Mia let out a scream of despair as she pulled up outside Nnonatus. She swore loudly and almost ran into Matthew Allyward.
"Matthew what on earth has happened?" Mia asked glancing around at the street. Night had fallen and the flashing light of the ambulance were making her vision blurry. Matthew shook his head and Mia picked up her speed and went looking for her nana.
"Nana!" She screamed. Sister Evangelina rounded the corner and held her granddaughter by the shoulders. "What's happened. Why won't anybody tell me what's happened?"
"The train that your mum, Patrick and Nancy were on crashed. We don't know if they're alive Mia," Sister Evangelina admitted to her granddaughter. Mia let out a heart wrenching sob before collapsing into her nana's chest. "That's it darling, it's alright!"
"Sister Evangelina your needed in the parlour, dealing with a severe fracture!" Lucille told the woman. Lucille noticed Mia. "Oh precious I'm so sorry. Forget what I said Sister stay here Sister Mary Cynthia is helping Matthew she can help!"
Mia clung to get nana who led her upstairs to help her into clean uniform. Mia re-pinned her hair and slipped on her shoes again.
"I'm going to find Shelagh!" Mia said walking out of her room. She found Shelagh in the clinical room cleaning someone's arms. Shelagh smiled dismally at Mia before they got back to their task. "Where's Tim?"
"At home with the children," Shelagh replied. Mia shook her head.
"He isn't, I called past on my way back here the lights were off and the door was locked," Mia informed her mother in law who looked shocked at this news.
"Where are the children then?" Shelagh panicked.
"Mrs Turner I've just had a phone call from your next door neighbour saying the children are with her and her husband. Tim was coming over here!" Barbara explained popping her head around the door of the clinical room. "The children were left with her over an hour ago!"
"The house is less than 10 minutes away. Where is he?" Mia asked worriedly glancing at her diamond watch. "I'm going to go look for him!"
Mia hurried out of Nonnatus.
"Fred where is my husband!" Mia asked frantically.
"I haven't seen him," Fred replied resting his hand on her shoulder. Mia choked back a sob and pulled her coat around her tighter. "I'll have somebody come tell you if we see him!"
Mia nodded and hurried back inside to find her nana who was nowhere to be seen.
She hurried into the chapel and found her nana tending to a young pregnant woman with a cut arm.
"Nana!" Mia hissed. "Tim's gone missing. They saw him heading towards the train but nobody's seen him since!"
"He'll be fine Mia I'm sure now go speak to Fred about the ambulances we need more transfers!" Sister Evangelina instructed. Mia nodded and made her way to her feet. She walked out of Nonnatus, and saw Fred talking to someone in a white coat.
She had never made her way down the stairs fast enough. She ran towards the crowd of people.
"Tim!" She cried flying into his arms. She turned around to look at the people in the stretchers. "Mum. No!"
She heard Dr Turner say heart attack and she nearly had one herself.
"Go get your mum now!" Fred was speaking to Tim who reluctantly let go of his wife. "Mia let's go!"
"I'm sorry immediately family only!" The paramedic said to Mia and Sister Evangelina.
"She is family. Mia is Sister Julienne's daughter. And I will not leave Mia on her own in a time like this. So I'd advice you to set aside and give us entry!" Sister Evangelina snapped pushing past him.
Mia sat beside Tim at her father in law's bedside.
"A classic Colle's fracture. Straight through the distal radius!" Patrick informed the pair. Mia laughed weakly.
"Stop being a doctor at least for tonight!" Tim suggested.
"I'll be leaving that to you soon," Patrick said nodding at his son.
"I said terrible things to you, dad," Tim said guiltily.
"I can't remember, I've got concussion," Patrick said making Mia laugh again.
"Oh Patrick!" Shelagh exclaimed.
"I need to go check on my mum. Tim you coming?" Mia asked and Tim took her hand.
Mia sat beside her mum in a chair. A stethoscope pressed to her mum's chest.
"Can you sit up and lean forward for me please?" The doctor asked.
Sister Julienne did try to sit up but she cried out in pain. Without a word Tim walked to the other side of the bed and helped Mia to hoist her mum into a sitting position.
"I know it's a Sunday but it's a very unusual Sunday. And we're heading for a very unusual week. The institute is out of bounds due to possible structural damage. Which means this weeks clinical will be held at the surgery!" Nurse Crane informed all the nurses as Mia came in and placed her bag on the table.
"Is there any news of Sister Julienne?" Nancy Corrigan asked.
"No, I don't know anything yet unfortunately, thank you for your concern though Nancy. It is much appreciated. I've spoken to Nurse Worth and Nurse Brown and they are both happy to come and work a few extra shifts as I will be at the hospital when I can!" Mia added.
"Now I have 3 post-natal visit for you Nurse Corrigan, Nurse Robison the maternity home for you Sister Hilda is on her last legs, Nurse Worth will join you when she arrives. Sister Frances you are on the district round with Nurse Brown. Nurse Gilbert and Nurse after the booking in list. Mia you are off duty today!" Nurse Crane reeled off and everyone went on there designated duties.
Mia once again returned to the hospital to sit beside Shelagh at her mother's bedside.
"I'm not entire sure why they are doing so many investigations I've had a heart attack. There is nothing they can do!" Sister Julienne informed the pair.
"There is always something they can do!" Mia snapped. Mia was not willing to let her give up. Not now. Not ever.
"And wait for it to happen again and finish me off. My life will be short. And I will be an invalid. I'm trying to find the consolation in all this," Sister Julienene told them.
"There is none," Shelagh replied her voice cracking.
"Page 37. Julian of Norwich has advice on most eventualities I find!" Sister Julienne told her daughter who reached for the book off the nightstand.
"We need to fall and we need to be aware of it. For if we did not fall we should not know how weak and wretched we are of ourselves!" Mia shut the book and began to sob into Shelagh's shoulder.
"Nor should we know our Makers marvellous love so fully," Sister Julienne finished.
Mia stood up and walked out of the room in tears.
"I've never heard of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy!" Nurse Crane said to Sister Frances.
"My entire career in this profession has been punctuated by revelations and discoveries. A woman's flesh is as replete with secrets as a pomegranate is with seeds," Sister Monica Joan said wisely.
"What shocked me was how quickly the conversation changed from complications with Carole's pregnancy to controlling her fertility. It was as though if the doctor couldn't change one thing he would try and change another!" Sister Frances stated.
"It isn't the poor girls body that needs fixing. It's her life," Sister Hilda added.
"She's already under pressure to have the coil fitted," Sister Frances said.
"And all that will stop her doing is getting pregnant, from what you've said to me it won't stop her from looking for love or necessarily in the right places!" Mia replied looking up from her potato salad.
"Honest a god sex. Who needs it?" Nancy asked slamming a dish cloth down on the table. Girls think they want sex when all they really want is to be wanted. Simple kindness could do the same job better!"
Nancy got up to answer the door and everyone get into there own little conversations.
"I had heard that there was a nun on the train, I thought that my mum had made her a cup of tea. Or if they'd even seen each other. I knew she would have loved it if she had," Pauline Brettle told the Sisters.
"There are countless Carnie family members on our books, I've seen you all in the records!" Sister Hilda told her and Mia nodded.
"Well when her clothes were brought back I found these!" Pauline said handing the bag to Mia who opened it to find her mum's cap and wimple in it. There were still blood stains in the white material.
"It made it easier, it made me realise she would have been with one of you!" Pauline said liking directly at Mia. "Your her daughter aren't you?"
Mia nodded and smiled weakly.
"She loved all of you did my mum, almost as much as she loved babies and children," Pauline explained. "I wish there was away I could than you all for the good you did, the comfort that you brought her!"
"There is one kindness that you could grant us," Sister Frances suggested.
"Would you like to share that with your Sisters before placing Mrs Brettle in a difficult position?" Mia suggested.
"And where is the sunflower going to go?" Patrick asked Angela who was drawing beside him.
"It's going to go on your hand," Angela informed him wisely.
May said she's going to draw a bird on it!" Mia exclaimed sitting on a chair next to Patrick. Tim was stood up beside his wife.
"Change over time. Go and fetch May and then it's Teddy's turn. I can't wait to see all three of the little ones jumping around you. But regulations are regulations are regulations. I shall be making up some rules about putting kids back on felt tip pens!" Shelagh exclaimed. Mia laughed.
"They're just pens!" Mia replied.
"Special delivery!" Timothy exclaimed wheezing in Sister Julienne. Mia spun around and grinned.
"Sister Julienne!" Shelagh said surprised.
"If we over look, the minor mater of 4 broken ribs and a grazed elbow I have been given a clean bill of health!" Sister Julienne informed them.
"But you had a heart attack?" Mia replied.
"My heart is just as it was, I was in shock and that mimicked a heart attack," Sister Julienne replied reassuring her daughter. "I will recover. I'm coming home!"
And that she did. Both Patrick and Sister Julienne recovered surrounded by there family and friends.
Tim also recovered from is glandular fever and much to his wife's dismay planned his return to university.
"Please don't go!" Mia begged the night before her husbands departure. "Tim please!"
"Darling you know I have to go back or I'll never be able to become a doctor!" Tim said to his angry wife.
"Can't you train in London please!" Mia said desperately.
Tim pulled his wife down until she was sat on his lap.
"Darling you know Edinburgh is the best place to study!" Tim replied.
"You will come back to me won't you?" Mia asked. "Don't fall in love with some other girl will you?"
"Oh is this what's upset you?" Tim asked finally understanding the reason for his wife's upset. "Daring I love you and will only ever love you. I've got a wedding ring on, no woman would dare approach me, and if they do I, they won't like the result. Now let's get ready for bed and lay in my arms for our final time together for now until Christmas!"
Mia kissed him passionately. Sleep not the thing on her mind.