Title: The Fallen Woman
Fandom: Call The Midwife
Rating: PG
Length: 711
Summary:  Nurse Lucille Anderson is called to assist a woman who has fallen down the bus stairs

Valerie Dyer sank down onto the chair in the kitchen and sighed. 

Lucille Anderson passed her a cup of tea and said, “Here, drink this.  You look like you need it.”

“Thank you,” Valerie said.  “That’s the second set of twins I’ve delivered this week.”

“I didn’t know Mrs Roach was expecting twins.”

“Neither did she.  I had to get one of the neighbours to call for the ambulance.  The second baby was much smaller than the first.  Hopefully she’ll be okay, but she’ll need an incubator.  But mother and the first baby are doing well.”

Lucille was about to reply, but she heard the sound of pounding feet and Fred Buckle came into the kitchen out-of-breath.  “Can someone come,” he said, “there’s a woman fallen down the stairs in the bus.”

“Of course,” Lucille said, “I’ll come at once.”  She rushed through the house, picking up her bag on the way.  From the top of the steps she could see the stationary bus at the end of the road, so she began to run.

When she reached the bus, she found a woman lying at the bottom of the stairs, crying and bleeding quite badly.

“Have you called an ambulance?” Lucille asked.

“Yes,” the conductor replied.  “There’s one on the way.”

Lucille spoke to the woman, but couldn’t understand the reply.  She wondered whether it was the accent she didn’t understand, but then an older woman said, “She’s not English.  She was sitting next to a man and they were talking foreign.”

“Where’s the man now?”

“They both stood up to get off at the same time, but he’s not here.  I was sitting behind them.”

The ambulance arrived and, as Lucille was assisting the crew to get the lady onto a stretcher, Sergeant Noakes appeared, wanting to know why the bus was holding up the traffic.  The conductor explained, and when the ambulance had departed Lucille went to speak to the sergeant.

“I don’t know the name of the lady.  I sent her handbag with the ambulance so hopefully they can identify her at the hospital.  My guess is she was eight months pregnant, and there’s a chance she’ll lose the baby.  This passenger says the woman had a companion and they both got up to leave together, but he’s not here.”

Sgt Noakes turned to the passenger Lucille had indicated.  “Was the man in front of the woman when they came down the stairs?”

“No, I think he followed her.”

“So he would have had to push past her to get off the bus?”

“I assume so.  I was upstairs and didn’t see what happened.  I heard a cry and the conductor rang the bell to stop the bus.”

“Thank you.  Can you describe the man?”  The woman did the best she could, and once Sgt Noakes had taken her name and address he thanked and she went on her way.

As she left the conductor said, “Can we go?  We’ll need to take the bus back to the depot.”

“Give me two minutes to see if there’s anything upstairs and then you can go.”

Lucille waited for him, and when he returned she said, “Did you find anything?”

“No, just fag ends and discarded tickets.”

“I’ve been wondering whether the man simply pushed past the lady to get off the bus, or whether he pushed her down the stairs.  Surely if it had been an accident he would have stayed?”

“The thought had occurred to me.  I’ll put the word out and then go to the hospital to see if they’ve got any more details.  I don’t suppose she said a name at all?”

Lucille thought.  “I don’t know.  Although she did say something like Yan a couple of times.  Could that be a name?”

“Jan?  Yes.  I’ve met a couple of people called that.  I think it’s a version of John.  It’s not much, but it’s a start.  Thank you, Nurse Anderson.”

“Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.  And if you hear how she is …”

“I’ll certainly pass on any news to you,” Sgt Noakes replied.

Lucille walked slowly back to Nonnatus House.  As she did so she quietly said a prayer for the mother, and that the baby would survive.