Chapter 15
Disclaimer I don't Coronation Street. This is for entertainment purposes only.
The Street
The street was abuzz with curiosity and wonder, the whole street was alined with police and ambulances.
"Norris! Come away." Rita cherished him.
"As a valued member of this community, I'm entitled to know what is going on." Norris huffed, rolling his eyes.
"There could be somebody seriously injured in there and you're looking for the least piece of gossip. Shame on you, Norris." Rita scolded him.
Norris just tutted and turned away from her.
"There are paramedics coming out," Norris exclaimed, with an excitable exaggeration.
"Norris, really? Come away now." Rita glared at him.
"It's Carla Connor!" Norris reported with almost some sort of glee at being the first to know.
"What?" Rita frowned, turning towards the factory.
"Oh my God, she looks in a bad way," Rita whispered, not really believing what she was seeing.
Norris at least had the decency to look somewhat guilty.
The residents of Coronation Street gasped in horror at the sight of the broken woman who was normally so full of life as she fought for that very life.
Westerfield General Infirmary
"Mr Foster?" A doctor in bloody scrubs and a white lab coat asked.
"Yes, yes that's me. How is she? She's going to be alright, isn't she?" Frank asked frantically.
"I think it's best we go somewhere more private." The Doctor replied.
"Just tell me!" Frank yelled in frustration.
"I don't think you would want to have this conversation in the middle of a busy corridor." The Doctor replied.
"Yeah, yeah right. Sorry." Frank spoke quietly.
The two men made their way down the corridor to the relative's room.
Relatives room.
"Please, if you'd like to take a seat. Mr Foster." The doctor asked.
He did so.
"How's she doing?" Frank softly
"I'm Dr Paul Cannings. I'm the trauma consultant that's treating Carla. Carla received a stab wound to the left side of her chest, which caused a pneumothorax that is when air gets into the space between the outside of your lung and the inside of your chest wall, your ribcage. I had to use a chest drain. This is a flexible plastic tube that's inserted through the chest wall after the area is numbed. The drain allows air out but not back in, so your lung can re-inflate. The tube is secured and stays in place until the air leak has resolved and the lung reinflated. You will have to stay in the hospital until it has been resolved. On average, this is around 2 – 5 days, but it can be longer. But unfortunately, this hasn't worked for Carla how we'd like, so she will need surgery to repair the damage." Dr Cannings explained.
"What do you mean?" Frank asked, sitting forward in his chair.
"The buildup of air is just too big to repair down here and for Carla's body to handle. Also, there was some other damage done when she was stabbed." Dr Cannings replied.
"What? How serious? What kind of damage? Is she going to make it?" Frank asked anxiously.
"Three broken ribs and bruising to her. I simply can't predict the outcome." Dr Cannings told him.
"Can I see her?" Frank asked desperately.
"I'm sorry, we want to get her to theatre as quickly as possible." Dr Cannings replied, sympathetically.
"How long?" Frank asked, defeated.
"As soon as they are done we'll get a nurse to come and get you straight away." Dr Cannings promised.
A while later
Everyone, Ann, Sam, Kate, Hayley, Roy, Jonny, Aiden, Kate and Liz were all sitting in the relative's room when the door opened.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Frank hissed at the person.
"I've only come to see if she's alright." The person replied.
"The brass neck of it. Get out!" Frank yelled at them.
"You know despite everything, I do care about her." The person replied.
"You're a liar. I've just told you to get out. You're not seeing her. Now leave before I get security to throw you out!" Frank told them, same putting a hand on his chest.
"They're not worth it, son. Carla needs you." He reminded his son.
"I'm staying whether you like it or not." The person replied.
"Maybe it's better if we go." The other person with her whispered in her ear.
"No, I'm staying!" They cried out in frustration.
"He's right, maybe it is best if you do leave," Liz told them softly.
They just glared at her.
"How dare you? My sister is fighting for her life and you now all of a sudden have the audacity to stand there and claim that you care? You've treated her worse than dirt! Now, you have been told to get out!" Kate yelled at them.
"I never thought I'd see the day my own family turned their back on me." They replied.
"You did that yourself, Michelle. You nobody to blame but yourself." Aidan told her.
Michelle turned to leave.
"And don't think you're invited to the wedding," Frank told her.
A few hours later.
A surgeon came into the room and was almost bombarded with questions.
"How is she?"
"Did she make it out theatre?"
"How did the surgery go?"
"Can we see her?"
"I'm assuming you're Carla's family? Carla's out of theatre. The surgery went well and I managed to repair the damage. She's in recovery at the moment and will be brought to ICU. She'll stay there for tonight as a precaution. She'll be in some pain and discomfort, but barring any future complications I don't see why she shouldn't make a full recovery." He explained to them.
A sigh of relief filled the room.
"Can I see her?" Frank asked, hopefully.
"As soon as she's brought to ICU, but it's only two at a time. She'll be groggy from the anaesthetic from surgery and you won't get much out of her." He warned.
"I don't care about that. I just want to see her." Frank replied.
"Of course. I must leave you to it, I have rounds." The Dr excused himself.
"You and Roy go first and we'll take our turn. Kate, love. If Frank gives you the keys. Will you go back to the flat and get Carla some things? I'm sure she'd appreciate it." Johnny asked his youngest daughter.
"You don't have to…" Roy began but Jonny cut him off.
"No, I do. You've earned that place more than I have and I know Carla will want to see you." Jonny told him.
"Well, although you don't have to. Thank you." Roy replied, somewhat taken aback.
An hour later.
A nurse came into the room.
"Would you like to see Carla now?" She asked with a soft smile.
"Yes, please," Frank replied, eagerly.
"Not a problem, come with me and I'll take you to her." She replied.
The nurse-led him and Roy through a maze of corridors, finally, they reached the ICU.
Frank quietly sat beside Carla's beside as she remained unconscious.
Love doesn't adhere to time and boundaries, does it? It just is.
Love cannot always save us, but it can be the reason why we fight. Then love becomes the wound that bleeds, the space to be filled, the emptiness that echoes into silence.
I know what they mean now when they say "love hurts". Can't have one without the other. Not ever. Yet we keep doing it, again and again. I wonder why?
Now and then in life, love catches you unawares, illuminating the dark corners of your mind, and filling them with radiance. Once in awhile you are faced with a beauty and a joy that takes your soul, all unprepared, by assault."
Some pages take longer to turn than others. It doesn't matter if the spotless sheet follows a blotted one, or if the preceding lines are blurred with tears. What went before is erased, or embraced, as we begin another chapter.
"I'll check on her in a little bit and then we'll do the scan." The nurse smiled at him.
"What's that for?" Frank asked, knitting his eyebrows.
"To check the baby." The nurse replied and left.
Leaving a stunned Frank in her wake.
A/N Chapter 15! Thank you so much for your kind words and support!
Is there anything you want to be added or mentioned? Let me know!
Amymikk
I really hope she doesn't die I was crying at this chapter god knows what I would be like. James is the Scrooge that ruined Christmas. X
As if I'd let that happen! I'd be lynched! Awe I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry! He definitely is! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Thank you x
Carla Connor Lover
I loved loved loved how most of this chapter was just all figments of Frank's imagination with little tiny bits of reality trying to slip through and it is very handy I find to know from the first chapter that Carla will not die! So I can't wait to find out what happens next xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Awe, you did? I wasn't sure if it was going to work. There's plenty more to come. So you never know! I'm so pleased you're enjoying it. Thank you XXXX XXXX XXXX