After a period of not being stupendously fond of Nurse Crane due to the hurtful things she's said to Shelagh the past few episodes I've returned to liking Nurse Crane again but I just needed to let the last of my residual annoyance at her out, especially after some comments she made this ep.


'If you ask me Doctor and Mrs Turner need to stop making young Master Turner look after his sister so they can go to work!' Nurse Crane huffed as the nurses and nuns sat in the kitchen one August clinic. The Turners had already left to return to the surgery citing some ulcers that needed redressing so she felt confident of the privacy of the hall kitchen.

'I know they have a nanny of some sort but young Timothy seems to be constantly stuck indoors! He's under his parents' thumb I just know it. He'll turn out to be some weedy, snivelly Mummy's boy before you know it. The poor boy is as pale as a sheet and he's far too skinny! You know I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs Turner didn't have time to feed him properly-she's already off loading her personal work to us! His poor legs are like sticks-he should be out playing and getting some muscle on him, it doesn't look healthy.

'Nurse Crane!' Sister Evangelina bellowed outraged turning deep purple as she rose to unleash a tirade at the unsuspecting nurse who, to her credit, barely flinched at the sudden noise.

'It's okay Sister I can handle this.' Shelagh said coolly walking into the kitchen. Nurse Crane's face dropped. 'Oh yes Nurse I heard every word you said-I forgot my coat so I just popped back.'

'Mrs Turner I-' 'Timothy died last Christmas. Did you know that?' Shelagh revealed as Nurse Crane gasped. 'He was resuscitated obviously but for half a minute he was dead.'

'I-I didn't. What happ-'

'He had polio. He caught it just before he was due his immunisation. He was unconscious for two days, he couldn't walk at all for nearly a month, could barely walk for a month after that and had to use braces for a further 6 months. He lost almost all muscle in his legs. He's much better now but he still wakes in the night crying from the pain-he passes it off as growing pains, and they certainly haven't helped-but it's the aftereffects of the polio still bothering him I can tell. His legs still hurt if he plays out for too long. He's extremely self conscious about his legs. So yes his legs are still quite thin but I'd rather have a thinned legged son than one in a grave.

During the time he was recovering, both in hospital and back at home, he began to see the merits of Doctors and decided that he wanted to be one too. He wants to specialize in polio treatment and so he spends a lot of time reading and learning. He still plays out a lot with his friends-I'd never keep him inside against is will but he wants to be inside.

He absolutely dotes on his sister-he always wanted one and he'd been let down so many times that Angela arriving to us was nothing short of a miracle for us. I would never force him to look after her but again he wants to. He's been through so much in his short life that he's become very grown up and he wants to help out.

And frankly how dare you insinuate that I would put my job before my family to the extent that I wouldn't feed him! I know you're not exactly a fan of mine, you've made that abundantly clear many times, but that boy means the world to me. I watched him nearly die on our sofa, I was forcibly removed from his bedside when he needed me most because I wasn't yet his mother, I waited for days to discover if my son would wake up from his coma, I helped my boy learn to walk again. If I thought for a second that he needed me and that my being at work was affecting him badly I would be out of here in a heartbeat. My family is exactly where they are supposed to be.

The only reason I needed to 'off load my personal work' to the nuns was because our Nanny has gone on holiday meaning I have to take Angela to work which slows everything down, and the name tags that needed sewing were delivered late to the haberdashery leaving me very little time to sew them in. I only asked for a little help but Sisters Evangelina and Winifred went above and beyond and I am beyond grateful to them for it.

If I ever hear you talk about my son, or anyone else in my family, like that again you will be sorry. Got it?' Nurse Crane nodded dumbly as Shelagh stormed out of the hall leaving a room full of stunned women.

'Is that…did he really have Polio?' Barbara asked wide-eyed as the long standing nurses and nuns nodded sadly.

'Yes. It was really very tragic. He came down with it two days before they were due to get married, they had to postpone for nearly three months. Shelagh found him on the sofa barely breathing and she stayed with him until the nurse there forced her out in hysterics. Doctor Turner was so worried about Timothy when he arrived at the hospital that he forgot to tell the nurse she could come in. She ended up coming to us in great distress. He really was very unwell for quite a while but he was so strong, so determined to get better. I know how proud his parents were. I know how proud we were.'

'Sister Evangelina nearly cried when he walked up to her at the jubilee with just a cane.'

'Yes, I did. And I'm not ashamed to admit it.'

'I remember.' Patsy smiled. 'When I first saw him he had these giant calipers on. Quite beastly looking! And then mere weeks later he had come so far-I was extremely impressed. Very efficient recovery.'

'Wow.' Barbara exclaimed stunned. 'I had no idea he's even been ill! He walks so well.'

'All thanks to Shelagh and Doctor Turner. Shelagh especially. Doctor was so busy at work that a lot of the help fell to her.'

'Goodness me.' Nurse Crane finally managed to say. 'I think I owe Mrs Turner and young Master Turner an apology.'

'Yes I quite think you do.' Trixie scowled.


Okay yes the reason he looks so gangly and thin is probably mainly due to growing but all that trouble last year won't have helped.

Also there was so much MummaBear!Shelagh this ep it was fabulous