'Emmerdale's' Nicola King will be "mortified" if she remains paralysed for the rest of her life.
Nicola Wheeler
The blonde beauty (played by actress Nicola Wheeler), is set to be caught up in a life-threatening explosion at the Mill Cottage Development on Thursday's episode (23.06.16), which will see the longstanding cast member diagnosed with swelling of the brain and a loss of feeling in the right side of her body.
Speaking to Inside Soap magazine about the forthcoming tragedy and being hospitalised, the longstanding actress - who returned to the Yorkshire Dales in 2007 after taking an 18-month hiatus - said: "She hears crashing and bashing about, which is when she decides to hide upstairs. But after she comes down, the smoke is everywhere and she can't get out. She'd either be overcome with smoke or burned to death.
"She's inhaled too much smoke, she's bumped her head and hurt her shoulder, but that's about it.
"Nicola ends up checking herself out of hospital because she's so confident there's nothing wrong with her.
"So she goes home feeling perfectly normal - but then Jimmy finds her out cold. She's rushed back to hospital and they have to operate. It turns out Nicola has swelling on the brain.
"Nicola can't feel her right arm or leg. After a few hours, the fear and confusion worsen. She wants answers and to know if this could be permanent. I hate to say it, but if it is, Nicola will be mortified - she'll feel like half a person."
The blaze happens after Rakesh Kotecha (Pasha Bocarie), decides to start the fire in the hope his insurance company will give him a large payout, which will help solve his outstanding debts.
However, when the flames take hold of the property, which is owned by Emma and James Burton, it is believed by Ronnie Hale (John McArdle) and Dan Spencer (Liam Fox) that only the lawyer's wife Priya Sharma is in the building, although they soon discover it is in fact Nicola when they rescue her from the development.
Nicola explained: "Without Ronnie and Dan, Nicola would be done for.
"When they drag her out, Nicola is in total shock - though that doesn't mean she's lost her acid wit!
"If Nicola finds out that Rakesh did this, he'll be singing falsetto."
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