Think this is just going to be a one shot, but let me know what you think!
Patsy couldn't believe she had been dragged to this stupid news years eve party. She didn't want to go and had been protesting against it for the last month, yet somehow she still ended up in a random stranger's kitchen, alone.
Trixie, her roommate, had dragged her to this party set up by a junior doctor. Patsy didn't have a real reason not to go, and her roommate played on that. She just didn't want to be surrounded by happy couples celebrating the turn of the century when her mind was still as confused as the 16-year-old boarding school student she used to be. Patsy was now 21 and while she was happy in the life she lived. Her mind and her heart were still in a never ending battle. The battle that never left her thoughts no matter how many other things she thought about as a distraction. The more she drank, the more predominate it became she knew she couldn't avoid it forever, but just a little longer would hurt any she thought to herself. She convinced herself, that if she put it off for long enough, it would just go away.
"Patsy at least pretend you're having a good time!" Her blonde roommate said as she walked into the kitchen over to Patsy, who was stood like a lost soul by the fridge. Trixie grabbed a can of coke and a bottle of what Patsy thought was some sort of beer out of the refrigerator. Patsy couldn't hide the confused and slightly concerned expression that had made its way onto her face as Trixie shut the ridge.
"Relax dummy the coke is mine. The beer is for Sam" Trixie said smirking. Patsy had no idea who this Sam guy was but had a feeling it was one of Trixie's new found 'friends'.
"Go and enjoy," Patsy said back. smiling at Trixie, who had mastered the art of being drunk while drinking nothing at all.
Patsy watched Trixie work off drinks in hand and get lost in the hustle and bustle of the people in the hallway. Patsy watched people she didn't know mill around the kitchen, laughing and catching up with random strangers like they were long lost friends when in reality they were strangers thrown together by circumstances. Party's were a great place to people watch. Patsy had taken the last swig of her vodka and coke before she headed outside. She wasn't sure what the rules were but having seen no one else with a cigarette she headed outside t0 have what she considered a well-deserved smoke.
Patsy sat outside the townhouse and looked out at the city in front of her. Smiling as she watched time as she watched time simply fly past her eyes, almost like she was looking at her whole lifetime in just a few moments. With a long slow drag of her cigarettes, she forgot the world. Her head and her heart moved as one just for a time being, and it was magical. She knew that she shouldn't smoke. Patsy was a nurse she had read all the studies that were coming out week after week. Yet she felt drawn to the cigs and never knew why but they saved her. That's all she knew. They gave her peace when the world around her was chaos. The stupid cigarettes gave her peace and harmony just for a short while. Well, that's what she told herself.
"You know how bad smoking is for you," a welsh voice said from behind her. Patsy stubbed her cigarette down on the floor as a short welsh women came and joined her on the bench.
"You should try and get through boarding school without them" Patsy replied smartly to the welsh women.
"Try finding a single packet in a tiny village in Wales" The women replied smiling, matching Patsy's wit. It had been a long time since someone had matched the redheads smart ass comments. The ginger nurse couldn't help but smile.
"Delia Busby," The short welsh women said.
"Patsy Mount" Patsy replied.
"The party not your scene either?" Delia asked.
"Not at all. To be frank, I don't know how I even ended up here" Patsy replied wasn't sure what it was about the welsh women she had just met, but something about her was warm and calming to Patsy's storm. Something he hadn't felt in a long time.
"I currently live here so I didn't have a choice," Delia said, continuing the conversation even though Patsy hadn't actually asked a question.
"It's a lovely house," Patsy said politly even though she had only seen the hallway and the kitchen.
"Yeah, I guess. It's my brother's friends he's just letting me stay because my nurse's accommodation fell 's a junior doctor so we lift share to work which is useful" Delia said. Patsy should have guessed she was a nurse, most people here were in some form of nursing. The welsh accent made Patsy laugh she hadn't heard one before, and she had to really try to take anything the poor women said seriously.
"Oh, where do you work?"
"The London. Male surgery, it's not that interesting but it was the only job available after basic training and it was the only way to avoid returning to Wales" Delia said smiling to herself "And anything is better than moving back home with my mam. Trust me" Patsy could help but laugh at Delias honesty. She also couldn't work out how the pair hadn't met before.
" We work in the same hospital," Patsy remarked not sure if Delia had even finished her sentence or not. "I used to work in male surgery but I'm a midwife now. I swap between the hospital and home visits with the nonnatus corporation."
"Quite a leap from male surgery to midwifery. And the Nonnatus corporation that's nuns right?" Delia said smiling at her new found friends.
"I suppose it is. And yes I basically spend half my life making small talk with nuns." Patsy said nodding her head as both the girls broke out into laughter.
The conversation outside made Patsy feel alive for the first time in a truly long time. The girls laughyter was infectious and almost intoxicating not that anyone else heard it. Not one left the house and neither of the girls went was glad. Delia wasn't sure what to make of her new friends. She felt like she had known the women her whole life and couldn't work out why. Yet the redheaded nurse still came across hidden. Delia wasn't sure what to feel or if the amount of alcholol was in any way clouding her judgement.
Before Patsy had time to think midnight was fast approaching. The pair sat close to try and keep warm while both refraining from going inside. A slow song echoed through the window to the outside world.
"Lets dance!" Delia said grabbing Patsy's hand and pulling her slowly off the bench. Patsy didn't want to dance, but something in her heart was telling her to go for it. For the first time in a long time her heart won. Patsy could dance, she learnt at school on the evenings the other girls taught each other and Patsy was always willing to lead, so she was asked to help on most nights. The girls linked together. Delia placed her hand in Patsys; Patsy put her hand on the young women's waist. They whisked onto the pavement next to the house. The pair turned and twirled to the faded sound of a song neither of them knew the words too.
Firework burst through the darkness, fiery blooms amongst the stars. Vivid colours ignite the otherwise black sky. Each one drew a pattern into the sky each one unique and breath taking never to be repeated exactly no matter how many fireworks exploded around the dancing girls.
"Happy new year," Delia said looking up and her new found friends. Before Patsy could think about what she was doing, before her brain could tell her heart NO. She locked lips with the nurse opposite her. Patsy expected to be pushed away but to her surprise was welcomed with open arms. Delias lips stayed close to Patsy's, like a tease filled with hot, fiery passion. Patsy wanted to push away, regretting her decision as soon as her brain caught up but she just couldn't bring herself too. It was slow and soft, comforting to both the girls in way words could never be. In the house, they could hear cheering and laughing in the crowds of people celebrating the turn on the century. But, outside patsys mind was silent, and her world had stopped on it axis as for the first time in a long time she truly lived. Both the girls pulled apart but a smile never left their lips.
"Happy new years" Patsy whispered back to the women she just kissed.
"It's like kissing someone with coal in the month." Delia said laughing, making Patsy smiled. "but that doesn't mean you shouldn't kiss me again" Delia continued before connecting her lips with the redhead again.
"Patsy…"A voice from inside said as the door opened. Trixie came out the door, and Patsy pulled away from Delia without thinking. Hoping Trixie hadn't seen.
"I found you! Happy new year" She continued hugging her roommate. Patsy didn't know what to say. Her brain had properly caught up with her heart and it was all too much. Her brain was trying to rationalise the previous events that had just taken place but they weren't ration at all, not everything needed to be but that's just how the nurse wanted everything to be.
"And you Trix" she finally managed to say. "Im going to head home in a minute, I start work at 9," Patsy said, she knew that she could do her shift on next to no sleep but she needed an excuse to get away.
"Okay, I will be quiet when I get in," Trixie said smiling. She hugged her friend again. Trixie hadn't seen the exchange between Patsy and Delia not that she would have said anything if she had, it wasn't her place. Trixie was sober yet had a fake drink buzz around her. Patsy had guessed she hadn't told people that she wasn't drinking. Trixie was used to offering to get the drinks then getting herself a coke, pouring into a glass and claiming there was vodka in it. To Trixie is was easier that explaining to people she barely knew about why she didn't drink anymore. Trixie went back inside, smiling again at her roommate.
"Well nice to meet you Miss Busby" Patsy said as she prepared herself for the walk home.
"And you Miss Mount" Delia responded, not having the guts to ask her fellow nurse for any contact details. Patsy smiled before heading back down the road towards the safety of her flat. She walked away without looking back. Trying not to think about the kiss because if she thought about it, she knew she would regret and off all the things she didn't want to regret the events of news years because it turned out not to suck as much as she thought it would.
The morning soon crept upon the nurses; Patsy heard Trixie wander in just before 5 and stumble around loudly for 20 minutes before dropping in the hallway. Before Patsy knew it she was doing up her uniform and preparing herself for the day ahead; she was still trying to forget the events of last night. She was blaming new years. Patsy needed something to blame because if she couldn't blame anything the she knew she would have to face reality – face the facts. She didn't want to cope with the events because the facts would change her life and she wasn't ready to admit that maybe her life needed to change. She worked with nuns even on the 1st day of the 21st century she knew what they would think, she was a midwife. Luckly that meant babies never stopped being born whether it was new years day or not. It kept her mind busy. It helped take Patsy's mind off everything. There was nothing better to get your mind off things then rooms full of pregnant women all swearing while their men looked lost, confused and dazed after their new years day plans were ruined by their partner's labour.
The 21-year old just gritted her teeth and smiled a fake smiled she had mastered for days like today. Part of her wanted to talk to Delia, but Patsy didn't need to be told that last night was a mistake, she was already hurting.
At first chance, Patsy went to the smoking area for staff. In the past few years they had started to clamp down on smoking in the hospital especially for the staff. She was alone out the back and couldn't help but enjoy the peacefulness, her heart and her head in balance just for a moment. None of the nurses across the ward wanted to be there everyone wanted to be in bed or passed out at a stranger's house with alcohol in hand like new years used to be at university. It was the first day of the 2000's people wanted to enjoy it not help needed pregnant women.
"Hi, I'm Delia Busby" a voice behind he said. Patsy turned to face the welsh girl nurse smiling behind her. "And I'm very gay," The women said sticking her hand out for Patsy to shake. Patsy shook the women's hand.
"Hey Delia. I'm Patsy Mount, and I'm in an enormous closet and not quite sure of the way out." She said before taking another drag of her cigarette.
"Well that felt how I imaged the start of an alcoholics anonymous meeting!" Delia said laughing.