Patrick smiled at Timothy. The boy didn't seem to hate the idea, which was a good start, he felt. Obviously there would be questions, once Timothy had been given the opportunity to digest the news. But depending on how the next few minutes went, he might just have to deal with the inordinate embarrassment of rejection if he had read Sister's tone and hints all wrong.
They both got out of the car and walked to the door of the imposing building. Patrick rang the bell and waited, rocking back and forth on his heels, fidgeting with his hand, his coat, his jacket and his hair. After what felt like forever the door opened, and a jolly, friendly face glanced between them.
"Hello? Can I help you?" Asked Nurse Peters.
"Hello, good morning, yes" stuttered Patrick, "I've come to collect a patient who has been discharged."
"Which patient please?"
"Erm, Sister Bernadette. Of the Order of Raymond Nonnatus?" queried Patrick.
"Ah. I'm Nurse Peters. Who are you?" asked the Nurse, smiling now, "And how do you know our 'International Nun of Mystery'?"
"Is that what you've called her?" asked Timothy, a broad smile appearing on his face, "That's fantastic". He paused, "Why did you call her that?"
"Ah" responded the nurse, "top secret info young man", she tapped the side of her nose. "And who are you?" she smiled at him.
"I'm Timothy Turner. This is my dad, Doctor Turner. We've come to collect Sister Bernadette. She rang Dad and said she was better, and he's missed rounds and everything" gabbled Timothy in response. Patrick was still stood there, frozen to the spot.
"Oh. You're Doctor Turner. The 'Doctor Turner' of all the letters, I presume?" asked the nurse, raising an eyebrow as she perused him.
"Does everyone other than me know about those?" asked Timothy, indignantly.
"Oh I think not young Timothy". Nurse Peters said, seeking to reassure him. The nurse made a decision, she could see the poor man stood before her was in torment, and she suspected, having observed the nun closely, that she had never written back. "I only know about them because I was her nurse, and I used to tease her about them." She also suspected, having seen the young woman leaving only a short time earlier, that the man stood before her, looking as if his world was about to collapse, was the reason that Sister had left wearing very dated but definitely 'non-nun' clothes, and a look of shock on her face. She decided to give him some hope, "She read them all you know, in one go, last week. Sat there for hours reading and re-reading. She had quite a smile on her face. And she hadn't opened a single one until last week, not even opened the envelopes to peek."
The nurse smiled at Patrick, who was now looking at her intently. She could see that he was trying to process all she had just said. Timothy responded first.
"She read them all in one go? Wow. I hope they were good dad, otherwise she'd have been bored stiff!"
"I think they were fine young man, if I'm any judge" Nurse Peters smiled down at the boy.
"Erm, yes, thank you Nurse Peters. Is Sister Bernadette here?" asked Patrick, finding his voice at last.
"Ah, I am afraid, Doctor, that you are too late. She has already left"
"My dad's always late" interjected Timothy, smiling up at the nurse. He liked her, she had a lovely smile.
"How long ago? She didn't go for the bus did she? I told her not to go for the bus. She can't travel by bus, she's not well enough" blurted Patrick, panic rising in his voice as he fired questions towards the nurse.
"About 30 minutes. Yes, I believe she did go for the bus. She was fairly insistent that she was leaving, but I think she turned the wrong way at the gate, otherwise you've driven past her, haven't you?" replied the Nurse, a wry smile on her face.
"We didn't drive past any buses" said Tim, "and we were on the bus route, because I saw the Bus Stops as we drove here".
"Sorry I can't help more. I suggest turning right and heading towards the forest, you might be able to catch her, the buses only run every half hour"
"Right, thank you Nurse" said Patrick, taking a step back, "thank you very much. Goodbye".
"Goodbye Doctor Turner, goodbye Timothy. Lovely to meet you" Nurse Peters shut the door on the rapidly retreating figure of Patrick Turner, who was rooting for his car keys in his coat pocket.
