TWELVE
"Do you think that cigarette's cause cancer, Doctor King?" Cora glanced up at Timothy with a small smile,
"I think that there's definitely a link between them, but I think cancer is one of those things that strikes all types of people, I've seen patients get cancer after only 6 months of smoking as well as patients being healthy as a horse who have smoked for 30 years, I don't think we'll ever truly be able to understand exactly what causes cancer." Timothy nodded slowly, grazing through the selection of books on her shelves.
"Why did you become a doctor Cora?" Cora shrugged as she looked up at the teen,
"Because I knew I could help people, and helping people is all I've ever wanted to do." The boy nodded,
"Do you think I'd be a good doctor?" Cora smiled,
"I think you'd make a great doctor, Tim and we'll all be behind you if that's what you decide to do."
"I don't want anything big Mum, I'm only turning 16." Cora nodded,
"Exactly the big 16, and I will be throwing you something big." Alex groaned into Patsy's shoulder as the red head laughed at the teens expense.
"What about the twins?" Cora shook her head,
"My granddaughters and I have a plan." She hoisted both girls into her arms,
"Don't we girls, we are going to surprise your mummy with the best party ever aren't we."
The pensioner's apocalypse did however lead to Cora approaching one gentleman to advise him that should he touch another woman inappropriately that she would inject him with something that would make his cock shrivel, and well that put an end to that.
"I asked Tom to give him a cold hard stare but to no avail." Trixie let out a giggle,
"I've told Cora and she's gone to have a word, that should put him to rights." Patsy laughed lightly,
"Just make sure there's nothing around she could hit him with, she's very protective." Trixie sighed dreamily,
"Indeed."
Now Sheila's request for Cora to take over Patrick's patients for a week came at a fortunately opportune time, and the Doctor was more than happy to oblige, to give her and the rest of the Turner family the opportunity for a week's rest.
And an extra pair of hands was welcome, until she realised that that extra pair of hands came in the form of a man old enough to be considered a relic.
Now finding out that there was a man out attacking women meant that Cora was rightfully on edge. She ensured that all of her own family were tucked up and safe before she received a call from Sister Mary Cynthia.
Rushing to Trixie she mounted her bike on the bike rack she'd installed, following the ambulance at Trixie's request.
She dropped her off before heading home, kissing her in the secrecy of the shadows. That was until however Sister Julienne called.
Sister Mary Cynthia had been attacked, and that was the final straw for Cora.
"Cora! Cora please!" Cora growled as Trixie pulled her back,
"Whoever did this Trixie, whoever hurt a Nun that lives in this house, under my care, I will bury him." Trixie fought back her tears, but Cora wiped away the ones that escaped,
"Don't cry, that man does not deserve your tears, I will fix this."
Her and Hayley set about finding him, with Hayley having access to Sister Mary Cynthia's report they could find him, and anything done could be easily explained away.
They did find him, and what they did to him was easily explained away when Hayley found him floating in the water, dead.
They chalked it up to accidental drowning, with several witnesses saying they'd watched him drink heavily that evening.
Nobody questioned it, nobody wanted to.
"Did you do it? Deliver the final blow?" Cora looked up at Trixie shaking her head,
"He drowned, but I can't say that wasn't my fault, I broke both legs and kneecaps, Hayley his arms, and then we threw him in." Trixie nodded slowly sitting on the bed as Cora remained leaning against the dresser.
"Does this- this is the second time I've done something like this Trixie, how can you still love me knowing that I- that I break my oath of Do no Harm so often." Trixie shook her head, staring up to spin Cora around and grasp either side of her jaw.
"You keep that oath valiantly Cora and what you did saved more lives than it cost. Do you understand me, you saved the lives of women that he might have victimised in the future."
The doctor nodded but that didn't stop her from needing comfort that night, and it didn't stop, Hayley from crossing the door they'd installed between the houses and joining them, nor Alex from crawling in bedside them, Evelyn soon after, or Patsy and Delia, from clambering up the stairs taking the sofa bed, with Alex when she eventually instinctively made her way over to the safety blanket that was her Aunt Patsy.
They all needed each other and thankfully they had each other, because they were lucky. They were lucky to live in a world where they had the money to live so close to each other and the ability to seek out that comfort when it was needed.
That morning when Cora woke up she had to perform all sorts of gymnastics to get out of the hold of her wife and sister, and then it was a balancing act to get past the cribs and Patsy Delia and Alex.
"You're up early." Cora smiled as she heard Pasty's voice echo through the living room,
"I'm making breakfast, we've got a full house today, and feeding ten hungry mouths won't happen unless I start early." Patsy let out a laugh,
"Indeed, now budge over, I'll give you a hand." Cora nodded smiling,
"And here I was thinking that I'd gotten rid of you when Delia moved into Nonnatus."