Period Troubles

William awoke to a dark room and the sleeping form of his wife next to him. Dawn had not yet broken, the birds only just beginning to call outside the window. It took him a moment to identify what had woken him from a particularly nice dream involving Julia and a lovely summer picnic.

He rubbed his eyes and felt a strange sensation on his right leg. His pants felt wet and sticky, as though they had been doused in one of George's sweet drinks he was always trying to force on William. He swung his legs carefully out of bed and moved to turn on his bedside lamp, careful not to wake the woman next to him. The sight that greeted him sent a shiver down his spine and William instantly jumped to his feet, running around the bed to his wife's side.

The bloody sheets were significantly darker under her legs which did nothing to quiet his fear. He ran gentle yet insistent hands over her stomach, her back, her legs, desperately looking for a wound. Julia's eyes blinked open groggily and she immediately moved to sit up, disrupting his frantic search.

"Julia I think you've been hurt," he said, trying to convey the urgency to his wife who seemed more confused than anything else. She frowned at him then moved her eyes to the ruined bedsheets and immediately sighed. She threw the covers back and stood up, ignoring William's hands which flew to her elbows to help her if need be. William's confusion only increased as she frowned down at the bed and began to strip the sheets. He shot her a look as if she'd gone insane, surely the linens could wait until they returned from the hospital.

"Julia I really must insist that we get you to a doctor!" He exclaimed. "You've lost a great deal of blood and I can't find a wound to stop you losing even more."

Julia paused with the sheets in her arms and closed her eyes for a moment, seeming to gather her strength for what she was about to say.

"William I am so very sorry that you had to see this. It's come earlier than I expected but I should have prepared better. Now I've gotten blood all over you and the bed and-"

She stopped abruptly and put a hand over her mouth. For a moment William thought she would be sick before he realized she was crying. Confused as he was William moved forward and wrapped his arms securely around his wife, feeling her rest her head on his shoulder.

"What do you mean Julia? What could be troubling you this much? And would you please let me take you to a doctor?" He pleaded, not knowing what else he could do to help. William felt as though he would burst with all his questions but didn't want to overwhelm his already upset wife.

She sighed again, though this time it didn't seem as dejected as before. "William, what do you know of a woman's monthly cycle?" She asked, no longer crying but looking at him with what seemed to be uncertainty. It was an unfamiliar expression on the face of his wife who was usually so confident in herself.

"I'm afraid I don't know very much," he began, feeling quite out of his element. "There isn't much information in the medical books I've read beyond the fact that a woman needs to go through it to have a child." He said, looking down at her for confirmation.

"Are you having a problem with your cycle?" He asked. "Is that where all the blood is coming from? Honestly Julia we can discuss this once you've been to the hospital." He said exasperatedly.

She laughed quietly and rested her head on his shoulder once again. "No William, this is my monthly cycle. When a woman menstruates blood is released as the uterine lining is shed." She said and William felt a rush of relief flow through him.

"So this is normal?" He asked, almost desperately. "You're not hurt?"

She smiled softly up at him and nodded. "I'm sorry to have scared you, I'm usually much better at concealing it than I was today." She said, not quite meeting his eyes. William took a moment to process the new information and instantly a lot of things fell into place. The nights each month when she preferred to discuss new papers rather than engage in their usual activities. He felt a stab of guilt that she had been suffering without his support for the eight months they had been married, plus the years before that when he could have helped her. William resolved to learn as much about menstruation as he could, but that could wait until daybreak.

"What can I do to help?" He asked in a kind tone that made his wife's eyes water once more. Horrified that he had caused her tears twice in the short time they had been awake he began insistently apologizing. Only when Julia assured him that his kindness had brought on the emotion, and not distress, did he calm down.

He helped her gather the sheets which he assured her he would take to the laundry while she went off to have a bath. While dropping the bloody linens in the communal laundry basket William briefly wondered what the other guests would think. He hoped that no one would investigate further, or assume that a murder had taken place on their floor. The last thing they needed was to be questioned about the bizarre circumstances that had caused the blood on the sheets, something William was determined to learn more about.

He made his way back through the door and glanced around, looking for his wife. He assumed she was still in the bath behind the closed door and walked over to the bookshelf. Scanning Julia's rather extensive collection of medical volumes he selected one regarding female biology and began to read. By the time Julia emerged from the bathroom in a hotel robe William had learned quite a bit about monthly cycles.

Her eyes widened as she took in the bed, which was freshly made with a hot water bottle sitting on top of her pillow. William held out a plate of pastries for her that he had acquired from room service. For a moment he was worried she might cry again but her face broke out in a wide smile. Julia threw her arms around his neck and he was tempted to drop the plate and wrap his arms around her waist. William guided them over to sit on the edge of the bed, Julia's arms never leaving his neck. He set down the pastries and carefully pulled her into his lap. His fingers ran softly through her curly hair and he tucked her head under his chin.

"Thank you William," she said softly from below him. He smiled, pleased that he had helped her in some way.

"Always my love," he replied. He meant it too, his heart would always be hers.

"I'm telling you George it was most disconcerting, I don't know how women do it all the time with nobody noticing." William said as he paced his office floor. He was still rattled from his experiences that morning and couldn't help but wonder if he were the only man to be so in the dark about lady's issues.

"Well sir they have special fabrics that are meant to absorb the blood." Said George, much to William's surprise. "My aunts would often put me to work in one way or another sir, whether that involved massaging their feet or running to the store for cakes and such." He carried on, unaware of the growing guilt in William's stomach. "Perhaps Dr. Ogden would like a cake sir? I can drop one off at the morgue at lunch time if you're too busy." Said George kindly.

William smiled at the good nature of his favourite constable. "That's quite alright George, I think I'll go see Julia myself. Thank you for your insights, they have been most illuminating." Said the detective with a smile, already planning how he would make it up to his dear wife.

Julia arrived home later than usual, having been held up at the morgue by an elderly man who had died late afternoon. By the time she made it through the door she wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed and stay there until next week. However, other matters demanded her attention. Mainly William and his incident that morning, waking up in a pool of her blood. She was touched by how he had behaved, but she was surprised at his limited knowledge of a woman's time.

It was moments like this that reminded her how very naïve her husband could be in some respects. Not that she judged him or held it against him in any way, it had simply been the way he was raised. She did her best to educate him when she could and only hoped she hadn't made him feel uncomfortable around her. She was pleasantly surprised to see him sitting at their dining table when she walked in.

He smiled and greeted her, moving to the door to take her coat. Julia smelled hints of flowers on him and her eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"William, you smell quite lovely. What is that?" She asked as he lead her towards the table.

"Oh, it must be from the bath oils." He replied, more to himself than to her. His response only increased her confusion but she let it go as soon as she smelled the meal he had unveiled. It was chicken pot pie, one of her favourites and she looked up at him confused once again.

"William, where ever did you get this? It's not on the room service menu." She said to him incredulously.

He grinned, seemingly pleased with her reaction. "I made a call down to the chef and he agreed to make it tonight's special." He said as he sat down across from her. He poured them each a glass of wine and took her hand that lay on the table.

"Julia allow me to apologize for my lack of knowledge in this area." He said, making her smile softly at his kindness. "In the future I will try to be much more helpful in these matters. For now let's eat and then you can have a nice warm bath, it's all ready for you."

William was momentarily nervous at the long pause before Julia threw herself across the small table and kissed him. His surprise quickly turned to happiness and he was reluctant to ever pull away. The couple shared a smile and began to eat their dinner, all the while Julia marvelled at how she had found a man like William Murdoch.