For those connected directly to Nonnatus House, dealing with the death of their beloved Sister Evangelina proved to be difficult. No one could replace the woman who had spent her life serving the residents of Poplar. The smallest things reminded the nuns and nurses just how big a loss this was.

But time was an ever-passing thing. While the pain didn't subside, there was work to be done. Everyone agreed on one thing: The best way to honor Sister Evangelina's life was to give the people the best medical care possible. Those who lived at Nonnatus House threw themselves into their work. A new normal, Sister Julienne called it, though it would take time for it to actually feel normal.

The woman who had the toughest time adjusting to life without Sister Evangelina was Shelagh Turner. A former nun, she longed for the closeness and support of fellow sisters. As her husband Patrick's secretary, she didn't even have the direct, day-to-day support of the midwives. In times of tragedy, one looked to their family for comfort. However, with the fallout of the thalidomide discovery, Patrick was dealing with his own guilt. Not wanting to add to his load, Shelagh threw herself into the work. Soon, Patrick's filing system was completely reorganized to a system of complete efficiency. For her, at least.

Shelagh also found solace in spending as much time as she could with her stepson, Timothy, and her daughter, Angela. It was this desire to hold her children close that prompted her to pop into Violet Gees. She found pleasure in spoiling Angela in small ways, and one could never have too many hair ribbons!

Walking hand-in-hand with her daughter, Shelagh smiled at Violet, the shop owner and wife of Nonnatus House handyman Fred. "Good morning, Mrs. Buckle."

"Morning, Mrs. Turner." Violet then peered over the counter to look at the little girl. "And hello, Miss Angela!"

Angela smiled sheepishly up towards Violet.

"What can I help you with today?" Violet asked Shelagh.

"I'm looking to pick up a few more hair ribbons for Angela."

"I just received a shipment of new colors. You'll have first pick."

Shelagh smiled, a result of Violet's kindness. She watched as Violet went to the door that led to the back.

"Cathy," Violet called out to her shop girl, "will you bring the new hair ribbons out front, please?" Violet stood there, as though waiting for an answer. None came. "Cathy?"

The second call was met with more silence. It worried Violet. "Will you excuse me for a moment?" she asked Shelagh.

"Of course."

Violet went off into the back room, expecting to find Cathy hard at work on some other project. Instead, she found the back door open. It wasn't all that unusual. Given the heat of a Poplar summer, she didn't at all mind Cathy keeping the back room open. What was unusual about it all was the noise she heard coming from out the door. The sound only grew louder as she approached.

Outside the door, Violet saw Cathy. Hunched over an old bucket she sometimes used for cleaning, she held her hair back with one hand as she threw up.

"Oh my word."

After only a few moments, Cathy was finished with her business and finally able to stand up to face her employer. "Mrs. Buckle. I'm so sorry... I heard you calling me. Really, I did. Only I couldn't come because I felt so..."

"Lousy," Violet finished for her.

Cathy nodded. "I'm so sorry," she repeated.

"Come back inside, love."

"But the bucket-"

"We'll take care of that later," Violet said, putting her arm around Cathy and bringing her back inside the shop.

Once inside, she sat Cathy down on the old couch she kept back there for purposes of eating lunch comfortably. The couch served a very different purpose in that moment, though, as Cathy was wobbly on her feet by the time she got there.

"Mrs. Turner," Violet called out, "could you pop back here, please?"

Shelagh complied, coming into the back of the shop with Angela in tow. She took one look at the girl who looked pale and knew something was afoot.

"Mrs. Turner, this is Cathy. She helps me around the shop. Cathy, this is Mrs. Turner, a nurse."

"Hello, Cathy," Shelagh said.

Cathy mustered up a small smile, despite how horribly she was feeling.

Shelagh looked to Violet. "Do you think could you get Cathy some water?"

"Of course." Violet crossed the room to get to the sink.

Turning back to the girl, Shelagh said, "You don't look as though you're feeling well today."

"No. I'm not. I haven't for a week or so."

Cathy's American accent only came as a momentary shock. Shelagh couldn't recall a time where she ran into an American living in Poplar.

"And is it your stomach? Something else?"

"I've been feeling so nauseous and so tired," Cathy confided. "I try to ignore it, to get on with my work. Usually I can, but today I couldn't. Yesterday, I couldn't either."

"You should have said something," Violet said, returning with the cup of water. "I would have let you have the day off!"

Cathy took a sip of the water before speaking. "It's just that, I haven't been working here very long. I didn't want to give off the wrong impression."

"You wouldn't have given off any wrong impressions," Violet assured her. "You've got to take care of yourself."

"Is there any chance you could be pregnant?"

Cathy mulled the question over. Her last cycle had been when? Now that she thought about it, she had skipped a month. It was something to easily overlook, given all Cathy had going on. "I... I don't know."

"My husband is a doctor," Shelagh said. "Once you drink your water, why don't we pop over to the surgery?"

"Oh, I don't know," Cathy said.

"You'll do as Mrs. Turner asks," Violet interjected, "and then it's back home to rest."

"Are you sure?" Cathy asked.

Shelagh picked up on the timidness in the girl's voice. What reason would that be? Though she didn't know Violet well, Shelagh was certain there was no need to be afraid of the woman.

"Absolutely certain," Violet assured her. "Once I get Mrs. Turner set with hair ribbons for her daughter, you'll be off with her."

Cathy nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Buckle."

Violet smiled at the girl. Then she fetched a box from one of the storage shelves before ushering Shelagh and Angela back to the front of the shop. Cathy was left to sip her water and regain her strength.

A/N: I'm intending for this to be a long fic, so I promise it'll feature more of your CTM favorites!