From that point onwards her day was different, she was more and more tired mainly due to the mental confusion of Liam Connor. Every day she tried to love Tony but if she was honest to herself she couldn't love him the way she used to before she loved Liam. Her eyes were heavy and her body always had a dull ache to it and with Tony's fussing it just seemed to get worse, all she wanted was a little bit of freedom but now Tony was being his usual controlling self and stopping her from going into work and with every excuse, even if some were deemed acceptable in her mind, she sighed in annoyance either way just wanting to make her own decisions. She just wished Tony would liven up a bit and let her be freer than she was.
"Can I please do something today?" she questions in annoyance and Tony rolls his eyes bending down in front of her and takes her hands into his "Please?"
"You need to rest," he says and she just huffs in annoyance "I have important business to attend to here actually, so I'm taking you to Leanne's"
"Is this a joke?" she exclaims and Tony smiles slightly "I don't need babysitting Tony"
"But you do need taking care of" Tony responds and Carla sighs "I have business to attend to and I don't want you here alone in case you become faint and pass out again and do yourself any more injuries, we have the baby to think about"
"Everything is fine though, they said at the hospital and the twenty-week scan" Carla responds trying to keep as calm and considerate as she can even if her patience was wearing thin
"I just don't want anything to happen to either of you," Tony says and Carla just closes her eyes "For me, will you please go to Leanne's?"
"Ok fine" Carla huffs getting up and heading into the bedroom leaving Tony to smirk in triumph at him annoying her
Tony dropped Carla off with Leanne who promised she would look after her friend, Tony made her a strict routine and Carla's eyes widened at the lengths he was going and how controlling he was becoming over this pregnancy. With Leanne on firm guidance to following the timetable laid out on the spreadsheet Tony left her to it before she pulled a disgusted face at the thought of Carla being in those conditions with her husband being that controlling with her and Carla sighed not really knowing what to say, after all, she knew Tony cared about her immensely and she cared about him but she really did think he was taking a step too far and Leanne's behaviour confirmed that for her as well so much so Carla grabbed the paper and ripped it up before chucking it in the bin.
"That was graceful by your standards"
"Oh, very funny" Carla rolls her eyes before going to sit on the sofa "Can we do something?"
"What if Tony sees you?" Leanne counters and Carla just groans in annoyance before sighing "We're going to have to stay in"
"Whatever" Carla mutters and closes her eyes "He's treating me like a flamin' child-"
"He's being protective, at least he's looking out for you" Leanne shrugs trying to assure her even if she thought it was weird
"Liam turned up at the hospital"
"I bet that was joyous, both baby daddies under one roof" Leanne rolls her eyes and Carla shoots her a look "Don't look at me like that Carla, to be honest, I don't know how you couldn't tell him"
"Because I know what he's like, and that goes for both of them, Liam and Tony" Carla states before sighing and biting her lip
"Liam will still be the father no matter how much you will him not to be-"
"Don't you think I know that" Carla rolls her eyes before sighing "If Liam found out that this baby is his then he blows the whole thing, Maria finds out, I cause undue stress on her and her baby, Liam leaves her, more stress, her kid grows up without a father, Liam comes running back to me saying how much he loves me, how much he wants to be there for the baby, so on and so on, a month down the line, he goes back to Maria because he can't hack it being with me-"
"You love each other-"
"Loved" Carla corrects her and Leanne shakes her head knowing it was so far from that "By not telling Liam, everyone's getting what they want. Maria gets her baby's dad and my baby gets a dad"
"I think the question you have to ask yourself is are you getting what you want?" Leanne smiles heading over to the kettle and Carla hums thoughtfully "And are you happy with living a lie?"
With Leanne's words in her head, Carla was thoughtful, ever so thoughtful. Tony had come back from his little business venture and was smothering her, they argued briefly about the meticulous spreadsheet he created and with that Carla stood her ground meaning Tony had to back down a bit so he didn't push her further away than she already was, it didn't feel like it worked though as she didn't feel any closer to him. They sat and ate dinner, both of them routinely apologising to each other before ending up in bed in a more passionate embrace, somehow through the midst of sex Carla had a lot to think about, not just about her future but about her future with Tony and Liam to an extent. She realised she couldn't do it on her own, it was impossible to even understand her own feelings.
"Who is it?" Tony asks as her phone goes off, she bites her lip at Leanne's contact popping up on the screen
"It's Suzy" she lies and Tony nods slowly running his fingers up and down her back "I rang her a while back to tell her about the baby, she must have finally had time to get back to me"
"You answer" Tony smiles and Carla nods getting up to head to the balcony for a bit of privacy but Tony grabs her hand "You don't want to go out there, its cold and that wouldn't be good for you, both of you"
"Ok," she mumbles answering the phone knowing Leanne was going to be rather confused but she could trust her friend "Hi Suzy!... Yeah I'm great!...mhm, Tony's being his usual self...you heard from Michelle?... Well, there goes my news I suppose...you're kidding me...oh love...I'm so sorry to hear that...are you ok though?...no, I suppose that was a stupid question really...I don't know...I suppose I could bob across the Atlantic for a visit...just me and you, no Tony? Oh, I don't know if he will let me-"
"You go, it'll do you good to get some LA rays, I know Suzy will look after you" Tony assures her noticing her sad expression at not being able to go before the baby was born "I'll get on to the doctor tomorrow"
"Alright then, I'll come, Tony's just agreed...alright cya, bye Lea-Suzy" Carla falters before chewing the inside of her lip at Tony narrowing his eyes
"Ok?" he asks her and Carla groans in annoyance
"How embarrassing, I'm so used to talking with Leanne that my blasted baby brain is calling Suzy Leanne" Carla covers and Tony chuckles "Are you sure you're ok with me going?"
"Of course I am" he whispers and Carla smiles "We will have to clear it with the doctor, we can't take any chances with this baby"
"No we can't" she smiles softly even if she was panicking like hell on the inside "You get booking that appointment and I will start packing just in case"
"Is Suzy ok?"
"No she's been through hell" Carla shakes her head "Man troubles... it's complicated and she could do with an old mate hence why she didn't want you there"
"It's understandable, I'm sure she would do the same for you"
"Yeah, she would" Carla smiles grabbing her suitcase "I'm going to miss you though if I do go"
"I'll miss you too"
Nothing ever went her way but she did have to smile at Leanne sending her a text calling her a good actress and she scoffed knowing that was more Michelle's thing than hers at school. All of this was hasty but it had to be to make it convincing, she knew it all depended on this doctors visit and if this failed then the whole thing was scuppered. All Carla wanted was a break, some time to herself and to think about what she wanted to do with the knowledge of her baby's paternity and this really did seem like it was the only way so Tony wasn't suspicious. It all relied on this doctors appointment, she hoped and prayed that they could clear her for flying so she could just say adios to Weatherfield but little did she know that Tony was watching her like a hawk, more so than she thought and therefore was two steps ahead of her.
"Carla Gordon?"
"Come on" Tony guides her into the room with a protective arm around her middle
"I understand you wanted some last-minute advice about travelling?" the doctor asks and Tony nods slowly "I'd like to just bring up your last ultrasound if that's ok?"
"Yeah that's fine" Carla mumbles holding Tony's hand even if it was starting to feel worse to do that by the second
"Looking at this imaging I would have to say that it would not be a safe idea for you to fly-"
"Why?"
"Mainly your blood pressure would be my concern, if something urgent was to happen with your pregnancy whilst you were on that flight then there would be limited medical treatment there, not just for the baby but for you too"
"So it's a flat out no?" Carla questions and the doctor smiles at her
"It's not a flat out no but it's your choice Carla, you can risk the life of your unborn child if it's an absolute emergency and depending on how long you're out there you may not be able to get an international flight back past twenty-eight weeks gestation"
"Think of the baby Carla" Tony whispers and Carla sighs and nods knowing he was right "They're the most important in all this"
"Yeah, I suppose" Carla muses and Tony smiles at her "I won't go, I want to keep them safe, sorry for wasting your time doctor"
"It's not a problem, take care and remember we're always here" the doctor smiles as Carla gets up to leave the room, Tony discreetly slipping the doctor five hundred pounds for their work on persuading his wife before catching up with her
"You ok?" Carla says and Tony nods slowly "Let's just go home, I suppose I will have to break it to Suzy I won't be coming after all, doctors advice"
"I'm sorry Carla"
"What for?"
"For you not being able to see your friend in her time of need"
"There's always Skype I suppose" Carla shrugs and hooks her arms around his neck "Plus keeping the baby safe is more important than my friends love life"
"I guess so" Tony kisses her softly and she nods before yawning "Let's get you home"
"Sure, let me just pop to the toilet first" she smiles heading into the toilet shutting the door behind her, she pulls out her phone and dials Leanne's number, groaning as it went to voicemail "Leanne, we need to talk, it's urgent...just send me a text when you get this, it's Tony, I think he knows something's up..."
