Summary: Nurse Training School - The London Hospital
Disclaimer: Call The Midwife belongs to the BBC and others - I am simply borrowing their wonderful characters.
Author's note: Sorry for the delay with the update. When I checked on all my ideas on how Patsy could make it up to her, most of them were anachronistic, which set me back to the drawing board. Once again Sittingonthis has been the perfect foil for my ideas - at this rate, I may have to add her as co-author. My thanks as always to Jlynsca for her superb proof-reading. Thank you for all the lovely reviews. I'm glad you're keeping with it. Oh - and to make up for the delay, this update is extra long, so sit down with your favourite beverage and enjoy...
Delia had managed to keep up a pleasant enough front on the walk back from the pub, but the moment Jean and Mavis headed down a different corridor, the Welsh woman stopped talking. Patsy was determined not to part company with Delia without at least trying to do something about her blunder. "Are you coming in for a nightcap?"
"Are you sure it's safe? It's very close to curfew." Delia was unable to keep the bitter tone from her voice.
Patsy couldn't blame her; this problem sat firmly with her. "Please?" She asked softly.
Delia nodded tersely. "I'll get my glass," she stated, ducking into her own room.
Patsy sighed as she took off her jacket before retrieving the gin and tonic from its hiding place in the wardrobe. She had just kicked off her shoes when her door opened again and Delia entered, glass in hand.
"Large or small?" Patsy asked as she unscrewed the bottle.
"What do you think?"
Patsy closed her eyes for a few seconds before pouring two very healthy measures. "Well, the least I can do is be hungover with you tomorrow in class," she commented.
"Yes, that's the least you can do." Delia sat cross-legged at the bottom of Patsy's bed and held out her hand for her drink.
Patsy sat at the top of her bed and mirrored Delia's pose. "Delia, I'm so sorry," she began. "My mind just went blank."
"What happened to not leaving anything to chance? Why wouldn't you have thought about excuses at the weekend?" Delia kept her voice low but made no attempt to hide how annoyed she was.
"Because I truly didn't think we would have to worry about any classmates staying at the weekend." Patsy looked down at her drink. "I am sorry, Deels. I'm sure we can see the film next week," she offered, before taking a large draught.
"Patsy, it was our first date." Delia was frustrated and hurt. "It wasn't about the film. It was about the evening."
Patsy nodded, feeling tears prick her eyes. "I know," she replied. "I promise I'll find a way to make this up to you," she continued determinedly.
"Patsy, are you really sure you want to do this? I don't want to put pressure on you if you're uncomfortable..."
Patsy's eyes shot up and she looked at Delia incredulously. "No! Delia, please. Of course I want to do this. Why on earth would you think that I don't?"
Delia shrugged, feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden. "You made such a big deal about keeping everything secret and having to plan. And then..." She shrugged again, trailing off and taking a sip of her drink dejectedly.
Patsy put her glass on the nightstand and scooted closer to Delia, taking her free hand in both of hers. "Delia, I truly am sorry, but it was just a stupid oversight on my part. It won't happen again. I promise that you'll get your first date." She gave a half smile. "It might just take a fraction longer than we expected."
Delia threw her arms around the older woman and hugged her tightly, sighing with relief as she felt Patsy reciprocate. The dangerous thought that perhaps Patsy had deliberately sabotaged their plans had crossed her mind, and it had really frightened her. Patsy's sincerity was obvious though. It could be easy to stay upset and hold a grudge about this, but Delia always thought doing that never really solved anything.
Patsy clung to Delia desperately. The very thought that Delia might think that she didn't want to be with her had shaken her to the core. She was determined to make it up to her somehow.
Eventually, they relaxed their embrace and sat back. Patsy caressed Delia's cheek adoringly before placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "Delia, I want to be with you."
Delia nodded, swallowing down her emotions before leaning in to kiss Patsy again.
Patsy was applying her lipstick when there was a very business-like knock at the door. She frowned. "Come in," she called.
Delia entered quickly, clad in her St John Uniform. "I just thought I'd pop in and wish you luck for tonight." She grinned cheekily as Patsy groaned before glancing round to make sure the door was shut. "Well, actually, what I wanted to do was see what you were wearing tonight so I can at least have some nice, warm thoughts while I'm out in the cold night." She winked cheekily.
"Delia, you are incorrigible," Patsy mock-scolded but she couldn't help but smile. "However, perhaps I should also say that you look quite fetching in your uniform."
Delia laughed. "I'd better go or I'll be late. Honestly, Pats. Try and enjoy the evening. You haven't been dancing in ages. You might as well make the most of it."
Patsy closed the distance between them and looped her arms around Delia's waist. "I am going to hate every second because I know I could have been spending the evening with you." She leaned down and they kissed languidly. When they broke apart, the tall nurse used a thumb to wipe the lipstick away from Delia's lips. "This isn't quite your shade, Deels."
Delia grinned. "I think you probably need to reapply your lipstick too. You haven't got much left." She turned and checked the mirror quickly to ensure that there was no evidence of their embrace. "Don't wait up, Pats. I probably won't finish until 1am."
"One in the morning? How will you get in? That's well past curfew."
"Easy. I spoke with Matron once I arranged my shift. She rang the Division Superintendent who confirmed what I was doing and I was handed a key to the front door." Delia nodded at the simplicity of the arrangement.
"I'm surprised you haven't had a spare cut," Patsy mused with a grin.
"Who says I haven't?" The shorter woman retorted. She smiled and grabbed her handbag from where it had fallen on the floor. "Have a tango for me," she called as she left.
Patsy smiled at the closed door for long moments before sighing. Her mood fell instantly as she returned to the mirror in order to repair her make-up and set her hair. A short while later there was another knock at the door.
Mavis and Jean stood giggling outside and Patsy's mood darkened further. She managed to school her features into an impassive mask and allowed her fellow student nurses to lead her out of the Nurses Home.
The men were waiting for them outside the dance hall. As she was introduced to her date, Roger grabbed her by the elbow and began to push her forward and into the hall. "I am capable of walking by myself," she snapped, removing her arm smartly.
"Sorry," Roger replied. He looked at her as they handed their overcoats over to the cloakroom attendant. "Aren't you a bit old to be a student nurse?"
Patsy straightened and looked at him coldly. "Are you this tactful with all the women you date?"
Roger frowned. "I'm merely asking a question. You're definitely older than the other girls." Patsy rolled her eyes as they headed into the hall. "I'm surprised you're not already married, or at least courting," he continued unabashed.
Patsy's eyes widened and she came to a stop before they got to the table. "Goodness me, when did you finish Charm School?" She asked pointedly.
"I didn't," Roger replied, perplexed.
"Obviously," Patsy shot back, rolling her eyes as she started walking again. She placed her bag down at the foot of the table and sat down before looking expectantly at the trainee lawyer.
"Oh. Er... Would you like a drink?" Roger belatedly remembered his manners.
"Large vodka and tonic please," Patsy requested, her tone brooking no argument.
Roger was slightly taken aback but dutifully went to the bar. The others had immediately headed to the dance floor. Patsy sighed and retrieved her cigarettes from her bag, hoping that she had enough to last the evening.
Patsy watched Mavis and Jean dance with their respective dates and exhaled a long cloud of smoke. It was something she would never be able to do with Delia, but she smiled as she tried to imagine how much fun it would be to twirl Delia round the dance floor. She caught sight of Roger returning and her smile fell. The man had an untidy air to him, even though he wore a decent suit. Patsy had the feeling that he could be given a made-to-measure Savile Row suit and he would still look like he had slept in it.
"I didn't realise you smoked," the dark-haired man commented as he sat down beside her, putting the drinks on the table.
"It's one of the pleasures I have in life," Patsy retorted sharply. She just about stopped herself from pulling another face. Roger was obviously a talker. She was not in the mood.
"I always find women smoking slightly vulgar," he continued.
Patsy looked at him for a moment, wondering if he was actually listening to what he was saying. "Oh dear," she replied, taking a deep lungful and then blowing a smoke-ring at him. She was secretly delighted; she hadn't tried to do a smoke-ring since sixth form. It was a perfect 'o' shape. Patsy raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to comment but he looked away and took a sip of his own drink.
For a moment, she thought he might take the hint and leave her alone, but he tried again. "So why are you training to be a nurse? It's not as if you'll do it for long."
"What do you mean?" Patsy was genuinely perplexed.
"Well, once you get married, you'll give it up and have children. Why bother with working now?"
Patsy smiled tightly. "I want to help people," she managed, deciding that she ought to at least try and remain civil.
"Oh well, I suppose there is that. We do need girls to keep the patients comfortable I suppose."
"Yes, we do." Patsy couldn't keep her tone from being sardonic and she blew another smoke-ring. She'd forgotten how satisfying they were to do.
Roger grimaced. "It does seem a waste of time though. I sometimes wonder why girls go to school at all."
"Good grief, what century are you living in?" Patsy couldn't help herself.
"Well, name one woman who's made a serious contribution to society," Roger retorted. "And I don't mean Florence Nightingale, she was just another nurse."
Patsy bristled. "She wasn't just another nurse. She was a brilliant reformer and mathematician. She invented the pie chart, and generated massive social reform. But let's not talk about Florence Nightingale. How about Ada Lovelace?" She paused, waiting to see any spark of recognition. "No? Another brilliant mathematician who designed the computer. What about Marie Curie? The only person, man or woman, to receive the Nobel Prize for science in two different fields. I'm sure you could agree that they have made a contribution to society." Patsy smiled savagely.
Roger shifted uncomfortably but wasn't prepared to give up his point. "Well, that's just a few."
"You asked for one," Patsy retorted sharply. "Would you like me to go on?"
Roger looked at her before downing his drink. "Another?" He asked blandly.
Patsy tried to calm down as Roger disappeared hurriedly. She knew she was being petulant and dismissive but she couldn't help it. She simply did not want to be here. She thought about Delia and wondered how her evening was going. The tall nurse sighed. She needed to make up for her colossal mistake and really show Delia that she wanted them to be together. The obvious thing to do was to arrange a surprise date. The trick would be trying to organise something where they could actually treat it like a date rather than simply sharing an experience as friends. Patsy took another drag of her cigarette as she caught sight of Roger returning and smiled tightly when he placed a drink in front of her. "Thank you," she managed politely.
Roger made no attempt to sit down. "Listen. You're clearly not enjoying my company and I can't say I'm having a splendid time either. Would it be awfully rude of me if I just leave you to your own devices and go and chat to that girl at the bar?"
Patsy raised her eyebrows. Roger had more of a backbone than she had given him credit for. She glanced over to where a woman was watching nervously. "Did you tell her that you came here with me?" She asked.
"Of course. I'm not a cad." Roger sounded affronted.
Patsy looked at him and nodded. "I can't say I've been the model of good company either," she admitted. "I am more than happy to sit here. It was very nice of you to ask."
Roger nodded curtly. "Can I just ask, why did you agree to come out if you didn't want to?"
Patsy looked over to where Mavis and Jean were dancing. "I got cornered into it and felt obliged to help out my friends. I think perhaps I should have been braver and insisted they find someone else." She nodded to where the woman stood. "Go and attend to your new friend. There's no point us all having a bad evening."
Roger looked relieved as he left and Patsy took a sip from the drink he had generously left her. At least she could now try and think of something to do for Delia without being needlessly distracted by having to converse with him.
A few hours later and after more cigarettes than Patsy cared to count, she insisted to the others that they return to the Nurses Home in order to make curfew. Mavis and Jean readily agreed and the tall blonde nurse couldn't help but wonder what plans they had already put in place to spirit their doctors inside undetected. Fortunately, the other nurses lived in another part of the building, so Patsy returned to her room alone.
As Patsy passed, she couldn't help but knock on Delia's door. There was no answer and she tried the door quietly. The room was empty. Delia must be having a busy night on the ambulance, Patsy mused.
Patsy went back to her own room and changed into her pyjamas. She wanted to wait up for Delia to return, even though Delia had told her not to. It wasn't simply guilt. She had genuinely missed her company this evening and she wanted to find out how her shift on the ambulance had gone. Despite her best intentions however, Patsy fell asleep some time after midnight, and did not hear Delia come back.
The tall nurse cursed when she woke up some hours later. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed the time. It was after 8 o'clock. Rubbing her face wearily, she levered herself out of bed and left her room. Through habit, she glanced down the corridor to make sure she was unobserved before opening the door to Delia's room quietly. Patsy couldn't help but smile fondly when she saw the brunette sprawled on top of her bed, fast asleep. She was still in her uniform, although her hat had been placed on the desk. She must have collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.
Patsy sighed. She really needed to do something to make it up to Delia. She nodded to herself when an idea came to her. The blonde closed the door silently, leaving her love to sleep undisturbed.
Delia stirred and stretched, taking a moment to come to. She rubbed her face and took a deep breath, smiling as she registered the aroma of coffee and bacon. Her eyes opened and she looked towards the door, grinning. "Have you brought me breakfast in bed?" She asked, waggling her eyebrows.
Patsy returned the smile, shaking her head at Delia's impishness. "Given the time, a more accurate description might be brunch," she suggested, making her way over to the bed carefully. In one hand she held two large steaming white mugs. In the other, were two plates, stacked on top of each other. Both plates carried a large sandwich with rashers of bacon poking out the sides. She rested the mugs on the nightstand and waited for Delia to sit up before perching on the edge of the bed and passing her a plate. "One bacon sandwich with tomato sauce, Miss Busby."
Delia grabbed the plate eagerly. "Pats, you're an absolute life-saver. What a wonderful way to start the day." She picked up one half of the sandwich and took a large bite.
Patsy smiled as she tucked into her own sandwich. "I think it was the least I could do given the circumstances," she replied.
Delia ignored the comment and instead looked at the two coffee mugs. She selected the lighter looking brew. "Where on earth did you get proper mugs and plates from?" She asked.
Patsy grinned. "That was surprisingly easy. Once I decided that you deserved breakfast, I went to the cafe and asked if I could have some bacon sandwiches to take away. When Benny found out that breakfast was for you, he insisted on proper plates and mugs." She took a sip of her own coffee before continuing. "I think he has a crush on you."
Delia laughed. "What makes you say that?"
"When I asked about taking the crockery back, he said there was no rush, but it would be lovely if you could return it." Patsy couldn't keep the teasing tone from her voice.
Delia blushed. "Well, he will be sadly disappointed. I only have eyes for you."
"I should hope so," Patsy responded tartly.
"Although, if he keeps making me bacon sandwiches as good as this, I may be persuaded," the Welsh woman continued, winking.
"Brat," Patsy accused, smirking as she continued eating her sandwich. "Did you know he calls you 'Taffy'?"
Delia nodded. "Oh yes. You should have seen his face when I started speaking Welsh to him."
"Frightened?"
Delia paused for a moment. "No. Now I think about it, he looked entranced. I think my accent is my secret weapon."
"It's certainly one of them," Patsy agreed, blushing when Delia shot her an amused look. "Well, Benny and I love it. We can't both be wrong."
Delia grinned as she took another bite of her sandwich. "So how was your night of dancing?" She asked around a mouthful of food.
Patsy smiled tightly. "As anticipated I'm afraid. Roger was a pompous toad. Unfortunately, my behaviour wasn't the model of courtesy either."
Delia frowned. "Why? What did you do?"
Patsy sighed. "I spent most of the time picking holes in just about any statement he made. I certainly wasn't the woman he expected me to be."
Delia looked at Patsy shrewdly. "So what you're really saying is that you went because you had to, resented every second of being there and took it out on him," she surmised.
Patsy nodded. "I think that covers it neatly," she admitted honestly. "Fortunately, he found another woman at the bar and politely extracted himself from my company."
"He left you on your own?" Delia was appalled.
"It was quite the relief actually. I spent the rest of the evening thinking about what I could do to make amends for ruining our night out." The blonde nurse smiled apologetically at her love.
Delia shook her head. "Pats, you don't need to keep apologising. And I know that you'll have an excuse handy next time." She waited a beat. "There will be a next time, won't there?"
Patsy looked almost affronted. "Of course there will be. In actual fact, I have an idea about what to do today, if you're not too tired. What time did you get in?"
"About half past two. I made the fatal mistake of lying down just for a second after I took my shoes off. The next thing I knew, I was smelling coffee and bacon." She grinned at the older woman. "What an inspired idea. Although if you waited for me until you ate, you must have been starving."
Patsy grinned. "I was a little peckish," she admitted, "but it was worth the wait." She looked down slightly, looking bashful. "Seeing you wake up like that," she added quietly.
Delia smiled back shyly. "You are terribly sweet, Pats." She leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek before taking a hand in her own. "It's the little things that are important, Pats. Yes, it will be nice to finally go out on a date, but little things like getting me the most gorgeous bacon sandwich, and blushing when you say lovely things like that." She paused as she traced Patsy's lips. "Those little things mean the most," she whispered before kissing Patsy properly.
"So, what's this idea you have about today?" The Welsh woman asked when they finally broke the kiss.
"How about you get washed and changed and I'll take the crockery back to the cafe?" Patsy suggested, avoiding the question.
"I thought Benny wanted me to take it back? Can we stop by on our way to wherever we're going?"
"You are a terrible tease, Delia Busby. Yes, we can take it back when we go. I'll leave you to get dressed." Patsy swung her legs off the bed and got up.
"You don't have to go," Delia offered as she got up too. She looked at Patsy carefully and realised that the older woman wasn't quite comfortable with that level of intimacy yet. She nodded towards the door. "Go on. But before you go, can you at least let me know if I need to dress up for this adventure?"
Patsy looked down at her own attire before looking back at the brunette. "Nothing special or too dressy. Whatever you're comfortable in," she recommended before leaving Delia's room. "Knock for me when you're ready."
Delia took great delight in bantering with the owner of the cafe when they returned their crockery. Benny went red with embarrassment when she started speaking Welsh to him again, but managed to get her to teach him how to say good morning and goodbye. Delia promised to have him fluent in Welsh if he continued making bacon sandwiches that good, and Patsy suspected that a fair number of purchases in the future would be heavily discounted for them.
They eventually left the cafe and headed towards the bus stop, getting on the number 15 towards town.
"Where are we going, Pats?" Delia was intrigued. They had spent many a weekend in town, but from Patsy's tone, this was going to be something different today.
"You are impatient, Miss Busby. Wait and see." Patsy grinned when Delia poked her tongue out at her in a most unladylike fashion.
Delia kept a lid on her curiosity for the remainder of the bus trip but as they walked over Waterloo Bridge, she started to get excited again. "I don't think I've been to this part of town. What's here?"
Patsy smiled indulgently. Delia could be so childlike in her enthusiasm sometimes, and it was adorable. She decided that the brunette had been patient long enough. "I saw an advertisement in the newspaper a few days ago. It's not really my thing, but knowing how much you love the cinema, I thought I'd bring you to the National Film Theatre. There's a festival on today."
Delia stopped dead in her tracks. "Really?" She was astonished. She had heard about the NFT but had never dreamed that she would one day go there. When Patsy nodded confirmation, Delia flung her arms round the taller woman. "That's wonderful. Thank you!"
Patsy squeezed back for just a second before discretely disentangling herself. "Delia," she warned gently.
Delia nodded immediately, realising that she had been perhaps a little too effusive in wanting to thank the other woman. "Sorry. I couldn't help it."
Patsy smiled, and firmly shut down any other reaction. She wanted to enjoy her day with Delia and not spoil the mood. "Come on, I think there's half an hour before the first set of features is on."
Delia looked over to the imposing building. "So what are we going to see?"
Patsy shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea. You're the film buff. I will be more than happy to be guided by your choices."
"Let me get this straight. You have little to no interest in films, and yet you're prepared to spend the whole afternoon and evening here because I do?" Delia asked.
"I would say that was a fair summation," Patsy agreed.
Delia smiled adoringly as they continued to walk over the bridge, her mood bright. "Patsy, you're too kind. I wouldn't expect you to do something you didn't want to do."
"I don't recall saying that I didn't want to do it," Patsy corrected. "I simply said that I don't have a particular interest in films."
Delia shook her head. "It's incredibly thoughtful of you. You're certainly racking up points today, Miss Mount. Come on, let's see if there's a programme available and then I can plan what we're going to see." She picked up the pace and they headed for the box office.
Several hours later, Patsy and Delia strolled along the Southbank, enjoying the late evening warmth. Delia desperately wanted to loop her arm through Patsy's but knew that the older woman would disapprove. Instead, she walked as closely as she could to the taller woman, and was relieved that Patsy made no attempt to move away. "So, what was your favourite film?" She asked.
Patsy looked down and frowned at the younger woman. "Are you testing me?"
Delia laughed. "Not at all. I'm just hoping that at least one of my choices wasn't too torturous for you."
"Actually, two of them were really rather good. That Diana Dors film was astonishing," Patsy replied.
"I didn't think you'd go for a busty blonde," Delia commented slyly.
"Delia!" Patsy was shocked, glancing round nervously. Fortunately, there were only a few other people around, and they were some distance from the pair of them. She huffed when she saw the brunette roll her eyes. "What I meant was that I was surprised at just how good an actress she was. I don't think I've seen her in anything serious before."
Delia smiled. "She was good," she agreed. "And quite stunning to look at too," she admitted unselfconsciously. "Although she's perhaps a little too busty for me," she added with a wink.
Patsy shook her head, surprised at just how confident Delia appeared with her own convictions. It felt so alien to be open and honest, even if they were practically alone. She walked over to the river wall where there was almost no chance of being overheard and stared across the Thames. "How can you be like that?" She asked genuinely.
"Like what?" Delia was perplexed.
"So assured. Doesn't it worry you that we aren't...?" Patsy trailed off, suddenly not wanting to finish the sentence.
Delia smiled tightly. "Normal?" She finished astutely. "No, it doesn't." She shrugged. "I know what I like. I know what I don't like. It might not be normal but it's what I am." She looked at Patsy intently. "It's what we are. At the moment, you're the only other person I can talk freely with. If I can't be myself with you, then I can never be myself." She cocked her head slightly. "I like being myself with you. You make me happy," she admitted softly.
"You sound so sure of yourself, Deels," Patsy remarked softly, glancing at the diminutive nurse.
Delia pulled a face. "I don't know about that. It took me a while to realise that I was different, I suppose, but once I did, I just knew that was that."
Patsy sighed uncomfortably. "It's not just different," she demurred quietly.
"Yes it is," Delia insisted. "You can't punish yourself for how you feel. For what you feel." She gently pulled Patsy round to face her. She could hear her heart hammering in her ears, but needed to ask the question. "Does what you feel for me really feel wrong?"
Patsy swallowed, feeling a little overwhelmed. "No," she whispered eventually.
Delia nodded, a bright smile on her face. "So every time you doubt, or feel down, remind yourself of this conversation. Remind yourself of us."
Patsy nodded back and managed a wan, lop-sided smile, touched by Delia's honesty. "You make me happy too, Deels," she said, remembering her love's earlier declaration. She sighed, trying to shake off her suddenly serious mood. "Come on, after all this high end culture, I'm in the mood for a nice, simple supper."
"Chips?"
Patsy nodded. "Chips," she confirmed.
To be continued...