Again, I am very sorry about the time it has taken for me to update! Revision has taken over much of my free-time and it has been very hard to find a moment to sit and write.
Please give me honest feedback about this chapter. I am not entirely convinced that I am happy with it, but it was the best that I felt able to produce. Thank you very much for keeping up with this story and for all of the reviews too.
It was late afternoon when Patsy and Delia finally emerged from Delia's room. They came downstairs, smiling and laughing, and were greeted by Barbara, who was sat at the kitchen table, tucking into a slice of cake.
"Hello, Babs!"
Barbara grinned cheerfully at them, "I wondered if you two were home! I've only just gotten up myself, I slept like an absolute log after last night, would not have woken up for all the world!"
Patsy dug her nails into her palm in a desperate attempt to hold back hysterical laughter when she heard Delia whisper "Oh thank God for that,". She could not help but feel absolute relief that Barbara was unaware that she had spent the night, and much of the morning, for that matter, in Delia's room.
Oblivious to the situation, Barbara ploughed on with her exuberant small talk.
"I've really never seen a storm like it! Not for years, anyway. It was just terrible. Really wet and wild,"
It was a miracle that Patsy did not choke when Delia nodded her head vigorously and replied, "Oh, it really was. Very wet and wild indeed,".
Patsy promptly dissolved into a fit of violent coughs when Delia gave her an exaggerated wink just out of Barbara's sight. She clung to the table to steady herself, painfully aware of her burning cheeks. That Welshwoman would most surely be the death of her.
Thankfully the conversation soon moved on, and Patsy was able to sit quietly and recover. It did not seem like long before their colleagues began to arrive back from their day shifts. Trixie's voice could be heard in the hall, and chatter and footsteps in the medical room.
"Good evening, all!"
"'Evening, Trixie. How're things?"
The blonde nurse shrugged, "As you'd expect. Poplar's in a bit of a state. Some areas got off lightly, but there are other parts, particularly down by the docks, that have really suffered,"
"Any injuries?"
Nurse Crane, who had just entered the living room, looked up, her face surprised.
"Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?"
Delia turned around anxiously, "We've not been awake long, we haven't heard any news about the storm other than what we heard last night,"
The older nurse shook her head sadly, "It's a bad business, I'm afraid,"
Patsy felt the insides of her stomach turn and she was overcome with a sense of nausea. In a desperate bid to ease her stress, she glanced at Trixie in hope that the blonde nurse would flash her a grin and assure her that the news was not really so bad at all, but she saw a similar sorrowful expression mirrored on her face.
"What's happened?" Barbara asked nervously.
"Let's talk about it after dinner," Trixie mumbled, "It's upsetting,"
"That's no reason to avoid it," Nurse Crane said reproachfully, "Besides, it's not as if it directly affects us. It's just an unfortunate incident, Nurse Franklin,"
Trixie looked over at Patsy, and the redheaded nurse was unsettled to see an apologetic look in her eye.
"A man died last night," Nurse Crane explained, "It seems that he was struck in the head by some flying debris,"
"Oh, how terrible!" Barbara exclaimed.
"I'm not finished, Nurse Gilbert," Nurse Crane scolded her, "Will you please wait until I have quite finished before you make your feeling on the matter known,"
"I… sorry,"
"As I was saying, the man in question who died had been missing from home for several hours before he was found. The police believe that he had been visiting…" She paused, briefly shifting uneasily, "He had been visiting another man… with whom he was having some sort of extra-marital affair,"
Patsy felt Delia tense beside her, and saw the colour drain from her cheeks.
"What's happened now?" Patsy whispered, her voice hardly sounding like her own.
Nurse Crane's brow creased as she tried to decipher the meaning of Patsy's reaction, but she only allowed the confusion to occupy her for a few seconds.
"You'd have to ask the police for the full details, which I feel sure that they would be unlikely to give you, but I am under the impression that they have prosecuted the man that he was believed to have been meeting,"
"Already?! Under what charge?!" Delia gaped in horror.
"Gross indecency, Nurse Busby,"
The Welsh nurse flew to her feet and she paced the carpet, fists clenched in anger.
"Surely you can't agree with this?!" she cried.
"Whether or not I agree with it is utterly irrelevant, Nurse Busby. This is a police matter. I am merely relaying the information to you! Really, I must insist that you calm down; your attitude is most unbecoming and directing your feelings of injustice towards me is incredibly unfair,"
Patsy leant out and placed a calming hand on Delia's shoulder, fighting to contain her own emotions.
"Leave it, Deels," she urged quietly, "Nurse Crane is right, this is not her fault at all,"
Delia managed to recover herself to murmur an apology and Nurse Crane graciously accepted it before leaving the room, Barbara tagging along behind her. The moment they left, Trixie rushed over to Delia.
"Are you out of your mind?" she hissed, "Delia, I know it's unjust, but advocating your views so strongly is going to raise serious suspicion,"
Patsy leapt to her defence immediately.
"Delia was just standing up for what she believes in!"
"With all due respect Patsy, it's not a belief that many share. You both need to be more careful,"
Gearing herself up to retaliate, Patsy opened her mouth to heatedly retort, but Delia shushed her.
"She's right, Pats. I flew off the handle and I shouldn't have,"
Sinking down into the sofa, she put her head in her hands and took a deep shuddery breath. Just minutes ago, she had been in a state of ecstatic happiness, and now reality had barged back in to tear down any misconceptions of security that she had built for herself.
Trixie saw how upset she was, and so gently set herself down beside her.
"Delia," she began kindly, "I know that this is all horrid, horrid, horrid. But you shouldn't dwell upon it,"
"How can I not?" Delia said despondently, "There's a man sitting in a cell tonight who should not be there and there is another man dead,"
"Did Nurse Crane say that the man who died was married?" Patsy asked, the thought suddenly occurring to her.
Trixie nodded, "Yes, with two children,"
"That's even worse!" Delia burst out.
"Well, yes, it's very sad… but he was cheating on her, Delia. That's adultery,"
"It doesn't mean that he deserved to die,"
"I never said that,"
From down the hall there was a shout that dinner was prepared. Patsy produced a handkerchief for Delia to dry her eyes. Trixie looked at them both seriously.
"If the topic is to arise during dinner, please, both of you, say as little as possible,"
Patsy shook her head morosely, "It's like Tony Amos all over again,"
Trixie rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, "I know, and that was terrible too, but it will do you nor anybody else any good to keep thinking of it. Just put it out of your head and get some food inside you. You can't have eaten a thing for almost the whole day!"
Her words reminded Patsy of her hunger, and her stomach growled in response. Trixie heard it, and laughed.
"There, see! Now, come on. I think I can smell a casserole!"
She hurried off down the corridor and Patsy stopped to squeeze Delia's hand supportively before following Trixie's lead and heading for the dining room.