p class="MsoNormal"As Sister Julienne continued to sing, she felt Shelagh slowly relax and heard her sobs gradually quiet. Sister Julienne sighed as she remembered the times, early in Shelagh's novitiate, when Shelagh would wake fearing that she would be at home with her father. It was time for Sister Julienne to ask a question; that only she could ask Shelagh./p
p class="MsoNormal""Shelagh, did your father allow you to grieve?" Sister Julienne asked /"N-No. H-he told me that since my mother was gone, I needed to keep the house and learn to be a good wife."br /"Did he let you have photos of her, or keep her memory alive?"br /"I don't know what happened to most of the photos. I managed to hide the handful of photos that survived my time at Nonnatus House, but…"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Before Shelagh could finish her sentence, she succumbed to the exhaustion that washed over her. She felt a bit lighter knowing that when Sister Julienne was around, all would be well. As the holds of sleep settled in, Shelagh snuggled deeper into Sister Julienne's habit. It smelled and felt like the home she held so dearly./p
p class="MsoNormal"With Shelagh in her arms, there was nothing Sister Julienne could do except pray, for Shelagh, for Doctor Turner and the Children, and pray her offices. A while later, she was brought back to the present by the sounds of tea brewing. Although Sister Julienne didn't want to take Shelagh out of her arms, she was surprised that her eyes were still open. As Sister Julienne lay Shelagh down on the settee, and gently covered Shelagh with her coat, and without thinking, kissed Shelagh's hand./p
p class="MsoNormal""How is she, Sister?" Patrick asked as Sister Julienne came into the /"Oh, I'd suppose she's coming to terms a bit better. I'd suspect that she's a bit traumatized from her past, back in Inverurie."br /"Sister, she mentioned that her father didn't care much for her after her mother's death."br /"Doctor Turner, there is much that she must tell you in her own time. When she arrived as a novice, Shelagh frequently had nightmares. Over time they reduced in frequency and severity, but if stressed or overtired would return. I wouldn't be surprised if they started again."br /"Shelagh mentioned that her father didn't pay any special attention to her after the death of her mother, and it was her place to keep the house."br /"I don't know for certain, but I would suspect there is more that Shelagh isn't comfortable talking about."br /"I had no Idea, Sister," Patrick replied as he turned to pour a cup of tea. "Would you like a cup of tea, Sister?"br /"Please"/p
p class="MsoNormal"They stood in comfortable silence for several minutes, before Patrick realized that he should call the children and Granny Parker./p
p class="MsoNormal""Sister, I hate to leave, but I think I should call the children and Granny Parker. Please, enjoy your tea, stay for a while."br /"Alright, Doctor Turner, I think I'll sit with Shelagh for a while and drink my tea."br /"Thank you, Sister, you mean the world to her. "/p
p class="MsoNormal"As Patrick Turner entered the hall and began to dial the familiar number into the phone, he wished that the next time he made a phone call to that number, it would be to tell Timothy that he and Angela were coming home./p