FAIT ACCOMPLI

Back in the tram, Robyn sits with her anonymous friend.

"So, how's everything been? You seen him recently?" Begins Robyn.

"I'm coming back to see him now. How does he look? My knight in shining armour." Asks Honey, delightedly looking past Robyn and out of the window.

"He's as gorgeous and shining as ever." Robyn replies happily, before both chuckling.

However, their joyous conversation soon comes to an unanticipated end. The tram slams its brakes on and Robyn falls onto a row of two seats which are symmetrical to the seats her and Honey are sat in. They both fall onto the seats opposite them. Honey's face presses hard against the leather. The sound of screaming from passengers on the carriage can be heard loud and clear. The tram driver at the front of the carriage pulls a rail above his head. A plaque above the rail says 'Emergency Stop'. The driver jerks the rail. The wheels of the tram release sparks. The tram keeps driving forward on the track. But it's too late, the brakes weren't applied in time, and the tram hits the wooden pole. It begins to push the wooden pole out of its way, but ends up sliding up and over the pole. The whole tram flies elegantly and freely through the air before regaining contact with Earth. As it falls back to Earth it derails from the track, but the tram continues to push forward and into the tunnel. A massive noise echoes through the tunnel. Smoke breathes from the tunnel. Everything is silent...

Back at the ED, Connie struts through the doors and back into Resus. She promptly walks over to Ellana, with the scan results in her hand.

"Ellana, there's good new and bad news. The good news is you haven't broken your back. The bad news is you're suffering Lumbar Radiculopathy."

"Lumbar what?" Asks Ellana curiously.

"Lumbar Radiculopathy. Nerve irritation caused by damage to the discs between the vertebrae. Now, we're going to need to relieve the pressure immediately, so I propose we go the surgical route, which will involve a laminectomy. This works by removing the lamina, which is the back part of the vertebra covering the spinal cord. It's decompression surgery. Now, I need to run the risks through with you. These can include deep infections in the surgical wound, blood clots, an unstable spine, possible paralysis, loss of bladder control or trouble passing urine, long-term pain which can develop after surgery and death from surgery, which is very, very rare. The success rate is favourable - with 70 to 80% of patients obtaining a significant improvement in their function, and remarkably reduced levels of pain and discomfort related to spine stenosis."

"Can I think this through?" Asks Ellana, struggling to digest the information and comprehend the risks associated with the procedure.

"Yes, you can - but I wouldn't hang about on this one. You need treatment straightaway."

Connie gives a brief smile before walking out of Resus again.