RACK 4

It had now been a week since Jack had been shot and as you can expect, it was now common knowledge in Walford. Ronnie sat in the cafe nursing a mug of tea. She was quietly tucked away in the corner consumed by her own thoughts so she was less than happy when Bianca came and joined her.

"Alright Ron?" She asked as she sat down opposite her.

"Yeh thanks, you." Ronnie said hesitantly trying to be polite.

"Ermmy yeh thanks. Listen, I don't know what the score if with you and uncle Jack but maybe you could go and visit him, might help and maybe you and I could have a few drinks – ya know, like before."

Ronnie was shocked that Bianca was reaching out to her like this – Ronnie had never been one for friends but maybe that was exactly what she needed right now. Someone who would make her laugh and that allow her to forget about everything that had happened.

"Yeh okay." Ronnie said with a weak smile.

"I am going up to the hospital later, want to come with me?" Bianca asked

Ronnie reluctantly agreed as she took another sip of her coffee.

Before going to meet Bianca, Ronnie took her washing to the laundrette where Dot was sat staring into thin air.

"Are you okay Dot?" She asked her voice full of concern for the pensioner.

"Ahh Ronnie, sorry I didn't see you come in. No, no I'm not actually. Its Jack..." she began.

"What about him?"

"They're bringing him out of his coma today"

"Well that's good isn't it?" Ronnie asked.

"The doctor's thing that he may have brain damaged and... and paralysed."

Ronnie looked at dot in horror and sat down in the middle of the laundrette. A tear trickled down her face. Dot sat beside her. "Oh Ronnie, what are we going to do?"

"I'm going with Bianca later to see him."

"Good, I'm taking Jim. Oh I do hate to see him all frantic and worried and getting himself all worked up."

Ronnie gave her a sympathetic smile and squeezed her hand. "It'll be alright Dot, you'll see." She assured her but it was almost as though she was trying to reassure herself at the same time.

"Oh Ronnie, if I were to have a daughter I would hope that she was like you."

"Why's that?" Ronnie asked, slightly taken back by this comment.

"Because you may be with your problems but you show all the qualities that a woman should – you're strong, independent, caring and beautiful."

A tear came to Ronnie's eye as she said this. She once again squeezed Dot's hand before leaving to go and meet Bianca.

At the hospital Bianca and Ronnie walked into Jack's room to find Chelsea sat there crying as though they had been married twenty years or something.

"Is there any news?" Bianca asked Chelsea, despite the fact she didn't appreciate her presence and Ronnie certainly didn't.

"Don't think so, they wouldn't tell me if there was, I'm not a relative am I?" Chelsea replied whilst looking Ronnie up and down. "Perhaps I better go." She said with a sigh.

"Yeh, perhaps ya should, you're not exactly family are ya?"

"Wha and Ronnie is?" Chelsea replied as she gathered her coat and bag

"She doesn't count." Bianca replied.

"Whatever." Chelsea said as she walked out of the door.

"Whatever" Bianca mimicked as she made sure she had gone. Ronnie let out a small laugh. "Hey, you'll neva guess what Ian Beale did yesterday? He brought himself a hot tub! He sat in the caf boasting about it and I was like yeh because everyone needs a hot tub in Walford these days." She said sarcastically as both of the girls laughed.

"At least you have never had to see the weezle topless." Ronnie added with a giggle.

"Wha? You haven't? You never? Did you?" Bianca said with surprise

"Oh god no, please credit me with some taste – I didn't mean to stumble on him topless. Scared me for life it did."

Ronnie enjoyed laughing at Ian Beale's expense – took her mind of everything and it lightened the atmosphere in Jack's hospital bedroom.

"I was gonna say... didn't think you'd be his type." Bianca added. "That Jane's a brave woman, rather her than me."

"You can talk... you're with Ricky!" She said, jokingly.

"Oi you, don't you dis my Ricky... he may not be Brad Pit or anything close but there are worse guys in Walford." She laughed.

"Nah, I am pleased for you. He is a nice guy and looks aren't everything and nor is personality" Ronnie joked

"I am gonna slap you in a minute."

The two girls laughed once more. Laughing with Bianca reminded her of the times she spent laughing with her sister, Ronnie but she knew that those times were long gone now.

Ricky entered the room dressed in his overalls still.

"Liam said I'd find you here. Urghh I am sweating like a pig!" He said, not noticing Ronnie was sat there.

"MMM attractive" Ronnie said with a smile as she saw the embarrassment on Bianca's face. As Bianca and Ricky bickered away oblivious to people around them Ronnie took hold of Jack's hand and whispered into his ear, "You may laugh at them now but that'll be us one day, just you see." She squeezed his had gently once more and let it go.

"Has there been any news?" Rickey asked.

"He is being brought out of his coma later today but we don't know the extent of his injuries. The doctors seem doubtful that he will make a full recovery." Bianca explained.

As she said this Ronnie looked down at Jack sadly playing with his fingers. It was as if she thought he could hear everything that they were saying.

"But hey, his doctor is a man and as I know better than anyone men usually get things wrong." Bianca said trying to lighten the mood.

Ronnie nodded "and your uncle is no exception to that rule." She said with a smile.

Ronnie left before Jack was to wake up – she was scared of what would happen and she couldn't deal with her emotions or seeing his family falling apart around her but Bianca had promised to text her and tell her what had happened.