Summary: Patsy and Delia's relationship is tested.
Disclaimer: Call The Midwife belongs to the BBC and others - I am simply borrowing their beautiful characters.
Author's note: So after the last chapter's slightly lighter touch, this part is a bit more mundane I'm afraid. I lack the talent of some authors (like ChampionRolodexer) who can keep the story going so deftly without a heavy hold. I am glad you all liked drunk Patsy though - she was a joy to write.
It took two attempts for Patsy to isolate the source of the shrill alarm that had rudely woken her, and another to silence it. The red-head managed this feat by swatting round with an arm only, unable to open her eyes or move anything else. She relaxed and sunk back down into her mattress at the cessation of the noise and delicately started to assess her condition. Her head was pounding, and there was a foul taste in her mouth. She needed to do something about that fairly urgently.
Cautiously, she opened an eye, and rolled over, blinking as she came to.
"Well, at least you're still alive." Trixie made no attempt to lower her voice as she saw that Patsy was awake. "There's aspirin and water on the table. Looks like you could do with it."
Patsy groaned, both at the volume of her room-mate and at the effort of having to move as she sat up. It had been a long time since she'd been hungover. Rather depressingly, it never seemed to get any easier. Spying the tablets, she managed to grab them and swallow them down before downing the whole glass of water. "Thanks Trix," she gasped, once she had finished.
"I wish I could take the credit but it was already laid out for you when I got back this morning. It would appear that you have a hangover fairy godmother."
Patsy looked at Trixie, who was in her pyjamas. She tried to get her brain to function under normal speed, but it felt like she was swimming in treacle. "I didn't hear you come in," she admitted.
Trixie snorted with laughter. "I know. You were too busy blowing your pigs to market. I haven't had a wink of sleep."
Patsy rubbed her face. "Sorry." She glanced at the clock and groaned. "I need to get up."
Trixie shook her head. "Yes, you do. Hurry up, so I can at least get a catnap before I'm back on this afternoon."
Patsy noticed that her clothes had been folded and placed on a chair. She didn't recall doing that last night. Through sheer force of will, she ordered her thoughts and systematically got ready, although everything required supreme concentration.
Trixie waited until Patsy was taming her hair before she asked, "So what time did you get in?"
Patsy winced at her reflection even as she breathed a sigh of relief that at least her hair was doing what she needed it to do. "I'm not sure. It was late though." She rolled her tongue around her mouth. "Ugh, I need to clean my teeth."
On her return Trixie was determinedly waiting up. Patsy eyed her suspiciously. "I thought you needed some sleep?"
"I do, but I wanted to make sure you were okay before I did."
Patsy smiled ruefully. "No sympathy for me, Trixie. This is all self-induced." She grabbed her make-up although she held no illusion that anything she applied would mask the excess of the night before; she looked distinctly green around the gills.
"So Delia was fine with you being out late, then?" Trixie decided that there was no easy way to phrase that particular query so she thought she might as well just ask outright.
Patsy paused. She had a hazy recollection of seeing Delia last night, but couldn't define the detail. She decided to take that as a good sign but remained honest with Trixie. "I'm not really sure. I can't really remember if I discussed anything with her at all last night."
Trixie shook her head. "Who do you think it was that left you your hangover remedy?" She pointed out reasonably.
Patsy looked a little sheepish. "I wasn't sure to be honest. Although it would always have been a toss up between Deels and Barbara." Patsy was starting to feel just a bit more human now her circulation was pumping properly. She caught sight of the time and cursed. "Damn, I've got to fly."
"Make sure you eat something," Trixie called out to her as she dashed out of the room. The blonde midwife tutted as she settled back down under the covers. With a bit of luck she could get a good few hours in before having to start again.
Patsy made it to the prep room just in time, although she didn't escape a disapproving sniff from nurse Crane. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence nurse Mount."
Patsy nodded as she stood next to Barbara and sister Mary Cynthia. "Good morning nurse Crane," she replied as brightly as she could manage.
"Hmmmm, that remains to be seen." Nurse Crane seemed to be in a particularly prickly mood today. "From the look of you, I think you could do with some fresh air today so you're on district rounds nurse Mount. Nurse Gilbert, you'll be at the clinic with me. Sister Mary Cynthia, you're on house calls." The northern nurse looked over her glasses at Patsy. "I suggest you get some breakfast in you before you start rounds, nurse Mount. It should help with your metabolism."
Patsy sighed, although she hadn't really held out much hope that she would be able to disguise her fragile state. She was immensely grateful that Nurse Crane had taken pity on her and given her rounds though; she didn't think she would be able to survive the cacophony of the clinic this morning. "Thank you nurse Crane."
"Don't thank me yet, nurse. Come and see me in the office before you leave." The curly-haired nurse fixed a baleful stare at Patsy, who nodded resignedly.
Given that it was nurse Crane that told her to eat something, Patsy forced some toast down along with several cups of tea and another large glass of water before heading to the office. She tapped curtly on the door and entered when instructed too do so.
"Nurse Mount, do sit down." Phyllis gestured to the chair in front of her desk. Patsy did as she was told and waited, sitting rigidly upright.
Nurse Crane took off her glasses and looked at Patsy steadily. "Nurse Mount, I am going to ask you a question and I expect an honest answer."
Patsy's heart began to pound and she unconsciously clenched her fists as she tried to exhibit calm. She nodded for nurse Crane to continue.
"Are you fit to be at work this morning?"
Of all the questions the Titian-haired nurse had been anticipating, this was one that hadn't even crossed her mind, although, on reflection, it was perhaps the most obvious one. "Yes, nurse Crane," she answered firmly.
There was a pause as nurse Crane continued to observe the younger midwife. "Alright. I'll take your word for it." She paused again before continuing. "I know you were not working last night, nurse Mount, but I would appreciate it if you considered the impact of your, shall we say, over-indulgence in future. It would perhaps be wiser to save such activities for occasions when you have sufficient time to recover."
"Yes, nurse Crane." Patsy knew there was no point trying to justify what she had done. "I'm sorry."
Nurse Crane raised an eyebrow. "I think you should save your apologies for nurse Busby."
Patsy's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?" She asked, stalling for time and hoping that her face wasn't betraying her.
"From what I heard last night, nurse Busby ensured that you managed to get to bed safely, and waited until you were asleep before going to bed herself, despite the fact that she had to be up two hours earlier than you this morning. You're very lucky to have such a staunch friend."
"I know," Patsy responded softly. Her memories of last night were still fuzzy. She had a recollection of going to see Delia, and somehow ending up back in her own room, but had completely forgotten that Delia was on an early start until nurse Crane reminded her. She was also acutely embarrassed that she had been loud enough to wake nurse Crane. She just hoped she hadn't said anything inappropriate.
Phyllis looked at Patsy. "Value your friendships, nurse Mount. Nurture and cherish them. Don't take them for granted." She glanced at her fob watch. "You'd best be on your way. I wouldn't want you late for your first appointment. And do not put your professional standing at risk again through excess. I do not expect to be talking to you about this again."
Patsy nodded and got up, leaving the room quickly as she mulled over what the older nurse had said. She wasn't sure if Phyllis suspected or not, but one thing was certain, she needed to do something to thank Delia properly for looking after her last night.
Nurse Crane raised an eye as Dr Parker entered the clinic, fully twenty five minutes late. "Good afternoon, Doctor. Heavy traffic this morning?" She asked with an innocent air. She noted that the brunette looked pallid, with dark bags under her eyes. It was obvious that it wasn't only nurse Mount that had overdone it yesterday.
Joanna looked at her watch. "It's not that late, nurse Crane. And the traffic was horrific through the tunnel this morning."
Phyllis looked singularly unimpressed with the excuse but refrained from commenting further. "You're two appointments behind schedule. I'll be working with you this morning, so I have no doubt we can make up the time."
Dr Parker glanced round. "No nurse Mount this morning? I thought she was on an early shift."
Nurse Crane's visage darkened slightly. "Nurse Mount is on district rounds this morning. I'm sure you'll find me an adequate substitute."
"Of course, nurse Crane." She smiled brightly, though Phyllis noted that it did not reach her eyes. "Give me five minutes and we'll get started."
The northern nurse looked steadily at the doctor as she left. The warning bell that had gone off when they first met was ringing again. Nurse Crane knew that she was being presumptuous and jumping to conclusions that she had no evidence for, but she had the feeling Dr Parker had an interest in nurse Mount that bordered on the unhealthy. Not unhealthy in that it shouldn't be allowed, but unhealthy because nurse Mount was already in a strong and loving relationship. Nurse Crane respected and admired the connection she had with nurse Busby. Neither were overt in their behaviour, and their caution did them credit. Nurse Crane might be a confirmed spinster but she would be the first one to recognise the value of finding a partner that could be completely trusted and relied upon. As far as she was concerned, neither woman was doing any harm and as long as they remained professional and gave her no reason to criticise, what they did in their personal lives was not a matter of concern for her.
It would be logical to conclude that Dr Parker and nurse Mount had spent yesterday evening over-indulging together, despite both knowing that they were due on early shifts the following morning. That sort of behaviour was something she would not tolerate, as she had made quite clear to the red-haired nurse first thing. Phyllis would have no difficulty advising the doctor of the expected requirements too.
More worryingly, and this was only a hunch, nurse Crane admitted, but It would also appear that Dr Parker had set her sights on the red-haired midwife. Nurse Crane was not one to interfere, and was a great advocate in seizing the day and making the most of one's opportunities, but she did not approve of ignoble action. Dr Parker was no fool. She would be well aware of the connection nurse Mount and nurse Busby shared. To do anything to spoil that dynamic spoke volumes about the true character of the woman. That sort of behaviour was not honourable, and certainly showed ugly and unwanted traits. Nurse Crane had no doubt that the woman lacked the character to usurp Delia. But the very fact that she had traversed the difficult path in becoming a doctor demonstrated her tenacity, and that obviously successful determination might be attractive in itself to someone as fiercely independent as Patsy.
If Dr Parker was planning subversive measures, she would come up against stiff opposition. Nurse Crane would not stand by and allow such cowardly actions. In the meantime, however, she would have to keep a careful track of the dynamic between Dr Parker and nurse Mount, and ensure that any action nurse Busby took was discrete but effective. Nurse Crane smiled grimly. She had a feeling that if nurse Busby really let rip on this, the Celtic dynamo would be an unstoppable force and, as much as that would be something to see, nurse Crane did not want her to do anything that could put her own reputation at risk. Gathering her appointment notes, she got up to join Dr Parker in her office. She had been given enough time to get ready for the day.
To be continued...