Prompt 22: "Just shut up and kiss me."
Summary: Patrick and Shelagh have to stay at Nonnatus because of a burst pipe in their flat. Shenanigans ensue. This is set sometime in early Season 3, pre-infertility crisis.
A/N: Okay, we're out of dramatic territory...for now… :P
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"I won't do it, Shelagh." Patrick protested.
"Patrick, it's the only place we can stay on such short notice." Shelagh argued, exasperated.
"We could go to Granny Parker's with Timothy, you know she'd be happy to have us." He suggested lamely.
"No we can't, and you know it. We don't know how long it'll be before we can go back to the flat and you have work. Timothy can only go because of half-term."
"We could get a hotel." He suggested with a little more zeal. "The pipe soaked most of our things anyway, you wouldn't need clothes." Shelagh rolled her eyes.
"We can't afford a hotel for what could be weeks, Patrick." Her tone was firm, but the glint in her eye told him she wouldn't have minded a spontaneous second honeymoon. "No, Nonnatus is close to work and it's free and Sister Julienne has already said we can stay. Plus, if Timothy has to start school again before we move back, they'll have room for him as well."
Shelagh looked up at her husband and felt awful. She didn't really feel comfortable staying in her former home either, but it was the only choice they had. She might've been amenable to the hotel idea if they knew when the damage from the broken pipe in their flat would be fixed, but they had no news on that front. They were simply told they needed to leave during repairs and they would be notified when it was safe to return. That could be tomorrow, but it could also be weeks and they needed a stable, convenient place to stay.
"I'm sorry, Patrick, I don't like it either." she sighed.
"No, you're right." he admitted. "It is our best option. It just makes me feel...I don't know, somewhat lecherous."
"Lecherous?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We'd be sharing a bed under the same roof where you were a nun and I doubt the Sisters or the Nurses would let us forget that any time soon." he explained somewhat nervously. Shelagh blushed and grinned. "What?"
"I was going to say we wouldn't necessarily have to share a bed, but the truth is, I don't think I could stand that." she blushed further into the roots of her hair. "What kind of woman does that make me?"
"I'm not sure what kind of woman it makes you, but it makes me a very lucky man." he grinned as he pulled her in for a quick kiss. "I suppose we should get this over with."
"Quite right." she agreed. They both turned and dragged their suitcases up the steps of Nonnatus house and rang the bell.
"You know, Chummy and Peter stayed at Nonnatus and it wasn't so bad." she reasoned. "Maybe it won't be as awkward as we think?"
He was going to answer when Sister Evangelina opened the door.
"Oh good, the happy couple is here." she remarked with more than a bit of sass. "Straight down the hall to the right and the Doctor leaves with the number of nuns he came with, no exceptions."
Sister Evangelina huffed away and Patrick and Shelagh sighed. Their flat couldn't get fixed soon enough.
It was two days later and Patrick was ready to give Peter Noakes a medal. Having never lived with more than one female at a time during his adult life, he was sorely underprepared for the utter mayhem of navigating Nonnatus house. It seemed he couldn't do anything right. He messed up the bathroom rotations, he didn't know when meals were, and privacy was a distant dream. Worst of all was the fact that Shelagh knew exactly how to behave in Nonnatus and could've helped him, but she was struggling to do so because everyone else had immediately realized that she was living in Nonnatus with no house work to keep her occupied (a hazard of not having a house or a son to care for) and practically dragged her back into helping out. She didn't mind it all, but she felt atrocious for not having the time she wanted for Patrick. Not that it would've mattered since the man in question was nearly inventing patients to avoid going 'home'.
Not that she would ever tell the Sisters or the other nurses, but Shelagh missed her husband dearly. They'd both anticipated that sex might be awkward inside of Nonnatus, but neither of them had really entertained the possibility of it not happening at all. They were still, by all accounts, newlyweds and both of them were still coming off the horrid period of time when gossip dictated they never be within a foot of each other.
They never thought about the fact that having both the local GP and arguably Poplar's best midwife readily available would mean they would never have an uninterrupted moment together.
The previous night, Patrick had been halfway through ripping off her new nurse's uniform (on loan from Sister Julienne, but they'd be taking it if he had anything to say about it) when Sister Winifred had barged in without knocking to fetch him for a case and the entire incident had been so humiliating that Patrick had left before daylight on his rounds and Shelagh hadn't been able to make eye contact with anyone the whole morning for fear they would see how sexually frustrated she was behind her embarrassment.
Luckily, the day had been blissfully busy and by the time Patrick was due to come back from the surgery, nearly everyone was out on evening rounds or too exhausted to leave their rooms, which left just Shelagh cleaning in the clinical room while Trixie kept her company waiting for the phone to ring.
"I must say, it's lovely having you back." Trixie said affectionately.
"Because you missed me or because no one else can get the autoclave this clean?" Shelagh quipped. Trixie gasped.
"Well, look what marriage has done to you, Shelagh Turner!" she teased with a giggle.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be facetious." Shelagh apologized.
"You don't have to apologize, sweetie." Trixie assured. "Personally, I always loved Sister Bernadette, but I'm honestly thrilled to call Shelagh my friend."
"Really?" Shelagh asked.
"Absolutely." Trixie promised. "It hasn't been the same without you here. Everyone misses you."
"I think Sister Evangelina might disagree." Shelagh sighed.
"Nonsense," Trixie scoffed, "she misses you just as much as the rest of us, if not more. Truthfully, I think she's just jealous that you chose Doctor Turner, though I can't say I blame you."
Shelagh laughed at the mirth the younger nurse's voice and it gave her courage.
"He certainly has merits that Sister Evangelina lacks." Shelagh smirked. The two laughed at the implication.
"By the way," Trixie said with slight embarrassment, "I'm sorry about Sister Winifred."
"You knew?!" Shelagh gasped.
"You know better than anyone there are no secrets around here!" Trixie sassed. "It wasn't intentional. We tried to warn her that she should knock, but I think the Sisters had it in their heads that you wouldn't dare, well, you know, while you were here. You would think they'd have learned from Chummy and Peter…"
"Oh, I'm so embarrassed…" Shelagh stammered.
"You shouldn't have to be." Trixie insisted. "You're newly married and a blind man can see how in love you are. It's not your fault some are more willing to let go of Sister Bernadette than others."
"Thank you, Trixie." Shelagh said earnestly, though still slightly unsettled.
The front door opened and closed and Patrick made his way into the clinical room to clean out his bag.
"Hello, Patrick." Shelagh said shyly.
"Hello, darling." he beamed, then cleared his throat when he realized Trixie was also in the room. "Nurse Franklin."
"Evening, Doctor Turner." Trixie grinned saucily. "You know, I have to be on call anyway, I'm happy to put your instruments in when this round is done if you have more pressing matters to attend to."
Shelagh went bright red, but Patrick remained oblivious.
"That's very kind of you Nurse Franklin." he remarked semi-questioningly.
"It's no trouble at all." she replied, still giggling to herself. "After all I have nothing better to do with everyone else out or asleep. I'll really just be here listening for the phone...or watching the door to see if anyone comes back...who might disturb the peace and quiet…"
Shelagh couldn't take it anymore.
"Yes, thank you Nurse Franklin, it really has been a long day, we're going to bed-to sleep-now have a goodnight." Shelagh sputtered out as she tugged a confused Patrick from the room and down the hall.
"What was that all about?" Patrick asked as Shelagh shut the door behind them.
"It doesn't matter." Shelagh insisted.
"Then why were you acting so strange-"
"Patrick, just shut up and kiss me."
He'd always been good at following instructions.
22 down, 28 to go! I can taste the halfway point!