One of these days I will get my act together and write something vaguely normal, but today is not that day. Another from the Patrienne universe, just a oneshot.
She knew this was a silly idea. They had never done anything like this before; never so much as been seen in each other's presence in public for more than a few moments, and that was strictly in a professional capacity. Doing this they could be caught out so easily. And yet the idea was strangely appealing and definitely exciting.
She was scheduled to have a day's holiday from her nurse's duties at least once a month. She seldom ever took it, but this time she had. They had noticed that he was not on call on the day when the duty rota meant that she could be spared. It had seemed oddly fitting. And so gradually, through casual, tentative, purely hypothetical suggestions their plan had been hatched.
She got on the bus in Poplar in the afternoon. She smiled at Sister Bernadette when they passed each other as she descended the steps of Nonnatus House.
"Oh, Sister!" Sister Bernadette remarked, beaming at her as they passed, "I'm so glad to see you're taking your holiday for a change."
Sister Julienne returned a brief smile.
"I find I'm rather weary of being in Poplar," she explained quietly, "I thought it might do me good to go out to the West End for half a day and walk around."
"I'm sure it will," Sister Bernadette agreed, "You've all been working very hard of late."
"Are you sure you can manage without me?" Julienne asked, feeling guilty for a moment, her younger sister reminding her that it was not just her who had been overworked of late.
"For half a day I think we can," Sister Bernadette told her, "You go, the change will do you the world of good. I will try to hold the fort here."
She was sure that Sister Bernadette was more than capable of holding the fort admirably, and this assuaged her guilt a little.
"Thank you, Sister," she told her, grasping her hand briefly.
"Have a nice time!" Sister Bernadette called down the steps to her retreating back.
Patrick had given her the money for her bus fare. She had said she simply could not have it on her conscience to use the Nonnatus House petty cash to slip away with him like this, and he had understood completely. She sat on the top deck, which was empty apart from her. She sat on the seat nearest the aisle and, making sure she could not be seen out of any of the windows, she raised her hands- shaking a little- and removed her veil and cap. Folding her veil neatly, she stowed them carefully in her satchel. Shaking her head gently, she let her hair fall down. In her long coat it was difficult to distinguish her habit from a dark blue dress. She caught sight of her reflection in the window of the bus. She was as good as unrecognisable.
She could hardly believe she was really doing this.
As soon as she could, she left the bus and got onto the Underground. She sat in the busy carriage and was glad that she had taken off her veil at the soonest opportunity. The young man sitting across from her gave her a smile as he got up to disembark. She wondered how much younger than usual she looked.
They had said they would meet at Waterloo. It was big enough to be thoroughly anonymous. Where they were anonymous they could be really free. That was all they had wanted, that was why they were doing this, to be free. To be free and together.
She scrambled up the stairs out of the Underground and into the main train station. She had not been here for years, but still she recognised it, it was not so different as she had expected.
She saw him waited for her in the middle of the white marbled floor, under the high ceiling. He was exactly where he had said he would be. She felt a smile flit across her lips and she hurried forwards to meet him. He was looking in the opposite direction, looking for her at the other entrance.
"Hello," she murmured quietly behind him.
He turned towards her, smiling.
"Hello," he replied.
And for the first time, he kissed her in public. Just on the cheek. She felt herself flush, though he had done so, and so much more, what felt like thousands of times before.
"It's strange to see you like this in the open air," he told her, indicating to their surroundings, "Or in natural light. I'm used to that dingy light in that office of mine," he smiled at her for a moment, "I like it."
Her hand slipped into his, and, without a word between them about where they would go, they moved off.
"Did you get here alright?" he asked her.
"Yes, I managed quite nicely," she replied, "There was a bit of a hold up on the Underground. Did you wonder where I was?"
"For a little while," he admitted, and then, "I thought perhaps you'd changed your mind."
She looked at him, her eyes widening in surprise. But then, she thought, perhaps it was quite a natural conclusion to reach. They were outside now, descending the steps, crossing the road. She squeezed his hand as they reached the pavement.
"Never, Patrick," she told him, "I could never have changed my mind. Not about this."
He glanced sideways at her, smiling.
"No," he agreed, "You wouldn't have. I should have known better."
They were making for the river. The sun was beginning to fall, casting a wan, sparkling light on the river just in time for them to reach it. Glancing to the left, the Houses of Parliament were visible, towering and Gothic; just behind the new Festival Hall struck a softer, more modern figure.
"It's years since I've been here," she reflected, "I don't suppose I thought I'd ever come back here. Particularly not like this."
The sky was yellow above the roofs of thousands of the buildings. She saw a small smile on his lips.
"No," he agreed, "I don't suppose you would have."
There was a moment's pause.
"Patrick," she told him, looking out at the river, just as he was, "I know not everything we do is easy. In fact most of the time it's the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life, in many ways. But I'm so happy here with you now. I'm so glad we came. And I want you to know, however we end up, that I was so happy with you."
The yellow sunlight was on his face, making him seem golden. His dark hair shone under it.
He turned his head to face her.
"Thank you for telling me," he replied, looking down at her, turning and reaching his arms out, bring her to his body to hold.
She pressed herself against his heart, her head under his chin, still looking out on the water.
His lips kissed her forehead, her hair.
"Whatever happens I have loved you so much," he told her quietly, so no one else in the world could hear, "And I'm so glad we came here too."
End.
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