"So you and Michelle are going to have a civilised coffee are you?" Peter raises his eyebrows as Carla rolls her eyes, she could do civilised, even if she was annoyed at Michelle
"Yes we are Peter, do you have a problem with that?" she questions as Peter sighs shaking his head knowing it was probably best not to anger her further
"Ok then, so I'm looking after Isla because she still has a temperature, am I keeping Finley off pre-school?" Peter questions as Carla sighs annoyed at the question wishing Peter would just think for himself
"Peter, it's up to you but if you're staying here looking after Isla then Finley may as well stay, I'm going to say goodbye to the kids then I'm going to head off" Carla replies sarcastically planting a kiss on Peter's cheek making a point of swerving his lips before heading over to the cot in their room and kissing Isla on the forehead then into Finley's room to say goodbye to him before going to meet Michelle at Roy's to find out what was going on
"Hi Roy, I'll have a coffee and a sticky bun" Carla smiles handing a fiver over to Roy who smiles taking the money handing the mug of coffee over to her as well as a sticky bun on a plate
"No Finley or Isla?" Roy questions somewhat disappointedly as Carla smiles at his eagerness, Roy was like the kid's second grandad. followed by Johnny
"No, Isla's got a horrid fever so Peter's with her, so is looking after Finley as well" Carla says as Michelle approaches hesitantly behind her tapping her on the shoulder, Carla offering a small smile
"Come on, let's get this over with" Carla mutters heading over to a secluded table in the corner, Michelle following and placing her bag on the floor, Carla sighing in response, she didn't really know where to start so she just decided to ask a bunch of questions
"Look Carla-"
"Save it with the apologies 'Chelle, first you turn up late to Finley's party, where were you? On another trip galivanting into all the places you say as excuses, please just be honest with me, I'm fed up with the lies" Carla groans in response taking a bite of her cake as Michelle closes her eyes not really knowing where to begin
"I need you to be calm ok?"
"Whatever it is it can't be that bad surely?"
"Um, you might change your mind when I tell you but I need you to keep calm. Please?"
"Fine" Carla mutters taking a sip of her drink
"I've been seeing Lilah, since she got sent down-"
"Michelle! What did you do that for!" Carla exclaims as Michelle rubs her head in exasperation, Carla was hardly calm right now and it just annoyed her that her attempts to make Carla calm were fruitless
"You said you would be calm!" Michelle scolds as Carla groans in response, she really wouldn't like what was about to be revealed next…
"I'm calm, yeah I'm calm" Carla retorts sarcastically shaking her head before the realisation doomed over her, Michelle must've known Lilah was pregnant with Isla
"Oh my god, you knew she was pregnant!" Carla gasps as Michelle sighs nodding in agreement to Carla's answer causing Carla to glare menacingly at her shaking her head not amused at all with the situation
"Look Carla I'm sorry but-"
"There's more isn't there?"
"Yes, well…yes there is" Michelle muses as Carla slams her mug down onto the table in shock, the mug almost breaking as a result causing a brief stare from Roy
"Go on…"
"I went to see Lilah before Finley's party yesterday-"
"You did what! Michelle!" Carla hisses as Michelle groans in response wishing Carla would just accept it for what it is as well as not interrupting her
"Ok, yes I know just let me finish please" Michelle begs as Carla shakes her head gesturing for Michelle to continue
"So me and Lilah we were talking and she has a trial in a couple of weeks, her evidence was contaminated or something she may be getting out Carla" Michelle says as Carla just laughs thinking this was one sick joke, there was no way Lilah could even have contact with her daughter, no way was Carla going to let her
"You know what Michelle, go to hell!" Carla shrieks grabbing her coat and bag storming out of the café and to the flat hoping to find solace in Peter's arms.
Carla enters the flat to one of the cutest scenes she had ever seen in her life, Peter trying to lull an ill Isla off to sleep on the sofa, as they watch the cartoons which were playing across their TV, Carla sitting down beside them both, unshed tears in her eyes knowing that this setup may be far from peachy in a couple of weeks. Peter raising an eyebrow at her dishevelled appearance, her mascara and eyeliner mingling and smudged into what he presumed was panda eyes.
"I would move to give you a hug but I've only just got her settled" Peter whispers as Isla's eyes flutter open, she glances to Carla
"Mumma" she mumbles snuggling into Carla who's façade crumbles into uncontrollable tears, Peter taking her hand to provide her with some comfort
"Isla why don't you go and play with Finley sweetheart?" Peter prompts her as she shuffles off the sofa heading to the pile of toy's Finley was playing with, Carla shuffling up to cuddle with Peter
"I'm guessing it didn't go well with Michelle then?"
"Far from, we have a serious problem Peter and I mean it will change everything"
"Ok well we'll face it together, wont we?"
"Michelle's been visiting Lilah, since Finley was born, she knew she was pregnant with Isla then yesterday do you want to know where she was? At the prison with Lilah and it turns out the evidence on her case was contaminated so she could be getting out in a couple of weeks" Carla cries tearfully as Peter sighs, his face paling very quickly knowing his family setup could be changed very quickly with Lilah coming back
"Ok well we have a couple of weeks to decide of a plan, we can get Adam's help for legal advice cant we, I'm sure he will do it for mates rates?"
"Yeah, we need to speak to him, sooner rather than-"
"Mumma" Isla cries pulling at her trousers, Carla listing her up onto her lap feeling her forehead noticing she was still hot
"Oh darlin' you're really not well are you?" Carla whispers kissing Isla's forehead as she snuggles into Carla further, Carla grabbing the blanket from the sofa and encasing it around Isla and herself as Isla continues to cry softly
"When did you last give her a dose of Calpol?"
"When she woke up she can have more in a couple of hours" Peter smiles ruffling Isla's hair gently as Carla sighs grabbing the thermometer off the coffee table and pressing it to Isla's forehead
"42, Peter this isn't normal" Carla says as Peter wipes the thermometer off Carla noticing the temperature, Peter grabbing his phone and making a call to Ali, Carla trying to calm Isla down taking her into the bathroom and running her a lukewarm bath placing her in it as Peter let's Ali in
"They're in the bathroom" Peter points to the bathroom as Ali grabs the thermometer to check Isla's temperature again noticing it was still high, Ali grabbing his phone out to ring an ambulance
"It's just a precaution ok? She's very young" Ali smiles gently as Carla nods trying to preoccupy Isla as well as cool her down in the bath
"Have you given her anything?" Ali questions as Carla thinks briefly
"Yesterday she had a fever I thought it would just pass if you know, common fever, Finley had them when he was her age so I gave her the normal dose of Calpol but it didn't go down, it went up instead, Peter gave her another dose this morning when she woke" Carla explains as Ali nods, Isla splashing the water everywhere, Carla giving her one of the rubber ducks to play with, Peter letting the paramedics in
"Um Hi, I'm a GP and this is Isla she has a very high temperature around 42/43 so I made the decision to call" Ali explains as the paramedic kneels down grabbing a more precise thermometer to check Isla's temperature
"Isla go ahh" Carla gestures opening her mouth, Isla copying her motions allowing the paramedic to place the thermometer into Isla's mouth, her temperature coming back around 44
"Alright we need to get her to the hospital and quick" the paramedic says Carla changing her quickly into a nappy and handing her to the paramedic to take the ambulance, Carla heading downstairs with them
"Carla?!" Michelle calls
"You go with her I'll follow with a bag of stuff" Peter says standing by the security doors to Victoria Court as Carla gets in the ambulance with Isla, the ambulance darting off into the distance
"I'll have him, what happened?" Michelle takes Finley off Peter as he sighs
"Isla's got a high temperature, and by high it's very high, they're going to the hospital as a precaution as she's so young" Peter explains briefly as Michelle nods allowing Finley to wrap his arms around her neck
"I can have him, you better get up there, has Carla explained to you-"
"She has but let's not get into that now ey? I better go Michelle, thanks for this" Peter smiles slightly as Michelle nods heading off with Finley allowing Peter to grab a bag of Isla's stuff, heading to the hospital soon after joining Carla at Isla's bed side
"Peter I'm so scared" Carla cries as Peter places the bag down by the bad going to hug Carla stroking her hair gently
"Has her temperature gone down at all?"
"They've tried her with some stronger stuff and taken her blood to be tested, they'll have the results tomorrow they want her to stay overnight as a precaution" Carla explains as Peter nods slowly, grabbing his phone out to text Michelle saying that they would be staying overnight seeing if she could have Finley for them
"Ok, we'll both stay, she's going to be very bored I'll tell you that" Peter chuckles lightly
"Do you reckon it's a sign?" Carla questions as Peter raises an eyebrow wondering what she was going on about
"A sign of what?"
"You know, with Lilah possibly being released, Isla getting ill…it just seems rather coincidental, that's all" Carla mutters as Peter shakes his head kissing her forehead
"She's our daughter Carla, no one can take that away from us ok?"
"You're right sorry, I'm just stressed" Carla says as Peter kisses her gently on the lips, both of them sitting in the seats provided watching over Lilah's sick child supporting her as if she was her own, well they both hoped that Lilah wouldn't come back to steal her if she got off in a couple of weeks…