Here is chapter 7, chapter 8 - the final part is in the making - so I'll try and get that up soooooon!
I hope you enjoy this one! And as always - please review, I always love to hear what you guys think of my story!
She had seen him, seen him watching her across the car park, she had seen him but when she had made towards him, he had walked away – and not looked back. John Bates seemed to be an expert in breaking her heart. She stood on the pavement, watching his faint shape disappear up the road, she wanted to shout out for him, to call him back, but instead she just watched him go.
It took her almost 3 days of staring at her mobile phone, of watching the number 27 bus, that stopped outside the hospital and then carried on up towards the industrial estate where the factory was, and imagining just deciding to get on and see him.
It wasn't until Thursday, in A&E, she let herself into the staffroom, found an old bettered copy of the yellow pages under the sink, propped up to keep an onslaught of bleach and anti-bacterial spray cleaners from falling out every time someone opened the cupboard door. The number was clear, under 'metal pressing' and 'factories' 0113 402 453 … pausing, her fingers hovering over the buttons on her mobile, she swallowed, and then dialled before she could change her mind.
The ringing at the other end seemed to go on for an age before some-one picked up,
"Hello, Baines metal pressing – Leeds." came the cool voice on the other end, clear and crisp.
"Hello ... Yes hello ... I need to speak to John Bates please, he's one of your floor managers..."
"Right, one moment please." the line buzzed gently as the woman went silent, Anna could hear the tapping of the woman's fingers on her keyboard.
"OK – he's in cutting, can I ask what it's regarding."
"I'm … working for his landlord – I need to speak to him." She didn't want to lie – but she didn't want him to know – she - just for a little while, wanted the upper hand.
"I'll just put you through." The line was filled with a tiny rendition of Danse Macabre, before there was a click and she could hear his voice amid a cacophony of clanking and cracking in the background.
"John Bates … Hello? This is John Bates speaking … look if this is about those electrics again then I've told you before I moved out a fortnight ago, I left – it's all in Vera Bates' name now. You can telephone her at work – I have nothing to do with that woman or the damn house anymore." Anna waited, she wanted to say something – anything – 'good' 'thank god' ' great – now we can ...'. But instead she just stopped, she had nothing to say to him, he had come to look at her, but that meant nothing. If he felt for her as she felt for him then he would have spoken to her, instead he had said nothing, he had walked away from her.
"Anna, we've got a stabbing coming in, ETA 4 minutes." Said a voice from behind her, "Anna – come on, we need you in resus!" came the voice again, she turned seeing Mr Carson standing in the doorway. She hung up the call, switching off her phone she threw the mobile in her locker and followed Mr Carson out. John Bates would have to wait; it was time for her to get down to the business in hand.
He had heard it, just as he had almost pushed down the button in the cradle to hang up on the caller, he had heard someone in the background, at her end saying "Anna …" She had called him, she had seen him in the car park and decided to call him. He jammed down the receiver into the cradle, dialling 1471 – 3, the number went straight to answer phone.
"Bugger …" He cast his eye over the floor, the line was going fine, he could slip away for a moment. In the office he found Karan, she was small and slim and, whenever possible, very helpful.
"Karan, I need to you get a number for me – A&E at Jimmy's… thanks." He took the phone from her, it was ringing, the line seemed to ring for silly long time, was it just him, or would you think answering the phone quickly in an A&E department would be a priority.
"Hello, St James's Accident and Emergency …"
"Hello – I'm sorry, I need to speak with Nurse Anna Smith?"
"Anna? What – no you can't… she's …" The man on the phone didn't sound right, he sounded as though he was watching a slow motion car crash – unable to help, but unable to turn away. There was shouting in the background, calling out, barely audible over the line.
" ANNA! … need A+ … where did he go? … lift … 1 2 3 … get her in … police … ANNA!" The man on the other end of the telephone had gone quiet, too quiet.
"Excuse me – hello? What's happened to Anna – is she OK?"
" … I don't know, what? No she's been stabbed …" and then the purr of the dialling tone filled John's ear.
"I'm sorry, but if you're not a family member then we really can't tell you anything. If you leave your name with Gwen here, then we can contact you."
"I just need to see that she's OK – please."
"Sir if you're not prepared to leave a name then …"
"Please I'm begging you – let me see her… My name is John Bates, and I'm in love with he … I made a mistake and now I'm paying price. Please … please let me see her."
"You're John?"
"You know this man Gwen?"
"I … Are you the John? The one she's been after for the last 9 months?"
"I'm afraid so."
"It's OK Mr Carson – I know who he is."
"I'm Gwen Mr Bates, I work with Anna, she told me about the two of you."
"How is she, is she OK? What happened?"
"She's not great Mr Bates, I'm sorry. This lad came in stabbed, and then there was a fight among his friends in the foyer, she tried to intervene and this man, he just lunged at her with a knife. It looks like it's missed everything major, but she's lost a lot of blood."