Patsy paced in Juliennes office impatiently on Thursday morning as the woman settled in for her workday, sipping her tea and turning on her computer while she shuffled through papers containing information that Patsy needed for this, what she presumed to be a long, arduous roadtrip with the new nurse. Patsy chewed on her thumbnail nervously thinking about sharing such close quarters with the kid for such a long amount of time.

'I don't suppose there was enough in the budget for seperate rooms at the hotel then, hmm?' Patsy asked with a resentful glance to Julienne. The woman merely smirked as she opened a drawer and pulled out a set of keys.

'Now remember Nurse Mount, no smoking in the company car,' Julienne smiled a little too sweetly.

Patsy merely glared as she held out her hand to receive the keys and a pamphlet with the conference schedule. Patsy turned to leave when she was approached by Nurse Crane, the woman blocking her path.

'Have you got the notes Mrs. Turner sent?' she asked, clasping her hands behind her back, smiling expectantly.

'Yes, I have them' Patsy said, rolling her eyes and feeling much like a child being accosted by parents before a big exam.

'Well good,' Phyllis said, standing aside to let Patsy pass, 'Remember, Patsy, your actions at the conference are a direct reflection on us here at the clinic.'

Patsy looked back at her nonplussed.

'Please do try to be on your best behaviour,' Phyllis finished with a tight smile and a warning glare to Patsy.

'Seeing as I have the highest reviews of all the nurses here, I'll just be myself then, yeah?' Patsy quipped smartly as she breezed past Phyllis, the woman's smile turning to a tight line across her face.

Patsy walked to the back room, grabbing her rucksack before heading out the back door. The other nurses hadn't yet arrived for their shift and Patsy was rather relieved for that, not wanting to hear any comments concerning her state of casual dress. Come to think, she didn't suppose any of them had ever seen her in anything but scrubs, and where she was concerned, she wanted to keep it that way.

She paused for a moment to light up a cigarette while she waited for the kid to show. Her breath puffed in thick clouds over her head as she flicked the lighter over and over until a flame caught. She lit her cigarette and slowly inhaled, pulling the smoke and tobacco deep into her lungs so hard it burned, and it made her feel warm for a moment. As she exhaled, a figure approaching caught her eye and she looked over, watching them move towards her, their footsteps crunching in the dirty snow. It was Delia, and the girl was wearing a sensible pair of boots with jeans, a puffy black down coat and beanie with her hair down around her shoulders, a black duffle bag with what Patsy could only assume was full of a weekend's worth of clothing draped over her shoulder. Patsy's heart thumped in her chest at the sight of the woman walking towards her, and she decided that she liked Delia's hair down long, though she worked hard to suppress such thoughts, a pain within her spreading from her heart throughout her chest like someone cracking ice as she worked to push that affectionate thought deep down within her. Patsy looked down and sucked on her cigarette hard, pretending not to notice the girl approaching.

'Wow,' Delia quipped, and Patsy looked up to see the smaller woman giving her a once over.

'What?' Patsy asked, making an 'O' with her mouth and exhaling a long line of smoke as she looked back at Delia curiously.

'Didn't know you were one of those hipsters who looked like they lived in the woods,' she teased with a smirk, shifting slightly to adjust the duffle bag over her shoulder.

Patsy let out a breath of air that was between a sigh and a laugh as she looked away and wrapped her lips around her cigarette again, pulling the smoke in deep into her lungs, trying to ignore the flutter in her chest at the attention the smaller woman was giving her. She looked down at the red and black flannel shirt she had buttoned all the way up and her black jeans, neatly covered by a double layer of a black zip hoodie and dark blue down coat over top.

The last few days, Patsy had felt rather strange. She had noticed a change in the new kid. Delia didn't cower in her presence anymore, she seemed nonplussed when she shouted and lost her temper, she talked back with an intelligent and quick wit that Patsy actually appreciated. Even if she still hadn't gotten the hang of the job, Patsy was finding she quite liked having the kid reply to her criticisms with smartass remarks. For once someone was standing up to Patsy and she found it quite amusing. She was beginning to like having the smaller nurse around.

She would never go so far as to call Delia a friend. Merely someone who she could tolerate. This morning seemed no different, and Patsy wasn't quite dreading the day-long ride in the car with her as much as she did a few days ago when first informed of the trip.

'Hipster?' Patsy asked, eyeing Delia down and up again, 'You're one to talk with that beanie and north face coat.'

Before Delia could respond, Patsy looked over at the sound of footsteps and spotted Trixie walking towards them from the direction of the underground station, her shoulders hunched and her hands in the pockets of her coat as she rushed towards the clinic.

'Oi, Trix,' Patsy called, the blonde looking over to her, 'Come here a minute, would you?'

'Morning to you, too,' Trixie quipped smartly as she approached.

Patsy merely grunted a response as she fumbled with her ring of keys, 'Do me a favor and check in on George for me while I'm gone, would you? I left him some food but he'll need a cuddle or two while I'm out.'

'Oh, alright,' Trixie sighed, her breath escaping her mouth in the form of a white puff, 'anything for George. You know I can't resist that little sweetheart,' she finished as Patsy placed the key to her flat in her hand.

'Appreciate it,' Patsy said, 'I'll bring you back some genuine heather honey for your troubles.'

Trixie smiled happily at the thought of the Scottish honey being brought back for her. She turned to Delia and waved, wishing the two happy travels before scurrying off into the clinic and out of the cold.

Patsy took one last drag of her cigarette before chucking it into the receptacle, and walked in the direction of the car, a small blue honda civic. It was old, but reliable. Patsy knew it didn't have the bells and whistles that someone as young as Delia would expect, but she decided she would give the younger woman a hard time if she mentioned anything.

Patsy took the keys and opened the boot so they could chuck their things in.

'George?' Delia asked, her eyebrow raised curiously.

'Cat,' Patsy simply said as she placed her rucksack in the boot.

'Huh,' Delia simply grunted as she threw her duffle bag in with Patsy's rucksack.

Patsy closed the boot and looked at Delia, 'What?'

Delia shrugged, 'Nothing, it's just… cat… flannel…'

'Implying something, Busby?' Patsy raised a challenging eyebrow even though she knew where Delia was going with this.

'No!' Delia shrugged and tried to conceal a smirk, 'I just think you're ticking off a lot of boxes, is all.'

Patsy rested a hand on the boot of the car, her other hand on her hip, 'Mmm, quite. Well, you're the one bringing up boxes, so...' she trailed off, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Delia blushed and rolled her eyes, 'Yes well…' Delia cleared her throat, 'additionally, it's hard for me to imagine you having the emotional capacity to be affectionate with another living creature.'

'Get in the fucking car,' Patsy said over the sound of Delia chuckling.

The two settled into the car with Patsy behind the wheel, starting it with a wary chugging noise, the car finally turning over and the heat blasting through the vents, much to their relief.

'OK, um…' Patsy looked down at her feet and bit her lip. She had two feet and there were three pedals. She racked her brain trying to remember what to do since the last time she had driven a car.

'Uh… do you want me to drive?' Delia asked, looking curiously at Patsy from her spot in the passenger's seat.

'No, I can do it. It's just been a while…' Patsy said as she pushed her foot down on the gas pedal.

'No, Patsy you-' Delia cut herself off as the car suddenly shut itself off.

'Oh, bugger it all,' Patsy muttered under her breath as she turned the keys in the ignition again, the car wheezing and sputtering slightly before turning over and starting, which concerned Patsy but it went ignored for the time being.

'Let me try again,' she said, pressing down on the clutch first this time and maneuvering the joystick, except she went to gear 5 immediately instead of 2 and the car jerked violently and shut itself off again.

'Fucking hell,' Patsy muttered again. She could feel herself breaking out into a cold sweat despite the freezing temperatures outside. She knew Delia was watching and she didn't want to seem like she had no idea what she was doing… even though she didn't.

'Why don't I drive?' Delia offered softly, looking pleadingly to Patsy, 'I can at least get us out of the city. It's easier to maneuver once you're out in the country.'

Patsy gave an annoyed sigh, her pride hurt slightly at failing to get the car out of the bloody alley, but she relented and moved to get out of the car. The two switched seats and Patsy silently marveled at how comfortable Delia seemed, her feet working in tandem with her arm as she shifted gears with ease, practically moving the joystick with her index finger as they made their way out of the back alleys of Poplar and onto the major highways leading out of the city.

'How did you learn to drive?' Patsy asked as she continued to watch Delia.

Delia raised an eyebrow at her, a tight smile forming across her face, 'What's the matter, Nurse Mount, surprised to find I'm not so useless after all?'

The comment dug into Patsy's chest painfully, and she could feel herself grow red in the face, her jaw clenching.

'Never mind,' Patsy seethed, crossing her arms stubbornly and leaning back in her seat, looking out the window.

Delia smirked, 'Well, it's a necessity where I'm from, isn't it. Not like there's an abundance of public transit out in Pembrokeshire, is there.'

Patsy grunted, no longer particularly interested in engaging in any kind of conversation with the junior nurse. She reached over to turn on the radio and turned the station to the news, filling the silence between them with the morning's headlines. Patsy leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes as she steadied her breathing. The docile tones of the BBC reporter had her growing tired, and eventually, along with the heat and the steady thrum of the engine as they drove, she was lured to sleep.

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Patsy woke a few hours later to the sounds of pop music crackling over the radio, sounding like it was struggling to pick up the signal. Delia was tapping her fingers along to the music and humming softly as she drove. Patsy found the sight rather endearing.

She sat up and unzipped her coat, feeling hot all of a sudden.

'Where are we?' Patsy asked groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling the red locks back into a ponytail.

Delia looked over to her dismissively and turned back to the road, 'Just outside of York, I think. Been driving about three hours now. I'd very much like a chance to stretch my legs, if you don't mind. Maybe grab a spot of lunch somewhere.'

Patsy hummed, thinking that she could also use a break to use the toilet and have a cigarette.

'Sounds good,' she said quietly, resting her chin in her hand as she gazed out the window while Delia pulled them off the highway into a rest stop.

Delia pulled up next to a pump and filled up the gas tank while Patsy used the toilet, exiting the bathrooms when she was done to smoke a cigarette. She watched as Delia pulled the car into a parking spot nearby and looked over to her as she exited the car.

'You want something to eat?'

'You offering?' Patsy asked, genuinely surprised, her cigarette bobbing up and down between her lips as she spoke.

'Don't flatter yourself,' Delia quipped smartly, 'They're comping us, remember? Figured I'd just order our food together to save us time.'

Patsy felt the swell in her chest deflate a little as she glared off into the distance and sucked on her cigarette. Little flurries of snow began to scatter around her as she exhaled a line of smoke.

'Sure,' she mumbled, 'just… order two of whatever you're having. I don't care.'

'Fish and chips, then,' Delia said with a smile, turning on her heel and entering the rest stop, leaving Patsy alone to smoke her cigarette.

Patsy squeezed her eyes shut tight and tapped her forehead with her finger, 'Knock it off you fucking idiot, she hates you. You don't even like her,' she said out loud to herself quietly. Patsy looked up at the flurries falling around her gloomily, taking one last drag of her cigarette before tossing it into the receptacle. She shivered and hugged her coat close to her before entering the rest stop, where she spotted Delia already seated at a booth with a soft drink, scrolling through her phone.

Patsy slid into the seat across from her silently, crossing her arms as she looked anywhere but at the girl sitting across from her.

'So,' Delia started, looking at Patsy curiously, 'George, huh?' she asked, her eyes wide and innocent as she wrapped her lips around the straw of her drink.

Patsy raised an eyebrow, 'Still on about that?'

'Well I would have asked earlier but you basically fell asleep as soon as we took off.'

Patsy grunted an acknowledgement, giving a tired sigh, 'What about him?'

Delia shrugged, 'What's he like? Do you have a picture?'

'A picture?' Patsy repeated, 'Do I have a picture of my cat?'

'Yeah, you know, like on your phone?' Delia said with a slight smirk.

'Yes, but why do you want to see a picture of my cat?'

'Because I like animals?' Delia looked away awkwardly, looking back to her phone, 'Forget I asked, sheesh,' she said, taking a sip of her drink again, '...more of a dog person anyway,' she mumbled.

Patsy blushed, feeling a bit bristled that Delia wanted to know ianything/i at all about her personal life outside of work. She felt embarrassed for reacting so incredulously.

An attendant called out a number and Delia moved to get up, 'Oh, that's us,' she said.

Patsy stopped her, 'I got it,' she said, thankful for the excuse to break the awkward moment, and jumped up before Delia could move any further. She grabbed their baskets of fried food from the counter with and returned to the table. Delia took a small cup and Patsy watched as she filled it with mayonnaise and vinegar, stirring it around with a chip before munching on the mixture happily.

'Yuck,' Patsy commented with a grimace.

'Are you judging imy/i unhealthy habits Miss Sucks Down A Pack A Day?' Delia quipped, dipping another chip into the mixture and tossing it into her mouth with an innocent glance to the redhead across from her.

Patsy merely rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. She opened the photo app and pulled up a picture of George, the grey cat having been caught squinting with the tip of his tongue out. Patsy flashed her phone to Delia who burst out laughing at the photo.

'Oh my god, what a precious little face!'

Patsy couldn't help but feel the tightness in her chest dissipate slightly as she watched the dimples appear on Delia's cheeks. Something about being the reason she was smiling for once instead of making the girl miserable made Patsy want to do it more.

Patsy looked back at her phone, her finger swiping the screen to pull up the next photo.

'I loved his face in this one so much I photoshopped him with the galaxy in the background,' Patsy said, showing Delia a picture of George floating in space.

'That's hilarious,' Delia said as she looked at the picture, laughing as heartily as she did at the first photo.

Patsy couldn't help but join her, finding her laughter contagious, and really, it was a rather funny photo of George. It made her happy. She looked from the photo to Delia, catching the younger woman looking at her.

'Hmm?' Patsy said, raising an eyebrow as her smile faded, 'What?'

Delia blinked and looked away immediately, shaking her head. Patsy couldn't help but notice the slight blush that feathered across her cheeks.

'Nothing,' Delia said, grabbing the bottle of vinegar, 'How did you come to have him? Did you adopt?' Delia asked conversationally as she peppered her fried fish with vinegar.

Patsy leaned back in her seat and looked up in thought, 'Um, no, actually. I heard a racket on my balcony one evening and there he was. Must have climbed up there and gotten stuck,' Patsy sighed, thinking back on that summer evening when she returned from work to find George meowing loud enough to wake the dead, 'at any rate, I left him some food and water, thinking he would scurry off eventually, but he never did. Managed to work his way into my heart and we never looked back. He's been a happy and fat house cat ever since.'

Patsy looked back at Delia just in time to catch the younger woman reaching over the table to snatch one of her chips.

'Oi!' Patsy said, sitting up straight in her seat, pretending to be offended.

'They're getting cold,' Delia said innocently.

'Well you've got me talking, haven't ya,' Patsy said, and she reached over the table to snatch one of Delia's chips.

'Ah!' Delia exclaimed, and grasped onto Patsy's wrist before her sleeve dipped into her mayo and vinegar mixture, 'Watch out now, you've almost made a mess!'

Patsy gasped and quickly jerked her hand away, her heart pounding in her chest as she checked the button on her sleeve with her other hand to make sure it was still intact.

She caught Delia looking at her rather curiously and she let out a deep breath, her face growing hot.

'You startled me,' Patsy said feebly, tucking both her hands under the table and out of view. She could barely hear herself speak over the thumping of her pulse in her ears.

'Sorry…' Delia said, staring at Patsy with a mixture of confusion and concern.

Patsy cleared her throat and looked down, doing her best to ignore the fact that Delia was still staring at her. She broke up the fish in the basket in front of her with her fingers as she struggled to think of anything to say to move on from the moment.

'Um, you…' she started feebly before finding her voice, 'You said you were a dog person?'

Delia beamed and the rest of their meal with filled with happy tales of her pets back home in Pembrokeshire.

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Once they left the rest stop, Patsy was behind the wheel again and had a much easier time getting the car to actually go after having spent the earlier part of the morning watching Delia do it. They settled onto the road, back on the major highways feeling good with full bellies and a full tank of petrol to keep them going. Patsy was finding herself quite relaxed and it made the journey all the more pleasant while Delia napped alongside her. Patsy spent the time quietly letting her mind go blank, listening to the wipers brush off the snow that was falling from the sky as they squeaked against the glass in front of her and landed with a slight thump back in their place, reminding Patsy of a heartbeat. The rolling hills as they drove along were starting to turn white from the flakes that fell from the sky, but none of this concerned Patsy as she continued on in silence, not wanting to fuss with the radio. She rolled a toothpick over in her mouth, one she picked up at the rest stop, and chewed on it, merely using it as a way to keep herself from pulling over and having a cigarette or two every hour.

About three more hours passed and Patsy was relieved to find them finally crossing the border into Scotland, where she drove on through and continued on, Delia finally stirring awake from her spot in the passenger side.

Patsy's phone was situated on the dash with the GPS app open, and as soon as they crossed the border the loading screen popped on and the map she had been following to the hotel in Aberdeen disappeared.

'Oh, bloody hell,' Patsy said as she tapped her phone.

'Wassa matter?' Delia said groggily as she straightened up in her seat.

Patsy sighed, 'Phones gone and lost signal,' she said, looking over to Delia, 'can you try yours?'

Patsy continued driving forward as Delia shifted and pulled her phone out of her coat pocket, rubbing her eyes as she squinted at the screen. She held her phone up in the air for several seconds before responding.

'I'm not getting a signal either.'

Patsy scoffed, 'Bloody typical.'

'Now, now,' Delia said, tucking her phone away, 'I'm sure if we keep heading in the direction where we need to go we'll get there eventually.'

'No shit,' Patsy said annoyed, grinding the toothpick in her mouth with her teeth, 'any other pearls of wisdom from that smart little head of yours?'

Delia rolled her eyes, 'Look I know you're just grumpy because the signals gone and you haven't had a cigarette in what probably feels like a fortnight…'

'Starting to feel that way, yeah,' Patsy quipped under her breath.

'...but misery loves company and I refuse to keep you company,' she said with her nose turned in the air.

'We'll go back to sleep then, will you?' Patsy grumbled. She chewed down on the toothpick in her mouth, growing more and more annoyed at this entire situation. She hated being lost and they were at risk of doing just that.

'Nope,' Delia said, 'I've slept for half the day, I have too much energy now.'

Delia moved to take off her coat and Patsy saw she was wearing a green and yellow plaid flannel.

'Oh, what you giving me a hard time for with my outfit, then? You're practically wearing the same thing as me.'

Delia looked down at herself, 'Huh. You know I was wearing a regular top, but once we crossed into Scotland it must have turned into a tartan,' Delia grinned.

'Oh, fuck off,' Patsy joked with a small smile.

Delia smirked, ignoring her, 'Anyway, unlike you, I actually grew up practically in the wilderness so my flannel is completely weather appropriate,' Delia smiled as she hugged herself, 'and it's cozy.'

Patsy rolled her eyes, 'You didn't think to assume I was wearing mine because it's cozy too, hmm?'

'Well if you haven't mentioned the cat, yeah,' Delia smirked.

Patsy grunted and gripped the steering wheel. She really wanted a cigarette.

'So?' Delia asked.

'So what?'

'Are you gay?'

Patsy bristled, feeling her face grow hot at the bluntness of her question.

'What happened to just being a hipster?' Patsy asked, wanting to avoid answering directly.

'You can be both!'

'How am I even a hipster anyway? Don't they live off trusts but shop at thrift stores?'

'Some, yeah. But you seem to be a more refined hipster with better tastes,' Delia said bringing her thumb and forefinger to her chin to stroke an imaginary beard, 'Tell me Patsy, do you listen to records and drink whiskey?'

Patsy faltered, looking incredulously at Delia as the smaller woman grinned.

'Oh lord, I've hit it on the nose, haven't I?'

'So what? I'm not a hipster because I do none of those things ironically!'

'So just gay then?'

Patsy scowled at Delia as she broke out into a cold sweat, 'Well that's certainly none of your business.'

'That's a yes,' Delia said smug, leaning back in her seat as if her interrogation had been successful.

'Delia, I'm not in the habit of talking about my personal life,' Patsy nearly growled through grit teeth, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles were white.

'So I've noticed.'

'Well then stop asking about it!' Patsy snaped.

'But why?'

'Why what?'

'What's so bad about talking about yourself?'

'Because I'm not interested in sharing!'

'But why?'

'Stop asking me that!'

'Patsy what else are we going to do?!' Delia asked incredulously, holding her hands out as if to say there was absolutely nothing else going on.

Patsy growled again, the urge to make that frustrated facial tick overwhelmed her, but she pushed it away. This was precisely the situation she feared where the two of them would be stuck in close quarters in the middle of nowhere with nothing to keep them occupied other than talking.

Annoyed, Patsy flipped on the radio and scanned the channels until she found something she recognized. Delia scoffed at her choice of music.

'Ugh,' she said, crossing her arms, 'didn't know you listened to Dad-rock.'

'This is not iDad-rock/i, this is The Rolling Stones! It's classic rock and it's good! Besides, it's better than the pop you probably listen to,' Patsy said, her hands rising in front of her as if about to go on a tirade, 'The bland, talentless boy bands or that one bloke who thinks he's Michael Jackson but about a foot smaller.'

'You mean Bruno Mars?' Delia asked with an eyebrow raised.

'Yeah, that's the chap. Can't stand him. Can't stand anyone I'm forced to listen to at the dentist's office,' Patsy mumbled under her breath.

Delia rolled her eyes at Patsy's petulance, 'Patsy, whatever you happen to catch me listening to on the radio is not indicative of what I listen to on my own.'

Sighing, Delia pushed the button on the glovebox and a litany of papers appeared, some sliding off the top of the pile and falling to the floor. This went ignored by Delia and she began shuffling through the contents of the glovebox.

'What are you doing?' Patsy asked, her eyes darting from the road to Delia and back again.

'Being nosey,' Delia said as Patsy heard the girl shuffle through something that sounded like hard plastic clacking together.

Delia pulled out a small rectangular object and held it up close to her face for inspection, 'What's this?' She asked.

Patsy looked over to her and balked, 'Delia, that is a icassette tape/i, my god.'

'I know what a cassette tape is!' Delia shouted, 'I just can't make out the scribbling on the label. Must have been written by you.'

Patsy glared at Delia as she snatched the tape from her hands, her eyes narrowing on the label.

'It's Garbage,' she said, handing the tape back to Delia.

'Yeah, but who's the band?'

'Who's the-!' Patsy was about to go into another tirade until she glanced over to Delia and caught her smirking, eyes narrowed playfully at Patsy.

Patsy shook her head and rolled the toothpick over in her mouth again as she looked back out into the road, 'Jokes. The kids got jokes,' she mumbled to herself before looking back over at Delia who was full on smiling now, 'You know, I may listen to dad-rock, but you've got dad-jokes.'

Delia shrugged, 'So that's really the name of the band, huh?' she asked, flipping the tape over and inspecting it.

'What, you've never heard of them before?'

Delia merely shook her head.

'Really?' Patsy asked incredulously, 'I Think I'm Paranoid? Stupid Girl? I'm Only Happy When It Rains?'

'Wait, are these titles to songs or are you just finally talking about yourself?'

Patsy clenched her teeth and gripped the steering wheel tight, trying not to smile at Delia's snickering in the passenger's seat next to her.

'Well, I really walked into that one, didn't I?' Patsy griped.

'I mean, you set yourself up so easily.'

'Shut it, will ya?'

Delia merely giggled and rummaged through the glovebox again, pulling out another cassette tape. She flipped it over and read the label.

'What does that one say?'

'Just says 70's'

Patsy looked to the radio that was crackling, struggling to pick up a signal on any station the further away from any cities they drove.

'Put it in and let's see what on it,' she said, and Delia pushed in the tape.

The two listened as the tape clicked on the player and the sounds of winding guitars filled the car that Patsy recognized immediately.

'Oh, brilliant,' she said, reaching to turn up the volume on the stereo.

'What is this?' Delia asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

'You don't know?' Patsy asked, looking at Delia with a raised eyebrow, 'you're a mockery to the Union Jack if you don't recognize this national treasure.'

'I'm inot/i English.' Delia seethed, and Patsy blinked, realizing she must have hit a soft spot with the younger woman.

'Ah, right… well it's David Bowie.'

Delia shrugged, 'Oh, well… no wonder I don't recognize it. Never really been into his stuff.'

'Really?'

'Yes. Is that so hard to believe? I wasn't raised on it. I don't listen to it. I don't know this song and I find it rather boring, actually.'

Patsy looked from Delia to the radio as Bowie's voice carried through,

briWe can be heroes/i/br

brijust for one day/i/br

'But,' Patsy looked back at Delia, 'it's so good!'

Delia rolled her eyes, 'Let's see what else is on the tape,' she said, her finger reaching out and pressing hard on the fast forward button. A strange whirring noise emitted from the stereo and the two women in the car stared at it as it clicked loudly and surprised both of them as the stereo sparked and spit out the cassette, the black tape spilling out, unfurling and knotting within itself.

Patsy gave an exasperated sigh, glaring at Delia, 'Thanks a lot,' she seethed, 'you just destroyed the one thing I found tolerable about this stupid bloody trip.'

Delia looked back at Patsy angrily, letting out a frustrated sigh herself, 'Tolerable, huh?' she repeated, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms, looking out the window before shaking her head and looking back to Patsy, the redheads gaze fixed firmly on the road as she gripped the steering wheel.

'You don't find me tolerable, then, hmm? Still just putting up with me because you're forced to?'

'I don't think I've ever made myself unclear as to how I feel about you, Busby.' Patsy seethed, her eyebrows furrowing as she felt an anger rise up within her chest. She wondered if Delia would notice she reverted to referring to her by her last name, as if putting back up that barrier, warning Delia that she wasn't interesting in being familiar. With being on a first name basis. Patsy forgot who she was for a moment and went back to being her old cantankerous self, following her own personal rules of keeping others at arm's length. She had been kind to Delia for too long and needed to put her back in her place.

'Yes, well at least you've got that going for you,' Delia sneered, 'you have one emotion and you wear it on your ifucking sleeve/i, I'll give you that.'

'Glad we can agree on something,' Patsy replied terse, her gaze locked on the road ahead.

'You know Patsy, you are just…' Delia grit her teeth, frustrated, 'you are just so…'

'What?' Patsy challenged, 'Go on then,' she said, her voice eerily calm and she continued staring at the road. Patsys pulse thumped noisily in her ears as she felt Delia's eyes bore into her, 'I've heard it all before,' she continued, 'If you're going to try and insult me or make me feel bad about myself it's going to take a lot more than whatever it is you're about to say, I promise you,' she finished, almost threatening.

There was a pregnant silence in the cabin of that little car where the two women sat, both breathing heavily through their nose, Delia staring at Patsy and Patsy pointedly staring at the road. The thick tension hanging in the air between the two sat like the humidity that comes before a storm, and it felt as if lightning was about to crack at any second.

Delia gave another frustrated sigh, looking away.

'Fine,' Delia seethed, 'Fine…' She repeated as she rustled through her coat and pulled out a pair of earbud headphones.

'What are you-'

'Don't talk to me,' Delia snapped.

iGladly/i, Patsy thought, still clenching her teeth and gripping the steering wheel as hard as she could to prevent herself from taking her fist and beating it against the dash in anger. Patsy watched out of the corner of her eye as Delia plugged the headphones into her phone and situated the buds into her ears, and Patsy could hear the thumping bass of whatever song she was blasting. The smaller woman crossed her arms and leaned against the passengers side door, glaring out the window.

Patsy focused ahead of her, the snow falling so thick and fast that it looked like they were driving at warp speed, the wipers squeaking against the window and providing that comforting rhythmic thump that reminded Patsy of heartbeat again. Patsy focused on breathing through her nose, slow and steady, trying to calm herself even though she was overwhelmed with the urge to bite herself in frustration. She resolved to grit her teeth instead, forgetting the toothpick was in her mouth. Patsy swore under her breath as the thin piece of wood splintered between her teeth and she spit it out, so desperately wanting a cigarette.

'Oh, fuck it all,' she said, patting the pockets of her coat and digging into her pocket for her pack.

'What are you doing?' Delia said, glaring at Patsy from her side of the car.

'What the fuck does it look like?' Patsy said as she pulled a cigarette out of her pack with her teeth. She shoved the pack back into her pocket and pulled out her purple lighter.

'You can't smoke in here, Patsy!' Delia said sternly.

'What are you going to do, tattle on me?' Patsy asked condescendingly, the cigarette bobbing up and down between her lips as she flicked the lighter and lit her cigarette with the flame. She rolled down the window a crack as she pulled on the cigarette, the smoke burning her throat and making her warm inside. For a split second she felt some relief before the woman next to her began stirring.

'Jesus Patsy, you truly are just…'

'What did I just say, Busby,' Patsy said as she took another long drag of her cigarette, her lips forming an 'o' as she blew her mole pit the window. She glared warningly at Delia, 'None of the terrible things you want to say about me will have any effect, I assure you.'

'I really can't stand you,' Delia said, sounding rather defeated.

'Likewise,' Patsy glared at her with clenched teeth as she held her cigarette between her two fingers, 'Go back to sleep would you?' she said, placing her cigarette between her lips and took a long drag as she held her gaze on the woman next to her.

Delia ignored her and turned up her music.

Patsy averted her gaze to the road in front of her when she noticed an orange light on her dashboard that looked like a petrol pump. How long had that thing been on?

'Shit,' she said, looking around. They were basically alone on the highway that Thursday afternoon, the snow pounding down on them and their surroundings. All she saw was a long stretch of road ahead of her with rolling hills around them, turning from green to white by the moment.

Patsy scrambled to pick up her phone, tapping the button on the front. It reminded black. The bloody thing had turned into a paperweight and Patsy threw it down frustrated. She threw her unfinished cigarette out the window, too.

'What's wrong?' Delia asked, sensing something was amiss.

'Tank is empty, that's bloody what. Can you lookup the closest station?' she asked, nodding to Delia's phone in her hand.

'I have absolutely no signal,' Delia said, removing her headphones and sitting up.

'Fuck,' Patsy seethed as she turned back to the road. How much further were they going to be able to get?

'Try pulling off at the next exit. There might be a station nearby,' Delia said, placing her phone back on her coat pocket.

Patsys breathing became hard, but steady. Her anxiety was rising by the minute as she clutched tighter and tighter on the steering wheel, but she kept driving. Eventually an exit off the highway approached and she took it, not at all pleased to find that it led them down a long, winding country road.

'We should turn back,' Patsy said.

'Keep going. There has to be something…' Delia trailed of hopefully. If there was any worry in her voice she was doing a good job masking it, Patsy thought.

'There isn't…' Patsy spat exasperated, her nerves on end as they kept going and there was no sign of life anywhere. She noticed there weren't even tire tracks in the road where the snow had freshly fallen, signaling that no other cars had driven on this road anytime soon.

Two miles. They made it two more miles down the road before the car slowed and rolled to a complete stop while Patsy had the pedal pushed all the way to the floor, desperately trying to eek out every last drop of petrol in the tank. The two women sat there in silence looking rather defeated as the snow fell around them, piling onto the car and obscuring their view of their surroundings.

'Well this is just fucking peachy,' Patsy griped.

'Yeah, a dream come true,' Delia said, bringing her hand to her face and pinching the bridge of her nose.

Patsy rounded on Delia, anger evident in her voice, 'iKeep going/i, you said. Well a lot of bloody fucking good that did us!'

'How the hell was I supposed to know! You're as much at fault as I am that we're in this mess.'

Patsy growled and got out of the car, slamming the door in Delia's face. She zipped up her coat and stomped to the back of the car to pop open the boot, hoping desperately for anything that could possibly help them. She ignored the sound of the passenger car door opening and Delia stepping out.

'We could have stopped for petrol ages ago! Why weren't you paying attention!' Delia shouted, her voice oddly muted by the blanket of snow around them as she slammed her door. She yanked on her coat and walked over to Patsy.

'Because you were busy giving me shit and telling me what a bloody fucking horrible person I am!' Patsy screamed back, oddly relieved they were out in the middle of nowhere and she could be as loud as she wanted now.

'Well I certainly wasn't wrong about that!' Delia spat.

'Yeah, congrats, Busby,' Patsy rolled her eyes, 'you managed to figure out the same bloody thing that everyone else does the moment they meet me! Only difference is it took you almost two weeks, smart girl you are!'

'Oh, fuck you Patsy!'

'Blah, blah, blah!' Patsy threw up her hands dismissively, signaling she had heard it all before, as she finally popped open the boot, revealing only their bags that they laced in there earlier that morning and a tire iron.

'Well at least now I have something I can beat you over the head with,' Delia quipped.

'You really want to be making jokes right now, Busby?' Patsy said, turning to Delia, 'especially now that we're stuck out here in the middle of haggis-fuck Nowhere Scotland!' she shouted, flailing her arms wildly at the vast empty countryside.

Patsy placed her hands on her hips, and began to pace, her mid racing as to what to do. No petrol, no phones, no food, and the snow was only coming down with no end in sight. For all intents and purposes, they were fucked.

'Of course I'm going to make jokes,' Delia yelled after her, 'this whole bloody situation is a joke.'

'Well I'm not fucking laughing,' Patsy seethed, whirling back around to face Delia, her eyes intense.

'Wouldn't expect you to know how!' Delia snapped back, 'You are the most incorrigible, miserable, pathetic excuse of a woman I have ever had the misfortune of meeting!'

'Oh, iI'm/i a pathetic excuse of a woman?' Patsy repeated, her eyes growing wide, 'That's rich coming from someone who's basically a child! Barely an adult! Someone who's never had a job before now or any ireal/i responsibilities in their whole life! How in the bloody hell would you know-'

Patsy was cut off suddenly when she felt a blunt force against her chest that knocked the wind out of her, and she fell backwards, off the road and into the snow. Patsy looked up stunned to see Delia standing over her, her face red with tears threatening to spill over her eyes.

'How the bloody hell would iyou/i know, iPatsy/i,' she seethed through clenched teeth.

Patsy was paralyzed at the sight before her. Despite Delia's short stature, the woman commanded such power in the moment and Patsy was stunned into submission, unable to speak or move.

'What's even a ireal/i responsibility to you, anyway, hmm?' Delia continued, 'Does being the oldest of five count? Having to make sure my brothers were washed and dressed and out the door every morning with a full stomach while I should have been studying for my A-levels? Does that count?! Looking after them all hours of the day and night so my parents could work however many jobs they could to keep a ibloody/i roof over our heads? iDoes that fucking count, Patsy/i?!'

Patsy merely blinked, her jaw slack as she gazed up dumbfounded at Delia.

Delia shook her head, looking disgusted at the sight beneath her, 'I would have loved to have had a job like some normal teenager, performing some act that you seem to think is ibeneath/i you. 'iFlipping burgers/i', indeed. At least if I had, I would have had some pocket money or wouldn't have had to go to bed hungry as often as I did, making sure my brothers had enough to eat. Have iyou/i ever had to hold crying child to sleep at night because they're in pain? Because they're hungry and there's nothing you can do about it?! Do you know what that's like Patsy!? It's torture!'

'I… Delia I didn't know-,' Patsy began feebly before Delia cut her off.

'How could you have known?!' Delia shouted her hands gesturing wildly at her sides, 'Never have you once iever/i bothered to even ask me anything about myself, you iselfish cunt/i!' Delia emphasized her grief by kicking some freshly fallen snow in Patsy's direction, the woman on the ground raising her hand to cover her face.

'Delia, I'm sorry-,' Patsy tried again, louder, hoping Delia would hear the sincerity in her voice, see it in her expression.

'Save it!' Delia cried shrilly, 'Just fucking save it, Patsy, because I know you don't mean it!'

Delia's fists were clenched and she was shaking, the tears that had threatened to pour out over her eyes were now rolling fat and heavy down her cheeks and dripped off her chin.

'I've practically raised four boys. When you asked me if I ever held a baby before, I had never felt so insulted in all my life. I ran away thinking I couldn't let you see me cry. I didn't want to give you that power but now I just don't care. I don't care anymore. You ineed/i to see this Patsy!' Delia shouted, pointing to her face, her tears, 'It's terrible and demeaning but you need to see the effect you have! iYour words matter/i! And all you do is use them to hurt others who don't deserve it!'

'Delia,' Patsy pleaded, moving to rise, but Delia moved forward and brought both hands to Patsy's chest, pushing her back down in the snow.

'No!' she cried, 'I need you to know that iI hate you/i, Patience Mount! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,' she seethed, her whole body shaking as more tears dropped from her chin, 'I absolutely hate you with every fibre of my being and I want inothing/i to do with you!'

Delia harshly wiped her tears away, and Patsy could only watch on silently as she reached into the boot and hitched her duffle bag over her shoulder.

Patsy sighed, letting out a deep breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding in as Delia began walking off in the direction they had come. Patsy closed her eyes, and all the tension that she had been holding onto whenever Delia was close evaporated, melting away bit by bit with every breath she breathed, only to be replaced with waves of regret, coursing through her body. She ached all over because of it. The image of Delia's red, tear soaked face flashed in front of Patsy, the woman wishing now to have the power to do anything to reverse it. She couldn't though. Her own selfish, inconsiderate behavior had pushed the girl too far. Delia hated her, and that fact sunk deep into her heart and stung, and she knew she deserved it. She had been horrible and now all she wanted to do was make it right. She didn't know how but she needed to try.

Patsy opened her eyes and they landed on Delia growing smaller and smaller as she walked further down the road. She couldn't let Delia walk off alone into the Scottish countryside while a snow storm barreled through.

'Delia!' Patsy called out after her, finally rising to her feet. She brushed herself off and reached into the boot of the car, grabbing her rucksack and slamming the boot shut. She hitched her bag over her shoulders and began trotting over to Delia.

'Stay the fuck away from me, Patsy!' Delia shouted, not bothering to turn around, and Patsy slowed down, still following the shorter brunette but keeping her distance.

Patsy kept her eyes at the back of Delia as they walked, watching as she brought her hand to her face every so often, and Patsy's heart sank even further in her chest realizing that Delia was still crying.

The snow was falling harder, and thicker. Patsy looked down to see their tire tracks were good as gone under the freshly fallen snow.

A noise caused Patsy to look up at Delia, the girl suddenly falling to the ground with a yelp, her foot looking as if it was caught in something buried in the snow. Throwing caution to the wind, Patsy approached her and kneeled down beside a groaning Delia.

'No! Don't touch me!' Delia shouted, pushing her away, and Patsy tried to ignore the absolutely pained expression on her face, her red eyes and cheeks, the tears that were still falling, all because of her.

'Delia, what happened?' Patsy said, ignoring the girls strife, 'Are you hurt?'

Of course she's hurt, you fool. You did this. Patsy thought to herself sourly.

'Get away from me!' Delia cried shrilly, pushing against Patsy with all her might. Patsy merely rolled her shoulder with the punches as they came.

'It's alright Delia, let it out. I can take it,' Patsy said softly.

Delia merely hiccuped.

'Go on, you need to hit me, hit me. I deserve it, go on,' Patsy pleaded in the same soft, reassuring tone, letting out a deep sigh, her brows furrowing in a kind of relieved pain as she felt Delia give her one good solid punch on her chest, just above her heart.

Delia's fists clenched onto Patsy's coat, her head bowing to the ground as more and more tears fell, dissolving the snow between them.

Patsy let her cry, her heart heavy as she slowly reached up to grasp Delia by her elbows. She looked up and out at the sky, feeling like the snow was unrelenting and it was growing darker by the second. Patsy turned her attention back to Delia and looked at her stern, but pleadingly.

'What happened?' she asked softly.

Delia shook her head, pushing Patsy away and moving to stand up.

Patsy rose with her, keeping a careful eye on the smaller women's movements.

Once Delia rose to her full height, she shifted her duffle bag and attempted to walk, but faltered, stumbling and almost falling again until Patsy leapt forward and caught her by the arm.

'Let go of me!' Delia cried, pulling away from Patsy and stumbling. Patsy only reached out again to catch her, preventing her from falling again.

'Your ankle's hurt, isn't it?' Patsy asked.

'Fuck off,' Delia said, moving to hobble forward.

Patsy followed, looking to Delia expectantly, 'Is it sprained?' she asked.

Delia merely glowered, still not able to meet Patsy's eyes, but with her silence, Patsy knew the answer.

Patsy grasped onto Delia's coat and fought against the smaller woman shoving her away.

'I said fuck off, Patsy! Let go of me!'

'No,' Patsy said firmly, using all her strength to plant her feet in the ground and hold on as the smaller woman pushed against her.

'Now listen,' Patsy said through grit teeth, her grip on the smaller woman tightening as Delia fought to release herself from her grasp, 'you hate me but I idon't/i hate you. If you need to hit me or punch me or do whatever you need to get it out of your system then go ahead. I don't care how many times you knock me to the ground, I'm going to get back to my feet every time and keep trying to help you until the both of us are safe and out of this storm and you're taken care of, you understand?'

Delia didn't answer. She simply glowered at Patsy and the redhead chastised herself for merely thinking Delia's blue eyes looked like the most beautiful crystal she had ever seen in that moment. Her heart ached painfully in her chest as she reminded herself that she was the bloody fool that made the woman in her arms so upset for her own selfish reasons.

'So go on then. I can take it, Get it out,' Patsy pleaded, 'just hit me until you tire yourself out.'

'I don't want to hit you,' Delia cried, more tears rolling down her face as she blinked, 'I just want you to disappear.'

The muscles in Patsy's jaw clenched tight, the girls words hurting her more for some reason than any kind of hit or punch could have.

'If I could, I would,' Patsy said, her brows furrowing as she gazed intensely at Delia, doing her best to convey how much she meant it, 'but for now I need you to swallow your pride and let me help you.'

Patsy finally let go and backed away, situating her rucksack so it sat against her front. In one swift motion, Patsy grasped both of Delia's arms and turned around, bending slightly to hoist the smaller woman into her back, her hands working quickly to wrap Delia's legs around her waist.

'I think I saw a house about a mile back,' Patsy said as she hoisted Delia up on her back a little higher, her hands reaching behind to interlock under Delia's bum, 'with any luck they'll let us at least use their phone.'

Patsy began walking, the crunching of the snow under her footsteps was accompanied by the sound of Delia sniffling in her ear as she continued to cry, her face buried in Patsy's shoulder as her tears were soaked up by the cotton of Patsy's hooded jacket underneath her coat. Patsy continued on in silence, her heart weighing heavily in her chest more than she had ever remembered it feeling so before as the sounds of Delia's soft, defeated whimpering were etched into her mind.

hr

Patsy was exhausted by the time they reached the house she mentioned, never having remembered any time where she was pushed so hard physically. Red faced and puffing, she pushed herself to carry Delia all the way up the long drive to the front of the house.

It was a simple cabin. It looked like a hunting lodge with a small detached storage shed close by. Patsy looked around and saw no cars. No sign of life other than her and Delia. The lake and rolling hills in the background painted a picturesque scene, but it went unnoticed by Patsy as her main priority was getting Delia inside and out of the elements.

Patsy gently placed Delia to her feet, allowing for the smaller woman to stand on her good foot and lean against a wooden pillar as Patsy walked the length of the porch, cupping her hands over her eyes to peek through the dark windows.

The interior looked simple, from what she could see in the dim light. An open kitchen, pots and pans and other utensils hanging from hooks in the ceiling above the stove, a dining area with a small table. There was a lounge with a small television and bookshelves along the walls filled with games and VHS tapes. Patsy reckoned this was someone's holiday home, but from the looks of it, it was more for the summer than the dead of winter like it was.

Patsy walked to the front door and turned the knob. It was definitely locked. She looked back at Delia who merely glared.

'It was worth a shot.'

Patsy checked the windows, too, pushing against them to see if they would rise, and thankfully one did, squeaking against the hinges noisily as she worked her fingers under the bottom and hoisted the window open as far as it would go. She threw her rucksack inside and bent down to awkwardly climb in, taking solace in the fact that she was probably giving Delia good blackmail material for when they returned to the clinic, however and whenever they returned. Patsy stood up straight when she could, walking over to the front door, unbolting and unlocking the door and swinging it wide open. She stepped back outside to help Delia into the lounge, taking her arm over her shoulder, a firm grasp around her waist with her other arm as she guided her through the door. She helped Delia toss her duffel bag aside and gently settle in on the sofa in the lounge, kneeling before her and working to take off her boot.

'I can do it,' Delia said, her voice stern.

Patsy ignored her and eased her boot off, cradling Delia's foot in her hand as she gently squeezed her ankle with the other checking for swelling.

Delia gasped, wincing slightly on pain.

'Sorry,' Patsy said, her tone all business, 'I just needed to check how far along the swelling was. I'll see if I can find any anti-inflammatories. We should get your leg elevated in the meantime.'

She then removed Delia's other boot, gently cradling and guiding both of her legs to rest on the sofa.

Patsy spotted a throw blanket on a recliner and grabbed it, shaking it out before throwing it over Delia's legs, tucking it firmly under her to keep her body heat in.

Patsy stood back and looked around.

Alright. Priorities. What were her priorities?

Make sure Delia was safe. Check.

The inside of the cabin was rather dark and dreary. Patsy noted to herself that she would need to spend some time cleaning everything, her eyes catching cobwebs in every corner of the room, signaling to her that it had been several weeks or months since anyone had been here.

She decided she would work to make Delia as comfortable as possible before she went on a cleaning spree, looking around to see what could be done about making the place a bit more homey.

Patsy spotted a lamp on the end table nearby. She turned the switch and it flickered to life, filling the corner with a soft golden glow. Patsy quickly walked around the house turning on all the lights, thankful that whomever owned this place kept the power on. Patsy discovered there was only one bedroom with a queen bed and chest of drawers, and across the hall was one full bathroom with a tub. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above the sink when she turned on the light. Her cheeks were red from the cold and her hair was messily falling around her face in thick tendrils from her ponytail. She looked a right mess and she sneered at her reflection before moving on.

She walked back to the kitchen, curious to know if the water was still on, and her question was answered when she turned the handle on the sink and a stream of cold water sputtered out before it ran smoothly. Patsy looked around, noisily opening all the cupboards and drawers to see what was there. There was no electric kettle, but Patsy found a ceramic one sitting on the stove, the spice rack above having a few packets of earl grey stuffed between the cumin and oregano. She filled the kettle with water and turned on the burner on the stove. It clicked several times before it flickered to life. She set the kettle on the flame and let it warm, and returned to the lounge to see Delia looking at her curiously.

'I'm heating some water for tea,' Patsy explained, looking around a bit more as she brought her hands to her mouth and blew on them for warmth.

She looked back down at Delia who still looked rather miserable, the smaller woman's breath could be seen escaping from her nose due to the cold temperature in the cabin.

'I'm going to see if I can get the heat going,' she said softly, looking around and spotting a fireplace. There was a basket of dried logs and long matches by the hearth. She went over to inspect, removing her coat and tossing it on the recliner before kneeling down next to the hearth and opening the glass panes. She covered her nose and mouth with her shirt as she opened the floo. As expected, some black and brown debris fell through but once it cleared, Patsy stuck her hand through and felt a draft, indicating that the chimney wasn't blocked.

'Do you…,' Delia started, sounding rather bashful, 'Can I help in any way?'

Patsy looked back at her and shook her head, 'No, you don't need to do anything, just rest,' she said softly, 'I'll take care of everything.'

Patsy spotted a stack of old newspapers nearby that she assumed were meant to be used for tinder. She ripped apart and crumpled up a few pieces, shoving them at the bottom of the rack before she threw on three pieces of wood, stacking them into a three dimensional triangle. She lit a match and let it rest on the papers, and she softly blew on the flame to help it grow. To her delight it caught on and she watched as the flames climbed up the wood.

Patsy looked up when she heard the kettle start to whistle. She went back to the kitchen and found two large mugs, rinsing them with soap and water before she filled them with hot water and steeped the bags of earl grey she found in the spice rack.

She picked up both cups of tea and paused for a moment, simply staring at the steam swirling up into the air before disappearing.

Disappear.

i'I just want you to disappear.'/i

Patsy blinked. She felt her chest tighten remembering Delia say that.

Well, she couldn't disappear but she could very well stay out of sight.

Patsy put one mug down on the counter to drink by herself later, and brought the other mug out to Delia. She handed the woman on the sofa the mug and took a step back.

'That should warm you up a little…' she trailed off unable to meet Delia's eyes.

A thought occurred to her and Patsy walked over to her rucksack and shuffled through it, finding the small bag with her bathroom items in it and opened it, retrieving a small bottle of pills. She walked over to Delia and placed the bottle near her.

'Take two of these when your tea is cool enough to drink. It will help with the pain and swelling in your ankle.'

Delia merely nodded and eked out a small, 'Thanks.'

Patsy stepped back, keeping her distance, remembering she was to disappear. She moved to head back into the kitchen.

'Where are you going?' Delia asked anxiously, watching Patsy closely.

Patsy paused, a little touched by the question. She still could barely look her in the eye.

'I'm just going to rummage through the kitchen for a bit to see if I can find anything to whip up for supper.'

'Oh,' Delia said, a little sad, 'Is there… Are you sure I can't help with anything?'

Patsy placed her hand on the frame off the door that led to the kitchen, 'Yes, I'm sure,' she said nodding her head, 'Just relax and focus on getting better.'

'Patsy, I'm going to go mad if you're just going to have me sit here…' Delia pleaded.

Patsy sighed, her gaze turning towards the ancient television in the corner with the rabbit ears perched on top. She walked over and kneeled down, turning a large knob on the front to turn it on. She grasped another knob undereith the first one and clicked it to channel three. Then four. Then six. The local news programme finally came in relatively clear, and appearing on the screen was a women dressed in a smart top and trousers standing in front of a green screen talking about the weather.

'Is this alright for now?' Patsy asked, looking to Delia.

The woman on the sofa cupped her mug with both hands close to her chest and nodded silently.

Patsy looked to the fire she had started and was pleased to see it burning with a healthy flame, feeling the head radiate from it. She walked over and added two more logs to the fire from the basket before standing and looking back to Delia.

'Are you getting warm?' she asked

Delia nodded, 'Yes, the blanket and tea are helping, thank you,' she said.

Patsy merely looked down, not wanting to acknowledge her thanks. She didn't want Delia to thank her. She didn't want Delia to be kind to her. She knew she didn't deserve it.

Disappear.

Patsy moved to the kitchen without a word, turning her attention to the refrigerator. She opened it and saw that it was scarcely supplied, only seeing old opened bottles of condiments as some butter. Patsy was nearly thinking they would starve out here before she opened the freezer and was relieved to see several options of frozen fish, prawns, and meats, pork shoulder and bacon, ground beef, and even a whole chicken. There were accompanying bags of frozen vegetables and even a carton of chocolate ice cream.

Patsy closed the freezer and opened the floor to ceiling cupboard right next to the refrigerator and saw it jam packed with dry goods such as beans and rice, bags of pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, spices, and sauces.

Patsy breathed a sigh of relief. Her mind worked quickly wondering what she could put together to feed the two of them. Patsy grabbed a bag of pasta and a can of tomato sauce, thinking something quick and easy would suffice for this evening.

She removed some of the frozen meats from the freezer to the refrigerator so they could slowly thaw, and took a package of frozen ground beef, setting it in the sink and letting water run over it to thaw for the tomato sauce. She filled a pot with water and set it on the stove to boil, thinking now would be a good time to go back to the bedroom.

Once there, she pulled the sheets from the mattress and pillow cases, unclipping the duvet cover and adding it to the pile of things she was going to wash. She found a linen closet in the room and threw a few bath towels to the pile as well. Scooping everything up, she carried them to the kitchen and started the washing machine that was next to the dryer, finding the detergent conveniently placed under the sink. She took a few moments to figure out how to work the thing before throwing the sheets and towels in together for a good wash.

Patsy let the machine run while she checked the ground beef, thinking it was good enough to start cooking. She warmed a pan on the stove and cooked the meat, adding another for the sauce, throwing in some spices and letting them cook before she added in the sauce. Patsy let everything simmer for a moment before she poked her head back into the lounge to see Delia sitting expectantly on the sofa.

'More tea?' she asked.

Delia sat up straight, her eyes attentive, 'Yes please.'

Patsy entered the room to grab her mug and was stopped as Delia looked at her expectantly.

'Is there… there wouldn't happen to be any milk or sugar, would there?'

'Oh, sorry,' Patsy said, 'I didn't think to ask how you take your tea,' she finished, chastising herself for fucking up yet another thing with Delia, no matter how small it seemed, 'There's no perishables, I'm afraid, other than butter, it seems, but I'm sure I can find some sugar.'

Delia gave a thankful smile which Patsy did not return.

Patsy went back to the kitchen with Delia's mug and continued working on dinner, adding the spices to the meat, and then the sauce, letting everything simmer before she drained the pasta and combined everything into a small bowl. She poured more hot water over tea, adding some sugar this time, and came back into the lounge. She handed Delia the bowl of steaming pasta and sauce, placing her mug of tea on the coffee table close by.

'I, um…' Patsy started, her hand coming to rub the back of her neck nervously, 'I don't usually cook for anyone but myself and… well, I don't eat a lot,' she said rather shy, 'so I won't be offended if you don't' like it.'

'It smells wonderful,' Delia said as she dug in and took a bite, sighing as the hot foot settled in her mouth, 'tastes wonderful, too'

Patsy sighed resoundingly, happy that she did something right, 'Right then, relax and enjoy it. Let me know if you want seconds,' she said, moving to get up.

'You won't be joining me for supper?' Delia asked.

Patsy faltered.

Disappear.

The word echoed over and over again in Patsy's mind.

Patsy's heart ached painfully in her chest, and she forced a smile, turning to Delia slightly.

'I'm not hungry,' she lied, 'and anyway, I have some cleaning to do and phone calls to make before we tuck in, so I best get started.'

Patsy headed to the bathroom before Delia could answer, hoping the woman couldn't read her mind as she opened the cupboard under the sink in search of cleaning supplies, which she found in the forms of rubber gloves, sponges and rags, and lots and lots of bleach, much to her relief. She got to work, closing the door to the bathroom, removing her hooded jacket and rolling up the sleeves to her flannel shirt, deeming it safe to expose her arms. She forced on the gloves and made a solution with the bleach, and got to work scrubbing the tub and tile along the wall for some time until she was satisfied that it was good enough to eat off of. She rinsed off the cleaning solution before she plugged the bath, letting the tub fill with hot water while she tidied up, removing her gloves and putting the cleaning supplies away.

Patsy unrolled and buttoned the sleeves of her flannel and was about to put her hooded jacket back on, but her fingers grazed over the hood of her jacket and it was still moist, Patsy recalled, from Delia's tears. Patsy paused for a moment remembering their fight, or rather, Delia telling Patsy how she felt. Telling her about her brothers and her family and how she hated her. Patsy clutched her jacket close to her, her brows furrowing, remembering Delia's pained face, how she sounded as she cried in her ear as she carried her. Patsy didn't know why but it was a sound that she never wanted to be the cause of again for as long as she would know Delia. Patsys heart ached knowing that she was the cause of Delia's suffering these past few weeks. Making her miserable, and why? Because she was young? Inexperienced? The hardships Delia had to endure sounded just as hard as Patsys and Delia wasn't projecting her misery out onto others like she had done.

Patsy decided that Delia was right to hate her, no matter what. Delia was a better person than her.

Patsy shook her head. The fumes from the bleach still hung in the air and it was making her feel fuzzy. She put her jacket back on and opened the small window and door to air out the room as she returned to the lounge where Delia still sat. Her bowl of pasta now empty and it sat on the coffee table as she sipped her tea.

'Alright?' Patsy asked, 'Do you want another helping?'

Delia turned to her, smiling, 'No, but it was really good. I'll probably have some leftovers later if there's enough.'

Patsy, not thinking she was one to be particularly culinary talented, blushed at the compliment, but merely bit her lip, nodding slightly.

'Fancy a bath?' she asked, wanting to take any focus off her.

Delia looked surprised.

'I've just cleaned up the bathroom and have the tub filling now for you.'

'Patsy you didn't have to do that…'

'It's alright. It's been a long day and by the looks of it,' she said, glancing at the snow continuing to fall out the window, 'we may be here for awhile. May as well get comfortable. Come on then,' Patsy said as she moved to help Delia up off the sofa.

'So that's what you've been up to,' Delia said as she let Patsy take her arm and wrap it around her shoulders, 'makes sense you smell like bleach now.'

Patsy merely nodded as she helped Delia to the bathroom, gently guiding her to sit on the toilet while she shut off the water. She left momentarily to retrieve Delia's duffel bag and placed it on the sink.

Patsy paused and scratched her head, 'Um, I imagine you're mobile enough to… um…'

Delia smirked at Patsys awkwardness, 'I think I can take it from here.'

'Alright. Just… I won't be far away. I suppose just shout if you need anything.'

'Thank you, Patsy.'

Patsy sighed, not meeting Delia's eyes. She left without another word wishing the woman would stop thanking her. She didn't deserve her thanks.

With Delia occupied for the next hour or so, Patsy retreated to the kitchen to eat a bit of supper by herself, glancing out the kitchen window over the sink. It was pitch black outside now save for the snowflakes she could make out falling from the sky. Patsy wondered just how bad it was going to get and resolved to try and catch a bit of the news after she made sure Delia was asleep.

Patsy spent the next hour cleaning. She moved the sheets and towels from the wash to the dryer and cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen, putting away the leftovers, and warming some more water in the kettle for tea. She found a broom closet with a myriad of cleaning supplies that she tucked away for later. In the closet she also found a hot water bottle that she thought Delia might like in bed to keep her feet warm.

When she had a moment to think, Patsy remembered that she needed to try and call the clinic, to let someone know of their whereabouts and that they probably weren't going to make it to the conference.

Patsy scanned the kitchen and saw a corded telephone on the wall.

She paused and looked at it, feeling herself grow angry as she broke out into a cold sweat, the long cord almost hitting the floor instantly brought back unpleasant memories of her youth. A cord like that was something her father liked to whip her with when she was being a disobedient child.

Patsys eye twitched, and she smacked herself across the face for giving into it.

'He's been dead 20 years. Stop letting him do this to you. It's just a fucking phone,' she whispered to herself harshly, forcing herself to pick it up off the wall and dial the number to the clinic, punching in Phyllis' extension. It was late and she expected no one to be at the clinic, so Patsy left a message explaining her and Delia's situation, that they were safe but snowed in and wouldn't be making it to the conference. She didn't mention the car, but figured she could spend some time tomorrow figuring out what could be done about it.

As soon as Patsy hung up the phone, she nearly ripped the cord out, rolling it up and tucking it in a drawer somewhere. No one was going to call here anyway, and she didn't want to have to look at the bloody thing.

The dryer next to her chimed, signaling the sheets were done and pulled Patsy from her thoughts. She could concentrate her mind and body on the task at hand now.

Patsy collected everything, folding and placing two fluffy towels next to the bathroom door for Delia to use when she was done with her bath, and went into the bedroom, throwing on the fresh sheets and tucking everything neatly into hospital corners. She put the pillows back in their cases and situated the duvet cover back on the fluffy down duvet. She was just about done when she heard the bedroom door creak open, and Delia appeared wearing a simple jumper and flannel pyjama bottoms with a pair of thick socks. She looked refreshed after her bath, and had her long hair braided in preparation for bed.

'Ah, just in time,' Patsy said with a smile, 'sheets are still nice and warm from the dryer,' she rounded the bed and pulled back the covers before walking to Delia, helping her to the bed.

'Patsy,' Delia said as Patsy helped lower her to the bed, 'you really didn't need to do all this.'

'Nonsense,' Patsy said as she tucked Delia under the covers, still unable to look the woman in the eye, 'How are you feeling?' She asked, wanting to take the focus off her, 'are you in any pain?'

'Oh,' Delia said, looking down at her ankle as if she had forgotten it was sprained, 'no. It's still a bit swollen and stiff, but it doesn't hurt.'

Patsy took a pillow and placed it under Delia's foot, throwing the covers over it when she was satisfied it was elevated enough.

'That should help…' she trailed off, biting her lip on thought, 'I'll be right back.'

Patsy went to the kitchen to retrieve the hot water bottle and a fresh mug of tea for Delia, adding in a bit of sugar as she liked. She returned and placed the tea on the bedside table, holding up the hot water bottle in her other hand, 'This should keep you nice and toasty for a bit,' she said as she placed the bottle under the covers by Delia's feet.

'Do you need anything?' Patsy asked.

Delia stared at her incredulously, 'Patsy you've already done more than I would have ever possibly imagined from you.'

Patsy raised an eyebrow, 'So is that a no?' she asked with a slight smirk, trying to be funny.

Delia smirked, 'Pats…' she trailed off, her smirk turning into a genuinely warm smile. The way she said her name and how she was looking at her now, it all made the hairs on the back of Patsy's neck stand on end.

'Well,' Patsy said with a shy smile, turning quickly and walking to the bedroom door before Delia could notice her blush, 'try and get some sleep,' she finished softly. She grasped the doorknob and moved to close it with her on the other side.

'You're…,' Delia started, sitting up slightly. The motion caused Patsy to halt, and she looked at Delia expectantly, one hand on the doorknob, the other on the frame, 'you're not sleeping on the sofa, are you?'

Patsy merely raised an eyebrow at Delia.

'Um, I mean…' Delia trailed off, her eyes darting from side to side nervously and she looked like she was desperately trying to fight off the blush that was crawling up her neck and cheeks, 'I just mean… maybe you should take the bed. I feel like you've done so much today. You must be exhausted.'

'Delia, I'll be fine,' Patsy said softly, giving her best reassuring smile.

'No, I should take the sofa,' Delia said, removing the covers, but she stopped her movements when Patsy raised her hand and walked back towards her.

'Delia, it's alright,' she said softly as she approached, 'Lay down.'

Delia watched her curiously, but did as instructed, and Patsy reached over her, pulling the covers up to her chin, tucking her in snug.

Patsy took a deep breath. She was close enough to Delia again for the first time since they had broken into the cabin to feel her warmth, and the smell of her lavender soap relaxed her for a moment, until looking her in the eye caused a memory from earlier that day to flash through her mind.

i'I hate you with every fibre of my being.'/i

Patsy felt that ache in her chest once more recalling Delia's words. They were certainly warranted, after the way Patsy had been treating her in the nearly two weeks she had known her. Patsy wondered what awful things she had said to Delia that had stuck to her like this. That had caused her pain. Patsy wished she could take it all back and start over.

Patsy took another deep breath, forcing a small smile, 'Delia, there's something you should know about me,' she started softly as she opened her eyes and forced herself to look at the girl under the covers, 'it's that, along with being a terrible driver, I'm also a terrible sleeper. I'm up half the night and toss and turn the rest.'

'That explains a lot,' Delia said with a small smile, which Patsy returned.

Patsy shrugged, 'Regardless, I'll be better off on the sofa. That way I can keep an eye out for any other wary travelers who come and try to squat here with us.'

'Make sure the window is locked so no one sneaks in like we did,' Delia said, bringing the covers up over her mouth so only her eyes and the top of her head were exposed. Patsy thought she looked particularly adorable in that moment and she couldn't help but smile.

'I will… and, I know it can be scary to sleep in a strange place, but I'll just be on the other side of that door if you need… anything.'

Patsy was going to say 'If you need ime/i', but stopped herself.

'I feel quite safe knowing you're on the lookout, Pats.' Delia said softly, and Patsy watched as her eyelids grew heavy.

'Good,' Patsy smiled, her chest feeling a bit warm at the new nickname, and stood, 'get some rest now.'

Patsy finally left the bedroom, turning off the lightswitch and closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Patsy quietly walked back to the lounge, turning off the television, and sat down on the sofa. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally took off her boots, her feet aching from all the walking she did earlier. Not bothering to derobe, she stretched out on the sofa and kicked her feet up, her eyes closing as she took long, deep breaths, her body finally relaxing after such a strenuous day. Her eyes opened slightly and she looked to the plain white ceiling above her, a soft orange hue emanating from the smoldering fire coming from the other side of the room.

As her body felt like it was finally decompressing from the day, her brain suddenly went into overdrive, recalling the course of events that got her and the junior nurse here. Driving here, their fighting, running out of Petrol, their fighting, Delia spraining her ankle, and more fighting. Delia telling Patsy that she hated her. That she wanted nothing to do with her. That she wanted her to disappear.

Patsy closed her eyes, her face contorting as if she were holding back tears. Her chest swelled with regret, aching from causing the poor girl in the other room to cry. For causing her any pain at all.

But why was she feeling so terrible at Delia's harsh words? Didn't she tell the girl that she had heard every awful thing directed at her before? That nothing she could say would have any effect on her? And… part of that was true. Patsy had been called every name in the book and it never affected her as severely as this. Why was this different?

Well, she reasoned, something certainly had changed.

Patsy threw her arm over her eyes, swearing to herself as it became quite apparent to her that the reason Delia was affecting her so much was that she iliked/i her. She cared for the girl. She cared about Delia Busby, and she didn't know whether that was a good thing or cause for alarm.