A/N Thanks SO much for the lovely reviews, I hope this is okay, I'm not entirely happy with it but if people are still interested I shall carry on! Reviews are loved dearly!
Carla found herself pacing back and forth across her flat, finding the waiting an impossible task. She wanted more than anything to believe his words, his declarations. But she has learnt to fear disappointment and so that is what she does. She feels trapped. Claustrophobic in a place she used to call her home and yet now it seemed to haunt her. A ghost of a thousand memories, could've beens. Would've beens.
She cannot take the atmosphere any more so with an empty sigh she picks her coat up from the sofa and heads out of the front door. Taking a walk to a still unknown destination.
"I love you"
"No, you know you have to be really careful what you say to me, I'm really fragile right now"
"I know, I love you. I love you"
The words they shared last night float around her head as she wonders along the empty streets, finding herself outside her factory which she hoped would be empty. She hoped with the parts of her heart that still remained intact that he had taken note of her words, and would not leave her devastated and alone once more.
For hours, she busied herself with paperwork in her lonely factory. Her eyes flicking to the clock on the wall, getting more frustrated each time she realised only minutes had passed. She kept her ears open for the sound of her phone but nothing came so when 8pm came and passed, she phoned for a taxi and made her way back home.
She tried to keep positive in the taxi back, telling herself that Peter would be waiting for her when she returned, sitting on her doorstep with an overnight bag, being unable to call her because his phone was out of battery.
Carla found herself fighting back the tears as she put her keys into the lock and let herself into her flat, with a quick look at the clock she saw it was now gone 10pm.
She had known long ago he wasn't coming but couldn't bring herself to believe it. She didn't even have the energy to change her clothes or crawl under her duvet before she gave into sleep, instead choosing to collapse on her sofa, allowing a blanket of sleep to overcome her.
She didn't know how long she had been asleep when she was woken with a loud, frantic banging at the door. She sat up, dead still. She froze completely, unable to move having convinced herself it was Frank that stood on the other side.
"Carla love, it's me baby"
Peter's words instantly calmed her.
She unlocked and unlatched the several devices on the door before coming face to face with Peter. She could see the tears that still glistened in his warm brown eyes, but it smile was still wide as he dropped his bag and embraced Carla, pulling her close and realising that all the shouting and fighting had been worth it for this moment.
He rested his head against her raven hair, breathing in her familiar smell.
"You and me against the world now kid" His words gave Carla the answer to all her unasked questions.
Peter had sat by her bed for hours, hoping for a sign, a flicker of life but nothing had come. She lay, lifeless in her hospital bed. The bleeping sound of the machines attached to her were the only way her even knew she was still alive. Her raven hair spread across the pillow, her face and hands scratched from the crash. He wished she'd open her eyes, he longed to see the sparkle of green glittering in her warm eyes but they remained firmly closed.
He held her hand tightly in his own, just needing the skin to skin contact. He swears he feels her shift against him but when nothing else happens he puts it down to his lack of sleep.
Soon enough though, the bleeping becomes louder, more frequent and a nurse rushes though, pushing Peter to the side to reach her patient. He can't see what's happening, and doesn't know what is the cause of the noise as he fights past the nurse to the other side of the bed, his heart beat quickens as he sees that his wife has in fact, awoken.
When her eyes meet his he sees nothing but confusion but assumes that is because she has been asleep for so long. He can hear the nurse talking to Carla, explaining the recent accident but he doesn't really listen to what she is saying, his full attention on Carla.
"Will I make a full recovery Doctor?" He hears her say, and he too awaits to hear the answer. "Doctor?" She questions again, and it takes him a moment to realise she is directing the question to him.
"Carla, you do know who I am, don't you?
She looks at him, her eyes glaring into his, almost as though she is asking if there is a reason she should know who he is
"Carla, please tell me you know who I am?" Peter's looks questionably from Carla to the nurse and back again.
"Who are you?"