Some nice fluffy stuff at the end of this chapter, hope you enjoy and thank you for the reviews x
The day of Carla's op came and she was very nervous. She had Michelle stay over last night so that they could talk about their concerns and what it involved, Carla was thankful that she could have the support she needed. Peter made the girls breakfast but unfortunately for Carla and Michelle, they weren't allowed to eat anything so instead they stared greedily at the food wishing they were indulging in what was cooked.
Peter dropped Hayley off with Ken while Carla and Michelle minded Emma for him, he returned shortly after with two bouquets of flowers as well as Robert who was going to offer moral support to Michelle. They drove up to the hospital and were checked over to make sure the operation was ok to go ahead, which it was. Carla and Michelle dressed into their hospital gowns and were in the same ward anyway so they could talk to each other whilst they waited.
"Snap!" Carla exclaims as Michelle scoffs in response collecting her cards; she did it again, Carla won as usual
"You're cheating" Michelle glares as Carla shakes her head in response "You so are"
"I'm not!" Carla exclaims as Michelle rolls her eyes shuffling all the cards praying that she got a good hand "Are you nervous about being sliced open?"
"Oh you have to put it like that don't you?" Michelle questions sarcastically as Carla grins in response "No not really, I know the risks but I just want to make sure you live I guess"
"I don't know how I can repay you…"
"You don't have to, having you alive is repayment" Michelle smiles as Carla nods collecting her deck of cards as they start slamming them down on the table "Snap!"
"Hilarious" Carla scoffs as a nurse comes in with a wheelchair causing Carla's anxiety to heighten knowing that it was time
"We're ready for you, Michelle," the nurse says as Carla pouts her lips in response, Aidan and Kate returning with their drinks
"I love you, babe" Carla pouts her lips bringing her in for a hug as Michelle nods "Look after her yeah?"
"We will" the nurse smiles as Carla grins watching Michelle being pushed away leaving her with Aidan and Kate
"Now for the agonising wait" Carla mutters as Aidan sighs in response sitting down in Michelle's seat as he continues her deck of Cards "No funny business you"
"I don't cheat" Aidan scoffs as Carla rolls her eyes "You always used to cheat when we were kids, you'd even rip my cards up if I won because you were so competitive as well as a bully"
"I did not!" Carla scoffs "I was not a bully either!
"Almost ten years younger and you couldn't win a measly game of snap without cheating! So what do you do rip up my deck of cards"
"Oh, so you're blaming it on me?" Carla questions incredulously as Aidan nods slowly with a cheeky grin "Well I guarantee I won't rip them up this time"
"Where's hubby anyway?" Aidan mocks as Carla kicks him with her foot under the table causing him to yelp jokily in pain annoyed at how he liked to mock the fact she was married
"He's taking Emma to therapy with Gail…" Carla trails off as Aidan laughs hysterically "What's so funny?"
"You playing happy families with the Platt's" Aidan chuckles as Carla shoots him a look, Kate struggling to suppress her laughter as well causing Carla to shoot them both a look
"What's wrong with the Platts?" Carla asks as Aidan raises his eyebrows in response "Please inform me, I'd like to know"
"Well, you hardly fit in do you? You hate mass family functions and they host enough of them to bore you to death" Aidan says as Carla sighs; he was right to an extent she hated family functions which weren't her own, even Barlow ones were a drag
"I guess, but Emma and I, we're part of that family now and I just have to get on with it"
"Do you regret her not being Peter's?" Aidan questions somewhat sympathetically as Carla sighs confused at the change in his tone, one minute he was all jokey then the next somewhat sympathetic causing her to be caught off guard by the question
"Yes and no, she's my daughter and I love her to bits and so does Peter even though she's not biologically his, he treats her like he does Hayley so in that respect it's like she's his" Carla says as Aidan nods "Why are you so interested in my life all of a sudden?"
"I don't know" Aidan mumbles "I just regret not getting to know you fully before you left for Portsmouth, that's all"
"Right" Carla narrows her eyes suspiciously as Peter appears with Emma on his hip "Hello beautiful!" Carla beams ditching her game of cards with Aidan to see her daughter
"Ma" Emma says as Carla gasps glancing to Peter who smiles
"Was she speaking for Jill?" Carla questions as Peter nods placing Emma down on her lap as he sits on the edge of the bed "Were you speaking for Jill, baby?"
"Say, Mumma?" Peter questions as Emma laughs at him "She was saying it"
"Em?"Carla questions to grab her attention "Mumma?"
"Mama" Emma replies as Carla gasps in response running a hand through her hair "She spoke!"
"I know, she's made excellent progress Jill said, she did some walking as well but she kept getting frustrated and it made her have a meltdown so we had to call it a day" Peter informs her as Carla pouts her lip knowing Emma's meltdowns made her really frustrated
"How did Gail get on?"
"She loved it, she was really proud of her" Peter says as Carla nods in response "Where's Michelle?"
"In theatre, as we speak," Carla says as Peter smiles in response "She only went down an hour ago," she says as Aidan's phone goes off
"Ah, it's Sarah, I need to take this as it's about the factory" Aidan smiles answering the phone as he leaves the room
"You can get off if you want Kate" Carla smiles as Kate sighs in response turning her phone off "Girl troubles?"
"Something like that" Kate smiles slightly as Carla hums in response "Are you sure it's ok if I go?"
"Yeah, go ahead" Carla nods as Kate kisses her on the cheek "Take care love"
"So then, did Jill provide us with any more activities we could do with Emma?"
"Oh yes she did actually" Peter smiles handing Carla a leaflet "It's a Styrofoam cup you put holes in it and she has to try and feed bits of pasta through them"
"She's going to love that" Carla grins as Emma grabs onto her hair, a nurse entering the room causing Carla to smile as Peter smiles back at her
"Carla, we're ready for you now" the nurse smiles as Carla glances to Peter and lets out a shaky breath knowing that it would be now or never for her
"How's Michelle?"
"She's in recovery, we'll bring her back up in an hour or so, she's done really well and the operation was a success" the nurse informs Carla as Peter takes Emma off her
"Right, I love you" Carla whispers as Peter kisses her gently on the lips "And I love you" she whispers to Emma holding her hand "Go before I want to stay"
"We'll bring her back up when she's ready" the nurse informs Peter who nods sitting down in the chair with Emma and handing her a sensory tangle toy for her to play with
"Right, shall we read a book then Em?" Peter smiles kissing her on the forehead, his mind elsewhere hoping Carla would be ok…
A couple of hours later and Michelle was back up from recovery and talking to both Robert and Peter the best she could with all the drugs she had pumping through her veins. Michelle observed Emma and Peter reading a book together on the chair next to where Carla's bed would be, she just wished that Carla would be ok so that she could see her daughter grow up. The time came when they were told that Carla's operation went smoothly and that she was in recovery as they spoke causing everyone to sigh in relief.
"She's very lethargic but she's doing really well," the nurse says as Peter smiles watching as a series of nurses push Carla's bed into the room "I'll leave you to it, push the call button if she wants anything"
"Ok" Peter smiles as the nurse nods leaving the room allowing Peter to watch over Carla
"Ma!" Emma shouts as Peter rolls his eyes glancing to Robert who chuckles in response
"We get that you're really clever" Peter grins as Emma looks up at him clapping her hands "Why don't you have a sleep Em?"
"Mm" Carla mumbles as Peter smiles at her grabbing the oxygen mask which was on the side and placing it over her face watching Carla open her eyes and wince in pain
"Hey, love" Peter whispers as Carla smiles sleepily "The operation went really well"
"Good" she whispers hoarsely before glancing around the room and seeing Michelle "Chelle ok?"
"She's fine" Robert informs her "Just sleeping off the morphine"
"Hmm" Carla groans before Emma reaches her arms out "No baby"
"Sorry Em, but mummy's in a lot of pain," Peter says gently trying not to cause a meltdown but it was too late, the tears filled Emma's eyes and she started crying and screaming "Oh baby, it's ok" he whispers bringing her in for a hug as she cries into his chest causing Carla to hold one of her arms out, Emma grasping onto her hand which calms her down
"Why don't you get off Peter?" Carla whispers pulling the mask down "She could do with a nap and Hayley could do with some time with her dad"
"If that's what you want" Peter smiles lifting Emma's changing bag onto his shoulder before bending down to kiss Carla on the forehead "Get some rest"
"I'll give you a lift back if you want Robert?" Peter questions as Robert nods leaving the room with Peter, both men allowing their partners to recuperate from their operations…
Peter headed home and collected Hayley from Ken's as well as staying for a coffee to explain how Carla's operation went as well as Emma's therapy that day. Ken was very supportive to his son which made Peter smile when he told him how proud he felt of Peter. Peter then headed home and got the girls dinner as well as Simon. They then all sat and watched some TV before bed whilst Peter did some of the activities from Emma's occupational therapy such as pushing objects into pieces of plasticine and getting Emma to retrieve them.
"Here you are a princess" Peter smiles handing Emma a chunk of plasticine with objects in it as she smiles "You have to get them out"
"Daddy!" Hayley calls from the sofa "Can I go and see mummy?"
"Maybe tomorrow sweetheart, mummy's only just had her operation so she's recovering it might be best to wait a bit until she feels a lot better" Peter explains as Hayley huffs in response "I'm not saying never"
"But Emma got to see her!" Hayley whines as Peter rubs his forehead in exasperation
"Maybe tomorrow. I need to put Emma to bed when she's finished attacking the plasticine" Peter smiles as Hayley rolls her eyes annoyed at how much attention Emma needed
"Whatever" Hayley replies moodily as Peter groans in response knowing another tantrum was going to be imminent "Can you read me a book before bed then?"
"Yeah of course sweetheart," Peter says gently as Hayley smiles returning to watch the film Emma chucking the plasticine across the room in annoyance because she couldn't do what was presented to her "Oh Em" he sighs collecting the plasticine and putting it in the container
"Ma!" Emma screams as Peter groans in response picking her up and sitting her on his lap as Hayley snuggles into him
"I know sweetheart," Peter says letting Emma cry into his chest Hayley pouting her lips at Emma's outburst
"It's ok, Emma" Hayley replies sweetly as Emma looks at her allowing Peter to wipe her tears as Emma crawls over to Hayley who cuddles her causing Peter's heart to melt
"You two actually do like each other" Peter mocks as Hayley glares at him "Joke…"
"Why don't we have a bath then we can get you both into bed with a bottle?" Peter suggests as Hayley nods running off and up the stairs leaving Peter to carry Emma into his and Carla's bathroom "Why don't you go and pick yourself out a pair of pyjamas, Hayley, you can get Emma a nappy and a pair too"
"Ok daddy" Hayley beams running off into her bedroom to retrieve what was needed allowing Peter to run them both a bath "Here" she beams placing it everything on the bed causing Peter to smile as he undresses Emma "Can you get changed yourself?"
"Yes, I'm not stupid" Hayley reminds him as Peter chuckles watching as she gets into the bath using the stool provided and tipping the bath toys into the water before Peter places Emma in the bath as well
"Let's shampoo your hair girls," Peter says grabbing the shampoo and massaging it into Hayley's hair as well as Emma's before grabbing the showerhead and washing it out "Let's get you both out then," he says as Hayley steps out of the bath and wraps a towel around her and Peter drying Emma off
"Put your pyjama's on then, Hayley" Peter orders as Hayley nod putting her pyjamas on and grabbing Carla's brush to brush through her hair the best she could as Peter gets Emma ready for bed "Right, we're going to use mummy's hairdryer"
"Naughty Daddy!" Hayley gasps knowing they weren't allowed to use Carla's expensive hair dryer at all but Peter didn't care, he just went and plugged it in and started drying Emma's hair then Hayley's
"Don't tell mummy?" Peter says as Hayley giggles in response knowing she could use this to her advantage
"Ok" Hayley smiles sweetly as Peter rolls his eyes at his daughter's mannerisms "Can we get into bed now?"
"Yes, come on then" Peter smiles lifting Emma onto his hip as they walk into the bedroom, Peter placing Emma into her cot and Hayley into bed "Pick a book out then, I'll go and get your bottles," he says as Hayley nods allowing Peter to retrieve two bottles of warm milk and returning to see Hayley with her chosen book
"This one daddy!" Hayley calls handing him the book as he hands her the bottle of warm milk as well as handing Emma hers now she could hold bottles herself, only with specialised grips which were provided by the hospital
"Let's begin," Peter says as he begins reading Hayley's chosen book for her, both girls falling asleep rather quickly, so quick that Peter didn't get the opportunity to finish the book which he then placed in the book rack before retrieving the bottles and turning the light off, it was the simple things like watching them both sleep which made his heart complete…