She had just been playing around by putting up the various springs of mistletoe throughout the hospital. Men's surgical was boring. The doctors strict, the majority of the nurses bustling in and out without acknowledging each other, the matron glaring whenever she passed through the ward. The patients were a dichotomy – half of them severely ill, the other half bored and itching to leave their beds and return to their homes, especially so close to the holidays. The only person she found half interesting was the pretty nurse who occasionally moved from women's surgical to the men's ward, covering when they were understaffed. They had a few laughs together, usually sharing the odd comment here and there about a patient, but otherwise her days were full of routine and lacking in social interaction beyond what she had with her patients.
Therefore, on the blustery winter day, when she had spotted the large springs of mistletoe being sold at a stall on her walk to work, Patsy had decided it was just the thing to liven up the hospital. Sneaking the plant past the matron's office had been easier than she anticipated, trying not to giggle as she ducked into the cloak room, nearly running over Delia in the process. She grinned, apologising, her heart hammering in her chest at the smile she received in return.
"You look like you're having a good start to the day," Delia commented, stepping around Patsy to check her reflection in the mirror, making sure her cap was on straight.
"So far," Patsy replied, chuckling as she hung up her coat. "What ward are you on today?"
"Men's surgical; I'm afraid you're going to have to put up with me all day," Delia laughed, only then noticing the large cluster of green that Patsy had rested on the bench. "Do I even want to ask?" she added, leaning against the edge of the sink.
"Oh come now, you know this is the only way we can have a laugh at some of the doctors," Patsy urged, digging out the roll of ribbon she had also purchased, setting it down next to the mistletoe. Delia rolled her eyes affectionately, going to one of the cabinets and retrieving a pair of scissors.
"I suppose you're right," she agreed, setting about cutting lengths of ribbon while Patsy sorted out her uniform. "Would you like to start this now or at the end of shift? Later might be safer as the majority of the staff will have gone home for the night. Then we could see the fruits of our labour tomorrow morning."
"You're wonderfully intelligent," Patsy commented, brushing her hand over Delia's shoulder as she picked everything up, tucking it into her cubby before motioning Delia towards the door.
By the time their shift ended, the hospital had been lulled into silence save for the few emergency cases that skittered through the halls and towards the operating theatre or the appropriate ward. After locating a cup of tea each, the two women snuck about the hallways, hanging mistletoe in random doorways and on various landings, trying not to giggle too loudly and attract attention from the few staff members that still roamed the halls.
"What made you think of this?" Delia asked, trying to keep her voice low as she held Patsy's hips, the taller woman tying the latest spring to an exposed beam. She felt Patsy take a rough inhale, a nervous chuckle springing from her.
"Just thought it might be good for a laugh. Maybe let a few people have a kiss here and there instead of being alone through the entire Christmas season," she replied as she climbed down off the chair. Delia smiled at her, nodding, eyes widening as they heard footsteps echoing down the hall. "Hide!" Patsy hissed, grabbing Delia with one hand and the chair with the other, dragging both into the adjacent hallway, glad of the poor lighting in that area of the hospital.
"Doctor Turner, what do you think the baby's chances are?" came the voice of the woman, her Scottish lilt echoing off the empty hall.
"I... I'm sorry Sister Bernadette, I don't know. They are definitely better now that both mother and baby are here in hospital... but with such weak lungs... only time will tell," the male replied, a sigh escaping him. Their steps were slow and measured, their movements personifying the exhaustion and stress that laced their voices. Patsy tried not to jump when she felt Delia's back brush her front, the shorter woman leaning around the corner so that she could see the people approaching. Patsy bit her lip, hesitating only a moment before following the actions of the other woman, lining her chest up to Delia's back, one hand holding onto the wall so that she could balance as she regarded the couple.
"Whoops," Delia muttered, watching how the doctor and the nun stopped underneath the mistletoe, the doctor running a hand through his hair while the nun looked at the ground.
"I just wish there was something more we could do," Sister Bernadette muttered, arms wrapping around herself, trying to ward off the chill that swept through the plaster-covered halls.
"All we can do is be there for the family now and let the doctors here do their work. I'm sorry," Doctor Turner answered, regarding the tiny woman with a look of concern before his eyes flicked up, noticing the mistletoe above their heads. His eyes widened at the sight, his chest aching. "I..." he started, unable to finish his thought. Sister Bernadette glanced up, following his gaze. The minute she noticed the plant above them she began blushing profusely, her throat tightening at the thought as her palms started sweating, her pulse thundering in her ears.
"Doctor -" she started, letting out a gasp when he ducked down, pecking her quickly on the lips. She felt dizzy from the contact, trying desperately to convince her knees to continue holding her weight.
"Its tradition," he whispered, a flush covering his own cheeks as his hand went to her wrist, stroking the skin over her pulse with his thumb.
"Oh," Sister Bernadette mumbled, her voice breathless. "I... is there anything in the tradition that says... that we can... is mistletoe only good for one kiss?" At the question, Patrick beamed, ducking down to kiss her again, this time letting his hands rest on her waist, pulling her a little closer.
"Oh my goodness," Delia giggled, grabbing Patsy's hand in a rough squeeze. "What a scandal!"
"It's definitely not what I expected," Patsy whispered in reply, trying to bite back her own grin, both at the strange turn of events they had just whispered and from the feeling of Delia's hand in her own. "We should go before they notice us," she urged after enjoying the contact for another few seconds, realising that the doctor didn't look like he was willing to stop kissing the nun anytime soon. Delia nodded in agreement, quietly gathering their things as the snuck off down the hall. By the time they reached the next wing of the hospital they couldn't contain their mirth, bursting into peals of laughter as they clung to one another, trying to keep from collapsing.
"She's a NUN!" Delia squealed, her eyes watering. "I thought we might catch Doctor Evans with Nurse Thompson, you know how much they hate one another, but my goodness, this is fantastic."
"It is. To think, they've obviously had feeling for a while, and to finally be able to find a way to express that... it may be scandalous, but its also beautiful," Patsy mused, a sad smile playing about her lips.
"You're right. It can be beautiful to finally tell someone how you feel," Delia replied, letting her hand slide down from Patsy's arm to her hand, twining their fingers together. "Pats," she started, biting her lip as she glanced up at the other woman from beneath her lashes.
"Yes?" Patsy queried, feeling her heart start racing in her chest.
"We're standing underneath mistletoe."
