She looks to Flora and Louisa as they scrub their hands fingers to elbow. "At least you are together. I truly miss my family. This war is getting on my nerves."
Louisa smiles, "Poor Flora she could be anywhere, but she is with us trying to repair broken bodies." She looks to her Flora, "You truly could be home with a good book."
"I know," Flora smiles, "I am not willing to wait another hour before the on-call anaesthesiologist makes an appearance. This way we can go home sooner with each other."
Fiona looking into the operating room, "This poor soldier, he is not even seventeen. His mother is in the waiting room." She looks at Louisa.
The phone rings and the wash room nurse answers, "Operating room four. Yes, I will pass it on." She hangs up the phone, "There is an official Christmas Eve Truce through Boxing Day!"
Louisa looks to her staff, "This is good news. Let us take care of our brave solider."
The surgery was uneventful but successful. Alaya accompanied Louisa to the waiting room to update the mother who is dressed for a party. "He will be fine. We had to amputate his right arm just above the elbow. There will be therapy to help him adjust to using his left hand."
"My boy can do anything." The mother boasts.
"May I ask, what is your form of family income?" Louisa asks, "It will help in his recovery and to adjust his therapy."
"Our family income has been mainly import and exports. We shall welcome him with open arms." The mother gets quiet, "We have to be careful with our verbiage. He has a good future ahead of him, I will make sure of that."
"I like your attitude." Louisa smiles, "A nurse will come get you as soon as he is available for visitors."
"Oh, no. I just wanted to make sure he was fine. I have parties to attend." The woman waves leaving two stunned physicians.
"Even my mother isn't that callus." Louis scoffs and they head back to the locker room.
A nurse meets them halfway, "I am sorry to inform you that you have no attending tonight." Louisa looks irritated, "Do you have the on-call sheet?" She looks at the paper and hands it back to the nurse. "Thank you. I will inform the next Doctor on rotation."
"Who is the unlucky one going to spend Christmas Eve at the hospital?" Fiona asks sympathetically.
Louisa opens the locker room door. "You are next in line."
"After I change I will call my family." Fiona understand the reality of working in a hospital. "I am disappointed in some of our peers."
"I am sorry dear but please know it can't be helped. I will be home tomorrow morning..." Fiona listens to her wife's encouraging words, "That sounds wonderful. Thank you. Happy Christmas."
Fiona returns to her locker, "I shall read this to the patients. May we pull them all in the same room?"
Louisa grabs the phone, "I think that is a marvellous idea. Hello, yes move all the patients into room 102 at seven pm. Bring chairs, put patients in wheelchairs. Doctor Flint-Saint Clair will be reading from her collection. Yes, the staff may attend. Leave a notice at the front desk. Excellent."
Fiona leaves the locker room and heads to the nurses station to complete paperwork, go over her rounds and prepares for a long night.
"You ready?" Flora peeks into the locker room.
"Yes, just let me make one more phone call." Louisa smiles holding out her hand for Flora to grab and whispers, "Happy Christmas." Flora kisses her Louisa's lips. "Hi, This is Louisa. Happy Christmas to you too ..."
Fiona goes through her notes. She finishes writing the sentence and attempts soften her cramped hands. She looks to the head nurse, "Why can't we use typewriters? I shall need surgery on my hands if they stiff up this much."
The head nurse responses laughing, "Whomever grabs the shortest straw dictates for each of our shifts."
"Pity the person who always gets the small straw. Who has it tonight?" Fiona asks, "That way I can just go to them."
"I drew the small straw, so I hope I don't see you tonight." The head nurse lets out a giggle.
"Truly your laughter and high spirits is needed, especially for those here during the holidays."
The head nurse blushes, "Thank you so much.
The phone softly buzzes, "Nurse Station B. Thank you, we are on our way." She hangs up the phone, "Doctor Flint-Saint Clair they are waiting."
Fiona blushes as the opens the door to 102 to see staff, soldier and residue family filling every empty space with chairs. "Happy Christmas." She gathers her courage, "First let me welcome you all to the Endell Street Military Hospital entertainment lounge." Everyone laughs, "I know this is the last place you want to be for the holidays ..." She scans the small crowd and notices a familiar face, Mother Jenny. "... since we are all stuck here I have a few requests. First, you may not under any circumstances ruin stitches. Two, be patient with me because although I love books I rarely have such an audience. Third and final, I know many of you are in pain please focus on my voice and for the next few hours I can assist you to find a little peace."
Fiona clears her throat, takes a drink of water and looks to Mother Jenny.
Mother Jenny looks to her right to the brown eyed woman who smiles brightly.
Fiona blushes a moment and begins, "Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail ...
... He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!."
Fiona closes the book, "I just want to wish all of you from the staff here at Endell Street Military Hospital, my family and myself a Happy Christmas. Now get some rest and heal."
Fiona leaves room 102 and directly to the head nurse. "I am so sorry, that took longer than expected. It is always quicker in my mind. How can I be of assistance?"
"Nothing, everyone was in that room."
"Everyone?"
"Everyone."
Fiona blushes, "I hope it was enjoyable."
"You did more for the patience than any dose of morphine. You should read it every year."
"We agree."
Fiona spins around to that familiar voice. She puts out her hand towards the tall brown eyed woman and squeezes. "That is a wonderful gift you attending. I must thank Louisa. I am still here till relief comes in the morning. I am sorry Christmas Eve is ruined."
"It wasn't ruined, it was quite fun. All those people in that room wanted hope and to be rescued, even for a moment, from their current situation. The nurse is correct, you should do it every year." The brown eyed woman beamed with pride.
"What about our family and traditions we want to have?"
"This is our tradition. Next year we should bring cookies and punch." Mother Jenny offered.
The head nurse hands Fiona a clip board.
"I am sorry, but I do have rounds to make. I need to make sure everyone is back in their bed safe and sound." Fiona stands a little taller, her duties call. "I will phone in a few hours."
Fiona watches the three women leave the floor.
"Who were they?" The head nurse asked.
"My family."
"That was nice of them."
"It was." Fiona turns to the head nurse, "Let's start in 102 and work our way around. Ready?"
She fought against the crowd coming to visit their loved ones, "Pardon me ... excuse me," and with a few Mother Vastra approved moves Fiona is outside. She gets on her bicycle and heads home.
She pedals efficiently and is home under ten minutes. She pushes herself up the stairs when her body screams to halt. Fiona sits down on the landing between the ground and first floor. She yells softly, "Alaya!" and lays against the wall.
Moments later Fiona is being carried up to her room. She opens her eyes, "Hello my brown eyed Silurian. I am very tired."
Alaya smiles, "Yes dear. How is my green eye Scottish highlander?" She takes her wife's clothing off.
"Sleepy. But I have off for two days!" Fiona holds up two fingers, "Two"
Alaya lays her wife down, covers her up and whispers "Happy Christmas."
Six hours later Fiona wakes up, puts on her robe and scuttles to the kitchen. She goes to the lukewarm hours old coffee and proclaims out loud, "I will drink anything to wake me up."
There is a bang on the ceiling. She looks up and smiles.
She makes her way up to the gymnasium to find both Mother Vastra and her wife blindfolded. She smiles at Mother Jenny who puts her finger to her lips.
Fiona nods and sits herself down in the corner with little sound possible.
"Hello Fiona." Alaya says quietly as she licks the air, "Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas" Fiona whispers back.
Mother Vastra lunges straight for Alaya. Alaya sidesteps to the right.
Alaya licks the air trying to find her mother.
Mother Vastra does the same and bends her legs to move right.
Alaya attacks, grabs her mother's waist and pulls her down.
Alaya takes off her blindfold and stands. She offers her mother a hand.
"How did you know?"
"I felt your feet movement."
"How?"
Alaya sits down on the mat, "Give me your feet mother." Mother Vastra give her daughter her feet, "You have padding to run and grip on any surface." Alaya gives her mother her feet, "My feet have nerves that are sensitive. I feel hot, cold and I have even ticklish areas."
Vastra grabs her Daughters foot, "I know all about your ticklish feet. Tell me how you felt my movement."
Alaya gets wide eyed, "I can feel the move here on my balls of my feet and tips of my toes."
Vastra pulls her daughter's foot in a lock, "Who taught you that?" Vastra starts tickling her daughter feet like when she was just a baby.
"No! Stop!" Alaya yells as she is laughing, "No! Stop! Please!"
"Who taught you this about your feet?"
"No! Stop!"
"Who?"
"My wife! My wife!."
Vastra smiles, "I hope you never get captured by our enemies, they will tickle secrets out of you." She stands and offers a hand to her daughter.
Alaya grabs it and Mother Vastra pulls her up, "You are a great Silurian." Vastra hugs her daughter and pats her on her back. "I am proud to have you next to me in any circumstance."
Vastra turns offers her wife her arm, "Now that the little one is home may we have our Christmas Dinner?"
"Of course," Replies Mother Jenny as they walk down to the drawing room.
Fiona is staring at her wife who is dumbfounded.
Alaya stands there looking at the empty mat where her mother just stood, she clasps her hands.
Fiona runs over, "What is it?"
Alaya looks up, "I am giddy like a child. I feel like for the first time since I have been home from NNYU like I am their daughter. Completely their daughter. I am grateful for you in my life, without you I would not have the courage, the insight. You are my companion in all aspects of my life."
"I am concerned that you gave me up too easily ... Ticklish Silurian." Fiona smiles as she pulls her wife downstairs, "I am hungry."
Alaya pulls her wife back and kisses Fiona with full confidence in her place in the world.
The kiss brought Fiona weak to her knees. "I am afraid you'll have to carry me."
Alaya picks up her wife, pulls her into her chest and looks down, "Where are ye headed my Scottish girl?"
"Anywhere you go, we go together."
"Together."