When it happened it was like a flash of light, people watching on from a distance the smell of paraffin smoke lingering through the door instantly sparking recognition into a tortured mind. It was the smoky smell which caught the attention first and that was when Carla was sitting going through her accounts in the Underworld office, she ran to the door on instinct and saw the bright orange flames burning through like the light of a lit candle through the frosted glass, she opened the door, surrounded by the faces of her neighbours, she held a hand up to her forehead to shield her screen eyes from the bright yellows and oranges in front of her, sweat starting to gather on her forehead but it wasn't from the heat radiating from the flames in front of her. It was from the stress of seeing Simon on top of the boat which was being burnt to smithereens, jump down from the boat and into the arms of Kevin and Tyrone. Carla heading over to Leanne wondering what happened, she glanced around to try and find Peter but there was no luck and that sparked the fear in the back of her mind as well as the sickening feeling of the anxiety which was creeping into the depths of her stomach.
"Watch out!" a voice calls as the boat blows up into smithereens, Carla taking shield within the safety of the factory as a gust of smoggy air makes her struggle to breathe, the whirring of the sirens entering the area, Carla heading to the far side of the factory near the kitchen to use one of the fire escapes, heading around to join the onlookers
"What happened?" Carla questions Sally who seemed somewhat eerily fascinated with this boat fire before being snapped out of her trance by Carla's questioning
"Simon and Peter were on the boat, I don't really know what happened-"
"Rewind. Peter was on the boat, Sally where's Peter" Carla persists as Sally just shrugs not knowing, Carla dipping under the police cordon and heading over to Simon and Leanne before her legs stopped her halfway there, paramedics holding a man on a stretcher
"Male, mid-fifties, third-degree burns currently unconscious"
"Peter" Carla whispers tears forming in her innocent eyes following the paramedics to the ambulance hoping to catch a lift to the hospital
"I'm his wife, can I come?" Carla questions as the paramedic's nod, a little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone, so she was on the way to the hospital knowing that if she lost Peter, even though they weren't together, would seriously send her on a downward spiral, the anxiety creeping in at the thought
"You will have to wait in the relatives room" the paramedics inform Carla who gulps and nods heading off to the relatives room, grabbing her phone and shakily ringing Peter's family telling them to come up to the hospital and the fact that Carla was there raised a lot of eyebrows from the Barlow's, Carla not taking anything in instead she just watched the clock
Tick Tock
"Do you want anything Carla?" Ken offers her noticing her obvious trance staring at the clock knowing that the feelings she felt for his son were still there, it was like she was a moth drawn to a flame, the love was still there and that would never be broken
"I'm fine, ta" she glances away from the clock briefly, closing her eyes replaying memories in her mind, tough times and more happier times but right now all she could do was hang on to that slither of hope that Peter will make it through
"Mrs Barlow-"
"Yes?" Carla cuts in before questions were asked as to why she classed herself as Peter's wife, Tracy sniggering in the background causing a series of glares from the rest of Peter's family members
"Your husband is in a very critical condition, we need to start preparing for the worse I'm afraid, he's currently unconscious and will likely remain that way, I'm sorry we couldn't do more-"
"You can't just give up!" Carla shouts before bursting into tears leaving Ken to console her as the rest of the family process the news
"I know you loved him still Carla" Ken whispers as Carla pulls out of his embrace not embarrassed to admit it anymore, it wasn't that she was embarrassed anyway, she just needed to regain the trust and now she wouldn't get the opportunity and it made her heart shatter into a million pieces as well as ache at the love lost within her very soul
"Mrs Barlow, it must be stressed that your husband is still alive, he is just heavily sedated-"
"Can I see him, I need to see him" Carla persists as the doctors nod, Carla heading down to Peter's room, not able to bring herself to glance through the slatted blinds knowing that the memories surrounding that view would torture her to her very core
"Baby" Carla whispers wiping the tears which were forming, Ken placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, she shrugs it off going to take one of his hands and holding it to her left breast over her heart, she glances to the clock on the wall again
Tick Tock
Moments passed, Carla still staring at Peter's lifeless body like it was a foreign object to her, his hand still in hers. Ken had said what he needed to say to his son so he left Carla to say what she needed to say, not that she knew herself so she decided she would just speak from her heart, what else could she do given the circumstances.
"I can't believe you gave your shares to Nick still, you and Nick eh? Doing business? The thought would be enough to split atoms…Oh why did this have to happen baby, we were getting on just fine then this happened didn't it, whoever set fire to that boat has one hell of an explanation don't they? I love you so much I would never admit it to you but somehow when you're at death's door, I can't help but express my true feelings, you're my flamin' kryptonite, Peter Barlow. I need you to make me a few promises though, can you do that for me? No fighting when you get up there ok, or wherever you go, I know you're not one for religion but I believe truly in my heart that there is a heaven up there or an afterlife so to speak, but if you come across anyone you don't like please don't use your fists to solve your problems because you 'an me both know that it doesn't work like that. If our Liam, our Paul, and Aidan are up there make sure they know all about me, my struggles and everything how you kept me alive after…well, I think you know who…I love you so much baby. I need one more favour though, something I wouldn't ask anyone else to do, something that only you can do for this special someone, I need you to look after our little girl, can you do that for me? I know it's a big ask considering we couldn't look after her when she was alive, but please if I could ask you to do anything it would be that"
"Mrs Barlow-"
"Please don't give up on him" Carla begs the doctor as the doctor sighs at Carla's stained makeup, Ken appearing with Michelle at the door, giving her time to drink in Carla's appearance which haunted her, she was obviously so in love with Peter still. Michelle now hating herself for not letting Carla be happy
"Mrs Barlow, we need to think about turning off the life support now"
"You can't do this" Carla lunges at the doctor as Michelle restrains her causing her to sob profusely into her chest, Michelle glancing to the doctor giving a nod for the go-ahead to turn the ventilator off, Carla getting onto the bed with Peter, her arms wrapped around his body as she cries into his chest, the scent of him putting her nerves at rest
"Peter Barlow. Deceased, time 19:54, date 13th February 2019" the doctor states writing it down on a death certificate Carla crying uncontrollably at the thought of Peter never holding her again, never respecting her sarcasm for what it was and never giving her the love she craved, it made her feel numb, scarily sick inside and ever so tortured
"Carla you need to come away now"
"No!" Carla shouts, hair sticking to her face which was covered in an abundance of tears and sweat from her strained sobs, Michelle glancing to Ken who was holding his son's hand
"Goodbye son" Ken says quietly leaving the room to join the rest of his family, leaving Michelle to deal with Carla
"I can't say goodbye 'Chelle"
"Carla you need to sweetheart, it's time to say goodbye" Michelle says swiping the hair out of Carla's face as she continues to cling onto Peter like her life depended on it
"I'll miss you baby, I was hoping that one day we could put the past behind us and move on, I don't know how I'll cope without your dad jokes, without your friendship as well as your love, you broke me in so many way's Peter Barlow, but I will tell you something, I will never forget your love and the love you had for me"
"Carla" Michelle whispers taking her hand to help her up off the bed as they both go to the door of the room to leave. Carla leaning against it briefly, smiling somewhat heartlessly
"Goodbye my love"