Operation Eccles

The pair waited anxiously as the tell-tale Skype ringtone played; they desperately needed him to answer the call. But would he? They felt as if they had known him a lifetime, but what would he think of them, strangers to him, and their unusual plea?

"What if he doesn't answer?"

"You can't think like that. He has to answer. He just has to."

And he did.

"Hello?"

The face of Peter Barlow flickered onto the screens of the two international callers, a world apart from where he was, at home in Weatherfield.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Never mind that. You need to listen–"

"No, you need to tell me who you are or I'm hanging up."

"She's Coyote."

"And she's Dingo. You can call her Knickers."

"Knickers?" Peter asked incredulously. "Is this some sort of joke?"

"No," Coyote shook her head. "This is deadly serious."

"Who are you?" he repeated his question.

"We're writers, kind of," Knickers revealed. "Fanfic writers, for a show called Co– Never mind, you wouldn't know it."

"Who is it, babe?" Carla sat down next to Peter, wrapping her arms lovingly around him and peering into the phone.

"Oh my god, it's Carla," Coyote pointed out.

"I know who it is," Knickers shot back impatiently.

"I don't know, love," Peter said. "Some crazy Canadian called…"

"Coyote."

"And an Australian called… Knickers?"

"Oh," Carla said. "And what exactly do they want with you?"

"That's a very good question," Peter said, turning again to face the strangers on the phone. "Well?"

"It's about Eccles," Coyote said.

"Eccles?"

"You know, the dog, Eccles?" Knickers explained. "Your dad's dog."

"I know who– What about Eccles?"

"She's in danger."

"Terrible danger."

"Her life in under threat."

"What?" Peter furrowed his brow in confusion. "What kind of danger?"

"She's at the vets right now and they're going to put her down," Coyote said, the tears springing to her eyes at the thought of Eccles untimely demise.

"They think it's a tumour," Knickers said. "But they're wrong. It's all one big mistake."

"Okay, but what do you want me to do about it?"

"We want you to go rescue her."

"I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? Don't you care anything about Eccles?"

"Of course I do," Peter said. "But we, like most of the world as you're no doubt aware, we're self-isolating at the moment. I can't risk going out. Especially with Carla's compromised immune system. I won't put her at risk. I just won't."

"We wouldn't ask you to."

"Which is why we have a plan."

Bzzzz Bzzzz

"That'll be your front door."

"I know what my doorbell sounds like, thank you very much," Peter said, his exasperation growing. "They'll go away in a minute, we're not answering the door at the moment."

"It's okay, we told them to just leave the package on the doorstep and go. It's perfectly safe."

"If you insist."

Still dubious, Peter handed his phone to Carla and disappeared from view.

"So… ladies," Carla said, peering into Peter's phone. "What's happening?"

"You're so beautiful," Knickers couldn't help but gush.

"Okay," Carla smiled awkwardly. "That's a little weird, but thank you. I think."

"What did I say about playing it cool?" Coyote hissed at Knickers.

"I know, but this is Carla. Carla Connor."

"Yeah, that's me," Carla interjected. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?"

"It's kinda hard to explain…" Coyote trailed off, uncharacteristically lost for words, unsure of how to explain this otherworldly intersection of normally parallel universes.

"What on earth is this?" Peter asked, walking back into frame holding an outlandish article of clothing and inspecting it closely.

"It's a Hazmat suit," Knickers said matter-of-fact.

"To protect you from the virus," Coyote explained.

"So you can go rescue Eccles."

"You're serious, aren't you?" Peter said. "You want me to mount a rescue operation for a dog?"

"Operation Eccles!" Knickers exclaimed.

"Think of your dad," Coyote pleaded with him. "He'll be heartbroken if he loses Eccles."

"They're right, babe," Carla said. "If there's a chance you can save the old girl..."

"If you want me to go," Peter spoke directly to Carla, forgetting for a moment the strangers on the other end of the phone. "Then I'll go."

"Good lad," Carla said, rewarding him with a smile and a soft kiss on the lips.

"Yay!" Coyote and Knickers cheered in unison.

"Looks like Operation Eccles is go!"

"What's the time?" Knickers asked.

"About a minute since you last asked," Coyote replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey!" Knickers protested. "I saw that!"

"Well then, stop asking me what the time is every two seconds."

"I'm sorry if I'm worried about Eccles. What if we were too late? What if Peter doesn't get there in time?"

The Skype ringtone sounded.

"It looks like we're about to find out," Coyote said. "Hello Peter? How did it go?"

"Girls," Peter said sombrely, an equally sombre Carla sat by his side. "There's something I have to tell you."

"Oh my god, no."

"Don't say it."

"There's someone here that wants to say hello."

Peter tilted the phone down to reveal Eccles sitting in his lap, calm and contented, and very much alive.

"Eccles!"

"You're alive!"

"She sure is," Carla said, reaching out and giving the pooch an indulgent scratch behind her ears. "And she's perfectly healthy."

"I mean, she's not as young and energetic as she once was," Peter lamented. "But, there's no tumour and no reason to believe she won't be around for a good while to come."

"Oh, that's wonderful news."

"It sure is," Peter said.

"And we're gonna keep her here with us," Carla said. "Give her lots of love and cuddles and the best cuts of meat for her tea."

"The best?" Peter turned to Carla quizzically. "Surely the best is reserved for my tea?"

"Hmm, maybe," Carla said with a cheeky grin. "If you're very very nice to me."

"Oh, I'll be nice to you, alright," Peter said, kissing her on her cheek, and on her neck, right by her ear…

"Aww…" a collective sigh through the phone from the far corners of the globe.

"I forgot about you two for a minute."

"We should leave you to it."

"One question before you go," Peter said. "How did you two know what was happening? With Eccles? That she was in danger?"

"It was in the spoilers," Coyote revealed.

"Shhhhh!" Knickers tried to hush her, but too late.

"Spoilers?" Peter asked.

"What are spoilers?" Carla added, glancing at Peter, the confusion in both of their faces clear.

"Nothing," Knickers shrugged innocently. "Absolutely nothing."

"The important thing is that Eccles is safe," Coyote said.

"That's true," Carla said, running her fingers softly along Eccles back. "Isn't that right, Eccles darling?"

"Now, bog off, you two," Peter said into the phone with a smile. "And thank you. I know my dad will be thankful as well."

"It was nothing," Knickers shrugged off the thanks. "Before we go, can I ask you one last question?"

"Sure, why not?" Peter shrugged.

"Where are you exactly?" Knickers asked. "I haven't seen that place before."

"This place?" Peter asked, glancing about the room. "This is our flat."

"You mean…?" Knickers didn't dare believe it was true, that this long hoped-for dream was finally becoming a reality. "You two?"

"We got our own flat," Peter confirmed. "A home of our very own."