Façades

Chapter two

Authors note: a few people have asked me to upload another chapter so here it is.

I want to apologise for the abominable spelling, grammar and structure mistakes in the last chapter. I am so bad at proof reading, but I am thankfully getting better as I'm halfway through my first year at uni studying creative writing. I will try better this time.

Any mistakes are my own…I do not own Call the Midwife, the BBC does ect

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Trixie placed the last of her instruments in the autoclave when she thought she heard something. It sounded like a bang, like someone was banging at the door.

She stepped out into the hallway and glanced up and down. The nuns were at compline. Barbra and Nurse Crane were at a birth. Patsy was out seeing a friend. She was manning the telephone. Patsy was meant to be home soon as she was on nights tonight.

Trixie wiped her damp hands down her uniform and stepped towards the door. She had an uneasy feeling in her stomach, something was wrong. She had a remarkable sense for it.

As she neared the door, she could hear it raining heavily. She pitted anyone who was foolish to be out in this kind of weather.

Pulling open the door, she stopped. Her hand flew to her chest as her heart thumped against her ribcage. For a moment, she couldn't move. Her eyes were locked on the body in front of her. She could just see flaming red hair peeking out from under the body. She kept her eyes on the redness of the water that was pooling around the lifeless form.

"Patsy!"

Trixie dropped to her knees as tears burned behind her eyes. She gently reached out and touched Patsy's soaking wet arm.

"Help!" Someone help me!" Trixie was almost surprised at the force of her own voice. It carried down the hallway, she could hear it echoing back towards her. "Someone help me!"

She could hear running footsteps. Turning back, she tried to rouse the nurse in front of her. Her own uniform was getting wet as she crouched further into the water. She pulled Patsy on her lap and cradles her head. Patsy's skin was deathly white, it was cold to the touch, there were stark rings under her eyes, and her lips had lost some of her colour. What concerned Trixie more was that streaks of blood slowly trickling down her forehead.

"Patsy? Sweetie can you hear me?" she whispered.

The footsteps reached her. Trixie raised her head and was relieved to see Sister Julienne, Sister Mary Cynthia and Doctor Turner rushing towards her.

"Nurse Franklin?" Sister Julienne crouched down. Then she watched as horror washed over the older woman's face.

"I've just found her Sister, I don't know how long she has been outside for. Sister she's so cold, she's soaking wet. There's blood Sister" Trixie let the words tumble out of her mouth as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

She felt Sister Julienne's hand on her arm. "Is there a pulse?" the sister-in-charge asked, her voice wobbling slightly.

Trixie nodded, suddenly feeling relived that she was no longer alone.

"We need to get her inside." Sister Julienne said, rising to her feet.

Doctor Turner stepped forward. He was ashen faced as he easily lifted Patsy from her lap and carried her into the sitting room with such ease for a man of his age.

Trixie held onto Sister Mary Cynthia offered hand and heaved herself to her feet. They shared a soft smile, before rushing through to the sitting room.

"We need to change her out of these clothes and see the damage to her head, it's still bleeding. And we need blankets and hot water bottles. Also a sugar solution to try and hydrate her again." Doctor Turner said, checking Patsy's pulse.

"Has she been attacked?" Trixie asked, her hand still around her chest. Her heart was hammering against her chest, adrenaline running through her veins.

"It's too early to say Nurse Franklin." Doctor Turner said as he straightened up. "But we need to get her warm immediately."

Trixie dashed away to the room she shared with Pasty and retrieved her pyjamas and plenty of blankets whilst Sister Mary Cynthia made hot water bottles and Sister Julienne sorted out bandages and gauze to try and clean the wound on Patsy's head. She pauses as she clutched the clothes to her chest and breathed them in. Tears ran down her face and she let them fall.

She couldn't lose Patsy. Not like this. Never like this.

Regaining her composure after a few minutes, she rushed back downstairs. Walking back into the sitting room. Doctor Turner caught her eye.

"Nurse Franklin, could you and Sister Julienne…" the man trailed off and lit a cigarette with shaky hands. He took a drag and breathed out whilst she stepped over to Patsy.

Sister Julienne was already undressing Patsy. She paused as Doctor Turner mumbled something about going to help Sister Mary Cynthia and he scurried from the room. Trixie placed Patsy's clothed down on the opposite chair and bent to help Sister Julienne clean the young nurse up.

Ever so gently, they pressed dry towels against Pasty's wet skin and tried to rub warmth back into her bones. Neither of them said anything as they carried out their task. Carefully they rolled an unconscious Patsy onto her front. And they stopped.

Trixie felt bile rise to the back of her throat. She looked away, at Sister Julienne who looked like she was going to collapse, her shaking hands clasped tightly around the wooden cross hanging from her neck.

All across Patsy's back, old scars and welts crisscrossed, interweaved and overlapped. They stood out from Pasty's pale skin.

Trixie's throat constricted as she quickly regained her composure. She tried to clear her throat. "Sister." She said, turning her head and picking up Patsy's warm clothes.

Sister Julienne blinked. "She must have got them in the improvement camp when she was in Singapore." The older woman whispered, tears threatening to run down her face.

"We have to get her dressed Sister." Trixie said firmly. She proceeded to dress Patsy with Sister Juliennes help. They fell back into an uneasy silence as they worked. Sister Mary Cynthia appeared and they placed hot water bottles around Patsy and tucked blankets around her.

Trixie felt her energy leave her as she was gently pushed down into an armchair and a cup of tea pressed into her hands. She raised her eyes from patsy's body and locked her eyes with Cynthia's.

"I can tend to her head injury Trixie. Just sit down for a while. I don't want you collapsing as well." Cynthia told her as she kneeled down next to the sofa and gently mopped the drying bloody away from Patsy's face and hairline.

Trixie forced herself to take a sip of tea. She was grateful Cynthia had sweetened it. "I don't understand how this has happened." She whispered, rubbing her forehead.

Cynthia gently pressed the cloth to the cut and swept the wet hair from Patsy's face. "We don't know until she wakes up Trix. Only then she can tell us." Trixie watched Cynthia repeat the action several times until she had steamed the bleeding. She patched up the cut and gently bushed Patsy's hair, taking out any hair pins. Then she began to wrap a long piece of gauze and bandage around the redhead.

Draining her cup, Trixie rose to her feet and sorted out Patsy's clothes. She looked up as Doctor Turner and Sister Julienne walked back into the room. Both of them still looked white faced, both of them still shaking slightly.

"Do you know where Nurse Mount was tonight, Nurse Franklin?" Sister Julienne asked her softly, her hands clasped in front of her tightly.

"I think-I think she was meeting Delia. I think they had plans Sister." Trixie said, switching her gaze to Patsy.

"I and Doctor Turner were discussing if it would be best if Patsy were transferred to the London." Sister Julienne continued, a heavy, emotion sigh leaving her body. She wobbled slightly and gripped onto the back of the settee.

"No!" it left her lips before she could stop it. "Sister, she could be better of her. We could take turns looking after her. She needs to be around people who know and love her." She said, her voice wobbling. "I understand Doctor, that if she gets worse or isn't responding to us, then we will transport her to hospital."

"Sister Mary Cynthia, how is she now?" Doctor Turner asked, stepping closer to the settee.

The young nun looked up and smiled softly. "Her temperature has dropped a little. Her breathing is a little better also. Her skin isn't as clammy and cold as it was. And I have managed to stem the bleeding, the cut on her head is only superficial, it's not that deep."

Trixie breathed out a sigh of relief. "Please Sister. Let me look after her. If she is worse in the morning, she will go to hospital. At least let me try. We have the medicine to deal with pneumonia if it develops." She held her breath as Sister Julienne and Doctor Turner exchanged looks.

"Alright Nurse Franklin." Doctor Turner said, offering her a smile. "Only as long as I stay with you."

"As you wish Doctor." Trixie said, smiling at them both. She was grateful that they were letting her try.

"Sister, can I quickly use your telephone to ring Shelagh? I don't want her to worry about where I am."

"Of course Doctor." Sister Julienne said then she stepped over to Trixie and Cynthia. "My prayers are with her Nurse Franklin. You know where to find me if you need help. Sister Mary Cynthia, are you staying?"

Cynthia stood up. "If it's alright with Trixie Sister."

Sister Julienne bid them goodnight and left them. Trixie saw the tiredness in the older woman's eyes, the concern and anxiety were clear on her face. She felt sorry for Sister Julienne, a shock like this couldn't do her any good.

"Trixie. Please will you try and get some sleep?" Cynthia's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife.

She shook her head. "You know I can't Sister."

Cynthia squeezed her hand. "You have been up since six this morning. You're worn out. Please get a few hours' sleep. I or Doctor Turner will wake you if there is any news. Please Trixie."

She felt her heart constrict at Cynthia's concern. "I'm sleeping down here." She said simply. Nothing more was said on the matter. They both knew it was fruitless to argue once her mind was made up.

Trixie settled down in the corner of the door and drew a blanket around her. She kept her eyes fixed on Patsy. The redhead hadn't made a noise since they found her. Hopefully in a few hours, she would wake up.

Her eyelids drooped slightly and she allowed herself to close them. Then she feel into a dreamless sleep.

A/N: thank you for reading. Please review and let me know what you think and of you would like another chapter-I really enjoyed writing this. It has taken some of my uni stress away!