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: Thank you To jlynsca for taking the trouble to proof-read this for me. Hope the wait wasn't too long for you.
Delia sighed as she sat down next to Patsy on the sofa, having finished the kitchen clean-up. "Well, that's a relief," she declared to no-one in particular.
Patsy glanced at her. "What?"
"You've fixed the television."
Patsy smirked. "Of course. You told me to."
"It was a remarkable piece of percussive maintenance," Trixie commented. "And no one is more pleased than sister Monica Joan," she continued, nodding to where the elderly nun was sat, hunched on a stool, avidly watching the small screen.
Delia smiled fondly at the nun before turning back to Trixie. "Percussive maintenance?"
"She thumped the living daylights out of it," Trixie retorted, a grin on her face even as she pulled at her cigarette.
"How very scientific," the Welsh woman teased.
"Do you, or do you not see a picture on the television?" Patsy asked pointedly.
"I can see a, well I wouldn't say crystal clear picture but yes, I can indeed see a picture."
"Then it is perfectly obvious that my methods work." The red-head's smile became more expansive. "Never mock the power of a good thump."
"I'm really not sure what to say to that," Trixie replied as Delia laughed.
The women were hushed by a distracted sister Monica Joan, and all three suppressed more giggles as they sat back to watch the evening's entertainment.
Surreptitiously, Patsy ran her hand along the sofa and brushed her fingertips over Delia's hand. The brunette smiled briefly as she looked at her. "All okay out there?" Patsy asked, nodding her head toward the kitchen.
"I'll fill you in later, but let's just say we've reached an understanding," Delia replied quietly. "Don't trust her though, Pats. I mean it."
The midwife nodded in understanding before squeezing Delia's hand briefly and returning her attention to the television.
"Nurse Busby, could I have a word?" Delia spun round from the nurses' workstation and nodded at Matron Lightly, following the tall, slight woman into her office. Matron sat behind an imposing looking desk and gestured for Delia to sit down in front of her, as she retrieved her spectacles from the case in front of her and put them on. The horn-rimmed glasses served to accentuate the severity of the woman's face, and that, along with her status, was causing Delia considerable anxiety.
Matron Lightly looked down at the note in front of her and sighed inwardly. There was going to be no easy way to deal with this. She just hoped that the young nurse really listened to what she had to say rather than let panic set in. "I am sorry to inform you that I am in receipt of a complaint regarding your conduct," she began.
Delia was instantly shocked, "What?" She interrupted, biting down on further comment as the senior nurse quelled her with a look.
"There has been an accusation made about your behaviour."
Delia could feel cold ice running up her back even as she sat there in confusion. She hadn't been anywhere or done anything in the last few weeks that would be worthy of any sort of comment, other than falling asleep on the bus after her last night shift. But the conductor had been so sweet when he woke her up at the right stop, she was certain it couldn't be that. She clenched her jaw in an effort not to interrupt again.
Matron Lightly sighed outwardly this time. "There is no delicate way to say this nurse Busby so I'll come straight out with it. The accusation is about your inappropriate conduct with another woman."
"What?" Delia couldn't help the explosive enquiry coming out this time but once again she was stopped from speaking further, this time by a raised hand.
"The person who has made this accusation has some standing within the community, so I have no choice but to investigate the matter thoroughly and quickly. You will be suspended on full pay while the investigation goes ahead." Matron Lightly could see that, as predicted, the young nurse was no longer listening, instead fixated only on the accusation itself.
Delia was reeling. She'd hardly done anything except go to work for the last few weeks. She had gone out for a coffee after her night shifts with Patsy, but they had done nothing that could be misconstrued there. Through the panic of her jumbled thoughts, Delia suddenly picked up on something Matron had said. The complaint had come from someone with standing in the community. Delia was sure matron Lightly would have said if it had come internally from the hospital. Delia was almost light-headed as she swung from icy fear to white-hot anger in an instant. It had to have come from Dr Parker.
Matron Lightly could feel the anger coming off nurse Busby in waves. She was astonished. She didn't think she'd ever seen nurse Busby lose her temper, let alone get angry. Her normal demeanour at work was one of determined optimism, even in the most trying of circumstances and it was an attitude that matron Lightly valued highly within the team. She supposed that it was a common reaction to a perceived slur on someone's character, but the older nurse hadn't expected the Welsh woman to react that way.
The matron made an effort to cut into the nurse's thoughts. "Nurse Busby, I know this is a lot to take in. I have prepared a letter for you to take home and read so that you can understand the nature of the allegation and next steps." She handed a sealed envelope over to the nurse who automatically took it. "Please read it carefully, once you've ordered your thoughts. I will also assure you that the act of suspension is a neutral action. It protects the hospital and it protects you while the investigation is undertaken." She flipped open a manila file on the desk. "In the meantime, can I confirm that I will be able to contact you at Nonnatus House so I can make arrangements to formally interview you?"
Delia shook herself from her inner turmoil when she realised Matron had asked a question. She trawled back through the words and then answered. "Yes, I think so. I'll have to tell them. If I can't stay there anymore, I'll let you know where I am."
Matron Lightly frowned in confusion. "Why would you not be able to stay there?" She asked, genuinely perplexed.
"It's a convent. They have strict standards on morality," Delia responded tightly. She wasn't actually sure what sister Julienne would think. She hoped that she wouldn't pre-judge, but she wouldn't know for certain until she spoke with her.
"Nurse Busby," Matron Lightly spoke softly, revealing a completely different side to her. "I know sister Julienne. She is the most measured woman I know. I am sure you will find her fair." She paused as she took off her glasses. "Now, I am sorry to do this but I must escort you off the hospital premises."
Delia nodded numbly, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. She stood up, still shaking as she tried to contain her anger. "I'd better get my belongings," she told the matron and waited for the woman to lead the way out.
Barbara looked up as she heard the door to the clinic crash open and determined footsteps marching down the hall. Someone was clearly very angry. She saw the inner door swing open and Delia burst through, a look of thunder on her face. The only word Barbara could think to use to describe the diminutive nurse was 'apoplectic'. Barbara immediately knew that Delia was in no fit state to talk with anyone. She had no idea who Delia was mad at, but she had to take action now before something disastrous happened.
Delia had spent the whole of the bus journey home plotting what she was going to say to Dr Parker, and the process had stoked her anger into a seething fury. How dare she do something like that? Delia could only surmise that she somehow thought that by making it difficult for Delia, she might leave, or even go back to Wales. All it had really done was to bolster her resolve. She wasn't going anywhere without a fight, and she most certainly wasn't going to allow Dr Parker to get away with her actions. She was shaking by the time she alighted the bus and had stormed into the clinic. Enough was enough.
The brunette was brought up short as nurse Gilbert stepped quietly into her path. "Barbara?"
The tall nurse took a deep breath and looked determined. "Delia, I don't know what's going on, but I am not going to let you talk to whoever it is that has made you that angry until you've calmed down."
"Not going to let me? What are you going to do? I can just step past you." Delia was furious that she had been interrupted by the young midwife.
"Yes you can, but I don't want you to do that. I want you to turn away and let off steam somewhere else." The vicar's daughter was clearly uncomfortable with the confrontation but she was not backing down either. It obviously meant a lot to her.
"Get out of my way Barbara." Delia warned ominously.
"Please Delia. Listen to me before you do something you can't undo."
"You have no idea what's going on," Delia tried, her anger unabated.
"No, you're right, I don't. But I do want to know, if you'll trust me to talk to later. And I do know that you're here when you should be at work, so something pretty drastic has happened. Honestly Delia, it's better to deal with things when you have a calm head. Believe me, I know."
The Welsh nurse stared sullenly at Barbara even as she felt her fury dissipate. It had to be Barbara that stopped her. Good, kind, patient Barbara. Delia could see the discomfort on her face as she stood in her way. But she stood there anyway, determined not to let Delia do something foolhardy. Delia knew that had it been nurse Crane, or Trixie or even Patsy, she would have been able to brush straight past and ignore their pleas. But Barbara was different. Barbara was earnest, and honest and genuine. Barbara only ever lied so as not to hurt anyone's feelings. And she did that really badly. Delia could see how much this was costing the young nurse. She hated conflict, but she had the courage to stand in Delia's way, on probably the only occasion she had ever lost her temper in London.
Delia deflated, her shoulders dropping slightly as she realised that Barbara was absolutely right. It would only make matters worse if she confronted Dr Parker right now. She did need a clear head and a proper strategy before she made another move. She looked into the midwife's eyes and winced. "Sorry," she whispered, fresh emotions flooding through her. She needed to keep it together now but she couldn't turn away without apologising to her friend.
Barbara nodded, not making a big thing of it. She looked round speculatively. "Do you want me to walk back with you to Nonnatus? I'm sure they won't miss me for a few minutes."
Delia glanced round the waiting area and could see rows of occupied chairs, with people doing their hardest to pretend that they weren't listening avidly. There was no way Barbara could leave right now. "No, I'll be fine. I've got some stuff to do anyway." She managed a tight-lipped smile, but was not in the least convincing.
Suddenly another figure joined them. "Nurse Busby, I am need of better sustenance than the available fare here. I am also in need of a fellow forager to assist in my search. Are you able to take up the mantle?"
Delia looked at the elderly nun suspiciously. It was a surprisingly unsubtle move on the part of sister Monica Joan, but for once, the nurse didn't care. She needed a bit of company and, on most days, enjoyed sister Monica Joan's eccentricities. Delia managed another slightly bigger smile. Only Barbara and sister Monica Joan would have been able to calm her down and get her to centre herself. So, in amongst the huge mess she was in, there were some things that were going right. She crooked an arm and offered her elbow to the elderly nun for support and the two women left the Clinic and headed back to Nonnatus House with no further fuss.
To be continued...