The announcement that a team of nurses and nuns would be attending Hope Clinic for a month was not welcome news to all who heard it. Delia sat silently, hoping that the smile on her face was making her happy façade believable. Truth be told however, she felt as though her heart had been wrenched out of her chest. There was no way that Patsy would not be asked to go on the mission to South Africa. It was no secret that she was well accustomed to the travelling lifestyle, albeit that was well before her traumatic experience in the Japanese internment camp.
Nobody here was as efficient as Nurse Mount was. Her formidable organisational skills were known the length and breadth of Poplar and would be of invaluable use at Hope Clinic. Delia sighed as she left the sitting room after being told by Sister Julienne. She trudged her way upstairs and collapsed on her bed. She couldn't believe that she was going to be losing her Patsy all over again. Well, Delia rationalised, she wasn't exactly losing her. She was merely going to be absent for a while. The thought of her absence was deeply depressing as they had both only just got their lives back on track living in Nonnatus House together after the accident. To face such a period of time away from one another would be horrible.
Delia let out a shaky breath, she would just have to be happy for Patsy. There was no way she could grudge the woman such an experience. She would just have to be happy for her, and hide her feelings of sadness, after all it was only going to be a month. Glancing at her watch, Delia noted that it was nearly time for Patsy to return from her shift at the Mother and Baby Home where she'd been helping with the influx of labouring mothers.
As Delia stood from her bed she heard the loud creak of the front door opening and closing. She rushed onto the landing to head down and welcome Patsy home, but was beaten to the punch by Sister Julienne requesting Patsy accompany her to her office.
"Yes Sister, of course," Patsy replied, throwing a quick look to the top of the stairs and smiling at the crestfallen Delia she found stood there. "I'll see you in a few, Deels."
Delia skulked her way back to her room and waited for the redhead's arrival.
The ticking of her bedside clock sounded so loud in the confines of her room that Delia never heard Patsy's footsteps until they were right outside her door. She sat upright swiftly and plastered a smile on her face, hoping it didn't look too strained. She shouldn't have worried however, as Patsy turned around from closing the door behind her, Delia's face relaxed automatically and she stood to hug Patsy.
"How was your day sweetie?" Delia asked, voice muffled where her face was pressed into Patsy's shoulder.
"Well Deels, I honestly don't think that there could be a single pregnant mother in the whole of Poplar left after the day I've had." Patsy giggled. "I've never seen the place so busy! I swear we were nearly having to turn people away!"
Delia laughed, "as if you would ever turn away a person in need."
Leaning up she captured Patsy's mouth in a light kiss, sighing as she did.
"So did you hear the news then Pats?" Delia asked as she turned to sit on the bed, not trusting her face with her true feelings on the situation.
"Yes I did, the mission to Hope Clinic! In fact, that is what Sister Julienne wanted to speak to me about just there."
"That's great Patsy, I'm so very happy for you. It's a wonderful opportunity. One that really can't be turned down. I mean, South Africa! That's brilliant." Delia resolve began to crumble as she rambled on, with her back still to Patsy.
"My dear, what's wrong," Patsy asked, panicking as she turned her love around by the shoulders to see the tears streaming from her eyes.
"I am so pleased for you Patsy, but I am going to miss you so much." Delia sobbed.
"Delia, it's going to be hard to miss me when I am not going anywhere at all."
Delia stopped crying, stepping back from Patsy she looked her in the eyes, "what do you mean you're not going?"
Patsy sighed, "Sister Julienne did ask me to go on the mission but I politely declined and felt someone else should have the opportunity. I have had enough travelling for one lifetime."
"But Pats, are you sure? Why on Earth would you not want to go to such a beautiful place as South Africa? Gorgeous scenery, warm weather...think of all that you will miss out on by not going..."
"I prefer to focus on what I would miss out on here if I was to go."
Delia halted.
"Deels, I can't think about spending one minute of my life without you if I can help it. Volunteering for that mission would be torture for me. I've missed too much time with you already. I've endured my fair share of time away from you. I cannot bear to miss you for a second more."
Delia took a large stride to Patsy, grabbing her face and smashing their mouths together. She grasped on to the tall midwife with all her strength, tears flowing off her cheeks for a completely different reason this time. Their bodies pressed close together not allowing any space between them.
The pair tumbled onto Delia's bed and broke their kiss, looking at one another lovingly.
"I have no intention of straying far from your side Delia," Patsy whispered, caressing Delia's face, "you are the only mission I care about. Cariad…you are my beacon of hope."