Chapter 4

It was the end of the day, three weeks after Shelagh had come back to work and he could hear her moving around outside the office, preparing to close the surgery down. She had been there the entire time, Sister Julienne not yet comfortable with putting her on rounds yet, and the office hadn't run so smoothly.

Patrick could still remember the look on her face when she started working, it was etched into his brain. Joy radiated from her like a fire burning in the night. It was easy to see how much she loved her work and how much she cared about her patients, and if their response was anything to go by, how much they cared about her.

Every patient that came through had claimed at least 10 minutes of her time, questioning her on her health and telling her how much they missed her. It warmed his heart that they accepted her back without question, he had heard some of the gossip floating around and he had to admit he was a little worried.

His mind floated back to earlier that day, when she called him to the maternity suite. Lucy Jenkins was having difficulty and she needed his assistance for the birth. Baby was very big and wasn't in any rush to leave and the poor mother was in agony. They worked closely, Shelagh's soft Scottish accent soothed Lucy and him. He felt like he could walk to the moon if he could have that voice pushing him on. When baby was born, the look of complete adoration on her face could have melted the most stubborn of hearts. He had said it once before and meant it; she was a natural with children.

Unbidden, an image of Shelagh and Timothy curled up on his sofa, reading a book or going over homework, flashed through his mind. No one would ever replace Catherine, she was unique, and he hadn't met another soul like her. Yet if his son couldn't have her, he couldn't think of any one he would want more than Shelagh to be her second. Like Catherine, she was unique. There was such a mixture within her; one moment she was like a child, young and innocent and the next she was all woman, calm, confident and bold. Shelagh had a way with people that no one, not even Catherine, had, people couldn't help but trust her.

He heard the soft voices of Nurse Franklin and Shelagh from behind the door, breaking his thoughts from the two women he loved. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, so, on soft feet, he made his way to the door when he heard his name. He was never normally one to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help himself where this woman was concerned.

"I can't Trixie," Shelagh was saying.

"Come on, Shelagh. You're exhausted, there is no way you can ride your bike back, especially not alone. Sister Julienne will never forgive me if something were to happen to you."

"He won't have time, he has to get back to Timothy."

"Have you already asked him?" Nurse Franklin asked, Patrick could hear the doubt in her voice.

"No," Shelagh replied softly.

"Right, ask him, if he can't take you home, then I'll call Jenny and see if she can ride with you."

"You can't, Trixie. Jenny will already be back now, I can't ask her to go out of her way."

"I'm not going to let you ride home alone, Shelagh."

"I'll be fine." Patrick couldn't take any more of this, there was no way he would let her ride back alone, even if she hadn't been ill. Patrick opened the door to his office and both women stopped talking.

"Everything alright ladies?" He asked.

"Yes, Doctor Turner, thank you," Shelagh was the one to reply.

"Anything I can do?" He asked, hoping they wouldn't guess he was listening on the other side of the door.

"No," Shelagh started but was cut off by Nurse Franklin.

"Actually, Doctor. We were wondering if you wouldn't mind terribly taking Shelagh home. I think the days work might have been a bit too much and she is a little tired."

"Of course I can," He replied, trying to shrug it off as not a big deal while his insides were dancing. Shelagh opened her mouth, as if to object, but Nurse Franklin pressed her coat in her hands and spoke before she could.

"Wonderful, if you hurry then you might still be in time for tea." With that, the blonde walked away, leaving the two of them alone for the first time since this morning. Suddenly, Patricks mind went blank and he had no idea what to say. He held out his arm to the door, as if to say, 'after you', and followed her to his car.

"You don't have to do this," Shelagh said as he opened the door for her.

"Nonsense, I'm happy too." That was the understatement of the century.

"Honestly, Doctor, I'm ok to ride home, and if I do get tired I will walk for a while."

"Shelagh," Patrick said, bending his head to hers, his voice going lower and more intense. "Get in the car." He watched as a shiver ran over her body and he hope beyond hope that is was from something else and not fear.

Shelagh couldn't take her eyes from his, his voice had made her feel things she had never felt before. It was exciting and scary at the same time, part of her just wanted to pull his head down and kiss him until they were both breathless and the other part wanted to run as fast as her legs would let her.
His arm was around her, resting on the open door, his head inches from her, it would be so easy. Just a slight tip of her head and their lips would meet. The urge was so strong that, for a moment, Shelagh thought that she might just do it. That was until a cat screeched and ran by them, breaking the moment that they had created.

Patrick dropped his arm and stepped back and they both felt the distance. Shelagh got in the car slowly and kept her eyes down. They made the drive to Nonnatus in silence, both thinking about what almost happened outside the surgery. Patrick was sure she was going to kiss him, if that bloody cat hadn't gotten in the way.

When they pulled up outside the house, Patrick switched the engine off, but wasn't about to let her go. "Shelagh," he said before she could make a move to leave but she cut him off.

"I must apologise, Doctor," She began.

"For what?"

"The other day, when you came in. I was rude and shouldn't have ran off like I did. I only hope you can forgive me."

"Why did you?" Patrick asked.

"I," Shelagh started, but she had no idea how to carry on. "I don't know."

"You do," Patrick prodded, he wasn't going to let this go, it was too important. Shelagh sighed, eyes trained on the lamp outside, not looking at him.

"There is a lot of gossip going around, I didn't want to pull anyone else into it. It's bad enough that the Sisters and nurses are a part of it, I couldn't ask you and Timothy to be part of it too."

"That's not the reason and you know it," Patrick said, getting frustrated now.

"Oh, really?" She turned back to him now, her eyes flashing. "And how would you know, Doctor? Can you read my mind now?"

"I'm already a part of the gossip, Shelagh. You know that as well as I, you not being honest with me and I wonder if you're even being honest with yourself."

"And how would you know, you don't know what I'm feeling."

"I know you were going to kiss me back there, I know that you wanted it just as much as I do and yet you didn't."

"Well, you didn't kiss me," Shelagh shot back, hoping to deflect it back onto him.

"If I kissed you every time I wanted to, we wouldn't get anything done." The one statement froze the pair of them, Patrick, because he didn't mean to tell her that and Shelagh because she was not expecting it.

"You want to kiss me?" She asked softly, after a long uncomfortable pause.

"All the time," he replied just as soft, "For as long as I live." There, it was out there, there was no way she could misunderstand his feelings for her.

"I thought that," she started.

"Thought what?" Patrick prodded when she didn't carry on.

"I thought that, maybe, you might have changed your mind. I'm not exactly experienced in real life. I was a nun for 10 years after all, and what do I really know about men and women. Other than the things that put me in a job," she added on the end, blushing a little.

"Oh, Shelagh." Patrick cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her smooth skin, afraid of pushing too far but just needing to hold her.

"I know you so little," Shelagh said, her blue eyes gazing into his brown ones, "but I couldn't be more certain." She held her breath, waiting for his reply.

"I am completely certain." She smiled at him, her eyes light up as he said the words.

"Doctor Turner?"

"Patrick."

"Patrick?" He loved the way his name sounded on her lips.

"Yes?"

"Will you kiss me now?" She didn't have to ask twice, she would never have to ask him again. He would always respond the same way. Lowering his head and brushing her lips with his. It was only gentle and quick, but to Patrick and Shelagh, it felt like a lift time. When he pulled away, she cupped his face and brought it back to hers.

Their second kiss wasn't as gentle, the moment their lips touched again Shelagh let out a small moan which spurred Patrick on. His hand went from her cheek to her hair, pulling her in tighter. Shelagh shifted a little and brought her other hand to his chest, bunching his jumper in her small fist. Patricks other hand made it way to her waist, taking in every curve and feeling. Fire was burning in them both, boiling out like a volcano. Shelagh was certain, nothing had ever felt a good as being help by this man and holding him in return.

Patrick pulled back again and rested his forehead on hers, both were breathing heavily, eyes closed not wanting to spoil the moment they have.

"You should probably go in," Patrick said, with a sigh. Not wanting to let her go. "I don't want to incur the wrath of Sister Evangelina by making you late for your tea." Shelagh giggled at that and Patrick got out the car to open her door. Shelagh took his offered hand and stepped up. She looked deep into his eyes, her own shining with the love she was not yet ready to confess and press a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you for taking me home."

"Any time," Patrick replied, he kissed her hand softly and let it slip from his. He watched her walk up the steps and into the house. Before she shut the door, he saw her give him a quick smile and he raised his hand in farewell.