Chapter Three. Doctor Turner finds Sister Bernadette in tears. Written very quickly, will need amending.
Timothy Turner was sitting in his father's car outside the tenements. One of the Doctor's patients needed a home visit and it was the housekeeper's day off. Timmy was feeling annoyed that his father hadn't allowed him to stay at home alone, and rather worried about the Science project due in the next day. He had a book to read in his satchel, but he couldn't really concentrate. And anyway it was cold.
Luckily for him, Sister Bernadette soon cycled by on her way home from a delivery. The sight of Doctor Turner's car usually gave her a start, but she was surprised to see Timothy staring out. By the look of him he was close to tears.
"Afternoon young man," she said cheerfully, when he had wound down the window.
"It isn't, I've been waiting here for ages."
Doctor Turner emerged from the buildings to fetch his gas and air from the boot.
"Hello Sister," he smiled wearily, "I'm not going to be out of here in a hurry. I'm sorry Timothy."
"Why doesn't he come home with me for a while?" said Sister, her day suddenly brighter at the sight of him.
"I couldn't let you do that..."
"Please, I have nothing else to occupy me, except Compline and that won't be a problem."
It was decided.
......
On returning from their rounds, Chummy and Cynthia were surprised to see the kitchen table covered in various encyclopedia, bits of cake and coloured pencils. They could see Sister Bernadette and Timothy Turner through the window looking for something in the garden. Sister was laughing as Timmy disappeared into a bush.
"Gosh, look at that!" said Chummy, "I'm not sure I've ever seen Sister Bernadette laugh like that."
"I suppose you're right," said Cynthia. Sister Bernadette was usually extremely quiet, almost invisible most of the time. And always so very serious. She was of course, the most intelligent midwife at Nonnatus House, and they all looked up to her.
By degrees, Timothy's Science project was finished. With Sister's help he had created a very detailed description of the life of a beetle. He had been lucky enough to have found a dead stag beetle, which he placed in a match box. He knew he would score quite high marks for that.
"I'm off to the chapel now Timothy. You can either join us for Compline, which is our Evening Prayer, or you can have a look at some books in the sitting room." Sister Bernadette left him sitting comfortably with a magazine while she made her way to chapel. He thought she looked nice in her long black veil. He liked it better than the white one.
Soon after, he heard some singing wafting down the corridor, and decided to go and listen. There was no one around to see him. One nun was singing alone, and was joined by all the other nuns at intervals. It wasn't like the singing you heard at school. Or the singing they did at Scouts either. He liked to listen to it even if it made him feel...a bit sad. He peeked round the corner of the chapel door to watch.
So it was, that Doctor Turner found his son, sitting on the stone floor outside the chapel, listening to Compline. On seeing his Dad, his face lit up.
They crept away and were soon leaving for home, with the precious Science Project in Timothy's satchel.
"Sister Bernadette can really sing Dad," he said, "like someone on the wireless."
"Can she?" said Doctor Turner, eyes intent on the road.
"Yes, and she doesn't mind digging in the soil to look for bugs either."
"Oh really?"
"No. And she says boys my age should always have second helpings of cake."
The Doctor laughed at this, but the laugh did not seem to reach his eyes.
"Let's go and see what we can find for supper."
......
Sister Bernadette was manning the phones next morning and decided to catch up on some notes in the little office. All was quiet and peaceful. She could hear Mrs B in the kitchen listening to something on the radio, and Fred was fixing the garden shed, but these sounds did not disturb her. She was hard at work, when someone knocked at the office door.
"Come in," she called, not looking up.
"Good morning Sister," said Doctor Turner, meeting her surprised expression a little awkwardly, "Sorry to disturb you, but Timothy and I thought we should thank you for yesterday."
"I had such a lovely time, no need for thanks," said Sister smiling.
"Still, I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't rescued us," he said.
"I wish he wouldn't smile at me like that," she thought, concentrating hard on keeping her breathing regular.
He handed her a thank you note from Timothy, with a picture of the two of them searching for bugs in the garden. It was beautiful.
After the usual pleasantries, he left.
He was gone again.
Perhaps she was exceptionally tired, but for some reason, the little Sister sat down at her desk and cried silently. She wished she could just go to bed and hide under the covers.
Doctor Turner had almost closed the front door of Nonnatus House, when he remembered something.
"Damn," he muttered, "I forgot to tell her about the new sterilizer!" It was important, so he half jogged back down the hall, and without knocking entered the office.
The sight of his dear friend, with her head in her hands, crying miserably was too much for him.
"Sister Bernadette, whatever is the matter?" he said softly, "are you ill?"
"No, I' m really alright Doctor... I thought you'd gone."
Without thinking he knelt down beside her, just lightly touching her arm, and asked,
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
The tears had gone now, the shock of being discovered had seen to that. She stood up, and so did he. He was suddenly aware of an overwhelming urge to touch her face, but of course it was out of the question. Instead he took out his handkerchief and handed it to her.
"You're very kind Doctor," she said quietly. "It's just that sometimes I feel... so, so tired."
And with one last look at him, she disappeared into the dark convent corridors.
Doctor Turner stood thoughtfully for a while, looking down at her immaculate notes on the desk.
He wondered if she was as lonely as he was.