First off I'm sorry this has taken a while to write, a combination of 12 hour shifts at work and a broken freezer that needs checking on every half an hour means I've been a little distracted of late!
This chapter's been hard work but quite good fun to write so I hope you enjoy it too! This chapter's first two sections contain some stuff that some-of you may not wish to read, nothing x-rated, don't panic. But none the less – if you don't want to read it, then skip through to the 3rd section if you want.
There's three pieces of dialogue that I have shamelessly thieved from other programs (they in no-way belong to me and were written by far more intelligent people and better writers than me!) A touch of Frost (2010), Blackpool (2004) and No Angels (2004) – if you know which parts they are then you have wonderful tastes in tele and congratulations!
Thank you for all your lovely reviews, I love the reactions I've had to this story, it means the world to me, and thank you so so much! Please do continue – you're all fabulous!
Enjoy x
"Look Shelagh – this isn't up for discussion, end of. OK?"
"No not really Patrick, you're wrong and you can't accept it."
"Sorry, but you're wrong Shelagh and you need to be honest with yourself!"
"Patrick –you're being stupid about this!"
"Shelagh. Human League's don't you want me baby is a terrible terrible song!"
"No it bloody isn't – it's a brilliant song, why would you call it terrible, it's no worse than … I don't know The Communard's don't leave me this way!"
"Now that is a fine song! And I will not have it's good name besmirched by being associated with that kind of crap. Did you want any more rice?"
"Yes thanks – just a little bit. It's not crap Patrick, it's a damn good song, and if you hadn't shipped your son off for a camping weekend he'd be sat here agreeing with me."
"Don't be daft! He doesn't know one end of the dark side of the moon from the other, unless you're talking … Rizzle Kicks he doesn't want to know!"
"Ha – Rizzle Kicks isn't a name you say often is it?"
"What makes you say that?"
"I doesn't sit quite right in your mouth!"
"Perhaps I'm too old?"
"Mmm …"
"That was your cue to tell me I'm not old!"
"I'm not sure I can defend a man with a bad taste in music – but I love you regardless."
"You're sure about that are you? You're not going to wake up one morning and wonder what you're doing with this old bloke then?"
"No Patrick – that's never going to happen. And besides – in a dim light you could pass for … oooo … 55?"
"Cheeky witch! I'll remind you of that statement next time you ask me if you look nice in an outfit! Now – unfortunately my baking skills aren't quite a patch on yours so there's no cake, but there's the rest of this bottle of wine you can help me polish off if you want?"
"I shouldn't, I've got to cycle home yet."
"You don't have to …"
"Well if I can't cycle after another two glasses, then you certainly can't drive me home Patrick!"
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to take you home …"
"Oh – did you?"
"Sorry was that a bit crass?"
"No it was, it's ummm it's an idea. A good one."
"I'm not going to force you Shelagh, God I would never – I mean it just seems so unlikely that someone like you would fall for someone like … anyway."
"When you first met me, what did you think?"
"What?"
"When you first met me, what did you think?"
"I thought you were a beautiful, and funny and intelligent and you laughed at my jokes and one time, your smile stayed and I thought that maybe there was something about me that you found –attract- oh what's the point Shelagh?"
"Because I want you to see that that's what matters – all that, not anything else – nothing else, what you thought then was true and still is."
"Really – you're sure about that?"
"Patrick – I wouldn't be here if I wasn't, Jesus – if I wasn't interested I wouldn't still be coming to your house night after night, I wouldn't have you round to mine night after night … would I?"
"No – I suppose not … I – I should say or uh warn you that umm … since Clair died I've not umm … what I mean is that I've lived like a monk, a priest … a catholic priest … do you see what I mean?"
"Yeah – I recon I can crack that particular enigma …"
Shelagh sat up slightly in the bed, pulling the sheets up to cover herself turning slightly on the pillow she faced Patrick, she watched the rise and fall of his chest as he caught his breath, he turned his head slightly, not meeting her eyes.
"Are you OK?" She asked, extending a hand and resting it on his chest. He turned more, still not quite meeting her eyes but facing her, "Patrick? Are you OK?" moving her hand up, resting her fingertips on his jaw she angled his face towards her and smiled.
"Sorry – I'm fine … it's been a while, I'd almost forgotten … are you alright?"
"I'm good yeah, I'm really good … maybe I should get going, I've got work tomorrow."
"Only if you want to – I wouldn't send you out of my house at 1 in the morning."
"I don't have to leave, I just thought that maybe …"
"I can take you to work in the morning if you like."
"Yeah that'd be great, you'll set tongues wagging mind."
"They'll have to know sooner or later, maybe we should say something tomorrow – who's on duty?"
"Trixie, Jenny, Julie and me – and if we tell them then I'm sure Cynthia'll know within about 5 minutes on the bush telegraph."
"Only if you want to Shelagh." Leaning up on her elbow, pulling the sheet up to keep herself covered she looked into his eyes and placed her hand back onto his chest,
"Stop saying that Patrick – it's not always about what I want! There's two of us in this relationship – and if it's always you trying to make me happy then it'll never work. What do you want? You've got more at stake than me, you're more senior than me, and you've got a son."
"Tim knows! And it's irrelevant if I'm a doctor."
"Nurses are expected to behave sluttishly with doctors – doctor's aren't. Why don't I tell the girls – without you? At least that way I can stem the tide of dirty jokes and wink-wink-nudge-nudge behaviour."
"OK – you do your bit, I'll do mine. Come on – we'll have to be up in a few hours, come here." Curling up into Patrick's side, her hand around him she closed her eyes and moved her head closer to his.
"You once told me that you hadn't changed the pillow case on Clair's pillow since she died …"
"Don't worry – that's a fresh one. I may have a questionable taste in music – but that is one thing that I do care about."
"Sorry – I wasn't trying to pry."
"You weren't, it's a fair question." She felt as though her eyes had barely closed before she was forced to open them again by a loud banging noise; the front door, looking around her she couldn't see Patrick but she could hear the shower running. Pulling her jumper off of the floor she jogged quickly down stairs to answer the door in Patrick's absence, smoothing her hair off her face she caught sight of the distorted shape in the glass of the front door, whoever was hammering was very short, it could be the postman she supposed, although she wondered if it the Royal Mail had dwarf postmen.
"Shelagh?" Came the confused voice from the front garden as she opened the door,
"Tim! Tim … I thought you were away with the Scouts for the weekend?" Tim stood, in his scout uniform holding a rucksack, and stood next to a tall black man who was looking equally confused.
"I was – we came home today, I told Dad that Simon's dad was dropping me off this morning … what are you doing here so early – and why aren't you wearing any trousers?" Tim's tall companion, gave a wry smile and looked Shelagh up and down with a glint in his eye,
"I … umm … I … do you know what Tim, I'm not sure that right on the doorstep is quite the place to discuss this! Do you want to just pop in and I'll grab your Dad. Thanks for driving him home safe Simon's dad – bye now bye!" she closed the door firmly and smiled equally firmly at Tim. "So, how was camping?"
Shealgh ate her sandwich slowly, eyeing up the club resting on the arm of her chair, she almost wished that adults were allowed to eat their chocolate before their mains. Since she hadn't been at home, she'd been forced to run over to the hospital branch of WHS and buy an over-priced, over-chilled ploughman's sandwich. She was just unscrewing the lid off a bottle of Vimto when the staff room door opened and Jenny collapsed down onto a free chair.
"My God – I haven't seen one like that in a long long time! I mean we couldn't get the forceps in there, the baby wouldn't come, it was like trying to force a ferret into a condom!"
"Oh, that is some lovely imagery!"
"Well it was! Funny looking baby too – I mean they're all funny looking but that one …"
"Like a ferret in a condom?"
"What's like a ferret in a condom?" Asked Julie, walking into the staff room waving a email in her hand,
"Stephanie Cole's baby in three – mind you I've seen the father so it really could have been much worse!" replied Jenny, cracking open her tupper-wear lunch box. "What's the email?"
"Oh this? ELC have emailed us to confirm their emergency funding for staff – so I thought that once she'd qualified perhaps Camilla Brown might fancy a job? What do you all think?"
"Can we afford the rate we'll be replacing crockery?"
"Shelagh – uncharacteristically sharp of you? I always thought that Scottish Presbyterian upbringing of yours means you were that you were unendingly generous! What's got into you?" Asked Julie with a laugh, bending to fish around in the overstuffed fridge,
"Or who …?" asked Jenny with an arched eyebrow, setting down her wrap giving Shelagh a small wry smile,
"Who? What's this Shelagh?" Julie turned sharply back from the kitchen counter to face her friend, she backed toward a free chair and sat down with a thud. "Have you got a boy for yourself?"
"Umm of a kind, I wouldn't say I've got a boy as much as a man."
"Ooo- er, he must be good!"
"No – it's just that he's definitely not a boy! We wanted to tell you anyway, so this is actually quite … fortuitous. It's … Patrick."
"Patrick, Patrick who? Patrick the anaesthetist? Patrick in patient records? Patrick Kielty?" Asked Julie, looking up from her packet of crisps.
"No – no, none of those Patricks, it's Patrick Turner … the doctor Patrick Turner."
"I knew it!" Cried Jenny looking victorious and beaming at the pair of midwives sat before her, while Julie looked confusedly between them both.
"You knew? Hang on – Shelagh? You and Patrick Turner? I mean … I mean … how long?"
"I don't know really – I mean it depends how you look at it … a month, two if … we just wanted you all to know!" Julie carried on staring at Shelagh, who couldn't quite decide if the shock on her face was good or not, she swallowed hard and tried to brave it out with a smile.
"I'm happy for you, it's just unexpected that's all … sorry, well I wish you both all the best! Umm – I'm going to go and finish my lunch in my office, need to make some phone calls…" Pushing her half eaten crisps back into her Tesco carrier bag she gave Shelagh a small smile and left the staff room, disheartened Shelagh turned back to Jenny who was still beaming away.
"So – you all knew?"
"We had our suspicions yeah – but I'm happy for you, it's great news. It's time you settled down."
"Oh says Elizabeth Taylor over there! I suppose I can news to get about a bit now that you know?"
"Oh yes! In return for all the details and gossip next time you come out for a drink?"
"In return for some of the details and gossip yes … I have to go and see Julie a second." Stepping over to the door to Julie's office, she tapped on the glass briskly and after a moments wait she entered. Her desk was as messy as ever, and she was balancing her packet of crisps on top of her computer monitor. "Hi Julie – sorry to disturb you but I just wanted to make sure everything's OK?"
" Yes it is – sorry Shelagh. It's just that I … I've known Patrick a long time, I mean since I started at the unit 15 years ago, I knew Clair too. I saw him grieving and I suppose that I never imagined that he'd ever fall for someone else you know, he was so crushed when he lost Clair and just threw himself into work. And there was a while when I was really worried about him, he was considering sending Tim off to live with his aunty in Kent because he wasn't coping, I wasn't sure if he'd pull through. It's good for him though – to have found you, and I'm happy for you too Shelagh, you spend far too much time thinking about work, it's good for you to have some distraction."
"I'm glad you're happy for us, it means a lot."