I know a lot of you want a Carla centred chapter. I was hoping to build the story a bit more before doing that and it's kind of hard when she's in a position of not being able to talk and I don't really know how to go about doing it but I will have a think for you all if it's something you want.

Edit: This is more Carla centred, I'll try and do another one later on down the line...I need to build story first.


A new week and no new progress for Carla. They were trying all sorts right now and there was nothing that was going well for her. Carla was starting to get scared that this would be her new normal. A new normal where she would be being tied to a wheelchair and not being able to speak. She was determined to fight but there was something off about the situation. Peter hadn't been to see her in a week which was unlike him, Johnny had been sent down for the armed robbery informed to her by Jenny leaving Carla to feel ever so alone. It was hard. She needed to improve her speech but with no one coming to see her apart from the nurses and doctors darting in and out of her room it meant she was unable to develop her speech further. At times like this, she missed Kate, Michelle and Aidan to an extent and she often found herself crying herself silently to sleep. Carla often wondered whether it was expressed to Peter the severity of her problems and how she needed to keep her mind active to develop her speech in conversation but she knew that it was so unlike Peter to stay away unless of course, he was hiding something from her. That's when she took matters into her own hands.

"Hello" Simon shiftily enters the room, Carla looks up at him and smiles slightly gesturing for him to take a seat "You wanted to see me?"

She goes to pick up the phone, Simon pulls a face thinking that she was ignoring his question but instead the immersive reader plays out

"I did, yes"

"So you actually can't speak? Like...at all?" Simon says, Carla nods narrowing her eyes "That's pretty cool, at least you have an excuse to be glued to your phone"

"Very funny"

She smirks, Simon grins

"I don't suppose you've heard from your dad have you?"

"Um…"

"Simon?"

"Look...what exactly do you know…"

"He hasn't been to see me in over a week now, is he ok?"

"Um" Simon falters once more, his eyes downcast as he really didn't think he should be revealing his dad's problems to her

"Is he drinking?"

"Yes, he's trying to get himself better for you though," Simon says diplomatically, maybe it was just easier to reassure her even if it was a lie "And me…"

"But not himself?"

"I'm not a mindreader" he comments, his defences starting to heighten at how she was interrogating him over something which was another sore point in his life

"Sorry"

"It's ok" Simon smiles "I just don't want to talk about it"

"Can I ask you one more question? Well, two actually…?"

"Fine" Simon rolls his eyes playfully

"How much is he drinking?"

"A lot" Simon admits, Carla taps the edge of the bed and Simon sits on the edge of it, she takes his hand and squeezes it gently "He's really struggling, I can tell, he doesn't want to admit it though, he's in denial that the infamous 'one drink will kill you' is actually the truth. It's heading that way. Grandad's trying but… it's not working, even Tracy tried and nothing, as for Daniel and Adam...they're carrying him most of the time, granted its not fair on Bertie, I've had to look after him a couple of times on my own and with everything that went on with my mum and Oliver I hate bringing a baby into the flat, she squirms every time, it's hard"

"Are you ok?"

"I don't get a choice," Simon says with a glare "I have to support them all"

"Still it shouldn't fall on your shoulders"

"Who else's shoulders should it fall on then? My grandad's, he's elderly it's hardly fair, is it? Daniel...he has Bertie, Adam does his bit but it's hardly enough. People need to live their lives and provide for the people they love. I do the same, provide for my mum and dad now"

"If I was out of here I'd change that you know that right?"

"Even so it won't stop dad from drinking, he's hellbent on drinking himself to death right now" Simon responds with a sad sigh, Carla bites her lip and opens her arms up sensing he needed comfort, Simon hugs her gently as she picks up the phone,

"You're not hurting me"

"Yeah sorry," Simon says as he releases some tears from his eyes, Carla's heart breaks at how she couldn't do anything in this situation, she felt powerless "What do I do Carla?"

"Have you spoken to Nick?"

"He has Sam to consider, we're struggling to stay afloat here" Simon admits, Carla nods slowly biting her lip, she gestures to her bag "You want me to get it?"

She nods as Simon grabs the bag for her and she rummages through it pulling out her purse and taking out one of her bank cards, she offers it to Simon

"No Carla, I'm not taking money from you no way"

"You need it to survive, your dads hardly in a fit state to drive a cab is he when he's drunk, this is my way of helping"

"Any other way, not this way" Simon shakes his head, Carla sighs and narrows her eyes, she picks up her phone

"Ok leave it with me"

"Carla you're hardly in a fit state to be coming up with some sort of sordid plan and when my mum finds out she will slaughter you literally"

"You think I'm scared of your mum?"

"Very funny" he tries to suppress his laughter knowing that she would probably come out on top "Do I have a choice?"

"N...o," she says, Simon rolls his eyes and laughs slightly before picking up the phone

"Go on, get out of here and let me deal with this"

"Fine," he says leaning over to kiss her on the cheek "Thank you, for listening"

"G...o," she says, Simon nods before sighing and leaving the room, Carla immediately picks up her phone and sends off a text…


"You wanted to see me"

Carla goes to pick up the phone and types out what she wanted to say before hitting play,

"I need your help"

"What with?"

"I need you to take my card to a cashpoint and withdraw as much as you can"

"What for?"

"It doesn't matter what for"

Carla glares at Jenny who sighs, she really didn't want to be caught up in this whole thing with whatever Carla was doing. She wanted to support her but then she questioned whether Johnny would do the same and that gave her the answer she needed,

"Fine, I'll do it"

Carla bites her lip and checks to see if the door was closed before continuing with the conversation

"Thank you, the card details are all there"

"As long as I'm not being involved in some crime then it's fine," Jenny says, taking the card and putting it into her purse "How are you anyway?"

"Bo..bo..or…" Carla trails off, Jenny smiles sympathetically "Ti...ti...r..i"

"Tiring?" Jenny assumes, Carla nods "I can ask Roy to see if he wants to visit? Nina even?"

"R..R…" she sighs pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration before picking up her phone

"Roy has a cafe to run and Nina doesn't exactly want to be babysitting me does she?"

"Alright well if you need anything just send me a text and I'll get it for you"

"T...T...T…an..." she opens her mouth, Jenny smiles at her

"Get some rest Carla," Jenny says with a small smile, Carla nods "I'll get this money for you then drop it off tomorrow yeah?"

Carla nods pulling the blanket up to her chest.

"See you soon" Jenny smiles leaving the room, Carla sighs and pulls out her phone, she sends off another text to Peter hoping that with her knowing why he was avoiding her he would come and see her.


Soon after Jenny left Carla went to sleep until the nurses came to help her out, she was doing some speech therapy but it was so exhausting for her brain to be working this hard so they had to call it a day sooner rather than later. Peter still hasn't shown up and Carla was getting annoyed with him for blanking her text messages, she thought about how much he could be struggling which was no doubt a lot since she had been in hospital and he was probably embarrassed coming here as he probably didn't look good so from that point of view she understood but the lack of texts she was annoyed about. It didn't take much for him to send a text saying his feelings but it was another case of his pride getting in the way no doubt. A physiotherapist came around and did some more tests on Carla's legs but once again there was no feeling in them which left her annoyed and frustrated, she only showed her emotions internally to herself as she didn't want to seem as if her new life was affecting her externally. People could probably tell though and she understood that. That night Carla couldn't sleep after she had eaten, she was just staring ahead in a trance until she caught something out of the corner of her eye. She narrowed them at the door and smiled slightly at her guest.

"Hey"

"H...i"

She goes to pick up her phone and opens the immersive reader,

"I should have known really, the black roses"

"I have another one for you," he says putting it in the cup, she smirks slightly "I just wanted to know that I'm thinking of you"

She raises her eyebrows watching him walk over to the bedside cabinet and picking up the ultrasound picture

"Wow" he breathes out, she just looks at him, a look which warranted no feelings on her part "You've been a busy bee"

"You know I don't like waiting around"

"Are you sure?"

"About?"

"You know what I mean"

"This isn't your decision to make"

She makes a point of slamming the phone down on the bed and glaring at him, he sits on the edge of the bed and stares straight ahead avoiding his gaze.

"I know" he softens slightly, she looks into his eyes "I'm surprised you're awake, you're usually sleeping at this time"

She points to her head

"Too much going on up here"

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"N...N...o...o," she says with a small smile looking into his eyes, he nods slowly hooking his fingers under her chin

"Beautiful"

"Hardly, not in here anyway"

"Leave off you're beautiful whatever state you're in"

"My boyfriend would not appreciate this sort of behaviour"

"Ah" he smirks, she raises her eyebrows as she challenges him "I see"

"It's nice seeing you though, why didn't you just wake me the last times?"

"I was scared that you would call security or that you wouldn't want to speak to me. Also, you needed your rest"

"I think you know me pretty well to know what I'm capable of"

"You could have changed"

"And I have"

She narrows her eyes full of suspicion, he smirks

"But nows not the time to go down memory lane"

"I know"

"How did you know I was in here?"

"I have my ways"

She raises her eyebrows biting her lip,

"And don't I know it"

She shakes her head gently before sighing slightly

"You should go, it's past visiting times. How did you even get in here?"

"I have my ways, remember?"

"G-G...G-" she starts but he presses a finger to her lips causing her to roll her eyes

"You'll exhaust yourself. I'll leave you to it" he says walking over to the counter and picking up the cup, he places it down on the bedside cabinet so she could stare at the roses "Night Carla"

"N..N..i" she sighs, he nods before leaving, she stares at the roses wondering how three flowers could dictate her life in such a way it would change it forever...