Stuck: Together

While I did have plans to go beyond the initial chapter of Stuck this has grown into something more than I was expecting, after Somebody That I Used To Know I wanted to stay in the mindset of those characters but obviously avoid a lot of the hardships. Ironically this final chapter of Stuck is going to feature a lot of them with the aftermath of the car crash being the focal point, I don't know how long this chapter will be but I can guarantee it will be sometime before any sexual elements take place.

Fair warning, this chapter will be discussing amputation and the readjustment to life after it, this is not a subject I have any knowledge in and while I have done some homework I can't say if it's accurate or not, I don't mean to belittle or misrepresent actual amputees, but for this story it's necessary.

Story first, sex second.

*

As she drove down the motorway leaving their high school prom, Emily Fitz suddenly shivered, the ugly feeling she got watching her friend and teammate Nicola McAllister leave with Martin Allen had shot up, something had happened.

Beside her, her boyfriend Francis Howard noticed that her body language had changed, but he didn't say anything because in the back of the car were their passengers, Nicola's brother Kevin, and her boyfriend Arthur Ross, and neither of them needed worrying yet.

"You think we'll catch up to them?" Kevin asked a little firmer than he wanted to, he didn't know Martin like the others but his reputation preceded him and he was worried for both his sister and his date Megan.

Francis shook his head. "I'm not sure; hopefully with the roads being this empty it won't be too hard to find them."

Emily gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Once we're on the straightaway I'll speed up a little, we'll find them."

Emily's word turned out to be a little too prophetic for comfort, for as they turned a slight bend in the road, the wreckage of Nicola's car came into view. Immediately everyone felt their stomach turns but none more so than Arthur, his vision blurred, his breathing hyperventilated and he felt a sickening twist of claustrophobia kicking in the car. He was having a panic attack.

"Stop the car."

"Arthur, I can't..."

"STOP THE FUCKING CAR!"

The outburst combined with the unnatural curse from Arthur's mouth was enough to shock Emily into stopping the car at the side of the road, Arthur stumbled in a blind panic trying to get out the car, needing air, needing freedom, needing to see if Nicola was alive. As he darted out Kevin made to follow him.

"I'll make sure he's alright, you two check the other car and call an ambulance."

Emily and Francis nodded, both still processing what they had come across. Kevin got out the car and ran over to find Arthur who had already made it to Nicola at the driver's seat. The scene terrified him, the car was completely ruined, the window shattered from where Martin had gone sailing through, the worst part was the front, the impact into the guard rail had flatten the entire hood of the car to an unrecognisable state, worst still it had flattened into Nicola, Arthur could barely see the bottom half of her body but he could definitely see blood, and lots of it.

Wiping the tears from his face, Arthur tried to find a door handle, to no avail with the car in the state it was, so without thinking he went to pull Nicola out through what was left of the side window only to be stopped by Kevin.

"Arthur, Arthur no, we can't touch her, not yet."

"I need to get her out of there."

"I know, I know but we can't, we don't know the damage done to her."

"She'll die, I can't let that, I can't..."

Suddenly faced with the very real prospect of losing Nikki on the very night he was to propose frightened Arthur like nothing had ever done before, he didn't even know how bad he was crying but he was wiping his eyes more times than he could count. Luckily Kevin was keeping his cool.

"Arthur, you know my sister better than anyone, you know she's not about to let herself die in a fucking car crash, she's a fighter, she'll fight through this. I know it's hard to see, but you know she'll be ok."

Arthur was still in a state of terror but he started calming down under Kevin's words. Without saying anything Kevin reached in and put his fingers to Nicola's neck, looking for a pulse. He found one, weak but active, and smiled, nodding at a relieved Arthur.

Just then movement in the back of the car startled them both, Brendan had stirred.

"Arthur, that you?"

"Brendan, are you alright?"

"Is Megan ok?" Kevin asked as he jumped to the back window, looking at Megan but not being unable to reach her unmoving body.

"She's alive, I can't see any blood and she's breathing. Something's fucked with my neck, I keep trying to reach my phone but I can't move without hurting."

Kevin took charge again. "It's alright, we've called an ambulance, tell us what happened?"

"Martin fucking Allen happened, that piece of shit tried to kill us."

Feeling an unfamiliar sense of rage coursing through him, Kevin stormed over to where Martin had landed, finding him battered, bloodied but surprisingly breathing after crashing through the car window, his left arm had been badly broken from his crash landing and now a part of the bone was protruding from his skin but he was still conscious, if a little dazed.

"You're fucking dead."

Martin looked up at Kevin, trying to place the blurred face in front of him. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm the guy whose sister you just tried to murder."

"You don't know shit."

"I know enough to see you for the waste you are."

Despite everything, Martin scoffed. "That's what your cunt sister said, now look at her."

Kevin clenched his fists but was stopped from doing anything by Arthur who pointed towards Emily and Francis who were running towards them, Emily had her mobile in her hand.

"We called the ambulance, they'll be here soon, they said to make sure nobody's moved unless we absolutely have to. But Kevin, the other car, the driver didn't make it, he's dead."

Kevin looked down and show a flash of regret cross Martin's face as the consequences of his actions suddenly became apparent to him.

"I'm gonna make sure they lock you away for this."

*

Adam was just switching off the TV when he got the call; his heart skipped a beat, fearing the worst from a call at 2am. When he saw his son's number he tried to tell himself there was nothing to worry about, but when he put the phone to his ear the sound of laboured breathing almost made him fall to his knees.

"D...dad?"

"Kevin what happened, what's wrong?"

"It's Nicola dad, there was a crash, she's... I'm at Queen Elizabeth Hospital can you just get here."

"Son tell me what happened, is Nicola alright."

"I can't do this over the phone dad can you please just get here."

"Kevin, Kevin, just calm down."

"DON'T FUCKING TELL ME TO CALM DOWN. She's alive dad but they had to... fucking just here I can't do this on the phone."

Adam wrapped his fist in the bottom of his shirt just so he could have something tight to hold on to and not lose his mind with worry. "Ok, we'll be there, have you called anyone else, was anyone else hurt."

"I don't know, I don't think so. Arthur's fine but I don't think he's called..."

"Tell him we'll get his parents and be there, you keep an eye on your sister and let me know if anything changes, she's needs you right now Kevin do you understand me?"

Adam could hear Kevin trying to hold himself together over the phone. "I understand dad, I'll look after her. Just get here please."

The second Kevin hung up Adam dropped the phone and dry-heaved, using all of his strength not to throw up there and then, his only daughter had been in a crash and something terrible had happened to her, his mind raced with the worst imagery and he had to fight to keep it out of his head.

Holding on but only just, Adam raced upstairs to his bedroom where Lexi was already asleep, he carefully but firmly shook her awake.

"Lexi, Lexi wake up."

"Wha, what's going on?"

"Lexi it's important, it's Nikki."

At the mention of her daughter's name and the worry in her husband's voice Lexi shot awake. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"Kevin called, there was a car crash, Nikki's alive but something's wrong, he couldn't tell me over the phone."

Adam could see Lexi's mind running the same lap of horror he had, he grabbed her head and focused on her eyes.

"She's alive Lexi, and she needs us, grab a bag of supplies and meet me outside, I'm gonna get David and Penny."

Lexi nodded, her mind already distracted by her task, Adam grabbed a coat, ran downstairs and outside across the road towards the Ross house. It wasn't a long distance but his heart was already in overdrive so by the time he crashed into their front door and started hammering on it he was struggling to breathe.

David opened the door, Penny behind him wondering who was knocking so violently, so early in the morning, and was shocked to see Adam on the other side. Through his breathlessness and his coughing they made out two words.

"Nicola... hospital."

David didn't need to hear anything else. "I'll get my keys."

With David driving the four parents made it to the hospital within 15 minutes, thankfully the roads were fairly quiet that early in morning. Adam, Lexi and Penny ran inside while David found a parking spot, by reception they found Emily and Francis sitting on the waiting room chairs, tired and shell-shocked. Adam approached them.

"Where is she?"

Emily wiped tears from her face. "Emergency room, follow the red line, Kevin and Art are already there."

Adam and Lexi were already gone before she finished talking, their thoughts were on their daughter and they wanted to see her now. The followed the twisting corridors of the hospital, Penny close behind them until finally they came across Arthur and Kevin, both of them pacing outside the door to the surgery theatre, both of them looking sickened and horrified. At the sight of their parents both boys ran over, Artur grabbing onto his mother, Kevin onto his father and Lexi. Arthur immediately broke down as Penny soothed him.

"Hey, hey it's alright, shh, it's ok."

"I.... I can't do it.... she needs... she's gonna." Arthur couldn't speak, not without bursting into tears again.

Adam turned to Kevin. "Where is she, where's Nicola?"

"She's in there, has been since she came in."

Lexi's eyes darted between Kevin and the surgery doors. "Why, why is she in there, what happened?"

"She crashed head-first into a rail, we don't know how but I fucking know that cunt Allen was involved. The crash pinned her in, severed fucking god knows what in her legs, the doctors say they had to, had to..."

Kevin took a deep breath and looked his father in the eye.

"To save her life they had to amputate both her legs."

*

Nicola opened her eyes, slowly, painfully, as though she had to fight to wake herself up, a blinding light lay above her, and the room was silent except for the rhythmic beep of a machine beside her. In the back on her mind she knew she was in a hospital, but she couldn't remember how she got there.

As she tried to sit up in her bed a nurse quickly entered the room and stopped her.

"Whoa, easy there Nicola, you're not quite there yet. How are you feeling?"

"Where, where am I? Who are you?"

"Nicola it's Amanda, Amanda Freeman, Heather's friend remember?

Nicola tried to place the name, something vaguely clicked in the back of her mind, Brendan's sister Heather had a best friend called Amanda Townsend, and the woman in front of her had a similar ring of deep red hair around her face, she was probably the same one. She nodded uncertainly but it was enough to make Amanda smile.

"Good, good. You're at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, you've been here a couple days now, the doctors had you kept under so you could heal properly."

"Heal? How did I...? The crash."

"That's right, it's good you remember, means that psychologically you're intact. Some police officers will be round soon to ask you about the crash but I want you to rest up first before you do anything strenuous."

"Can I just stand up for a bit, just to get out of this bed, my leg is fucking agony."

Amanda gritted her teeth, trying to find the words to properly tell Nicola, but the look on her face said it all. Nicola looked down, threw off her bed-sheets, and felt her whole world collapse around her.

She had no legs, she had thighs and kneecaps and then nothing, just two rounded, bandaged stumps.

"I'm so sorry Nicola, your legs were too badly damaged in the crash, they were an immediate threat to your life and nothing could be done to stop the bleeding and save them both. The surgeons made a choice to save your life, I hope you can understand."

Nicola said nothing, she simply looked at Amanda, tears welling in her eyes and spoke one word.

"Mum?"

Amanda nodded and left to quickly find Lexi in the hallway.

"Mrs McAllister, she's awake and asking for you."

Lexi darted to her daughter's side, from the window Amanda could see the mother and daughter embrace, both of them weeping. She turned back to Adam who was sitting down, nursing a cup of coffee, he'd barely slept in the two days since the accident. He didn't even realise Amanda was there until she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She's up Mr McAllister, your wife is in there with her now."

"Ok, thank you. How is she?"

"Well she didn't start screaming so we can take that for what it is, there's little sign of infection but obviously this is going to be tough, emotionally as well as physically, and depression might hit her hard. Don't smother her but don't distance yourself either, you said that she prides herself on her independence and she can have that again, but she will need help getting there."

Adam turned away so he could wipe under his eye-patch, despite there being no eye the lack of sleep was giving him a mild pain. He looked back at Amanda when he was finished.

"You know, I was 38 when I lost my eye, my own damn fault and in the years since then I've accepted that and learned to cope with the one I can still see. My daughter's only 18 and she's lost both her legs to an accident that wasn't her doing, how can I tell her that things are going to pick up for her?"

"Remind her that she's still alive, that she still has family and friends who love her, that she's a fighter and that she can beat her own disability. I need to check on Brendan and Megan but I'll be back soon to make sure she's ok. This is going to be hard on all of you Mr McAllister, but there is a chance to come out unscathed."

Amanda left to check on her other patients leaving Adam with his rapidly cooling coffee, by chance he looked towards the entrance door where he saw Amanda talking with Joseph Martin, his boss, the two of them seemed to exchange some pleasantries before a quick hug and a goodbye. Joseph walked over and took the chair next to Adam's.

"How do you know Amanda?" Adam asked after a few seconds of silence.

"She's my wife's sister, similar to your kids, same father."

"Small world."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

The two men sat in silence again, Joseph not knowing what to say and Adam not wanting to say anything, eventually Joseph decided to come out with it.

"Adam the reason I'm here is to let you know that if there's any costs or bills to help Nicola walk again there's covered by the company, I'll make sure of it."

"Joe, I can't ask you to..."

"You're not, I'm doing it because since you started working for us you've helped us save millions through legal forms and production guideline, and you're my friend. Anything you need just ask."

It was all he could do not to break down there and then, because of his wayward youth he struggled to have many long-term friends, but now Joseph was proving he was one by helping him out in one of the most difficult times of Adam's life.

"Thank you doesn't seem to cut it right now."

"It's enough."

*

Elsewhere in the hospital, Brendan and Megan were awake but pained in their shared room, around them were their friends, Arthur, Emily, Francis, Heather and Kevin who had subconsciously put his arm over Megan's shoulder and not moved since he came in. Megan had a cut on her forehead and a bruised rib from the force of the seatbelt but was otherwise fine, Brendan had suffered whiplash which had gotten worse over the past couple days though the doctors said that was to be expected.

"Have any of you heard anything about Martin?" Megan asked the room having basically not left her bed since she got to the hospital.

Emily nodded. "Yeah, apparently he's saying it was Nikki's fault but it's his word against three eye-witnesses and enough character witnesses saying this is the sort of shit he'd pull to almost make the evidence worthless. One of the officers told me that they could almost prove the whole thing was pre-meditated but it's difficult to solidify their case so third degree seems to be their best bet."

"Anything to put his psycho ass behind bars. "Brendan grunted through the pain in his neck. "I knew having him in the car wouldn't end well but I didn't think he'd do something like that."

"I feel bad for his mum." Heather said almost offhandedly. "Both of her sons in jail, one for attempted rape, the other for attempted murder, it's bound to fuck you up."

A voice from the door startled them all. "So what you're saying is that not only are they criminal, they're bad criminals if they can't even get passed 'attempted'."

Heather smiled seeing the face of Amanda Freeman, her former best friend and one-time girlfriend. They'd grown apart in the years since but tried to remain as close as they could, Heather walked over and hugged her.

"Do I have to remind you that the rapist was your ex boyfriend?"

"Considering he got me into your bed it's not surprising you remember him. How's Paige by the way?"

"She's good, couldn't leave the bar but she'll stop by before visiting hours are over. How's Thomas?"

"Taking some time off, his dad's not feeling too well so he's looking after him. But we can catch up later, right now I have some good news for you Arthur. Nikki's awake."

"She is?"

"She is. But before you go running off just remember, she's been through a traumatic event and only found out about her legs literally 10 minutes ago. She's not going to be the girl you remember, not at first, so I'll tell you the same thing I told her dad, don't smother her but don't keep your distance, she'll need you but she'll tell you when."

Arthur made to leave but stopped, he turned to Brendan and Megan, a guilty look in his eyes. "You guys don't mind if I..."

Francis suddenly snapped his fingers and pointed to the door. "Get the fuck outta here ass for brains."

Too shocked to reply, Arthur did as he was told and nearly ran out of the room. Once he was gone, Emily stared at her boyfriend.

"Ass for brains?"

"It sounded good in my head."

Megan looked up at Kevin. "You don't want to see Nikki?"

"Not yet, I think her and Art need some time alone just now."

*

Arthur stood outside Nicola's room, through the window he saw her, Adam and Lexi, Adam sitting beside her bed holding her hand, Lexi cradling her head. Part of him wanted to rush in, hold her tight and tell her he loved her, but another part of him was scared, scared that the woman in that room wouldn't be the Nicola he fell in love with.

He shook his head in disbelief, Nikki had just gone through Hell and he was worried of her changing? Of course she was going to be different, but she was still Nikki and he would still love her no matter what. With that reminder in his mind, he opened the door, and almost immediately his eyes met with Nicola's, a flash of worry sped across her face that only he noticed, she was worried what he was thinking of her legs.