Timothy

Timothy got off at his old bus stop and popped in at the surgery as he did most days. Today he knew something was different. His father greeted him with his nervous voice...it was a bit funny and higher pitched.

"Is it the baby?" Tim asked.

"Yes."

"Why are you here?"

"Mum doesn't want me there."

"Really?" Tim was surprised by that news, "Dad, you know if I were eighteen, I'd take you to the pub."

"Tim, it's fine, but you can't go home. Angela's been at Mrs. Penny's all day...You can go there...or you're always welcome at Nonnatus House…I can drive you when I leave here."

Although being with Angela may be what he needed, he didn't like Mrs. Penny's house. It was boring..not like Nonnatus. There was always something happening there.

"Where are you going to go?" he asked his Dad.

"Home to wait."

"You're going to go stand outside the door and pace."

"Pacing is what expectant fathers do, Tim."

"Right then where do you want to go?"

"Nonnatus, I suppose...You'll call right away?"

"It'll be my first call," Patrick promised.

Sister Winifred answered the door and let him in.

"Hello Timothy."

"I can't go home...can I stay here?"

"Of course. Are you hungry?"

"Starving!"

"Come into the kitchen. We have a lot of excitement with preparations for the wedding."

"I remember when my Dad married Mum."

"That was before I came to Nonnatus House."

Nurse Crane entered the kitchen, "Hello Timothy. Is everything going well at home?" she asked.

"I couldn't go home."

"Sister Julienne will take care of your mother."

"She and Sister Julienne have always been so close. I can't imagine a better choice for her...When she was here…" Tim paused.

"What?"

"She would be in charge when Sister Julienne was away."

"We all missed her when she was gone," Sister Monica Joan added as she entered the room, "I remember the night after the gamma rays, before Dr. Turner came all was well we were together. Then she left and never came back."

"What?" Sister Winifred asked.

Timothy answered, "She means after the x-ray van when Dad had to diagnose the tuberculosis. She went to the sanitorium the next day. When she came out she wasn't Sister Bernadette anymore."

"I can't understand how that happened," Sister Winifred said.

"I couldn't at first," Tim said.

"The stars were aligned and my sister had to join the star to which she belonged."

Tim thought perhaps Sister Monica Joan had the answer. He was enjoying his cake and wondering if a new baby would get him excused from homework.

Then Sister Winifred asked, "Don't you have homework you should be doing?"

"Yes."

He was left alone and dealing with maths when the telephone rang. He heard Nurse Crane answer, "Nonnatus House midwife speaking."

"He's here. I am happy to drive him home when you are ready for him….Timothy, telephone."

"Dad?"

"You have a brother, son."

"Really!"

"Really!" he answered.

"Can I come home?"

"Yes, son, you can come home."

...and Shelagh called out, "Yes, you can."

Timothy ran upstairs to find Mum in bed holding the baby.

"Come meet your brother."

"Dad, we don't need to move out now."

"Angela and I are ones that are outnumbered now," Shelagh said

"Where is Angela?"

"She is spending the night at Mrs. Penny's your father will fetch her in the morning."

Timothy who was sitting at the edge of the bed reached over to touch the baby's soft head.

"What's his name?"

Mum and Dad looked at each other, then his father answered, "We haven't decided yet."

"He can't be without a name forever."

"Don't worry he won't be," Mum said.

"On account of my new brother, can I stay home from school tomorrow?"

They both answered in unison, "NO!"