Notes: I made mention of it over on AO3, but that first chapter should be treated as an intro to the story. Now I'm going to go back in time to when they first met. Hope you enjoy!!
"And here's Dr Turner's Surgery"Sister Julienne explained.
It was the kind nun who had originally placed the advertisement that had called Shelagh to Poplar, but she hadn't yet figured out why it hadn't been the doctor himself to advertise the need for a receptionist. She didn't know if it was out of worry for a friend, worry for his patients, or if Shelagh was reading too much into the whole situation and the doctor had just asked Sister Julienne to do it as a favor.
Shelagh hadn't yet met the doctor, but everyone at Nonnatus House spoke of him with so much kindness and respect. She had also, however, heard the whispers of concern and worry especially among the nurses. From what little she picked up on during their luncheon, the doctor had two children and had sadly lost his wife less than a year before. Shelagh thought that the little blonde nurse was starting to say something about him, or perhaps his family, looking unkempt when the bigger nun ,whose name she could not recall, told them they needed to speak kindly of the poor man.
Shelagh was beginning to feel quite overwhelmed over everything she'd done today, but Sister Julienne promised her that she just wanted to show her around the surgery, but then she'd be allowed to go back to Nonnatus House and get settled in. Shelagh was ever so grateful that they were allowing her to stay in the spare room there. Admittedly, she hadn't given much thought to lodging when she'd left Aberdeen. She had lived there her whole life and she just wanted out. Sister Julienne interrupted her thoughts of home quite suddenly:
"And here's where we keep all the records. I think they're all rather disorganized at the moment, but you did mention in your letters that you'd be comfortable with figuring that all out. Do you have any other questions before we return to Nonnatus?"
"Only one. Where is the doctor at the moment? I've heard so much about him but I've yet to have the pleasure of meeting him" Shelagh could admit she was a bit intrigued to meet the man who everyone had so much respect for. She wanted to see the passion for medicine that they assured her he had.
"I think we've missed him. He might be doing his evening rounds already. There's also a chance he was needed at home taking care of his children"
No sooner had the nun spoken those words did a man run in carrying a small girl in his arms. She could only assume this was the doctor, as evident by his lab coat. Shelagh found herself agreeing with the nurses just then. His appearance could only be described as unkempt. His hair seemed to flop over his face in an unruly manner, and he was missing a button off his lab coat. The little girl wasn't fairing much better. It was obvious she was an adorable little girl, but her hair was pulled in the messiest of pigtails possible, and her clothes were obviously picked out by a man. The doctor set the little girl down and she wandered over to a toy chest over in the corner.
" Go and play Angela darling. Daddy has some things to do here, but then I promise we'll go find some dinner"
He then turned to Shelagh and stuck out his hand,
"Good evening. I assume you're the receptionist that Sister Julienne found me. I don't really have time to train you or anything right now, but if you come here at around 8:30 tomorrow morning I promise you I can show you what I need done."
The doctor then rifled around in the cabinet, grabbing a file with a proud exclamation and picked up the small child again before running out of there just as fast as he'd come in. If Shelagh didn't know any better, she'd think she'd imagined the whole interaction.
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It wasn't until Shelagh was laying in bed that night that she had time to think about her first meeting with the doctor. What a strange man was her final thought before drifting off to sleep.