Strange Bedfellows
Chapter One: How My Wife Ended Up in Bed With a Nun
Based upon Call the Midwife, written by Jennifer Worth, developed by Heidi Thomas.
- - Turner Residence, Winter 1961 - -
Patrick sat in the chair in the corner of his bedroom, holding his new born son. He was so beautiful. And Patrick couldn't be happier that he was simply healthy. After hoping so long for a baby, and after hoping for a safe pregnancy, and hoping for a safe birth, Patrick felt relief in every muscle, every fiber of his being.
Relief. Relief and gratitude.
And, of course, love.
It wasn't that he hadn't loved Angela from the moment he first saw her. Because he had. But Patrick hadn't felt a sense of ownership of her from the beginning. Angela had been Shelagh's and Shelagh's alone for the first several days she was part of their family.
It wasn't until eight or ten days after they brought her home that Patrick spent all night rocking her, allowing Shelagh some desperately needed sleep, that Patrick began to feel like she was his.
But this child. This child was his from the start.
Patrick peered into his face, trying to decide which of the names they had chosen fit him. Before seeing him, Patrick had been partial to James. It was a family name on both sides: his eldest brother, James, and Shelagh's younger brother, Seamus. But looking at him now, Patrick didn't think it suited him.
Shelagh had been partial to Gabriel, their miracle child. Patrick argued all three of their children were miracles. Not to mention that they had already decided on the middle name of Patrick, and Timothy had talked them out of G.P. Turner.
The importance of a name seemed so trivial at the moment.
Patrick contented himself by just staring at his son, a gentle smile on his face. The boy was resting after his arduous arrival.
Sister Julienne was helping Shelagh have a nice short bath.
Patrick was so grateful.
Several minutes later, Shelagh returned with the assistance of Sister Julienne. The Sister helped Shelagh into bed and Patrick brought her their baby as she got settled. He could see the exhaustion on her face, but she came alight when she saw him and reached out for him.
Patrick smiled and passed her their baby. She cuddled him close to her breast and tears threatened to fall, again.
He suddenly became aware of Sister Julienne again. "Let me go make you both a nice cup of tea," she offered.
"No, Sister," Patrick stopped her. She looked tired. It had been a long day for her as well. "Let me."
Patrick left them and made his way to the kitchen. He filled the kettle and placed it on the stove. He was debating on whether or not to call Granny Parker. The children wanted to know about the baby as soon as it was born, but it was late. Patrick glanced at the clock on the mantel but had to take a second look. It was later than he thought. Closer now to morning than evening. The children would have been asleep for hours.
He would tell them when he fetched them in the morning.
Seeing how late it was, he was hoping he could convince Sister Julienne to stay until morning. She would protest, he was sure. He would remind her that she would want to return early in the morning to check on both Shelagh and the baby. She would insist that she didn't want to be a burden.
Perhaps Shelagh could convince her.
If he replaced the linens on Timothy's bed, perhaps she would feel obligated to stay for his efforts. Patrick knew he shouldn't be thinking of attempting to guilt a nun into anything, but it was for as much her good as his wife's. Shelagh would rest easier knowing Sister Julienne was safe tucked up in bed under their roof.
The kettle started to whistle, so he set the tea to steep and changed the linens on Timothy's bed. He returned to the kitchen and set up a tray with three cups and three saucers. He reached for the packet of pink wafers in the cupboard, but couldn't find them. He moved items around in the cupboard, looking for them. He frowned, and eventually abandoned the effort.
Taking the tray, he returned to their bedroom. Patrick nudged the door open quietly with his shoulder and froze as he turned around, a smile growing on his face.
Shelagh sat in the middle of the bed, their son asleep in her arms. Sister Julienne sat upright, but asleep, her legs stretched out, shoes abandoned hap-hazardly on the floor, as if she had just toed them off, and her arm around his wife.
It was clear, even before now, that they had both been exhausted by their labors. Patrick was surprised that Sister Julienne had fallen asleep as well. Perhaps the emotional strain of Shelagh's difficult labor had taken a harder toll on her than she was accustomed to. That combined with her ease and comfort around Shelagh allowed her to fall asleep, he was sure.
He was mildly disappointed that he wouldn't be spending the night with his wife in his arms, but Patrick didn't have the heart to wake either of them. And climbing onto his side of the bed was simply unthinkable. Patrick frowned momentarily, he had just changed the linens on Timothy's bed.
Shelagh moved in her sleep, leaning more into Sister Julienne's embrace.
Patrick smiled again and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
- - End Chapter One - -