A/N - Thank you for all those who have sent lovely, lovely reviews. This is my first time sharing my writing so it's really encouraging :)
For those of you questioning Sister Julienne's motives, please stick with it, it will be explored and I'll explain at some point in a footnote where I got the idea for the perspective from.
Hope you enjoy this chapter.
The office that usually provided such solace from the bustling house suddenly felt claustrophobic. Eyes shut, head bowed and fingers clutching the wooden cross that hung around her neck, Sister Julienne was trying her best to block out the unusual silence that had settled over her home. Usually, the Nurses would have their records playing by now, giggling and gossiping over all manner of things. But tonight it was silent and the hush of it all was deafening.
She'd retreated to her office not longer after her confrontation with Trixie and Shelagh citing to Sister Mary Cynthia as she passed her that she needed to pray, reflect and take care of some administration matters. She hadn't waited for a response and darted down the corridor as fast as she could. So far she'd been undisturbed and she was glad. She didn't want to face any of the others again. She didn't want to face anyone or anything - least of all her responsibilities. Never, in all her time as Sister-in-Charge had she wished the title belonged to someone else, but today she did. There was no one else though and so the burden of fulfilling 'expectations' fell heavily onto her shoulders. She had to do what she had to do regardless of any personal reservations.
Opening her eyes, the telephone caught her eye, and she swallowed thickly. She knew what she should do, no, what she had to do but it didn't make it any easier. In five minutes, she thought to herself, I'll do it in five minutes.
Fifteen minutes later, Sister Julienne was still staring at the telephone.
—
Patsy watched as Angela and Timothy worked through a jigsaw together. Despite the fact Angela was probably more of a hindrance, the young boy seemed completely content to please his sister by fitting every piece he handed to her somewhere in the puzzle. Neither had questioned her presence in their home. Timothy had bid her a good afternoon and Angela had dived for her legs with a shrill of "Patty Pats."
The sound of the door clicking made her turn and she froze as she spotted Doctor Turner and she realised that he probably had absolutely no idea why on Earth she was here. He hadn't been there when the commotion had started and it's highly unlikely he'd have seen his wife. She sat up straighter as he entered trying her best to placate him with a smile that mustn't have reached her red-rimmed eyes as he frowned.
"Nurse Mount, are you quite alright?" He asked dropping his bag onto the floor.
"I-"
She was saved by the door opening and closing and she could hear at least two pairs of footsteps. She started as she spotted Shelagh and Trixie at the door. Relief flooding her as Trixie dropped her case and dashed towards her, pulling her into a hug as the usually composed red-head cried into her shoulder.
"Timothy, take your Sister upstairs please." Shelagh asked quietly. Timothy sensing now was not the time to argue left without argument, chattering away to his younger Sister as he went.
Patrick exchanged a glance with his wife, his eyes asking all the questions as he simply uttered her name. "Shelagh?"
"Patsy will be staying with us Patrick." She responded, firm and in what he'd taken to calling her 'Nurse Turner tone' "Now come and help me find some spare bedding."
He nodded, following his wife without argument as she led him directly past the linen cupboard and up the stairs into their room. She paused, closing the door behind her as he waited patiently. She turned slowly hoping he would be every bit as understanding as she believed him to be.
"Patsy can't stay at Nonnatus as… well…"
"Shelagh?" Patrick pressed. Shelagh sighed, suddenly wondering if it had been a good idea after all to invite Patsy to stay with them.
"She was spotted in a compromising position outside Gateways."
"Gateways?" He frowned trying to place where he'd heard the name before.
"A club where homosexual women frequent… she didn't deny it Patrick."
"Why?" He questioned, "It would have been his word against hers and she's a respected-"
"I think her reaction had given it away and- oh if you'd seen Sister Julienne." Her accent becoming thicker as she fumed, "There was just no compassion… none! I never would have thought that she could be so… so cruel and unforgiving. I know I should have asked you Patrick but I couldn't turn my back on a friend in need when her only crime is falling in love."
"And I wouldn't expect you to." He replied taking her hands and all the tension she'd been carrying, "That's why I married you because you do have compassion by the lorry-load. I've told you before my love, we must live and let live."
"And that Patrick is why I married you." She replied reaching up to kiss him chastely, "Thank you. Now come on, bedding."
"Yes Mrs Turner…"
—
"Oh Patsy!" Trixie whispered as she gently lowered her friend back onto the settee. "I'm so sorry."
"You don't have anything to be sorry for, I'm sorry…"
"I knew. Well, I suspected anyway and I should have told you. Should have been braver and protected you. Stood in arms. Been a good friend."
"You are a good friend." Patsy responded. "The best. My best friend. And I understand, truly. There were so many times I almost told you but I didn't want to put you in a compromising position."
Trixie kept a tight arm around Patsy as both fell into silence. As the Turner's re-entered with bedding both looked up awaiting the Doctor's reaction.
"You're welcome here for as long as you require Patsy." Patrick told her, "There'll be no judgement in these four walls."
"Thank you." Patsy whispered overwhelmed by the out-pouring of support.
"And you too Trixie." Shelagh added as she made her way to the kitchen, she peered through the hatch, "I hate to say it but I do believe Sister Julienne to be quite serious."
"Serious about what?" Patsy questioned sitting up straighter, "Trix?"
Trixie and Shelagh exchanged worried glances. "Well," Trixie began, "She forbid me from seeing you and threatened my position but some things are more important than keeping that old-"
"Trixie you can't risk-" Patsy exclaimed but to everyone's surprise it was Patrick who cut her off. He'd been quietly standing in the corner listening and processing the words.
"Patsy is right."
"Patrick?" Shelagh asked, her tone one of warning.
"Hear me out." He replied, "Whilst I disagree with Sister Julienne's opinions, she is the Sister-In-Charge of Nonnatus House and your superior. We need to employ a little damage limitation."
"Excuse me Doctor Turner but for whose sake?" Trixie shrilled, her Nurse Franklin voice of authority well and truly employed.
"Patsy's and anyone else who may be implicated." Patrick replied looking to his wife for support who nodded,
"I think what Patrick means is it might be rather helpful if for tonight you're at Nonnatus Trixie - in order to inform Delia when she returns off shift." Shelagh carefully negotiated. "The Great Silence will be in full flow so you'll be able to inform her before the morning and before Sister Julienne can. It might give her the much needed time to prepare herself."
Patsy who had sat quietly throughout the exchange in contemplation looked hopefully at her best friend. She knew that Delia's initial reaction would be one born of emotion and that the younger woman was quite the firecracker and unlikely to care about the consequences of her actions. She knew that she'd end up implicating herself and it wouldn't do for both of them to be in the same horrid position.
"Patsy?" Trixie asked placing her fate entirely into the red-head's hands.
"Would you? Could you bear it?" Patsy asked, "I know how she'll react and…" Patsy paused trying to gather her thoughts, "I couldn't bear for her to be put through this. She's so close to becoming a midwife too."
"Then I'll go back but I shan't stay there." Trixie responded, "Not after all this."
"I'll drive you." Patrick smiled making his way out of the room as Trixie gave Patsy a quick hug.
"Be strong sweetie."
A/N - Thank you for reading. I hope you've enjoyed it.
I hope the first paragraph gives a little hint at where I'm going with the Sister Julienne thing for those who have mentioned her in reviews. I don't want to go into the details yet though as it might give some of the story away but sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do or agree with because of higher powers which in turn alters the way in which we might do them… and that's all I'm going to say!
I'll try post the next chapter soon once I've edited it.