'Carla, she's suffering from a relatively rare complication.' The doctor tells him, 'it's called a post-partum haemorrhage, we think she has some placenta trapped in her womb. We have caught the bleed early, so she should be okay. We don't think she'll need surgery, which is a good thing.' Peter resists the urge to make a face, it sounds horrible. 'That's why she's passed out, and was bleeding, we've put her on IV fluids and a blood transfusion.'

'Is, is she okay?'

'She should be. She needs to rest, and we'll keep her in, probably, still the end of the week. Once they've finished up in there, you can go and see her.'

'Is, is she okay?'

'She's going to be quite sore and groggy, but we hope we've got the bleeding under control. Do you want to go and see her?'

'If you take the baby, I'll go back to see mum and Ollie.' He doesn't know if he can take the baby, for fear of dropping her, but he manages anyway.

'Thank you, Si.' He whispers, as he shakes his head. 'I know this must all be a shock.'

'You don't say.' He smiles, 'it's worse for you, now go back in.'

'Love you.'

'Love you too, dad.' He says, wandering out of the ward, with Peter literally being left holding the baby.

She's semi-conscious when stumbles back into the room, smiling haphazardly at her partner. 'You gave me quite the scare, don't do that again.'

'I don't plan too.' She breathes, 'it suits you, holding the baby.'

'You think?'

'I know.' She smiles, 'where's Si?'

'Gone back to Leanne.'

'Peter, we really need to call Chelle, she needs to hear it from me.'

'You're too tired and it's getting late.'

'I don't want her hearing it from anyone else.' She whispers, 'can you do it?'

'Now?' She nods as he places the baby in the bassinette, Carla deemed to weak to hold her, before getting out his phone, scrolling down towards Michelle's contact number. 'Carla, what about the baby she lost?'

'Ruairi? No, she has to hear it from us.' She stresses, as Peter shakes his head, worrying about her blood pressure.

'Okay, okay. I'll call her, you rest.'

'Love you.'

'Love you too.'

It takes three rings for her to pick up, counting them as they go. 'Peter, what's happened?'

'Uh.' He's lost for words, yet again.

'Peter, is Carla okay.'

'I think so.'

'You think so?' He nods, suddenly remembering he's on the phone and not facetime. 'Is she, or isn't she? I've been worried since I called her.' A few hours ago, it dawns on Peter. Their whole lives have been turned upside down in a matter of hours, yet it feels like a lifetime. 'Peter.'

'Um well, she's sort of had a baby.'

'You what?' She snorts, he can see that Carla's fallen asleep, so he moves away so that he doesn't wake her up. 'That's a good one.'

'It's true, she didn't know she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby this afternoon, then she suffered a postpartum haemorrhage, but the doctor says she'll be okay because it's caught early. She's asleep, but I'd let you speak to her. She wanted you to hear it from her, or me, rather than someone else. It will be around the street before we know it.'

'Peter, I don't know what to say.'

'It's almost unbelievable, isn't it?'

'It is, have you got a picture?'

'I'll send you it. Look I'm going to go because she's asleep and I don't want her to wake-up.'

'Send my love to them. What was it?'

'A little girl.' He whispers, 'born at 4:21PM.'

'Congratulations.' He ends the call, sending the promised picture, he thinks he should probably send it to the family.

'Did you tell her?' She murmurs, frightening him, as he holds the baby to his chest. 'Chelle?'

'She said congratulations.' He promises, 'she's shocked.'

'Understatement of the century.' She pauses, looking at the pair. 'You know you're going to have to go? They don't let dads stay.' She feels bad at this crestfallen face, but she doesn't have a choice. She wants him there, but it's the maternity unit rules.

'I'll be back tomorrow.'

'Uh, please don't rush. We need to go baby shopping. He's knows that it's a hint for him to go to town, but he wants to be there.

'You want me to go?'

'Yeah, my cards at home.'

'I have money.' He promises, as the baby starts to stir.

'She doesn't want you to go.'

'I don't want to go.'

'I think she might be hungry.'

'Do you want me to stay?'

'No but get one of the midwives.'

'Love you.'

'Love you too.'

-CS-

A loud banging wakes him up. It takes him a few moments to realise his partner isn't next to him, rather, he's replaced her with a pillow. A subconscious need to hold something close to him. Then the events of the previous day dawn on him, as it become apparent that the banging on the door isn't going to cease anytime soon.

'Hello.' He mutters, being met with an all too familiar face, 'what are you doing here? You're in Ireland.' He wouldn't put it past him to be having a hallucination, the figure isn't supposed to be in Weatherfield.

'Did I wake you up? Sorry, but I had to come. I got the first flight over.'

'Did you?'

'I have to see my best friend, Johnny picked me up.'

'Um, okay.'

'Right, what are you going to-do.'

'To-do?'

'Well you can't just sit here, when's she coming home?'

'Later this week.'

'You and I need to go shopping, then.'

'For what?'

'Baby stuff, stuff for Carla.'

'Carla?' Michelle rolls her eyes.

'Clueless. Right, shower and get changed. I'll make you something to eat, then we'll go shopping.'

'Yes, mum.' He pouts, walking off.

-CS-

'Do I get it in pink, or purple?' Peter dares to ask Michelle, picking up two snowsuits, one that she'll wear when she's taken home. 'I like both of them.'

'It's two for the price of one.' Michelle points out, as his face lights up, putting the clothes in the basket, that was becoming full. 'Right, so we have twenty Babygro's, three hats, six mittens.' She ticks off the list, 'Carla can order more, but for now, that will do.' Michelle tells him, 'stuff for Carla.' She tries, looking at his face of absolute horror.

'What, new clothes?' He asks, anxious at her response, as she picks something he's never seen up. 'Uh, what is that?'

'A breast pump.'

'A what?' He looks absolutely horrified, as she laughs. 'Do I want to know what it's for?'

'Can you not guess?'

'I suppose' he trails off, making a face. 'that's disgusting.'

'Right pads, nipple guards, cream and breast pads.' She's winding him up now, it's too funny not to, before deciding it's not really very fair on him. 'Why don't you go looking for more clothes, maybe another snowsuit or something, don't think I didn't see you admiring that pram suit, the white one.'

'It's so cute.'

'Go and get it then.' She rolls her eyes, as he makes his way back to the safety of furry snowsuits, or pram suits. He knows Carla is going to love it, it's just too cute not too.

'Oh, you're right, that is adorable. Right, we'll pay for this and then we'll go to Argos.'

'Argos?'

'Prams and car seats.'

'Where is she going to sleep?'

'In a cot, but we'll go to IKEA for that, we'll get one of those co-sleepers for the time being.'

'A what?'

'She'll put it on the side of the bed.' She informs him as they join the queue. 'I can't believe Carla had a baby.'

'It was such a shock.'

'She snapped at me on the phone, so I did worry, I thought it was her kidney or something. I wasn't expecting a baby.'

'She's seeing the urologist, I think. And the mental health team, everyone is just so shocked.'

'I can't imagine what she's going through.' Michelle sighs as they reach the front of the queue. Both note how young the cashier looks, barely older than Simon.

'Ah, when's the baby due, I must say, you aren't showing.' The pair start laughing, grinning at one another.

'No, I'm not pregnant. It's his partner.' The young woman has the good grace to look embarrassed, but the pair find it hilarious.

'My partner, she didn't know she was pregnant and had a baby yesterday, this is her best friend whose helping me.'

'Men are clueless.' A woman behind them joins in.

'They don't know anything.' Another voice adds.

'I couldn't trust him to get everything she wanted; he has no clue. I think he's still in shock, we weren't expecting her to have a baby.'

'What did you get?' The woman asks, as Peter is typing in his pin. 'The baby, that is.'

'A little girl.' He grins, 'I already have a much older son, so a little girl is going to be nice.'

'I bet she's going to be wrapped around your little finger.' He grins at the thought; he's never had a daughter. Not properly. 'I read some phycological article about how dads are more receptive to daughters and their needs.'

'I don't doubt it.' Michelle responds, 'c'mon Peter, we have a lot to-do.'

'Bye.'

-CS-

'How does one baby need so much stuff?' He groans, 'I wish Daniel hadn't sold all of his stuff, I wouldn't have to trail around all these shops.' Michelle stifles a laugh as they go back to the car, finally done with shopping. 'It's not even like this is all of it. We're having stuff delivered in the next few days. I don't know how to put up a cot or something.'

'Instructions. We'll help too, pulling together. It's what families do. Anyway, you have some beautiful clothes.'

'I do.' He confirms, 'I do. That lion one.'

'Are you just going to dress her up in animal outfits?'

'Yes.' He confirms, pulling out of the parking lot. 'I am.'

'I think Carla might have something to say about that.'

'She'll melt when she sees all the little animal outfits.'

'She can't just live in animal outfit.'

'Wanna bet.' He grins, turning up the radio. Or rather his Spotify.

"Con él te duele el corazón

Y conmigo te duelen los pies."

'What is this?'

'Duele el corazón.' He replies, 'it translates to the heart hurts. I heard it when I was in Spain a few years ago.'

'Bit of a random song, it sounds like a summer song.'

'Makes me think of summer.'

'I didn't know you liked summer?' He shrugs, looking out the window.

-CS-

'Michelle? What are you doing back?' A voice calls, frightening the pair as they are about to get into the car. I thought you were in Ireland.'

'I'm here for a visit.'

'So, the rumours are true? Nick told me but I didn't believe it.'

'What rumours?' Michelle asks, acting coy. She wasn't sure how much her friend would want to get out. It's not going to be a secret for much longer, not if Sarah already knows. They are going to be the gossip of the square for quite some time.

'Carla? He said Leanne said, that Simon said Carla had a baby.'

'Does it sound true?'

'I don't know, is it true? Peter?' He looks at his partners best friend, before nodding slowly.

'Yeah, she had a baby yesterday afternoon.'

'Is it okay? You hear about people not knowing they're pregnant, but you never quite believe it.'

'No, it's true. No one had a clue.'

'Are they okay? I know how hard a surprise pregnancy is and I had three months with Bethany, tell her everything is running smoothly here.' Peter doesn't think she'll care, but he nods along with Sarah to humour her. Her hearts in the right place.

'Everyone's still a bit shocked, but yeah, they're okay. Baby is a good size and doing okay. We're just going to see them now.'

'Send her my love.'

'Will do.' Michelle promises, getting in the car. 'Everyone's going to know.'

'Sounds like they already do.'

-CS-

Michelle has to take a deep breath, as she stands outside the maternity unit, bringing back all sorts of hurt. Peter had told her that she didn't need to come in, but she did. She needed to be there for her best friend, she needed her.

'You don't have to-do this.' Peter whispers, as he goes to sanitize his hands. 'You really don't.'

'I do, she needs me. I want to-do this.'

'If it gets too much-'

'I'll leave.' She promises, 'now, where is she?' He takes her down the hallway, as she tries to block out the screams of the babies, telling herself that it will all be okay. Because it will be, everything will be fine.

'Peter?' She can hear her friend exclaim, 'I thought about calling you, like you'd done a runner.'

'As if.' He pauses, 'I brought a visitor.'

'I'm not sure I'm up to it. I told you I can't deal with my dad. I love him, but I'm so tired.'

'I think you are.' Carla catching sight of her best friend, wondering if this was real, 'especially when I came all the way over from Ireland.'

'Chelle?'

A/N thoughts? Well done to CarlaConnor Lover who guessed right- I didn't actually realise how rare post-partum haemorrhages are… Anyway, how do you think Carla is going to react to Michelle visiting? Let me know what you think should/ want to happen in the coming chapters?