Author's Note: I am so sorry everyone. I just dropped the ball, for what? A year? and a half? I just want to finish this story, for everyone that stays with me thank you so much.
Donna stumbled into the library that morning, hung over like you wouldn't believe, maybe even still a little drunk. She'd barely been able to dress herself at all, what with all the loops and ribbons and yards and yards of fabric that made up an everyday outfit in nineteen thirteen. She'd been immensely grateful when she'd learned that Jenny had pulled a cooks duty that day and was able to keep James in the kitchen with her. Because there was no way she'd have the patience or attention span to keep an eye on him in the library. The little monster would have probably ripped at least three books up by now, goodness how he loved to destroy books.
"Ah, Mrs. Smith, there you are, I thought I'd wait for you to make sure you received the books I'd be returning," a falsely cheerful voice chirped the moment Donna neared her
Donna made sure her expression of contempt was securely held in check as she raised her eyes to regard the woman who had addressed her. "Nurse Redfern, you have books to return, yeah?" Donna asked, while holding her hands out expectantly for the books the Nurse held in her own arms. Nurse Redfern frowned, and took a step closer to Donna, who then in turn stepped back as well, "What is it?" Donna asked, hoping her tone sounded curious and amused instead of totally bitchy and demanding.
"Are you feeling well?" the shorter woman asked, once again stepping towards Donna, "You look..." she let her sentence drift off.
Donna huffed out an amused laugh, "Awful," she supplied, "Terrible, rundown."
Nurse Redfern glared at her fiercely, "Not in good health," she countered as she finally backed Donna straight into her desk. Redfern reached a hand forward and placed it on Donna's forehead briefly, but upon not finding a fever she removed it. She stared critically into Donna's eyes.
"Nurse Redfern," Donna said, acid lacing her tone, "I'm feeling quite well."
Redfern frowned, and Donna saw a flash of concern in Redferns eyes before the other woman turned away, "Yes, of course, I'm so sorry." Redfern placed the pile of books in her grasp on Donna's desk, "It is only that you are not the first to not look well, I saw Baines wandering the halls most curiously just before I entered the library. This odd grin on his lips. And little Timothy Latimer looks most unsettled."
It was then that Donna noticed the particularly pathetic slump to the nurse's shoulders and decided to stop being so mean and defensive. "And what about you?" Donna asked as she rested a hand far up on Redferns back, "You look a bit unsettled yourself."
The Nurse turned her face to regard Donna, "It's just the sound of those guns, they trouble me."
Donna nodded, just now noticing the rapid gunfire coming from the grounds, it was a common thing at the school and she'd mostly learned to ignore it. But some days it was so loud she thought she'd never hear anything again. She smiled at Redfern as she reached down and grabbed her hand; she tugged Redfern along further into the library. "Those guns give me such a blooming headache somedays, but I've learned," she turned a corner, "that if you stand," she turned another corner, "in the right spot," she edged behind a book shelf into an almost entirely blocked off alcove, "that you can't hear a thing."
Nurse Redfern smiled, awestruck, as silence, blessed silence, reigned down upon them. "My goodness," she said, "how ever did you discover this little nook?"
Donna shrugged and sank down on the incredibly old looking, giant and comfortable reading chair that was almost too big to fit in the alcove (also it smelled a bit of something unpleasant, but what was Donna going to do? Take her daily naps on the floor? No thank you). "I like to explore," she offered.
"You would have to," Redfern said, sinking down next to Donna, "to wander all the way to Australia and back."
"It wasn't as exciting as it sounds."
Redfern smiled at her and Donna got the uneasy feeling that the mutual hatred she'd thought they'd shared had really been quite one sided. "I've always wondered about your life before here. I'd convinced myself it would be rude to ask, but I don't think you care much about things such as that." Redfern shifted to be able to see more of Donna, she smiled and it lit up her whole face, "Your husband, Frank, you must have loved him so much to give up your life here in England. To go with him into the unknown."
Donna knew when a woman was asking for a story, one of those soppy stories that melted your heart and made you cry. And the story of Frank and Donna Smith was definitely that kind of story.
"It wasn't like that," Donna assured, "I never felt I was giving anything up."
Redfern leaned back into the cushion.
"The Do-Frank, he came into my life like a whirlwind, turned it completely upside down. Honestly, it terrified me, frightened me so much I almost said no," Donna said, thinking of the Racnoss and the poor despondent Doctor standing solidly in the snow.
"When he asked you to marry him? You almost said no?"
Donna nodded her head, "Yes, when he asked me to marry him."
"What changed your mind?"
"It was terrifying, but it was wonderful. It made my heart race just thinking about it, about going out on adventures, running, meeting everyone, everywhere, whenever I wanted, it was so exhilarating. He did that to me, he made me see what I could do, what we could do together." Donna leaned back into the cushions, smiling now, "And it made me feel so special, him asking me. He could have asked anyone he wanted, anyone would have been a fool to say no, but he asked me. He asked a nobody like me."
"Mr. Smith has spoken of his brother to me, he speaks so wonderfully of him. And now your words as well, he sounds like a truly extraordinary man. You must miss him terribly."
Donna bit her lip and closed her eyes, nodding slowly.
"I did not mean to upset you. My own husband is dead, he was extraordinary as well."
Donna reached out to hold Redfern's hand, she squeezed it affectionately, "I'm so sorry, Nurse Redfern," Donna offered, and she actually meant it.
The other woman shook her head sadly, "War, and now we're to have another. What I would give for peace."
"It's all going to be alright, you know, in the end. We win, I mean, we will win." Donna squeezed the Nurses hand, smiling at her.
Redfern chuckled, "But of course," she offered sadly, "but the cost, Mrs. Smith, I can only think what the cost will be. All those young boys playing war in the yard now, they have no idea how terrible it will be. I have narry an idea either, just a dreadful feeling in my heart."
Donna remembered learning of the Second World War in school; it had seemed so far away. So unimportant.
It was then that Jenny came pelting into the alcove with James sitting calmly on her hip, she was already speaking before she saw the occupants of the chair, "Donna! I've just heard the most terrible thing-" it was then that she saw Nurse Redfern and she literally almost careened into a wall.
"What is it, Jenny?" Donna asked, motioning for Jenny to hand James over, upset by this talk of war and bloodshed.
Jenny stumbled over her words for a moment, shooting uneasy and terrified eyes at Redfern, before she stuttered out, "A baby in town was crushed by a piano."
Donna started to laugh, thinking that surely Jenny was joking.
Jenny glared at her.
"Oh my god, are you not joking?"
Jenny shook her head, "They were trying to move the piano through a second floor window when one of the ropes snapped, and the poor woman had the carriage right under it. I heard she was screaming so hard a physician had to sedate her."
"That's awful," Redfern muttered, her brows constricted in absolute pity.
Donna held James closer to herself for a moment, glad that it wasn't him, while at the same time feeling guilty for being glad it wasn't him.
Redfern looked between Jenny and Donna for a moment, "Well, I should go back to the infirmary, I'm sure there's some sort of injury there to take care of."
"I didn't mean to intrude," Jenny said quickly, "I must dash as well if you'd like to stay longer, ma'am."
Nurse Redfern shook her head as she passed by Jenny in the small space, "No, no, I must go. It was lovely to get to know you, Mrs. Smith."
After the nurse had left the alcove Jenny looked at Donna with wide eyes, "I thought you couldn't stand her!" she cried.
Donna shrugged, "Oh relax, love, I might have misjudged her a bit, that's all. And you're not going anywhere, go on, sit down; I have to apologize to you for putting up with me and Martha last night."
Jenny shook her head, "Cooks got me heading into town, is letting me borrow his bike and all. He'll be in a rage if I haven't picked up his list."
Donna rolled her eyes, "Oh come on then, I'll talk to Cook later and smooth him out. We haven't talked in ages."
Jenny smiled, "You are such a terrible influence on me, Donna Smith," she sighed as she sat on the comfy chair next to Donna.
DISCLAIMER: Oh MY God, I had mono and I had a terribly realistic fever dream in which I WAS Russell Davis, but instead of being a writer for a television show I was a demented puppet master controlling real people to fit my view of the world.