah?" Carla questions to Isobel who just grumbles as she goes to unplug everything in every room breathing a sigh of relief, shutting the curtains hoping that this would focus Isobel into finding Eloise for her
"Mumma"
"Where Isobel tell me where she is?" Carla questions after hearing Eloise speak to her as someone fumbles at the lock Carla hearing the clattering of keys, Michelle stepping into the flat glancing around seeing it was dark, the only light being streamed in from the gaps in the curtains as she looks around the corner seeing Carla standing with Isobel held close to her chest
"Carla?" Michelle questions not believing what she was seeing, Carla holding Isobel to her chest pacing around the room rocking her gently on her chest kissing her forehead
"Why did you bring her here Isobel, why?" Carla questions, tears falling from her eyes as they splash into her unkempt hair, Isobel letting out little whimpers
"Mumma"
"Isobel, where is she? Please tell me sweetheart I won't be mad come on" Carla encourages Isobel as she shifts around Michelle moving to the sofa to sit down, Carla watching every move
"Where's who Carla?" Michelle questions as Carla shakes her head looking at the door then back at Michelle
"No, you shouldn't be here!" Carla shouts as Michelle stands up holding her hands up as Carla steps back into the corner of the room
"Who should be here, I want to help" Michelle smiles genuinely as Carla glances to all the doors in the flat, going to close them all to ensure that no one could hear them, double checking all the plug sockets
"Can I trust you?" Carla whispers, her mind confusing the simplest thing of trust glancing at Isobel who settles down as Michelle smiles glancing down to Isobel who seemed to be settled comfortably resting in the sling
"I can help you, find you whoever you want Carla" Michelle smiles convincingly as Carla glances down to Isobel to try and find some sort of indicator that she isn't happy with the situation
"Isobel knows" Carla states Michelle frowning softly in confusion
"What does she know, Carla?" Michelle questions gently as Carla pats Isobel's back as she whimpers
"She knows about Eloise" Carla states as Michelle frowns very confused
"What about Eloise?" Michelle asks as Carla groans angrily Isobel letting out a cry at the tension of the situation Carla rocking her gently again as Michelle smiles watching Carla take Isobel out of the sling
"Why should I tell you anything? I know you hate me for what I did to the other baby…it was trying to hurt Isobel, I couldn't let that happen" Carla questions propping Isobel up against her shoulder rubbing her back gently as she continues to cry, Carla going into the changing bag and pulling out a dummy trying Isobel with that as she accepts it
"Florence you mean?" Michelle questions as Carla nods tearfully rocking Isobel against her chest
"Mumma"
"I know Eloise I'm going to find you don't worry" Carla sighs as Isobel settles back down against her chest after being given a dummy
"You're looking for Eloise?" Michelle questions tearfully knowing that Carla was definitely ill now
"Yes, Michelle, she's out there on her own, we went to the graveyard and she wasn't there, Isobel knows but she won't tell me!" Carla shouts as Michelle sighs, her phone going off Carla staring at her
"Turn it off!" Carla screams as Michelle takes the back off the phone, taking the battery out and placing all the parts on the table
"It's off, it's off" Michelle assures her as Carla nods slowly handing Isobel to her and getting the chairs from the table and shoving them up against the front door of the flat as Isobel cries Carla going to take her off Michelle
"Hey darlin' what's going on?" Carla questions as Isobel continues to cry Carla looking around the room to see if there were any signs that Eloise was coming
"Speak to me Carla, what's going on?" Michelle questions as Carla sighs rubbing Isobel's back as she cries, Carla lifting her top up going to feed her to see if that would silence her
"Mumma" the sound of a child's voice ringing out around the room, trailing off into a masculine voice, a voice Carla recognises so well
"We need to go, it's not safe" Carla glares as Michelle raises an eyebrow confused, Carla grabbing the bag and putting Isobel in the sling, Carla moving the chairs and leaving the building, Michelle following her to see where she went, meeting Peter halfway on the stairs, Carla running past them both glancing from left to right deciding to go right as she exited the building, going down the alleyway watching Peter and Michelle run past the entrance, Carla shushing Isobel gently, stepping out of the alleyway, Leanne clocking her
"Hey Carla, you alright?" Leanne questions gently as Carla shakes her head kissing Isobel's head, Leanne smiling, Carla hoping to get another message from Isobel or Eloise on what to do
"No, Isobel w-won't speak to me, M-Michelle scared her she won't talk to me!" Carla shouts, her voice trembling, distressed as Leanne nods looking at how dishevelled Carla was, her hair unkempt, no make-up
"How about you come back to mine and have a coffee, maybe I could help?" Leanne offers as Carla shakes her head rapidly
"No I need to find Eloise, she's around here somewhere, I heard her she was calling for me" Carla states as Leanne nods confused at the situation, nodding in agreement anyway knowing it probably wasn't best to anger Carla as Isobel starts to cry
"Ok, alright sweetheart I know it's scary" Carla whispers to Isobel as she cries, her little face scrunching up unhappily Carla heading off on her journey going the opposite way to Leanne, heading down Coronation Street, staring at the factory, smiling widely going down the alleywayat the side of the factory and opening the door…
Peter and Michelle searched the streets near to where Carla ran off to, none of them had any luck, they met up by the community gardens double checking the fire escape to make sure Carla definitely wasn't there. Peter wondered how things got so bad, from seeing Carla earlier on today and seeing how distressed she was, he decided to call the police again saying she was in the local area around the house so that they could send officers out to search, he was scared, scared of what this meant for Carla, scared of what this meant to Isobel and for Florence, would they have their mum back and healthy, he didnt know.
"No luck?" Peter questions as Michelle sighs nodding noticing it was starting to get dark
"Nothing, I searched everywhere-"
"Michelle?" Leanne questions trudging over to them holding Oliver's hand
"Yeah?" Michelle questions hoping it was news on Carla
"I saw Carla she doesn't look good, I tried talking to her she said she was trying to find Eloise and that Isobel was talking to her, telling her where to go" Leanne explain as Peter runs a hand down his face exasperatedly, he was exhausted with all the running around
"Where did you see her?" Michelle questions as Leanne points to the entrance of the alleyway by Roy's
"She went towards the bistro I think, I was going to follow her if I didn't have Oliver with me" Leanne sighs as Peter nods appreciating the support he was getting on the situation, going off with Michelle to find Carla hoping she was still in the area
"We'll find her Peter, don't worry" Michelle sighs biting her lip
"But how long Michelle, this is only going to escalate…"
"I know but we just need to think logically…"