Back to normality?

Chapter 53

The next morning, having been informed of the results, Scott had called to arrange a check up and was currently sat on the armchair as Carla handed him a coffee and sat on the sofa, Coco asleep next to her; Peter had taken Matilda with him to see Michelle and finalise the details for their break.

"How are you doing Carla?"

"I don't know" she answered, honestly.

"Okay, how about I start?" He said, waiting for a nod before he continued. "So, your doctor informed me of the results, said everything was absolutely fine, and the bloods I had redone, also didn't show anything; I take it you were told?"

"Last night; Ali, Michelle's son, he's a doctor at the surgery and he gave us the results"

"And how did you feel when he told you?"

"Confused" she answered, glad her hands were wrapped around the mug so she couldn't fidget with something.

"Why?"

"Sorry?"

"Why did it make you confused? Surely, knowing there isn't anything physically wrong is a good thing?" He put to her.

"It is"

"So why confused?" He asked again.

"I don't know" she sighed, wishing she had Michelle or Peter to hold her. "It's like, I was expecting something to be wrong and now it's not, maybe I was...disappointed"

"Disappointed how?"

"That's there's no specific medical reason why I feel the way I do; that...I'd have to face the reality that it's me that's the problem, not my illness"

"Thank you...for admitting that; that's takes a lot of courage to recognise something isn't right"

"But...if it was just a trigger then the usual methods should've helped but they haven't" she said, trying not to get upset.

"Carla, where's Peter today? Or Michelle? I think you need someone with you"

"With Michelle, sorting time off" she sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"Okay, how about I give him a call, eh?" He suggested.

When Carla nodded and curled into the corner of the sofa, her cup sat forgotten on the table, as she wrapped her new soft blanket around her; ten minutes later, Peter entered the flat and sat next to her, allowing her head to rest in his lap.

"Tilly?" She whispered.

"With Michelle and Kate; I shouldn't have left you" he said, stroking her hair as he looked to Scott, obvious Carla wasn't going to be very talkative. "What's going on?"

"Carla realised that the reason she feels like she does is because of herself, not the illness; that took a lot of courage to admit it out loud but maybe now, we can start to move forward"

"I'm taking her away the weekend for the week, back to the cabin, if you think it's a good idea?"

"It might help if you plan it carefully; you need to be aware that Carla may not feel like doing much. I think maybe we need to take a step backwards; just focus on one thing at a time" Scott answered.

"She's been doing so well" he said, looking down at his dozing fiancee.

"She still is; the Carla I first met would've kept all this bottled up and would never have admitted what she did"

"True"

"Give her some time, and space when she wants it; the sleeping tablets are obviously working"