Chapter Seven
"Mr Amos has been arrested for being homosexual." Cora let an irritated huff, but nodded regardless,
"Fucking Coppers." Trixie clasped her hands before she had the opportunity to throw something or punch something.
"It's alright Cora." Cora shook her head,
"No it's not fucking alright, what they are, what I am, it's natural, we're not sick or perverts, we are human beings." Trixie nodded wrapping her arms around Cora,
"I know Cora of course I know."
"Fancy a drink, Doctor King?" Cora glanced up at the voice coming from the door before nodding and pulling out a bottle of whiskey.
"Of course Nurse Mount, I'll assume this is off the back of a certain Mr Amos?" Patsy nodded slowly,
"Indeed, it's just, well I don't know but everybody is expressing how they feel and they don't know that I'm right there the object of their ire." Cora chuckled pouring them a glass each,
"It makes me feel like I'm back in the army again working in espionage, collecting information for," She leant close to Patsy whispering the next few words, "Our Kind."
That elicited a laugh from Patsy, "Well you are living right under their noses, a Doctor with a Midwife, you're practically married and you have Alex." Cora smirked with a small shrug,
"What can I say I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing, and don't think I don't know about you sneaking into Delilah's lodgings Nurse Mount, at least me and Trixie keep things outside of the convents."
Cora was sitting at Nonnatus House that evening, listening to their conversation regarding Mr Amos and his nature.
"...sodomy is a sin, God himself tells us it's a sin." Cora couldn't help but feel the overwhelming urge to scoff, thankfully she was able to restrain herself as Trixie squeezed her leg.
"Well quite frankly, I thought we'd fought a war over fascism. And that's what this is, telling people who they can and can't love." Sister Winifred seemed scandalised by the idea that two people of the same gender could truly love one another,
"Love?!" Cora nodded,
"What would you call it if not love?"
When the evening was over Trixie walked back with Cora to their semi shared house.
"Do you think Sister Winifred had a point about God?" Cora shook her head as she hung hers and Trixie's coats in the rack.
"Nope, those books that were combined and called the bible were written by men, not God and not Jesus, men who had their own opinions that have shaped people's lives eternally because of them. If God truly thought that the fact that I fuck women is an abomination he should come down here and tell me himself."
"Patsy you should know that if you ever need anything, me and Cora are here for you, we are in this together after all."
The Rose Queen was something of very little importance to Cora; she had no ties to it at all and it became even less important when Cora realised just how small minded the people attending were.
But she went, for Trixie, Trixie who had volunteered to help Tom organise the event, and for Mr and Mrs Amos, even if they would never know it.
She wasn't the first to clap but she soon joined Patsy and Mr Amos, because if there was anything that truly mattered it was helping those like herself, because if they didn't fight together there was no point in fighting at all.
Returning to London after ten years in the Army Hayley expected the rain, what she didn't expect however was to see a Nun walking with a heavily pregnant potentially even labouring woman through soaked streets both seemingly shivering and exhausted.
"Sister, Madam, can I help?" Sister Monica Joan looked up nodding,
"Are you a woman of great strength?" Hayley paused perplexed but nodded,
"I like to think so sister." Sister Monica Joan nodded quickly,
"In which case you must help this young woman and I to the maternity home." Hayley nodded catching the message as she offered the Sister her umbrella and scooped up the young woman,
"Lead the way sister."
When they arrived Hayley let out a yell, calling for help, "Help! Help! I have a woman in labour here!"
A smartly dressed woman came running out quickly, "Sister Monica Joan, what's wrong?"
The sister looked relieved at the sight of the woman, "This young woman presented herself at Nonnatus House, her waters broke and she knew something was wrong, and this young soldier aided us on our travels."
Sheila nodded, calling out for Cora, "Doctor King, we have a labouring woman in need of help."
Cora came running out stuttering at the sight of her very damp and very concerned sister, "Hayley?"
Hayley smiled, "Hey Kingy."
Their reunion was cut short as Cora hurried to help the labouring woman and Hayley took a seat in the waiting room.
She didn't know how long she waited for Cora to come out, "A girl, and she wants to thank you Hayley."
The soldier nodded entering the room as Cora smiled at her sister, "I didn't know your sister was in the army Cora."
Cora nodded with a smile as she sighed a form that Sheila handed to her, "She's the reason I joined up, I was only in for four years but she's been in for fifteen years now, served for the last year of the war I didn't even know she was coming home."
Sheila nodded watching as Cora made her way toward her office, Hayley soon in tow.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" Hayley shrugged sipping on her glass of bourbon,
"Well you know how me and Mum fell out and figured I'd skip the awkward reunion, come back and move back to Poplar, considering Mum and Dad relocated to Nottingham." Cora nodded she understood,
"Did you plan on telling me? That you were back or did you count on us bumping into each other in the streets at some point." Hayley winced,
"Would you be offended if I said the latter?"
"Cora, I think we need to talk." Cora nodded scared slightly at the serious expression that Trixie harboured,
"Of course Trixie, what is it?" Trixie sat down next to Cora but far enough apart that Cora couldn't reach out for her.
"Cora I think-...I think I'm an alcoholic." Cora immediately stood taking Trixie into her arms,
"It's alright darling, everything's going to be alright."