"The ambulance will be 10 minutes away" Johnny informed everyone while Carla let out another scream of pain as she was gripping Nick's hand.
"I.. I can't wait.. that long" Carla breathed out.
"What's going on? Is she in labour?" Robert asked, trying to see what was going on. He smiled to himself, over the moon that Carla was going to be giving birth to what he thought was his own child.
"It's okay darlin, they're gonna be here soon. I promise." Nick said, as he ran his other hand through Carla's hair.
"Nick.." Carla began but she got another pain so squeezed Nick's hand again tightly.
The ambulance had now arrived and they decided they needed Carla in hospital as soon as possible. Nick went with her in the ambulance as the rest of the family followed on.
"This is all Robert's fault.." Carla said. "If he had been found guilty this wouldn't be happening Nick"
"Listen, forget about that man. You need to focus on this little one and getting them into this world." Nick smiled.
"Okay Carla, you're about 4cm gone already.." The midwife said as Carla looked up at Nick with nothing but fear in her eyes.
"Will the baby be okay?" Carla said, in barely a whisper.
"We need to concentrate on getting baby out safely. I can't say much yet." The friendly midwife said. "I know it's hard but we need you to stay as calm as possible"
"How much longer is this going to take?!" Carla raised her voice in frustration.
Nick smiled softly at her. "Babe it's all going to be worth it soon."
Carla sighed. "You don't know that!" she said, as she got another contraction.
"Carla, you're doing really well. You're so nearly there."
Nick took her hand again. "Hear that? You're doing well."
"Okay Carla, on your next contraction, I need you to start pushing." The midwife said.
"Michelle. I want Michelle too!" Carla breathed out.
Another midwife left the room and Michelle came running back in.
"I feel the next one" Carla said as Michelle ran to be at the other side of her best friend. Carla grabbed both Nick and Michelle's hands as she threw her head back and started to push.
"Carla you're doing great. I'm beginning to see the head." The midwife encouraged.
"Come on Carla!" Michelle said, as Carla squeezed both Nick and Michelle's hands even tighter.
"I need another push Carla!" The midwife said and Carla screamed out in pain, so loud that Johnny, Kate and Aidan could hear her from down the corridor.
"I.. I can't do it!"
"Yes you can Carla!" Nick encouraged his fiancée.
Carla let out one final scream as she gave her final push and her baby was born.
The room was silent.
The midwife quickly cut the chord and took Carla and Nick's baby away.
"Why.. Why isn't it crying?" Carla said, getting upset and distressed. Nick was also trying to see what was going on as nobody answered them as all the midwifes were gathered around their baby.
"No.. Nick.. I can't go through this again.." Carla started to cry as an emotional Nick was brought back down to earth that his fiancée needed him.
He squeezed Carla's hand but couldn't find the words. He was speechless, along with Michelle.
"Nick. Our baby isn't crying! Why's it not crying?!" Carla shouted at him, as she was physically shaking with fear.
"Hey, it's okay.. Carla honey, calm down, you've exhausted.." Nick said, as he tried to see what the midwifes were doing.
There was a few silent moments where tears streamed down both Carla and Nick's faces and Michelle sat, unable to speak, just gripping onto her best friends hand.
After what seemed like a lifetime, a baby's scream finally filled the room. Nick breathed a sigh of relief while Carla started to cry even more. She tried to get up off the bed but Nick stopped her. "Carla, you've just given birth.."
A group of midwifes took their baby out of the room quickly, as another midwife turned and smiled warmly to Nick and Carla.
"Congratulations, you've got a little girl." she said, handing them a picture. Carla began to howl even more at the sight of her beautiful little girl in the photo.
"She's premature so we've taken her down to the unit. She's a bit on the small side but she looks as if she's going to be fine. She just needs to get a little bit stronger. You can go down and see her in a few hours" the midwife smiled.
"I'm so so proud of you" Nick said, kissing Carla as they both looked down at the picture in their hands of their precious daughter.
Carla woke up after having slept for a bit. She was physically exhausted. She woke up to see Nick smiling at her, along with Johnny, Aidan and Kate now sat with Michelle, Gail, David, Sarah and Bethany.
"Carla, she's beautiful." Johnny said, grinning at the photo.
"She sure is. Must get that from her mummy." Nick smiled.
Michelle took Carla's hand. "You've finally done it and I'm so so pleased for you. You've finally got the little girl you deserve" Michelle welled up.
The same midwife entered the room. "I can take you both down to meet your daughter now." She said, as she took a wheelchair into the room.
Carla looked at the midwife. "I can manage on my own thanks"
Nick laughed. "Stop being so stubborn and hop in." he said as Carla reluctantly got in.
"Now I'm afraid you are unable to hold her just now until she gets a little bit stronger but you can hold her hand" the midwife smiled, as she took Carla and Nick into the room where their daughter was.
"I'll give you two some space."
Nick felt more tears forming in his eyes. A baby was everything he had ever wanted and the fact he had one with the woman he loved more than life itself made him so happy. "Wow, she's so small and so beautiful." he whispered.
Carla put her hand out and held her daughters hand, as she also began to cry. "Hey baby girl.." she whispered as Nick wrapped his arm around her. "Your mummy and daddy are here.. And we both love you very much." Carla said, looking up at Nick. "You just need to get a bit stronger for us darlin' and then you can come home"
Nick then put his hand to his daughters hand. "And you know your going to be your mums mini me" he laughed. "It's going to be designer everything for you."
"She's so perfect." Nick said, after they both had a moment of silence while taking in the moment they'd both been waiting for. "Just like you are" he said, kissing Carla on the head. "I'm so proud of you."
"We need a name for her.. Better get your thinking cap on, Tilsley." Carla smiled before they both looked down again at their perfect daughter.
They were both in their own world as they never realised Robert standing at the window of the room, staring in at the newborn baby.