The small crowd of nurses, nuns and Police Officers outside Nonnatus House was thankfully attracting little attention for a grey and cloudy Friday afternoon.

The centre of what attention there was, however, was striking out with a chair leg wielding with a shaky arm it in the face of anyone who came near her. One of the Police Officers was already wearing a rather unsightly split lip.

"Sister Monica Joan, please!" Sister Julienne pleaded at the older Nun. "It's far warmer inside and… ".

"No!" came the sudden reply. "You're taking me away to a rotten prison. I know Father has told you to take me away so be sure that you are not telling me lies!"

Sister Julienne breathed. She was a patient woman but to her side she heard Sister Evangelina huffing.

"Can we not just take her inside?" Sister Evangelina whispered. "Pick her up and just…" she gestured as though she was about to give somebody a fireman's lift.

"Father never liked Antonia" Sister Monica Joan contined to mutter, twisting her hands around the chair leg, strangling it with knarled fingers. "Father much preferred Percival and Henry. Antonia was never a suitable daughter for him; never a suitable daughter with her ideas and fantasies. She always as her head in the clouds with silly ideas he used to say".

"Sister?" one of the Police Officers asked. "Do you want us to take her to the Police Station?" He was the officer with the congealing blood on his lip, caught by the rough edge of the chair leg as she swung away at this unfamiliar face who had - even though the young man had been more than gentle and respectful - in her eyes accosted her.

"I appreciate Constable that there are potentially charges to be had but I do feel that as soon as we have return her to the house and we can speak whilst its quiet, I can assure you..." she was about to conclude her sentence when behind them a black Wolseley rolled to a halt.

Sister Julienne had deliberately sent Cynthia inside to telephone the Police Station and to ask for Peter. Hopefully, Sister Julienne, mused when two unfamiliar constables had answered their plea, the presence of a Police Officer who had been frequenting Nonnatus on an almost daily basis for several weeks now after gaining the attention of one of its occupants, might just do the trick.

He stepped through the crowd, flanked by the other officers; the Sisters and nurses stepping back.

"It's Peter, Sister" he said, stretching out hand to her. "Do you remember me?"

He saw her look at him curiously and for a moment the haze seemed to lift.

"Yes. Oh yes! Oh joy is mine! I remember you; you're my daughter's husband". All the parties standing on the steps of Nonnatus saw her eyes almost mystically change at the recognition of a familiar face and for a moment the confusion was theirs with this reference to a child and a husband. "I do like you; you look after my dear girl so well".

The chair leg clattered to the floor and rolled towards Sister Evangelina. She picked it up swiftly to avoid any repetition of the last half hour's shenanigans.

"Jennifer", Sister Monica Joan announced, waving her arm in the direction of the small crowd of nurses. "Do be a good girl and take my other arm and your husband and you can escort me back to the old house".

Jenny felt Sister Evangelina' elbow in her side as she struggled to comprehend what was enfolding in front of her. Quietly Peter caught her attention, eyes widening, tipping his head to the steps as Sister Monica Joan held out her arm for her.

Jenny and Peter, each silent, guided the Sister up the steps back into Nonnatus.

"You must tell me though, my dears" she said, gently squeezing Jenny on the arm. "What are all these Police Officers doing here?"

Sister Julienne took one look at Sister Evangelina.

"I'll telephone Dr Turner".

Shortly after the good doctor had been escorted upstairs by Sister Julienne, Chummy and Cynthia, fresh from a co-incidental return to Nonnatus together wandered in the kitchen.

"Gosh! Such a lot of people! What on earth's going on?" Chummy asked, seeing three police officers, Jenny and Trixie at various points in the kitchen.

"Sister Monica Joan in the bike shed with a chair leg" Trixie quipped as she filled the kettle for a hot water bottle.

"Pardon?" Chummy asked, deeply confused at the scenario unfolding in front of her now seeing Jenny turn with a bloodied piece of cotton wool in her hand.

She was just about to receive an explanation from Peter when Sister Monica Joan swept past them both straight towards Trixie, snatching the newly filled hot water bottle off her.

Sister Julienne and Dr Turner arrived seconds later, having seen his patient escape her room with such swift attention they wondered if they were not dealing with a teenager.

"Silly girl!" she said suddenly, glancing at Trixie. "I really must speak to Mother about the staff. Why she insists on employing staff who are nothing but lazy slips of girls! How long have you been filling a simple hot water bottle?! The good doctor here has patients to attend besides me!"

To her side she noticed Chummy and Peter.

"Ah! My niece has arrived", Sister Monica Joan, said, tapping Chummy's hand. "How wonderful! It's just been so long since you came to visit! I must tell Mother you are here at last".

Both Chummy and Peter, however, noticed the look of disapproval crossing her face as she noticed that her other hand, whilst it was not entirely encased in his, their fingers were loosely linked almost unconsciously as she had taken her place by his side. Sister Monica Joan dropped Chummy's hand like it had burnt her and walked towards Jenny, taking her by the elbow.

"I did tell you young lady, that that husband of yours has a wandering eye, but did you listen?! On your head my girl and with your own cousin!"

The elderly Sister suddenly turned on her heel and flouced away, swiftly followed by Dr Turner.

"Nurse Miller", Sister Julienne said, turning her head to make entirely sure of where the Doctor and Sister had gone, "I suggest you assist Dr Turner"

"Yes Sister", she replied, not even having a moment to remove her coat. "Nurse Franklin, if you could attend to our Police Officers and Nurses Browne and Lee, would you care to accompany me?".

She heard another chorus of "Yes Sister" as she walked away towards the sitting room.

Chummy and Jenny sat side by side on the settee as Sister Julienne took up her place opposite them.

"As you can both imagine, and can see, we must be cautious. If it persists that Sister Monica Joan is fixated that you both are her daughter and niece, and for some reason Constable Noakes is married to you Nurse Lee, you must both be careful". She paused seeing heads nodded.

"Nurse Browne I suggest you explain to Constable Noakes just how much Sister Monica Joan's illness seems to be deteriorating these past months . It may help if the Police see fit to consider charges for assault".

"I will Sister", she replied.

"Thank you. Now, I would hope that it will not cause any ill will between you". Both nurses looked to each other silently.

"It won't Sister", Jenny replied as she saw a reassuring smile from Sister Julienne. "We know she is ill".

"Very good", the Sister replied, gently nodding her head. "In that case, we can all get on with our days".