Chapter 10: Display then cut.
"No wait please!" my nightmare had me in a grip of fear.
"Karen, love it's OK, i'm here, i'm here" Tom said holding me tightly whilst i cried.
"I'm sorry, i can't stop the nightmare's", my head still hurt and now it had mixed with the nightmare and given me a headache.
"It's OK darling, i'm here to help you through this".
Tom held me until i fell asleep in his arms, once again my alarm went off at 5am i reached over and turned it off, as i got out of bed i suddenly heard a noise, i should have woken Tom, but as the noise came from Oliver's room i thought that one of the cats had gotten in there. I opened Oliver's door and was face to face with a strange man.
"I want to talk to you Karen, i have to explain...." he said walking towards me.
As i screamed and turned to run he caught my arm but not enough to stop me from falling down the stairs, Tom came running out of the bedroom and hit the man out cold then he noticed me at the bottom of the stairs, Tom ran to my side, my head was bleeding again and i was hurting everywhere, i tried to move but Tom kept me still.
"Don't move love please, yes i need an ambulance and the police", Tom said into his phone then looking down at me "this is my fault i should have protected you better".
"It's not your fault, oww!!, Tom don't blame yourself" i said as he kissed my lips.
Suddenly the pain in my head was shooting and i couldn't keep my eyes open "Tom, i don't, i don't feel..." i passed out.
"Karen, Karen, stay with me! god help me no i can't lose you now!".
Charlotte had arrived just as i was being loaded into the ambulance, photographers were being kept back by my neighbours and the police. Charlotte ran straight over to Tom.
"Tom, what happened? is Karen OK?" she asked concerned and with tears in her eyes.
"Charlotte, she's OK, her head was bleeding and she passed out, some jerk broke in and tried to grab her". he said whilst watching the police bring the man out of my home.
"Sir, we have to go" one of the ambulance men said to Tom.
"OK i'm coming". he turned to Charlotte and gave her a hug taking her by surprise.
"Go Tom, she'll be OK, she's in good hands and you stay safe, keep me up to date please".
"I will, apologize to Shane for her".
A police man helped Charlotte back to her car and she continued onto work, the ambulance doors were closed and 15 minutes later we were at Musgrove hospital. As doctors examined me another doctor and Detective Taylor tried to ask Tom what had happened.
"Just tell me what happened when you heard Miss frost scream" Detective Taylor asked holding a pen and notepad.
"I um, heard Karen scream, so i jumped out of bed, then just as i made it to the bedroom door i heard a crash, i came face to face with the bloke and just hit him, i couldn't contain myself, he had no right to be there, then i spotted Karen at the bottom of the stairs, i rushed down to her and called an ambulance, tell me she's going to be OK?" Tom said sitting down on the corridor floor against the wall with his head resting on his knees and his arm's wrapped around himself.
Luke had arrived at this time and had already started liaising with hospital staff and police to get all the information he could to release a press statement on mine and Tom's behalf. Tom and Luke waited in my room with me.
"Please wake up, please!" Tom said as he held my hand and wiped away a tear that rolled down his cheek. "I can't lose her Luke not now!".
"Tom you won't lose her, trust me as you have always said she's a fighter and she will fight through this". he said placing a hand on Tom's shoulder and a light kiss on my forehead. Luke left the room placing a guard at the door and going off to find out more.
It was almost two in the morning when i eventually started opening my eyes, Tom was fast asleep in the chair and a nurse who i recognized was taking my blood pressure.
"Welcome back".
"Graham, what happened why....".
"Don't try to get up" he said quietly so as to not wake Tom up "You fell down your stairs and hit your head hard a few times".
"Is that why everything is a little fuzzy and i feel sick?" i placed my hand on my head and the other on my stomach.
"You have a concussion sweet, just try to rest ok, i'll come back later". he said smiling and giving me a wave goodbye.
I laid in the bed just looking at Tom, he looked tired and i had caused that, with my nightmares and now this, i felt really bad but then felt really sick, my head was pounding and my eyesight started to go funny, no i wanted to stay awake i wanted to let Tom know i was OK but it was like i was falling down a black hole and he was the light i couldn't reach it, i screamed Tom's name but he couldn't hear me, i fell into the darkness and i was lost again.
"Tom!, Tom!" i was saying in my unconscious state.
Tom woke and gripped my hands "I'm here love, I'm here".
3 hours later i was awake again this time my room was filled with faces i did and didn't know, Tom and my parents were one side of the bed along with Ayshea, Luke and Kenneth, on the other side stood a doctor who was explaining to them the extent of my injuries.
"Karen, has suffered a mild traumatic brain injury that follows trauma to the head, with hitting her head yesterday on top of hitting it on Tuesday, the soft, jelly-like brain is protected by the skull. The brain doesn't fill the skull entirely, it floats in a clear nourishing liquid called cerebrospinal fluid, this fluid acts as a shock absorber, but its protective value is limited, the kinetic energy of a small knock to the head or face can be absorbed by the cerebrospinal fluid, but a hard impact can smash the brain against the inside of the skull. This is what has happened to Karen and it has caused a tear in the blood vessel's causing a cranial pressure of blood to build up, but the swelling has already started to go down so we are convinced that Karen will be fine and by tomorrow she will be able to go home" he shook hands with Tom and my parents then left the room.
The next day i was still feeling fuzzy while Tom helped me get dressed, the nurses gave Tom my discharge papers and handed my medication to Ken, we left out of a side door meeting Luke who was waiting beside Tom's car. Tom and i sat in the back and he held me close smiling down at me, Ken was sat in the front with Luke who was driving.
"I was scared i had lost you love, don't do that to me again" he said as he kissed the top of my head "You have a concussion and Luke and i have to keep a close eye on you for the next few weeks" he looked at Luke as he said this and Luke nodded in agreement.
"Few weeks?"
"Yep" he said grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"I don't want to go home Tom" i said as i stared out the car window "It has got too many memories and i just can not stay there anymore, but i can't afford to stay off work any longer, i've still got bill's to pay". Tom wrapped me in his arms and i held him tight, i felt a tear drop on my cheek and when i looked up at Tom i saw tears falling down his face, i wiped his tears away and smiled looking right into his eyes "I'm OK, thank's to you".
"Don't worrie about the house or bills and don't worry about your job we'll go see Shane" he paused then said "I thought i had lost you after just finding you" he said holding me tighter "I know we have only known each other almost a week but i love you with all my heart".
We reached the house, but now i couldn't go in, the path and car park opposite were full of news vans and reporters and fans all trying to get out attention when they saw us pull up outside the house "I can't go in, Tom i can't" feeling really scared of my own home.
"OK, wait here with Luke and i'll grab some stuff for you".
"OK".
As Tom entered the house, Ayshea and the police were still there, Tom had phoned ahead and asked Ayshea to pack my clothes and a coat, Tom spoke to an officer and discovered that the man who had broken in had come in through Oliver's room and that it turned out he was Phillip Rogers's brother. Detective Taylor was in the house and when he saw Tom he spoke.
"Mr Hiddleston, How is Miss Frost?"
"She's coping Detective, is it true the man who broke in is in fact Phillip Rogers's brother?".
"Yes, he um, wanted to apologize to Miss Frost and was caught off guard".
"Most people if they want to say sorry use the door or telephone, not break in and rummage around your son's bedroom?, i want him charged with breaking and entering and injuring Karen".
"Mr Hiddleston, both brothers are in custody and will be charged make no mistake about that, i was wondering if i could speak to Miss Frost?"
"She's sat in the car, she can't face coming in so i'm collecting her stuff and taking her back to London" Tom said standing in a protective pose.
Detective Taylor came out of the house and over to the car, i could tell it was important so got out of the car.
"Miss Frost, are you OK?"
"Yes, Yes i'm fine".
"Can i ask you what happened the other morning?"
"Of course" i said lighting a cigarette, i had tried to quit but with all this i couldn't.
"Can you tell me what you heard? Did he say anything to you?".
I sat down against the bonnet "I had just woken up and heard a noise, it sounded like one of the cats had knocked something over, as i opened Oliver's bedroom door a man was stood there and he said he needed to talk to me but as he stepped towards me i screamed and tried to turn and run back into my bedroom, he sort of caught my arm but i twisted out of his grasps but lost my balance and fell down the stairs, that's about all i remember, nothing after that".
"Did you know the man?"
"No i've never seen him before" i said as Tom rejoined my side after placing my suitcase in the boot with a few boots and shoes. He then waved at the reporters and fans, i looked at him with a quizzical look and he flashed his big blue eyes at me smiling, Tom placed his hand on my shoulder and then turned to Detective Taylor.
"Have you told her?".
"Told me what?".
Detective Taylor looked pale then said "The man who was in your home is actually Phillip Rogers's brother, he wanted to apologize to you for what his brother had done".
"WHAT!" I stood up off of the bonnet and took both Detective Taylor and Tom by surprise "Your joking, he could have killed me!".
"Miss Frost, it was an accident and you said yourself that you turned away as he tried to grab you, Mr Rogers say's he tried to stop you from falling".
I stared at the Detective then looked at Tom, my head was pounding and i felt sick "Can we go now?" i said to Tom.
"Of course love" he turned and opened the door for me and as i was about to slide in Ayshea ran over and gave me a hug.
"Take care sweet and don't worry about the house Micheal and i will look after it, call me later". she said then holding me at arms length.
I slid into the back seat resting my head back and closing my eye's, Tom closed the door then turned back to the Detective.
"I'm sorry, this is too much for her to take right now, this is my number please keep me up to date on everything" he handed over a piece of paper with his name and number on, then walked around the car and we drove off.
We stopped off at Iceland to let Shane and Charlotte know what was happening just as Malcolm Walker came out the back.
"Karen, my dear how wonderful to finally meet you, oh are you OK?" he said looking at the bandage wrapped around my head.
Tom and Ken told them everything that had happened, then Malcolm stood and presented me with an envelope, i opened it and i could see Shane and Charlotte looking excited, inside was a contract?.
"I have a contract?" i said looking from Malcolm to Shane and Charlotte.
"This Karen is a contract to do the new Iceland advert, we want you as the face of Iceland".
Charlotte was almost bouncing at this point and Tom and Ken were excited as well, i was just shocked, me the face of Iceland??
"Why?" i said to Malcolm as i stood.
"Because my dear, you are Iceland, you work for us and have said many times that you love your job". He said taking my right hand in his hands.
"Yeah, i do, but this is more than i ever imagined" i said smiling, i sat back down as i was feeling a little dizzy from all the excitement.
Tom held my hand and bent down and kissed my cheek "you deserve this love".
"Can i take it away and read it when my heads not so fuzzy?".
"Of course" Malcolm said shaking my hand then he shook hands with Tom and Ken "Also i want you to take as long as you need off, no buts".
I went to object but he wouldn't take no for an answer, so it was arranged i would take as long as i needed which i hated as it meant leaving the store short staffed.
"Hey" Charlotte said quietly "Don't worry about this place we'll cope, you go spend time with Tom and relax OK". I agreed and she gave me a big hug "Take care and enjoy yourself, don't forget to ring me everyday with news, i'll miss you".
Tom, Ken and i left then visited my parents, they understood why i was going back to London and promised everything would be taken care of, i kissed and hugged them both goodbye and off we drove back to London.