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 Notes: Massive thanks as always to Sittingonthis for the sense check, and to Jlynsca for her editing skills. I thought you all deserved a breather from the heavy angst of the last couple of posts. Enjoy...

"Where on earth are we going, Delia?" Patsy sounded quite perplexed as she stared out the window of the bus. It was the second one they had hopped on. The destination displayed on the front of the Routemaster simply said Sydenham. It was a place Patsy had never heard of and she could see no recognisable landmarks in this part of London.

Delia laughed. "How can it be a surprise if I tell you?" The Welsh woman grinned, thoroughly enjoying her lover's confusion. It had been several weeks since Delia's bout of meningitis. She had made a complete recovery and returned to work in remarkably quick time. Patsy had looked after Delia devotedly, and the brunette wanted to show her thanks in some way. Delia did some research and made plans for their next day off together. All she had told Patsy was that they were going across London and that the journey would be quite long, but the destination would be worth it.

"I'm guessing that we're going to be outside as you told me to wrap up." Patsy couldn't help but continue to fish. She could sense Delia's excitement and had told herself that no matter what the surprise was, she would react as though it was perfect, simply because it was obvious Delia thought it was going to be wonderful.

Delia shook her head. "Patsy, stop worrying. I know that you will like this. And if you don't, there's always Dulwich art gallery and Horniman's museum we can visit now we're in this part of London."

"How do you know so much about London?" Patsy was genuinely surprised. She knew all the central London tourist locations, but had never really given areas outside the city much thought.

"It's called the library, Pats. You know, that place that stores tons of useful information. It's where I always go when you're working."

Patsy gave the brunette a lop-sided smile. "You don't look much like a bookworm."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Delia frowned.

Patsy shifted uncomfortably. "Well, one has a certain image of the bookish type," she hedged.

Delia looked astonished. "Are you calling me a swot?"

"You are! You always get top marks in exams, but..." Patsy trailed off.

"But I don't look like I read." Delia wasn't sure whether she should feel insulted or not.

Patsy decided to bluff her way out of the hole she was rapidly digging for herself. "No, you don't. You look like you enjoy being outside in the fresh air."

"A country bumpkin in other words?" Delia was enjoying watching Patsy squirm.

"No! That's not what I meant at..." Patsy narrowed her eyes as she caught the sparkle in Delia's. "One day I will beat you in a war of words."

"I look forward to it," Delia retorted, a large grin on her face. She looked out of the window and stood up, yanking the line to pull the request to stop bell. "Come on. We're here."

Patsy got up hurriedly. "Where are we?" She asked again.

Delia hurried down the steep stairs of the bus and hopped off the bus onto the pavement. She smiled as she saw Patsy looking around, trying to find a clue. "Come on. It's this way." She turned and headed down the street towards some large iron gates.

Patsy frowned as she read the name on the wooden placard. "Crystal Palace Park." She looked at Delia dubiously. "You do realise that there are plenty of parks locally, as well as in central London. Why have we spent the best part of two hours coming here?"

"This park has something all the other parks do not," Delia replied mysteriously, grinning as she walked through the entrance.

"Well it better have a cafe. I'm gasping for a tea," Patsy grumbled good-naturedly. She dutifully followed the shorter woman into the park and took a moment to savour the rolling lawns.

Delia stopped and breathed in expansively. "Just smell that air, Pats. We're barely inside the park gates and it already smells fresher and cleaner." She smiled wistfully. "It's almost as good as home."

Patsy grinned back. "All that's missing is the smell of the coal mines?" She teased.

"Pembroke isn't really known for mining. It's all green hills, rain and sheep."

The tall nurse rummaged around in her handbag for a moment before locating her cigarettes and a lighter. She hunched over slightly to protect the flame as she lit a cigarette and took a long drag before returning the lighter and pack back to her handbag. "Sorry Deels, there's only so much fresh air one can take."

Delia rolled her eyes. "You're addicted to them."

"They are a guilty pleasure, I know," Patsy agreed, unabashed. She took another critical view of the park. It was midweek so there were only a few other visitors. With just a little effort, it would be easy to imagine being completely alone here.

Because of that, Patsy decided to be just a fraction more adventurous than usual and she hooked her arm through Delia's. After all, they were halfway across London and she would be astonished if there was anyone that she knew from the hospital here. The journey itself had been quite the adventure.

The nurse knew she had done the right thing when she saw a look of delight burst across Delia's features. Patsy told herself that lots of girls walked together without raising a single eyebrow. Even if any suspicions were raised, they would be able to evaporate into the anonymity of London without it being a problem.

Patsy smiled warmly at Delia. "Come on then, Miss Busby. Lead me to whatever this big secret is. I hope it's worth the build up."

Delia nodded. "Me, too. I've wanted to visit ever since I read about it."

"Read about what?" Patsy asked innocently.

Delia was having none of it. "Come on. I think it's this way."

Patsy managed to keep the pace at a leisurely stroll and stop Delia from dashing ahead. It had been a good idea to link arms, she decided. The Welsh woman was practically skipping in her excitement.

"Delia, I do hope you haven't built your expectations up too high. I don't want you to be disappointed. Whatever it is."

The brunette stopped suddenly, almost causing Patsy to stumble. Delia stared ahead, biting her bottom lip in thought. "I am definitely not disappointed," she muttered.

Patsy followed her gaze and frowned for a moment as she tried to work out what it was she was looking at. All of a sudden, it made sense. "Goodness me. It's the dinosaur park!"

Delia nodded excitedly. "I know. I've wanted to visit ever since I read about it when I was a little girl. I thought we could have a picnic in front of the megalosaurus."

Patsy laughed as she watched her girlfriend. She hadn't moved since she had spotted one of the models. Patsy wasn't sure she had even blinked. "Are you sure this is a treat for me and not you?"

Delia couldn't tear her eyes away. "Oh, come on Patsy. Who doesn't like dinosaurs?"

The tall nurse laughed again until she caught the look on Delia's face. "You're serious aren't you?"

"Yes. Of course I am. They're amazing and we still know next to nothing about them."

Patsy looked back at the model dubiously. "Wouldn't you have preferred to go to the Natural History Museum if you wanted to see dinosaurs?"

Delia shook her head. "I love dinosaurs and I love the outdoors. Visiting here with you is the perfect combination. Come on. Let's take a closer look." Delia was giddy with excitement and Patsy couldn't help but be infected by it.

The two women hurried down the slope towards the display.

Patsy viewed them critically. "Are you sure you aren't disappointed. They look a bit..." Patsy searched for the right words. "Unkempt?"

Delia's enthusiasm had not waned at all now that she was close up. "Most of these were made before Darwin published The Origin of the Species," she told Patsy conversationally. "There's a story that the Royal Society had a big banquet inside one of the dinosaurs while they were being built." She looked at Patsy, her eyes shining. "I know that they just look like statues now. And some of them are a bit... mossy. But it's the story behind them and what people must have thought."

Delia leaned back against one of the small rails that encircled a display. "The men who made these had to guess what the dinosaurs looked like, just from a few fossils. Just imagine the Victorians seeing these for the first time. They're huge. And scary." She looked over her shoulder. "Well, this one isn't as it's a herbivore, but this is adventure and discovery on a massive scale."

She smiled as she recalled a long-distant memory. "When I first read about dinosaurs, I told my mother I was going to be a fossil hunter or an explorer. I knew right from when I was little that I needed to see and do more. Mam told me that I'd be lucky if I could find my way out of Wales."

The brunette shook her head. "Well, I proved her wrong."

"Why didn't you?"

"Why didn't I what?" Delia was confused.

"Become an explorer? You've always struck me as someone who is determined to get what she wants." Patsy was fascinated.

Delia's smile became more expansive. "I have got what I want," she replied impishly. "Honestly though, Pats, it was that nurse from St John, telling me about the Great War and Edith Cavell. I realised that I might want to go exploring for my own curiosity, but what I really wanted to do was help people. Fortunately, I have managed to sort of combine the two and embarked on my great big London adventure."

"It was rather fortunate for me, too," Patsy concurred.

Delia furrowed her brow. "What about you, Pats? What did you want to do when you were little?"

Patsy sighed. "Not be an explorer, that's for sure. We spent so much time travelling, I never really felt settled. I don't think I ever really thought about doing something when I was very young. It was just sort of expected that one would marry and have children. Having a career was considered very unsuitable for a young lady." Patsy couldn't stop an expression of disgust ghosting across her features.

Delia leaned into her slightly, pulling on their linked arms. "Well I'm glad you decided to go for the unsuitable option."

Patsy smiled unguardedly at the shorter woman. "Me, too," she agreed. Feeling a little exposed after providing such a candid answer, Patsy fell back on practiced techniques of diversion and eyed Delia's bag hopefully. "Where's this dinosaur you want to have the picnic in front of? I'm ravenous."

Delia giggled, shaking her head knowingly. They wandered for a bit longer, with Delia providing snippets of information regarding the various monsters on display. Patsy dutifully listened and found herself soaking up more of Delia's enthusiasm. She was more impressed by her knowledge than the exhibits. They eventually spotted the megalosaurus and found a convenient park bench where they could sit and eat their lunch.

Patsy sat back and relaxed as she ate. This was such a simple thing to do and yet she was thoroughly enjoying herself. It helped that the weather was being kind, and that Delia was so caught up in imparting all her knowledge. Patsy felt like she was looking into Delia's youth and she adored it.

After lunch, they discovered that the park also had a maze. Delia was all up for going through on instinct, but Patsy told her that there was a perfectly logical approach to solving mazes and set off to demonstrate it.

Within minutes, Delia sabotaged her plan and forced her to take a different path. "The whole point of a maze is to get lost and then find your way out."

Patsy shook her head. "The point of a maze is to solve it."

"But how can you get the feeling of being lost if you approach it like a logic puzzle?"

"I don't want to feel like I'm lost," Patsy demurred.

"Not even with me? All alone in the maze?" Delia teased.

Patsy gave her a mock-stern look. "I don't care how many times you reassure me that we are alone in here, I am not doing anything risky. People could come round a corner at any minute."

Delia pulled a face, but knew Patsy was right. "I'll behave," she assured the taller woman. "But we are going to go through this on instinct. It'll give me an excuse to hold your hand when you're feeling scared."

"I wouldn't be feeling scared if we were using my methodology," Patsy grumbled. She made no attempt to extricate her hand from Delia's grip though and they spent the next twenty minutes turning and back-tracking before finally finding the centre. Delia crowed in triumph as she stood on the bench, while Patsy wished she had a camera to capture the moment for posterity.

After a late cup of tea in the park's cafe, and with dusk falling, the two women decided that it was time to head back to the London. Fortunately, they were both on late shifts the next day so at least there wouldn't be an early start.

As they sat on the top deck of the bus, Patsy stared out of the window. "I cannot understand how a day out in the fresh air can be so exhausting," she complained.

"It's wonderful," Delia replied. She was glowing, her face coloured by the exposure to the day's elements.

Patsy grinned. "Thank you for taking me there. I really enjoyed it."

Delia nodded. "That's another place ticked off the list. I'll be back at the library to research our next excursion."

Patsy stood up suddenly and yanked the bell line. "No need to research, I've just found it. We need to get off."

Delia's eyes widened in surprise but she stood up and followed Patsy off the bus. "What have you found?" She asked as the bus pulled away.

Patsy was walking quickly down the road, her earlier lethargy now evaporated. "Look," she gestured.

Delia scanned the street for a clue and then gasped. "Streatham Ice Rink? You're kidding me. You don't like skating do you?"

"I adore skating. I haven't been in years. Come on."

Delia pulled a face. "You know, we could have planned this as another trip."

Patsy stopped and looked back at the brunette. "I'm sensing hesitation from the would be explorer. Do you not like skating?"

Delia shrugged noncommittally. "I've never done it."

"You'll love it," Patsy enthused. She noticed the reluctance in Delia's stance. "At least come and try it." When Delia still didn't move, Patsy stepped back towards her. "If you really don't want to go, we can go back," she offered.

"It's not that. I just don't know if I'll be any good at it," Delia admitted hesitantly.

Patsy smiled. "Well, I know that you're certainly brave enough to try. And absolutely everyone holds hands until they get the hang of it. I'd be more than happy to hold yours."

Delia straightened up. "Alright. I've never let anything else beat me. Let's give this a try," she nodded, striding towards the entrance. She glanced at Patsy nervously. "You will hold my hand won't you?"

Patsy nodded. "Definitely. But knowing you, Deels, you won't need me for long."

As it transpired, it took Delia far longer to actually start skating than Patsy anticipated. Initially, Delia clung onto the side of the rink and edged round slowly while clinging on desperately to Patsy's arm. Every now and again, she would try and go a little faster but any hint of losing her balance sent the Welsh woman straight back to the side.

Patsy was perplexed and she tried to work out what it was that was holding Delia back. She had a sudden flash of insight. "Delia, how flat are your feet right now?"

Delia looked up, confused. "What?"

"Patsy smirked. "Tell me if I'm wrong, but are your toes all curled up and tense?"

Delia stopped and looked wonderingly at the tall blonde. "Yes," she realised as she mentally checked. "How did you know?"

Patsy shook her head. "You're trying to grip the ice with your feet. It's psychological." She waited for a few moments for her words to make sense to Delia. "Trust the blades, and trust your balance," she continued. "Open out your feet in the boots and really remember what that feels like." Patsy held a hand out in front of her as a fist and slowly splayed it open to demonstrate what she meant.

Delia complied and shook her head ruefully. "That's better. My toes were starting to cramp up."

"You aren't doing anything unusual, Deels. I can remember being like that when I first started. Now, stop holding onto the side, it puts you off balance. If you must hold onto something, hold onto the crook of my arm."

Patsy waited patiently a small distance away from Delia, knowing that she would have to let go of the side in order to get to her. She could see Delia mentally check the position of her feet before taking a deep breath and pushing away from the side.

Delia beamed in triumph as she glided close enough to grab onto Patsy's arm. "Are you ready to risk your life and get me skating?"

"I think you'll do just fine. Come on," Patsy encouraged, pushing off with her skate and providing momentum for Delia to get going too.

With just the little tip Patsy provided, it seemed that Delia suddenly trusted her skates and within moments she was lengthening each push. "Oh my goodness, this is great," she enthused as she built up speed.

Patsy grinned knowingly. "I know."

Within two circuits, Delia had changed grip from Patsy's elbow to her hand, and just a short while after that, she was skating solo.

"Don't get too over-confident," Patsy warned as Delia sped up once again. She moved forward and then turned, skating backwards while she spoke to Delia.

"How on earth did you do that?" Delia was seriously impressed.

"Lots of practice. But now we know you like skating, and we know where this place is, perhaps we can come again."

"Oh, come on, Pats. Teach me how to go backwards," Delia pleaded.

"I think you need a bit more practice going forward," the tall nurse demurred again.

Delia frowned and watched Patsy's feet carefully as they completed yet another circuit. Patsy rolled her eyes, knowing what was about to come. Delia tried to turn on her skates, hoping that the momentum she had built up would allow her to skate backwards.

Patsy bit her lip as her girlfriend went crashing onto the ice in a big heap. She quickly stopped before skating back to where Delia sat.

The brunette shook her head. "I know. Don't tell me. I couldn't help myself," she admitted ruefully.

Patsy dug a skate in to brace herself and held out a hand but couldn't help laughing out loud at Delia's rather ungraceful way of getting back onto her blades. She pressed her lips together when Delia shot her a warning look. "I will not say that I told you so. But I will remind you that perhaps you might want to just practice going forward?" Patsy teased mildly.

Delia rubbed her bottom and winced. "Alright. I'll listen."

"Could I have that in writing?" Patsy asked innocently.

Delia frowned. "Er, never," she admitted. "Come on. Let me get my confidence back and then you can buy me a coffee," she declared.

Patsy smiled. It was typical of Delia not to let things defeat her, and she was impressed by her determination to succeed. The tall nurse had a feeling that they would be making regular trips to the ice rink in future until Delia could indeed skate backwards.

It was late when they got on the bus for their last leg home. Delia spoke to the conductor as she purchased their bus tickets and asked him to remind them when they were close to the London. "It always looks different in the dark," she told Patsy by way of explanation.

The upstairs of the double decker was empty and the two women sat on the back seat. After lighting a cigarette, Patsy used her free hand to hold Delia's, a lop-sided grin forming as she felt Delia squeeze her hand back.

"What a wonderful day. I'm really not sure how I'll have the energy for work tomorrow," Patsy commented with a contented sigh.

"It's a price I'll happily pay for spending a day with you," Delia responded easily.

"Me, too." Patsy sighed again and leaned into Delia discretely. "I'm assuming that skating is on the list for regular activities?" She enquired.

"Up until I can skate as well as you, definitely," the brunette confirmed.

Patsy grinned. "That might take quite a while," she warned.

Delia's smile widened. "I like the idea of that."

"The idea of what?" Patsy furrowed her brow.

"Having to plan a long way into the future," Delia admitted shyly.

Patsy nudged the smaller woman. "And you accused me of being a romantic," she teased lightly.

Delia looked at Patsy, her eyes glimmering. "I mean it, Pats. This is it for me. I'm sorry if I'm coming on a bit strong, but I just can't imagine my life without you now."

Patsy swallowed round a lump that had suddenly formed in her throat and her voice was tight when she spoke again. "I'm the same."

To be continued...

Author's Note 2: There really is a dinosaur park at Crystal Palace Park - and there really was a banquet held inside one by the Royal Society. Inside the Iguandon, if I remember my research correctly. This is the second really 'fluffy' post I've done in the last two weeks - I am usually a dyed-in-the-wool angst writer. I fear there may be a significant counterpoint to this soon!