I'm so so sorry this has taken an eternity. I tried to find a way to conclude this and it proved harder than I thought. I hope you enjoy this last chapter and I'll see what project I'll embark upon next. Suggestions most welcome. :)
There were soft, hurried footsteps in the corridor and Jenny saw Jane verging on running past the sitting room door. She heard a soft knock on the kitchen door. Then a louder one.
"Yes, Jane. What is it?" Sister Julienne had caught sight of a flustered Jane in the doorway. Jane was still taking deep breaths to calm herself down.
"For goodness sake, girl! What on earth is wrong?" Sister Evangelina called brusquely at her.
"Nothing, nothing is wrong, Sister" Jane managed after several deep breaths.
"What's all the fuss about then?" Sister Evangelina couldn't help being intrigued by Jane's unusual call for attention. Jane seemed to be preparing for a longer speech and they all waited patiently, knowing that speech was not Jane's strong point. She had, however, gained an enormous amount of confidence lately and she didn't seem constantly terrified anymore, for which they were all very grateful and suspected that the Reverend Applebee-Thornton was behind much of this change in personality.
"I was on the phone." Jane said finally. Then she paused, uncertain of how to continue. "I rang Pippin." She blushed deeply at her inadvertent use of his Christian name. "The Reverend Applebee-Thornton sends his regards." she corrected. Another long pause followed. She inhaled deeply and then it all came at once: "He says his parish has more work than they can handle and that they would be glad for some extra hands and that his parish hall is only being used for support meetings twice a week and cubs on Wednesdays and that he would gladly convert it into a clinic once or twice a week for the prenatal check-ups and that he is sure he could find enough rooms to accommodate us all, providing that the nurses wouldn't mind sharing the larger rooms and that he'd look into the demolition of Nonnatus House and speak to one of his old University friends who now works for the council." Jane stopped and looked around expectantly. All the faces in the kitchen were staring at her in disbelief and her smile faded. "Or.. or, maybe... Maybe not. If you don't want to... I can call him back..."
"Jane. You just stay where you are, girl. What exactly are you saying?" Sister Evangelina was leaning forward dangerously far on her chair so that the two back legs were in the air and she had to lean on the table to prevent herself from falling nose first onto the floor.
"Well, Reverend Applebee-Thornton send his"
"Yes, yes, we got that", Sister Evangelina interrupted. "But the main point of your ramblings was what, exactly?"
"He says we can all go there, to his parish, while we sort out what will happen to Nonnatus House." Jane said sweetly.
"Oh my dear girl!" Sister Julienne exclaimed. I'll have to call him. Yes, I should call him and thank him from all of us." Sister Julienne hurried excitedly out of the kitchen. As she left she heard the room erupt with cries of relief as they all realised the significance of Jane's 'ramblings'.
Jenny stirred in the sitting room and looked through the door in time to see Sister Julienne running past the door. Then she heard what she thought could have been fireworks from the kitchen. She then distinguished sounds of chairs scraping the floor and shouts and laughs. He itched to go into the kitchen and find out what was going on but she forced herself to stay. She glanced at Trixie who seemed to be reacting slowly to the shouts and the noise. She moved and splashed some of the now completely cold water onto the floor. Some of it landed on Jenny who shivered at the cold liquid. "Oh, you poor thing, you must be absolutely frozen!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself. She then glanced at Trixie to see if she had disturbed her. She was still afraid of this new Trixie. She was used to the bubbly, always happy and positive Trixie. This new, silent and expressionless Trixie frightened her. Carefully she tucked one of Trixie's still rebellious locks behind her ear. She looked for any signs of disapproval or discomfort in Trixie's face but saw none. She was scared of hurting this fragile girl who used to be so unafraid and boisterous. Jenny continued caressing Trixie's hair, always ready to retrieve her hand if she met with the slightest sign of protest. "Trixie?" her voice trembled. "Trixie, please" she pleaded. She didn't know what she was pleading for. Perhaps a sign that that young vivacious girl was still in there, that she wasn't lost.
"Girls, did you hear?" Sister Julienne had walked silently into the room. "It seems there is room for us all in Reverend Applebee-Thornton's parish, until this mess is sorted out." She was smiling lightly and approached Jenny and Trixie. She put a hand in the bathtub and pulled it back quickly. "Oh dear. You'll catch a serious cold if we don't do anything about this water, Trixie." She was addressing Trixie directly. "Time to get you out of there." Sister Julienne and Jenny helped Trixie to stand up and step out of the tub. Trixie's legs, however, were not responding properly yet and as she tried to lift her second foot onto the carpet, it was caught of the rim of the tub. Jenny's sudden screams and Sister Julienne's cries of 'Oh dear, oh dear' made the celebrating group in the kitchen come running. They stopped abruptly at the door and took several moments to take in the scene.
There was water everywhere. The upside down bathtub was in the middle of the room. Trixie was dripping more water and Jenny and Sister Julienne were inspecting their shoes, now soaked, and the skirt and habit had splashes of water all over them. Cynthia took a hesitant step forward but as the carpet made a threateningly sponge-like noise she stepped back. They were all standing in silence, not quite knowing how to react, when they heard soft but clear giggles. Jenny jerked her head up in disbelief. Trixie was giggling lightly, not her previous laugh that would carry through walls and infect everyone, but a light giggle and a soft smile. Suddenly Jenny had thrown her arms around Trixie and hugged her tightly, not minding that she was getting increasingly wet from Trixie's clothes. As she buried her head in Trixie's shoulder she felt two arms carefully and uncertainly being placed around her waist. She pulled Trixie closer to make sure she didn't let go. Jenny could hear voices as the nurses, sisters, Fred, Peter and Dr Turner all regained their elated state of mind and celebratory feeling.
Sister Julienne stood and watched the two girls, thinking back at the time they arrived at Nonnatus House and of all the things they had been through since then. Many a time had she tried to comfort Jenny in the chapel when the living conditions of the people of Poplar had crushed her spirit. Trixie, however, had never been one to ask for help or to meditate in the chapel. Yet it hurt deeply in her heart to see the young nurse suffer. Sister Julienne looked around and observed the tired and emotional but safe community that she had helped to build up. The turmoil of the last night and day wasn't over, the wounds would take time to heal but heal they would. The two nurses still clung to each other and Sister Julienne decided to walk quietly out of the room and went unnoticed to the chapel, her refuge and her home.
-The End