Patsy Mount heaved a sigh of relief as she stepped through the side door of The London. Thank heavens the working day was over she thought, retrieving her packet of cigarettes from the pocket of her coat. Between the handsy old men on the ward and their belligerent relatives she'd never been so glad that tomorrow was her day off. Holding a cigarette between her lips and rummaging for a lighter, she couldn't help wondering, not for the first time, why men felt so entitled to women's attention, and why oh why they never accepted no for answer?! How was the idea of anyone playing hard to get in any way attractive? And where was her blasted lighter?
"Ah, Nurse Mount. We meet again."
She held back the groan but did not refrain from rolling her eyes before taking the cigarette between her fingers and turning to the last person she wanted to see right now. "Mr Willis."
"Oh please, call me Martin. Surely there's no need to be so formal now you're off-duty."
She flashed him a tight smile and walked the short distance to the nearest bench, sitting primly in order to explore the depths of her handbag. Predictably, her unwanted companion followed.
"Come on Nurse Mount, there's no need to keep giving me the cold shoulder."
Focusing hard on the contents of her handbag, Patsy was doing her utmost to keep her temper in check. It was quite possible that she had left her lighter in the changing room four floors above them, next to the ward where Mr Willis Sr was being kept abed following a hernia operation, his dutiful son visiting him everyday. And persistently bothering her. If only she'd gotten the flint replaced on the spare lighter back in her room at the nurses home she could walk away from the galling fellow right this minute, but as it was she was still hoping to be spared a climb up four-flights of stairs simply so she could continue indulging in her nicotine habit overnight.
"Here, allow me."
The sound of a lighter being struck met her ears at the exact moment her fingers encountered a familiar cool shape in the very bottom of her handbag, tangled in the lining. "No need Mr Willis," she said, brandishing her Colibri triumphantly and snapping it to life, drawing the smoke greedily into her lungs. "Thank you though. I'm sure I'll see you Thursday afternoon when you visit your father." With that she stood and strode away down the pavement.
Hurried footsteps behind her made every muscle in her body tense. "Do you have the day off tomorrow? Perfect, perhaps I can take you for a drink this evening then?"
"I already have plans Mr Willis. Goodbye."
"Don't be like that Nurse. How about the cinema tomorrow instead then?"
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face the pest. "Mr Willis please—"
"What are you still doing here?"
Surprised by the unfamiliar voice approaching from the direction of the hospital, Patsy turned to find herself face to face with a small brunette nurse, the purple of her uniform still visible at the collar of her thick woollen coat, smiling amiably at her.
"I told you I'd meet you at the cafe, come along we'd better hurry or all Martha's best scones will be gone."
And with that Patsy found an arm wrapping around her elbow as she was gently lead away, the strange nurse still chatting away in a friendly manner until they reached the end of the road and turned the corner, when they came to a stop.
"I hope that wasn't too presumptuous," quipped the younger woman in what Patsy now realised was a welsh accent. "I saw him bothering you both times I popped into your ward this afternoon looking for Matron. Got the impression he's the belligerent type."
"No, your assessment of the situation was rather astute, I believe you saved the chap from a thick ear if nothing else," Patsy sighed, exasperated. "I suppose I ought to thank you."
"No thanks necessary, us girls need to stick together," the nurse beamed up at her.
Patsy tipped her head in a gesture she hoped came across as agreement, not that she typically would have jumped to the defence of another nurse in any sort of similar fashion. She wasn't one for building friendships, her past leading her to the conclusion that the strongest trees in the forest stood alone.
"I'm Delia Busby by the way," continued the nurse, holding out her hand. "Second year, just transferred from the Morriston Hospital in Swansea."
Taking a drag of her cigarette, Patsy eyed the dainty hand in front of her for a moment. "Patience Mount," she declared, grasping the hand lightly.
"Patience? That's very pretty." Patsy couldn't help noticing the way this Delia's blue eyes sparkled. "Though that fella seemed to be testing your patience," she grinned.
"Yes, I don't live up to my namesake," Patsy rolled her eyes, sucking down more smoke. "Best call me Patsy, everyone else does."
"Patsy it is then," Nurse Busby giggled, a not unpleasant sound. "Look, I know this was all a ruse but…do you fancy joining me for a cup of tea? I wasn't fibbing about Martha's scones, they're really very good."
Casting her eyes to the floor as she dropped the stub of her cigarette and toed it into the pavement, Patsy hesitated for a moment. She really wasn't interested in forming attachments, she just wanted to do her job and do it well, that was all she needed. But when she glanced back up at this young woman who was in a sense a fellow alien in London she couldn't ignore that slightly hopeful look on her face.
"Go on then," she sighed, one side of her mouth almost pulling into a smile at the pleased expression that greeted her concession. "I'm buying seeing as you rescued me."