Defeated

Chapter 3

"Oi you...is this about your hospital visit the other day?" Michelle holds Carla's wrist, gently.

"If you let me get on with it then I'll explain everything." She mumbles.

The three visitors sit down and wait anxiously whilst Peter makes them drinks and Carla walks around then sits down on the sofa.

"There you go." Peter hands them all a coffee before sitting next to Carla and holding her hand.

"So?" Johnny pipes up.

"Erm...you know when I fainted, in the factory?" Carla croaks.

"Mm-Hmm." Kate nods.

"Well...they're pretty sure they found out something. So I've been in and out hospital...getting tests."

"What kind of tests?" Johnny frowns.

"What did they find out?" Michelle pipes up.

"I have...I have cancer." Carla announces, sending shockwaves through the room.

Michelle immediately gasps, a hand going to her mouth and her eyes water.

"You what?" Johnny whispers.

"C-Cancer?" Kate stutters.

At the sight of their reactions, Carla looks down and bites her lip. She was so emotionally drained and was surprised she had any more tears left; at the sight of her family, it made her tremble and feel guilty is a weird sort of way.

Things were finally getting rebuilt after Aidan's death. Obviously nothing will ever be the same without him but Johnny and Jenny have the Rovers which was working out great for them. Michelle was back with Robert and they were sorting out their wedding and Kate had recently married Rana. They were all finally happy again and now this happened.

Now Johnny could loose another child, Kate could loose another sibling. Michelle could loose another cousin...but also a best friend.

"What kind of...cancer?" Johnny sniffs.

"Ovarian cancer. It's spread in both ovaries and my womb so I've um...I've got to have surgery." Carla explains.

"Surgery? To do what?" Kate questions.

"They're going to remove my ovaries and do a...hysterectomy."

"A hysterectomy?" Michelle cries. "Oh, darling."

Michelle moves in front of Carla, sitting on the edge of the coffee table and holds her free hand.

"And then what? Then you're better?" Johnny says.

"Well all the cancerous cells will be gone but she'll have to go through chemotherapy to make sure it doesn't return." Peter pipes up.

"Oh god...why does this have to happen?" Michelle cries.

"Hey...it's okay." Carla whispers to Michelle, tearfully.

"How can you say that?"

"I can get through this if I've got all of you by my side." Carla sighs. She was lying, she was petrified and had it engraved into her head that this illness would beat her. But she couldn't watch Michelle in this state, she wanted to comfort her.

"Babe...you don't have to act strong right now." Peter mutters to her.

"Please don't act like this on my account. Ignore me." Michelle wipes her eyes. "How are you feeling? Really."

"Just...numb. I don't know. It hasn't sunk in yet."

"What stage is it?" Kate questions.

"Stage 2." Peter replies.

"At least they found it quite early then." Johnny sighs.

"Oh yeah, because having to have your womb and ovaries removed is an early sign?" Carla snaps. "Sorry, sorry. I've got to go."

She gets up and leaves the flat without taking her phone.

"I didn't mean-..."

"Leave it, Johnny. She's just really upset as you can imagine. She'll be okay one minute and the next be like that, it isn't your fault. It's no ones fault. Peter replies.

"I still feel awful."

"Peter, how are you doing? A hysterectomy is affecting you too." Michelle asks.

"I've just to be there for Carla, you know? We hadn't officially planned to ever try for a child again but...after last time...we never ruled it out. We were always open to the possibility of trying again and having another chance to be a family. Both of us wanted it but we never knew this was going to happen." He explains, emotionally.

"I understand. We're not all just here for Carla too by the way, we're here for you too." She hugs him.

"Thanks. Erm...I'm going to look for her."

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