Accidents and Emergencies

"Morning gorgeous," said Nick as he came into the Bistro at nine. Leanne was stood behind the bar wearing her black leather dress that left him speechless. She always looked stunning to Nick, but when she wore that dress he couldn't help but be lost for words.

Leanne looked up and smiled as he came behind the bar. "Morning," she said, hugging him.

"How is everything with Simon?" He asked.

Leanne sighed and suddenly she felt the morning sickness she had already over come that morning was coming back again. "I spoke to Peter on the phone last night. He said if one more thing happens with Simon he's on the first plane back from Antigua."

Nick suddenly felt uneasy. Even the mention of that man's name made him twitch slightly. God he hated Peter Barlow and everything he had gone and put Leanne through. "What did you say?"

"I told him it was fine and that we would sort it. He doesn't know that I'm..."

Gail burst in with her mop and bucket clutched in her hand. Her permanent expression of disdain for Leanne was also back. Something Leanne had not missed at all.

"Breaking Nick's heart?" Gail looked so smug as she watched Leanne's smile fade.

"No actually Gail. Are you still lying to Michael about his son? So is it Gavin or Andy?" Leanne replied quickly, flooring Gail.

"Unbeliveable! Who are you to judge someone else in a marriage?" Gail responded as Nick stood awkwardly in between the two women in his life.

"Mum! Pack it in!" Nick finally shouted.

"What?" Gail looked stunned. He hadn't taken Leanne's side over hers in years.

"Leave Leanne alone and do what I pay you to do!"

"Fine! I am done anyway!" Gail yelled as she stormed out of the Bistro.

"Thank god that's over," Leanne muttered as she checked the day's bookings in the diary.


As lunchtime arrived, so did an unpleasant phone call for Leanne. Standing behind the bar as she placed wine glasses on a tray for Nick to take over to a table, Leanne's phone began to ring.

Reaching under the counter and checking who was ringing, Leanne saw it was Weatherfield High that was calling. Her stomach turned at the thought of what Simon had now done and who was his latest victim.

"Hello?" Leanne croaked as she spoke.

"Is this Leanne Tilsley?" A male voice asked.

"Yeah, it is. What's happened?"

"I'm afraid it is Simon. He's been in a fight again and has kicked another pupil too. Could you come and collect him from school please? We are having to suspend him again."

"Ah. You're joking?" Leanne hadn't noticed but Nick had come behind her, listening in as best as he could.

"I wish I was. Could you come as soon as?"

"Yeah, I'll be there. Thanks for ringing." Leanne sighed before hanging up and turning around to see Nick looking at her.

"What's happened Leanne?"

"Simon. He's been in another fight at school. Teacher said he is suspended again."

Nick processed the information quickly, the realisation hitting him just as fast. "That means... Peter. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. I am going to have to go though, is that alright?"

Nick nodded and rested his hand on hers. "Go, go on. I can manage."

"Thanks, I will let you know what's happening," Leanne said as she flung her coat on and headed outside. Nick followed her out on the Street to watch her go and say bye properly.

Carla, who stumbled back from a late night at the casino appeared, watching them again.

"Be careful Lea, I don't want him to hurt you. Not now."

"He won't. I'll see you later," Leanne kissed Nick's cheek and walked off to Streetcars for a taxi.

Carla's pain intensified. It wasn't that she wanted Nick, not at all. She wanted to feel loved like Leanne did. God she would give anything for that.

Her longing for a certain ex-alcoholic was interrupted by the factory staff, who now had no wages for the end of the month. Which was only eighteen days away and Christmas was nearing. The guilt and pain became blinding for Carla, who legged it all the way back to her flat and locked the door behind her.


"Oh no. Crap. Crap!" Carla whispered under her breath as the realisation of what she had done hit her. The £4000 in staff wages that had been added into the Underworld account had completely gone on another trip to the casino. That £4000 was the staff wages and it wouldn't be made back again in time for the staff to be paid what was rightfully theirs within three weeks.

"Oh god," Carla muttered as she perched on her couch at her flat. Her stomach was creating this sickening feeling. It felt as though she was being punched from the inside out and the guilt was coming crashing down.

As if the staff hadn't suffered enough after being passed from pillar to post between her and Aidan. Urgh, the ache had intensified in her tummy and she felt like she was going to black out from the pain. There was no alcohol in the flat to ease her agony like it would do normally. Now she faced the pain alone and had the guilt build up on her, every single day of her life. Life? That was far from it.

Her mobile phone began ringing and it was Aidan. She was supposed to have been at a meeting with him and a new client but she didn't have the guts to turn up. Especially when she knew what she had done. The domino effect had really kicked in. Domino. Ironic really, it was a domino that hard got her into this mess; one that only a JCB could dig her out of.

"What Aidan?" Carla asked, her voice cracking slightly. Pull it together. Pull it together. She told herself in her head.

"Where the hell are you Carla?"

"I... I had to be somewhere. Are you that useless you can't manage without me?"

"No! No, we don't need you. I just assumed you would take a slight interest in your business."

Carla felt hurt and furious that he had even suggested that. No one person had fought, suffered, loved and lost as much as Carla had and yet she always emerged immaculate in heels and with her perfect hair. That factory was her one place. The one thing she could never lose and always rely on to be there. Even with Paul, Liam, Tony, Frank and her brother; Carla remained with Underworld and battled to keep it hers. It was as if the business had never been hers and had always been Aidan's. That couldn't have been further from the actual truth.

"Oh shut up Aidan!" Carla angrily shouted down the phone. Aidan remained silent on the other end, presumably trying to create a decent comeback.

"Why? Do you not like to hear the truth?"

"No I flamin' don't!" She shouted, standing up in her high heeled boots and walking around her flat.

"Really? Because I reckon you are just desperate for all the attention at the minute! Fighting Leanne, causing trouble with the factory and starting a fire that killed those poor people!"

Carla was totally disgusted and absolutely seething. "Shut your mouth! You have no idea what I am going through right now!"

"Yeah I do. Everyone does because you make sure it is broadcasted for the world to hear and see!"

"Haven't you got some Lego to get back to building eh?! Probably more your age range!" Carla spat down the phone before hanging up and chucking the phone down.

The one thing she wanted, craved for wasn't around. It wasn't there when she needed it to ease the pain or enjoy the good times. Despite the happy times being in short supply. The thought of it and what he had done to her made her exhale and inhale loudly and deeply. It was noisy and the sound increased, like a volcano awaiting an eruption. Carla was ready to blow at any point. She glanced over at her computer and the account glared at her. The missing £4000 and everything else. Oh god. Make it stop. Get off this awful ride that life has become; Carla thought.

The new and clinically clean crockery on the cream marble worktop practically called her name. "Aaah!" Carla screamed, grabbing the plates ans hurling as many as she could at the wall, floor and anywhere she knew it would smash. The shards bounced off of the walls and onto the newly laid floor, cracking the tiles and causing the shrapnel to collect around Carla's feet.

One smash of plates wasn't enough to take the sting out of the pain.

Carla grabbed the kettle of the side and launched it at the Tv, smashing the plasma screen into thousands of little pieces. Just like Peter had done to her heart and Rob with her trust.

Peter. His affair with that tart Tina. Her baby. The bright future she could have had with him. "Aah!" She roared, smashing her fist against the leather upholstery on her sofa. Carla sunk her nails into the leather and inhaled the smell. It reminded her of him. Eveything in her bloody life brought memories both happy and sad back. The tears soon fell faster and she considered even more of the misery.

Frank. He had brutally attacked her and stripped her of her factory and tried to lie his way out. Rob had murdered the young girl Peter had bedded and blamed the love of her life for it. He, in all honesty was also the killer of hers and Peter's little girl. If Rob hadn't of staved Tina's head in then she would still be alive and although the road back for Carla and Peter would be long, they'd be together and have their baby. The black mosiac candle Michelle had brought back off her honeymoon for Carla was hurled through the glass coffee table and at the picture frames. Each one shattering. Carla darted to the front door. Perhaps Roy could dig her out of the hell. But then again, she felt she would be better suffering. Unable to see and breath properly because of the never-ending pain, Carla crumpled against the front door in a heap of tears and anxious sweat.


"I am disgusted! Why did you beat up that lad?" Leanne angrily asked Simon as they walked into her flat. Eva had gone to work and so, for the first time in ages, Leanne was all alone with him.

"Because he deserved it; just like you. You're a vile, dirty prostitute and I am glad me Dad isn't here because I bet you would be sleepin' with him!"

"Simon!" Leanne screeched. "That is enough! I have had it up to here with you!"

"So run off to Nick like you always do! I bet he's one of your clients an' all!"

"Stop it! I am not a prostitute anymore and I regret it so much Simon! Unlike you who never seems remorseful!"

"Why should I be when you are getting what you deserve?"

"What could I possibly have done to make you hate me as much as you do?" Leanne questioned, her anger wearing thin and her fear kicking in.

"You came into my life," Simon replied flatly and calmly, as if he had just asked for a cup of tea. He sounded genuine as though he meant every word of poison that came out of his mouth.

Leanne began to sob and her strong wall had been brutally battered down by Simon again. "I love you like my own child and this is how you thank me. That's it. I give up, I am going to have to get Peter back," Leanne sounded exasperated as she admitted defeat.

"What?" Simon looked even angrier as Leanne made her way to the stairs.

"I am going to talk to your Grandad and Nick and then we are phoning your Dad!"

"No!" he screamed in her face. Leanne cowered in fear.


Outside on Coronation Street, Eva was walking back to her flat as Nick appeared.

"Eva, have you seen Leanne?" He asked as Eva shook her head. Her expression was blank. She obviously didn't know about Simon getting suspended.

That however, made the fear rise inside of Nick. It meant Leanne, who was in the early stages of pregnancy was alone, with Simon.

Eva watched Nick's face fall and the panic kick in.

"She's alone in the flat with Simon. Oh god. He was suspended for having a fight at school today. Oh god. Eva, quick!" Nick and Eva began to rush to the flat.

"Oh god, he doesn't know about your baby either!" Eva said, rushing not far behind Nick.

"How do you know?"

"Er. She told me. Not the point!" Eva rummaged around her massive handbag for the keys to the flat, just as things intensified upstairs.


"You are not telling him!" Simon screamed again, pulling Leanne's hair in an attempt to pull her from the stairs.

"Ow! Get off!" Leanne yelled back, pushing him off of her just as Simon shoved her. Leanne plummeted to the bottom of the stairs. Simon stared at the top in horror, he hadn't meant to do that.

"Leanne!" Nick and Eva shouted.

"Ow," Leanne groaned before closing her eyes as everything went black.

To Be Continued...


Thank you so much for your reviews! I want to apologise for writing Carla the way I had. I didn't realise I had written her in an unpleasant way. I thought it would show her struggle with the fire guilt, missing Peter and her ongoing addiction. I apologise and I hope this chapter has made it all make more sense with the build up! Sorry again! :-)

I hope you keep reading for the next chapter! Thanks again! Don't forget to review, follow and favourite! :)

And of course will Leanne and her baby be okay? Find out next time...