Charlotte had heard the saying multiple times, that people come into your life for a reason. She never really thought it was true until she met Joel.
She had just begun her physio therapy to help her learn to walk again, and basically learn to do everything else again.
"I don't really like this" she huffed as she sat in her wheelchair. The tall, muscular man cracked his knuckles ready to lift her
"Well you're going to have to learn if you want to walk again" he said
"Yes but when you're used to doing everything by yourself and always being right, you kind of take a disliking to being an incompetent potato" she muttered
"I've never heard a doctor use that phrase before" he said "right up" he held his hands out for Charlotte to take
"Can I try it by myself?" She asked "please? Just one try"
The man held his hands up in surrender "alright one try, and then you let me do my job"
"Pinky" Charlotte winked. She gripped the metal bars on either side of her and struggled to pull herself up. But she did.
"Oh god" she said as she became upright, not thinking she could at least move one little bit never mind go a whole couple of steps.
"Just try" he said stepping back very slowly
"I am Vinny, I'm trying" she said patronisingly, she lifted her hand to quickly slide it up the bar, but instead she just fell.
Though, she didn't hit the floor. And Vinny was stood in front of her. Who caught her?
"I thought you did pretty good for the first try" Charlotte instantly recognised Joel's voice as she was lifted to her chair.
She scoffed a little "I did terrible" looking up at him, he was dressed in his scrubs, like always.
"You just need a little help, that's all" he bent down and placed his hands under her arms
"I don't need help" she tried to shuffle
off but it didn't work
"Really?" Joel asked in disbelief "I really think you could use the help"
Charlotte looked up at him and gave him a small scowl "fine" she said quietly.
Immediately, Joel lifted Charlotte so her feet rested on the floor. "This is all I'm going to do" he smiled at her. Their noses almost touching.
Charlotte began to move her legs as Joel walked backwards with her. It took a couple of minutes, but, with Joel's help, she walked a good distance.
"I did it" she smiled, almost out of breath "I didn't realise I'm that unfit"
"You've been asleep for four months, it doesn't surprise me that you're out of breath" Joel shook his head and lifted her up, to walk her back to her wheelchair.
Charlotte flipped her head back and closed her eyes "too much exercise for the day" she laughed
"Well I hope you didn't want to sleep" Joel shook his head, walking to behind the chair "we're going outside for a bit"
"You sure? It's getting dark" Charlotte looked out of the window to see the streetlights flicker on one by one.
"It's perfect" Joel pushed the chair out of the room and outside to the grass patch.
"What're you doing?" Charlotte watched Joel retrieve a basket and a blanket from behind her chair.
He laid the red tartan blanket out, well Charlotte thought it was red, the sky was turning black so she couldn't quite adjust her sight to see.
He then placed three small candles in the middle and light them.
"Come on then" Joel stood back up
"What?" Charlotte asked and then squealed a little bit when Joel lifted her up and then placed her onto the blanket.
"I think we need a first date" he sat down next to her, the glow of the candling hit slowly covered his face, adding a certain fire to his brown eyes.
"Good thinking" Charlotte smiled "it's a shame that I'm ..."
"... An incompetent potato? Yes I heard that phrase earlier on and I'm sure that I'm beginning to like it" he winked, lifting out two glasses from the basket and a bottle of prosecco.
"Yes" she said, shaking her head "I just feel useless"
"Not for long" he smiled "you'll be on your feet in no time, I've seen you Dr.Carter and you are stubborn"
"Was that your first impression of me?" She raised her eyebrows
"Of course not, I thought you were quiet, shy to begin with, and then learnt you're stubborn, you like things to go your own way, but your also funny, smart , always right and you are a very beautiful person" he said, smiling at ever single word he said, as it just reminded him of the times he got to know her further
"You're not wrong" she laughed
"Okay it's your turn" Joel nodded towards her
"My turn to what?" She asked
"What did you first think of me?" Joel asked with a peaked interest, knowing Charlotte didn't like him for some of the time they knew each other
"Well" she said, readying herself for a massive essay "when I first first met you, I thought you were quite smart, you had everything ready for my surgery and I thought you were really nice for being there for me at that party at my house. Then you punched my" Charlotte coughed at the thought of Harry, reminding herself that he died "boyfriend which was an automatic redlight, but you were protecting me and then it was all downhill from then on, when you killed my patient, I thought you were stuck up, pretentious, stubborn"
"I think I've heard enough" Joel began to chuckle, shaking his head
"Wait I'm not finished" Charlotte interrupted "BUT then when I got super jealous of that girl you were with, I realised you were actually sort of sweet, cute, you made me laugh etcetera etcetera"
"I quite liked the end" he smiled, taking some sandwiches out of the basket and some other food that. "You'd never guess what Happened today?" He began a new conversation whilst ripping apart a cucumber sandwich
"What happened?" She asked, interested
"Charlie Harris took the most annoying, hostile patient off me today, I was struggling really bad with not hitting that woman, but for some reason he offered to take her" Joel talked with such surprise in his voice.
Charlotte nodded along trying not to laugh. She already knew though, let's just say Charlie owed her something for leaving her to die and she decided to call it in as well as making it a punishment for him. She knew Joel struggled with the woman and if Joel struggled then Charlie would have one hell of a time.
"That's amazing" Charlotte smiled and faked surprise in her voice.
"But there is another thing I wanted to ask you whilst we were out of the hospital" he said and Charlotte tilted her head towards him "it sounds really cheesy but will you be my girlfriend?"
"Of course"
YOU ARE READING
Roller coaster (saving hope/Joel Goran)
Fanfiction"Dr. Charlotte Carter; that sounds good" Charlotte is a third year surgical resident ; she had just transferred to Hope Zion after moving to Toronto. After some past troubles; she decided to take up medic residency to help others like they have hel...
