Chapter 4

The next morning, everyone was perplexed. Shelagh was in the hospital courtyard, telling to Totoca, one of the natives who work in the hospital and drove an old Jeep, to take her to the farthest village that he knew.

"What happen here?" said Trixie, looking horrified when she heared the Shelagh´s request.

"Is in vain we complain because the people don´t come here. We must go to them, as we have always doing. I don't see the difference between here and Poplar."

"Shelagh, is different. You don´t know nothing about this place, and about the people, and..."

"I will know"

"No" said Dr Fitzsimmons, stepping forward. "I don´t allow it"

Shelagh just shrugged her shoulders and Trixie had a hard time recognizing the gentle woman she had ever seen. She knew about Shelagh´ stubborn side, after all she was Scottish, but Trixie never saw her so challenging.

"Then I turn to Poplar" Shelagh said, and Trixie opened her eyes more.

Sister Julienne watched the conversation until she decided to intervene. She approached them slowly.

"Shelagh, Trixie is right. You can't go alone, this isn't the East End and..."

"I will."

Sister Julienne felt an almost physical pain when she noticed the look of ice Shelagh gave her. She took a breath, determined not to give in to the fight.

"Shelagh, can´t." She tried to grab the Shelgh´s arm, but the young woman jumped into the jeep, sitting next to Totoca.

"I don´t care, Sister." Reply dryly and Trixie gulped as she realized that the tension felt for some time between the two women it was real.

"I want to go"

They turned and saw Sister Mary Cynthia, holding her bag with both hands. Shelagh smiled to her.

"No" Sister Julienne said. "You two don´t go to nowhere"

"Sister, Shelagh is right. We must approach, we must see what they need, gain their trust. We can´t be separated from them. Her idea seems great"

"But you not going to there. You can help here, in the hospital, not in the middle of nothing"

"But the Shelagh´s idea idea..."

"I don´t care Shelagh!"

She had never seen Sister Mary Cynthia challenging, not even when she was only Cynthia. This time, she frowned, raised her habit and climbed into the jeep. Sister Julienne was surprised, but felt the blood boiling in her veins when she saw the Shelagh´s triumphant smile.

"You have a vote of obedience!" she shouted, but Sister Mary Cynthia looked immutable.

"I'm sorry Sister, but many times you have said that our faith should not in our work. And our work is take care of others"

Shelagh spoke to Totoca with words that Julienne did not understand and the jeep went quickly, leaving a cloud of dust. Julienne realized that these two women united them more than a change of roles, and very reluctantly she smiled. The she remembered how Shelagh and Sister Mary Cynthia challenged to her and knew that everything had come from one person.

She entered to the Patrick´s office without bothering to knock the door and he winced and dropped his pen.

"Why you put those ideas in her mind?" she spat. He looked even more confused.

"Sorry?"

She breath when she heard him, and she tried to calm down.

"Sorry" She felt unable to control the tremor in her voice because of anger. "I mean Shelagh. She left and I don´t understand how you could let her do that. I know, she´s your wife and she should you respect but...God! She´s dominated by you!" Her anger returned in full of force and she pressed her lips to not say more.

"I´m sorry, buy I don´t understand nothing." He stood up and put his hands on the table, looking to the nun´s eyes. "And I don´t dominate Shelagh because she´s old enough to have her opinions and her decisions. Look, if this is because the pill..."

"It's not because of that. Okay, yes. It is, but...how you let her go? We not even know where she went."

"What? How she went?"

"You don´t know?"

"I said I don´t understand nothing, Sister"

Julienne let out a long sigh. Evidently, Shelagh didn´t need anyone´s permission to do what she wanted. How long she was so rebel? Or she always was, just she suppressed because her habit?

"She said that we should approach to the natives, and she told Totoca to take her to the farthest village. And she's gone, with Sister Mary Cynthia"

"Only them?"

"Yes."

"Bloody hell!" He hit the table and shook his hair with his hands. "So, about this she wanted to talk last night"

"Then you knew?"

"No, she tried to tell me but I didn´t let her".

Julienne closed her eyes, trying not to think what method the Dr. used for distract Shelagh about the conversation.

"I thought she would tell me this morning" said Patrick. "How she did something like this? I would never allow this. I´ll go to find her"

"Where? I said I don´t know where she went, and we haven´t another vehicle. We can only pray to the two return save and sound."

"Sister, you know I never pray"