19 Kenilworth Row, London E14

Dear Sister Bernadette,

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits, and that you are able to read my doctor's scrawl without too much difficulty. I have been told that I am an indifferent correspondent at best, but I hope that you will excuse my deficiencies in this respect – I'm afraid written communication does not come naturally to me.

I won't repeat the news from Nonnatus as I'm sure you know more than I do about the goings on there at present. I haven't had a chance to visit as I have been completely rushed off my feet since you left us. When not attending to my practice or at the clinic I have been working through all the x-rays from the TB screening and breaking the news to those who need treatment. To be perfectly honest this is not the most cheerful of tasks, but I am comforted by the knowledge that we have managed to catch a good number of cases very early and it looks like we will save a lot of lives. However, I have to admit that, to me at least, all the effort with the medical board and that endless red tape would have been worth it if just one life had been saved.

I hope the nurses and doctors and the sanatorium are taking good care of you. They came highly recommended, but if you do spot any irregularities don't hesitate to let me know and I will come down and give them a stern talking to, one medical professional to another. I imagine the thing you will find hardest to cope with will be the enforced idleness, when you are used to being so busy. I hope the Nonnatans have supplied you with a large stack of books which you can occupy yourself with!

Timothy sends his love – at present he is engaged in an art project which is at once astonishingly complex and incredibly messy (you should see the state of our kitchen table at present!). I have received a stern injunction that I am not allowed to look at it before it is finished, but from the few glimpses I have caught I suspect that the results of his endeavours will be making their way over to you in a short time, so you will be able to appreciate the masterpiece for yourself. In any case, I had better go and start seeing about his supper. Despite his appearance, you would not believe how much that boy eats!

Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery – know that you are in all our hearts back in Poplar.

Yours,

R Turner

A/N: I wrote this because I kept having ideas about what might have been in the letters Dr Turner sent. Multiple installments are planned.

I've left out some details at the moment because I'm hoping we'll get some more information in tonight's episode, such as some idea of how long Sister Bernadette is in the sanatorium. I have quite a lot of ideas so hopefully she's there for quite a while, or else the doctor will be writing to her every five minutes!