Sister Julienne finished her morning affairs, quick and respectful of their meaning, and walked swiftly towards the living-room. Her mind had been preoccupied with the young girl for quite some time, and her concerns had materialized in the form of what she thought to be pneumonia. She hoped to be wrong, though, or the recovery would be very slow – and there was a chance, which she hoped to be the slimmest of all, that recovery was not possible. Checking up on Cynthia, who was in charge of Timothy, she offered the little boy a piece of chocolate from her secret jar.
She stopped by the kitchen to heat up some water for tea, and occupied herself cleaning the breadcrumbs on the floor. Sister Monica Joan had obviously already been there, and she glanced around, amused. The older Sister had failed to hide her sweet bread well enough, for Sister Julienne found it without any trouble.
"At least cover it up, or it will spoil." She laughed quietly and covered the bread with a napkin.
When the tea was ready, she placed it on the tray, along with three tea-cups. Attempting to scare away the worry, she told herself Sister Bernadette was in good hands, and probably already on medicine. She reached the living-room and, as she heard no sound, made no sounds as well.
"Oh…" A surprised gasp escaped her mouth, and she quickly composed herself. Dr. Turner had covered the young nun with a warm blanket and had fallen asleep half-sitting on the floor with both hands on her arm, his head against the sofa.
The Doctor sensed the nun's presence and stirred, slowly opening his eyes. Suddenly fully aware of the happenings, he quickly, though gently, withdrew his hands from Sister Bernadette's arm. He eyed Sister Julienne tiredly, and more than a bit embarrassed. "Sister Bernadette had a rough night... I was quite worried for a moment."
It took the elder nun a moment to react. "My poor man, you must be exhausted." She smiled kindly. "Have some tea, and then you can tell me all about the care Sister Bernadette will be needing."
He sighed. "Of course. Thank you, Sister." He accepted the cup of tea.
"Would you not rather sit on the couch?" Sister Julienne asked with amused eyes.
The Doctor coughed. "No, no, thank you, Sister, I am quite comfortable here. Also, that would surely wake her up."
"As you wish." She laughed quietly. "So, do tell me what is wrong with Sister Bernadette." She continued in a more serious tone.
He glanced at the sleeping nun, glad to see her so at peace. "It is, unfortunately, pneumonia. She must have had this fever and the rest of the symptoms for about a week, because the disease was already advanced by the time you called me. I gave her medicine, and she will need to be monitored, but I am confident she will make a full recovery. She was very lucky."
"Yes, yes, she was." The older woman relaxed. "Thank you so much, Dr. Turner. I know she could not have been in greater hands. She even looks happier today."
He smiled sadly. "Oh, I don't know about that. But I'm glad you think so, Sister. It is always a pleasure to be of use."
"That it is. Can I offer some advice, Doctor?"
He looked up from his feet, surprised. "Of course, Sister."
"And please do not take this as a reproach."
The tired man swallowed in silence, uncomfortable. With a sigh, he gave in. "I am sorry, Sister. I can guarantee you that I was once a noble man. I don't know what has come over me, I promise you. It's as if I no longer have control. And I'm ashamed; I'm ashamed that I am no longer noble, or respectful, or strong-willed. I am so sorry."
Sister Julienne stood up and placed her cup of tea on the tray. Squatting with some ease, she squeezed his shoulder. "Only those who live by hypocrisy see life as an unchangeable gift. So long as you are respectful of today as you think of tomorrow, you have no reason to think of your doings as wrong. Be upfront, truthful to yourself, and avoid the anguish of denying yourself the chance to be happy."
Dr. Turner felt all grasp on things fleeing him, hardening his voice to prevent it from cracking. "I can't… I can't even think…"
"My dear man, be true to yourself first. All the others come second when it comes to admissions. I am surely not the person you will feel more comfortable talking about this, but I must give you this advice: prove her that the feelings you arise in her are not necessarily wrong. She is still very young, and the habit is not the only way to love God."
Closing his eyes, he felt weak. His head was throbbing, surely from the lack of decent sleep, and he was not past worrying over Sister Bernadette. It was all too much for him to handle.
"Where is Timothy, Sister?" He managed.
"On his way to school. After Cynthia assured him both you and Sister were okay, he behaved accordingly and left a while ago."
His eyes snapped open. "Already? Oh, no, it's awfully late, then. I must have been called dozens of times already." He punched the floor, and the sleeping brunette stirred. "Mistake after mistake." He slapped his forehead.
Sister Julienne stood up. "We had Fred inform your house keeper of your whereabouts, and she said she would call as soon as you were requested."
"So, that would mean no-one called." He relaxed.
"See, Doctor? God must have wanted you to tend to this particular patient, or else He would have had His way."
Sister Bernadette moved her head, mumbling, and Dr. Turner held his breath. "Tor… Doc- Doctor…"
He smiled, first at Sister Julienne then at her. "I'm here. I'm right here, I didn't go."
"Hum…" She smiled, her brows relaxed. "Here…"
Sister Julienne smiled fondly and walked out of the room without making a sound, closing the door behind her.
A/N: So, I think this will be the last chapter I post today. I got all excited, and couldn't stop writing *applauses for the pairing*. Don't forget to review, just so I see if you are enjoying the story, yes? Thank you very much!
Kisses,
Inamioly