A week or so had passed. Lucas was informing Carla of Peter's condition and she was ever so grateful and in return, she gave him a glowing review for the social worker that came to visit her. Carla felt so lonely though, the only people who were visiting her was Lucas, she didn't know if Peter had received the ultrasound photo but she could only assume. No one wanted to see her and she was upset about it but also knew this was her own doing and she had to accept that. There was a problem though and that was she was going to have to see Lucas and Sammy along with Michelle when she finally got out of here, this led her to fantasize about a new life because she really didn't see anything keeping her here.

"Carla?" the nurse enters the room, Carla flashes her a smile "I was wondering if I could attach this monitor to you?"

"W-Why?"

"Well the midwife just wants to start doing a weekly monitoring of you and the baby to check its heart rate"

"Ok" she nods rolling her jumper up and allowing the midwife to attach the monitor, Carla winces

"Sorry" the nurse smiles "Does your back hurt?"

"Y-Yeah, qu-quite a bit" she nods biting her lip taking the remote to administer some of her painkillers, the nurse frowns looking at the bag of solution

"Is the painkiller helping you?"

"I-I use i-it quite a bit" Carla shrugs, the nurse nods writing in Carla's notes

"I want to get the doctor to have a look at your back if thats ok?" the nurse smiles, Carla yawns and nods "I'll be back in a minute"

"O-Ok" Carla smiles picking up her magazine and flicking through it before picking up her phone and looking through her messages

"Hello, Carla" the doctor enters the room sliding some surgical gloves on "Can I have a feel of your back?"

"Yeah" Carla nods shuffling forward, the doctor presses a hand to her back causing her to yelp

"Painful?"

"Yes" Carla confirms trying to control the tears, she lets out a tired sigh "Ow!"

"Alright, the baby is definitely putting pressure on your back as we originally thought" the doctor mumbles "Could we send you for another x-ray?"

"Yeah" Carla nods, the doctor smiles moving the table away from her bed "Is-Is the b-baby ok?"

"The baby seems fine according to the monitor" the nurse smiles removing the monitor

"I'm more worried about the strain on your back" the doctor smiles "Right now we're hoping that the growth of the baby hasn't made your back worse"

"W-What i-if it has?"

"Then we'll have to give you a c-section at twenty-four weeks" the doctor says, Carla sighs and nods knowing this was probably for the best "We'll get you down to x-ray"

"Ok" Carla nods biting her lip and moving to the wheelchair, the nurse attaches the drip so Carla had access to pain relief

"You look rough" Adam observes entering the living room of number one, Peter sighs in response "I'm taking you to your appointment today"

"Oh great" Peter mutters "Have you seen Si?"

"No" Adam shrugs not mentioning the fact that Simon had been staying with him for a few days last week "He's probably studying or something"

"Yeah maybe" Peter bites his lip taking the ultrasound picture that was in his pocket "Do you think I should go and see her?"

"Depends what you want" Adam shrugs "It depends if you think you're strong enough because right now you can barely keep yourself upright"

"I guess" Peter hums "I'll think about it when we go to the hospital"

"Good idea. Right now you just need to focus on your appointment and be honest with your specialist"

"Yeah, I tend to. I've had time to think, this little picture here is worth looking to the future for especially if this little girl is mine"

"A girl?" Adam says softly, Peter nods tilting his head to the side and showing Adam the photo

"Yeah me and Carla when we were together before we were pregnant, it was a girl. I messed it up and caused her stress and she lost her this is like a second chance you know if she is mine"

"And if she's not?"

"Then...I don't know" he shrugs "I just hope and pray that she is, I just want something to live for, someone to live for"

"Do you love Carla?"

"Pass," he says closing his eyes and thinking about the good times "We'll just have to see how the future pans out, that's all"

"Well you have loads of support around you" Adam smiles, Peter nods putting his coat on "Let's get you off to your appointment"

Carla had come back from the x-ray and she was in complete agony at having to be in a position she wasn't used to. She was given more painkillers and the doctors were looking over the scans as she spoke with the midwife that came to see her, they did another scan as well so she was able to see the baby a bit better. Watching as the midwife took measurements Carla was nervous in case her baby wouldn't make it and if she was honest she didn't know how she would cope with such a thing if she did lose a baby. She couldn't bear the thought.

"Hi" Peter enters the room glancing at the midwife who was conducting the scan, Carla wipes her eyes "Has something happened with the baby?"

"It's not the baby, the baby is thriving," the midwife says with a shrug, the doctor enters the room and Carla gulps

"Do you want him to stay?" the doctor asks looking at Peter who then looks at Carla

"Up-up to h-him" Carla shrugs watching Peter sit down in the chair available

"Ok well the baby is putting a lot of pressure on your back, as the baby grows the more pressure it will put on your back. Originally we thought that the position your baby was growing in wouldnt put pressure on the damaged vertebrae but as the baby's moved position we will have no option now to give you a c-section at twenty-four weeks. I'm so sorry Carla"

"What are the survival rates of the baby?" Peter asks, the midwife smiles

"Sixty per cent" the midwife informs them both, Carla breathes out and nods wiping her eyes "Obviously if things do take a turn for the worse Carla within the next month then we will have to deliver your baby ok?"

"Yeah" she nods "F-Fine"

"We'll leave you to it" the doctor smiles, Carla nods refusing to look at Peter

"S-Sorry" Carla says, Peter shakes his head

"Hardly your fault is it? It was those lunatics driving the car" he responds, she just shrugs in response placing her hand on her bump "I didn't think you would find out the gender"

"Some-th-thing to look for-forward to" she says quietly, he nods "F-Feel"

"Hmm" he hums placing a hand on her bump, he laughs slightly at the baby moving "Does she move a lot?"

"C-Can't really feel h-her tha-that well," she says with a small smile "H-How a-are you?"

"Dying," he says, she doesn't really know what to say apart from feeling the guilt flood her system "I need to be sober for longer before they put me on the transplant list"

"S-Sorry" she says knowing it meant nothing to him, she winces slightly picking up the remote to administer more painkillers "S-Stop moving"

"Hurts more when she moves?" Peter says, Carla nods with a sad smile

"Press-sure on b-back" Carla nods, Peter nods slowly, she reaches for her phone

"Look Peter everything with Lucas and Sammy, I really am sorry whether you choose to believe it or not. I was just trying to do the best for my child and you have every right to call me weak and worthless. I really thought I was doing the right thing. I tend to put it right though. A social worker came to see me and I'm going to help Lucas and Michelle go for custody as Sammy deserves so much more than just empty promises and no security. I know Michelle loves Lucas so I know she will do my child proud and Lucas will be a great dad"

"I just thought that we were getting somewhere that's all," Peter says quietly, Carla sighs and nods "First you cheat on me then you drop this on me and I guarantee that if Lucas had not have shown up then you would have never told me"

"I guess you have a point. I just wanted us to enjoy our future together, learn to love and trust each other again after I messed it up this time but then this whole whirlwind of Lucas and Sammy comes to light and everything's a mess again. I know you're going to think it's a cheek of me to ask this but after the baby's born as she's going to be born next month whether I like it or not now, would you consider giving us another chance?"

"I'm sorry I can't do that, not after everything. I need time to heal from your deception Carla. I'm not making any promises. Right now all I care about is my health and the health of what possibly could be my baby"

"I just thought I would put all my cards on the table"

"Fair enough" he nods with a small smile "I best head off, Adam's driving me back"

"T-Take c-care" she nods, he smiles running his hand over her bump, she giggles slightly as he kisses it

"Don't cause your mummy too much pain you" he pokes her tummy playfully "Bye Carla"

"Bye"

"Hi Peter" Michelle frowns, he smiles shifting on to a barstool and sitting at the bar of the bistro "Look if you don't mind me saying you don't look too clever"

"Well when you're dying of liver failure you probably won't be looking your best" Peter retorts sarcastically "Orange juice please"

"Sure," she says grabbing a glass bottle from the fridge behind her and pouring him a drink "Have you spoken to Carla?"

"I went to see her today actually. I was at the hospital anyway. She gave me this ultrasound picture and she found out the gender so I just wanted to find out more"

"The gender?" Michelle questions, Peter nods passing her the ultrasound picture "A girl"

"Yeah, the baby's really messing with her recovery so they're thinking about giving her a c-section next month as the baby will have a sixty per cent survival rate"

"She'll make it though? Right?" Michelle softens her approach slightly, Peter shrugs

"We'll just have to see, but if things take a turn for the worse within the next month they may have to take the baby out sooner"

"They can't do that though surely?" Michelle gasps "I know from experience that the chances will just plummet…"

"It's either that or I'm guessing Carla will never have the ability to walk again" Peter sighs "It's her body"

"It's also your baby"

"She's the one nurturing that baby though" Peter laments before rubbing his forehead tiredly "I don't even think she knows what to do for the best"

"I'm sure whatever she chooses it will be the right choice for her and the baby"

"I hope so, I really do"

"Hey" Lucas enters the hospital room placing down a box of chocolates "And this is for you as well"

"Seriously?" she deadpans before laughing slightly "T-Thanks"

"Congrats on it being a girl" he smirks, she just grins at him "How are you? I found out from Peter by the way"

"He came to see me today"

"Really?"

"Yeah the baby's doing really well it's just me right now, my spine is under a lot of pressure because of the baby so they're going to do a c-section"

"I'm sorry"

"N-No" she sighs shaking her head

"Anyway Peter showed up here after his appointment and we spoke but he's hurt understandably. He wants to be part of the baby's life but I'm worried in case the baby isn't his. Will it throw him over the edge as he's been hoping it will be his?"

"I don't know" Lucas responds blankly, Carla just sighs "I would just focus on you and the baby"

"It's hard though because I caused Peter all of this pain and naturally I feel guilty"

"Which is also understandable" Lucas rubs his hands over his face "Peter's his own person Carla and I don't mean for this to sound offensive but just focus on your health and get better for the baby"

"You're probably right, unfortunately"

"You hate it when I'm right. Mind you, you hate it when everyone is right apart from you"

"I'd be careful otherwise I might have to give you a hate review for the social worker"

She teases with a playful grin, he laughs slightly

"You know I wouldn't do that. Sammy deserves to be with you and Michelle"

"He also deserves his mother" Lucas reminds her "It's not too late to change your mind"

"Even so it wouldn't be right. I need to look to the future with me and my baby, Sammy as cruel as it sounds is just another ghost from the past"

"Well you know you just have to say the word" Lucas whispers, Carla nods with a shrug "I'll leave you to it, get some rest ok?"

"I-I will" she nods "B-Bye Lucas"

"Bye Carla"