A few weeks had passed since Shelagh had officially left the Order. She'd been allowed back on the rota and given a nurses uniform. It was, as expected, rather an awkward period while everyone got used to her new life as a civilian. They had all been polite, even Sister Evangelina (though Shelagh suspected that Sister Julienne had quite a bit to do with that), but none of them knew how to interact with her. She couldn't blame them, she barely knew how to act herself. The only person who seemed to have no problem in the changeover was Nurse Franklin, who acted as though nothing had changed and Shelagh had always been one of the nurses.
Selfishly, Shelagh was glad of this. She'd always admired Nurse Franklin's zest for life and seemingly endless positivity no matter the situation. She was grateful that she had extended her a hand of friendship, especially since rumors were starting to swirl around Poplar. And with her pregnancy on the verge of showing, having a friend on her side made Shelagh feel brave enough to face the judgement.
"Knock knock! May I come in?"
Opening the door for Trixie, Shelagh gave her a confused look mingled with a smile. "Nurse Franklin? Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine, thank you Shelagh. And I thought we discussed that you were to call me Trixie from now on? No need for formal terms. Now, do you have any plans today?"
Shelagh shook her head, unsure of where this was going. "No, I'm off duty today. Did you need me to-"
"Marvelous! So am I. Now, do you have a coat? It's a bit chilly outside and the clothes you're wearing won't do a thing to keep you warm."
Shelagh watched as Trixie walked over to her wardrobe and began rifling through her meager collection of clothes. She'd found a few things in the secondhand clothes box that fit her well enough for the time being, but hadn't the courage to go shopping for herself yet.
"A coat?...I'm sorry, where am I going?"
"We are going out. It's about time you left this building, so I've decided that we're going shopping. You'll be needing some -ahem - less fitted clothing soon. I've already spoken to Chummy and she agreed to let out a maternity uniform for you once the time comes and she and Peter get back, so that's taken care of. She sends her love, by the way."
Shelagh was overwhelmed at her efficiency. She hadn't even thought about her uniform having to be replaced, she'd only just started wearing one.
"Okay, so no to the coat." Trixie remarked casually as she began to walk out of the room. "You can borrow my old one for now, but we'll make sure to pick one up today that suits you."
"I don't know, Trixie. I don't think this is such a good idea." Trixie could sense her hesitation and her demeanor changed immediately.
"Shelagh, I promise you there is nothing to be nervous about. You need to go out sooner or later, and you're going to need some clothes for yourself and baby." Her voice was soft and reassuring and Shelagh immediately felt herself calm down.
"Just think of this as a girls day, just two friends doing a bit of shopping, and if you're uncomfortable we will come back. But only after we've gotten you a coat. You know how cold a Poplar winter can be." Shelagh smiled and nodded, allowing Trixie to lead her down the hallway and out of Nonnatus into the great unknown.
Four hours, three stores and one winter coat later, Shelagh was exhausted. The trip had been a success, however, with several outfits in varying sizes bought for Shelagh and a dress Trixie could not pass up. Deciding that they needed to recharge after their excursion, they headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea and some cake. They fell into a companionable silence until Trixie cleared her throat.
"Shelagh? I want to ask you something, but I don't want you to think I'm being a nosy gossip or anything...and if you don't want to answer that's perfectly fine."
Shelagh knew what was coming. She'd been waiting for someone to ask her since her pregnancy was announced. "You want to know who the father is, don't you?" She asked her friend, staring into her teacup.
"Only if you want to tell me...I understand if you don't. It makes no difference to me either way, that's my honorary niece or nephew you're taking care of in there, and I fully intend on spoiling them rotten."
Shelagh couldn't help but giggle, imagining Trixie with her child warmed her heart to no end. "There will be no need for spoiling, Nurse Franklin. I'm sure baby won't be at a loss for love and attention around here." She smiled at her friend then looked away. She could trust Trixie, she knew that. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to tell her...
"It only happened once...we- didn't mean for it to but, well- here we are." She sauce softly, placing her hand over where her child lay. Trixie nodded slowly, silently encouraging Shelagh to continue. Clearing her throat, Shelagh spoke softly before looking up at her friend. "It's Doctor Turner."
If Trixie was surprised, she didn't show it. She calmly nodded, grasping her friend's hand in a gesture of understanding.
"He didn't know...before he left, did he?" As soon as she asked, she regretted the question as tears began to form in Shelagh's eyes. All she could do was shake her head, wiping away her tears.
"Shelagh...please don't cry. Everything will be all right. I promise you."
"You can't make promises, Trixie. He's...he's gone. And now he'll never know-"
Trixie cut her off, smiling. "Shelagh, if it's the last thing I do, I will make sure that Doctor Turner knows about this baby."
Shelagh started crying in earnest then, hugging Trixie tightly. They stayed like that for some time until footsteps coming towards the kitchen made them pull apart and Shelagh quickly wiped her tear stained face.
"How was your day? From the bags in the hall, I can see it was a success." Sister Julienne smiled at them from the doorway.
Laughing, Shelagh nodded. "Indeed. Trixie is quite the personal shopper, I don't think I've quite the stamina to keep up with her."
"Well then, I think a rest is in order. And before you try and argue, let me remind you of your condition. Simply because you're used to working long hours doesn't mean that baby is..."
"Yes, Sister." Shelagh sighed, resignedly. "Thank you, Trixie. For today."
"My pleasure! Now, go rest. Our next excursion won't be half as leisurely...we'll be going for shoes!" Trixie answered with a twinkle in her eye.
As soon as Shelagh was out of sight, Trixie turned to Sister Julienne. "Sister, may I ask you something?"
"Of course, Nurse Franklin." She responded as she set about filling the kettle to make a cup of tea for herself.
"Sister...do you know how to go about finding someone if they don't want to be found?"
Sister Julienne froze in front of the stovetop. "I'm not certain what you mean, Nurse Franklin." She wasn't sure how much Shelagh had told the other nurses of her pregnancy and didn't want to betray her confidence.
Trixie wasn't swayed. "For example, if a certain doctor had...disappeared. And his presence was...required. How would you go about contacting them?"
"If you're speaking of Doctor Turner, and by your tone I believe you are, then the task of finding him has already been in motion...but as of yet, there's been no news."
Trixie nodded. The two shared a sad glance at one another before Trixie spoke again, staring down the hall.
"They would have been so happy together."