SIXTEEN
Evelyn hated Sister Ursula, with an all encompassing passion, she hated the woman in ways that she could not describe.
Even more so when Sister Ursula took Sister Julienne's position, to the point where she herself made a point to contradict some of the bitc- Nuns orders.
Pointedly taking over tasks like setting out the chairs to avoid straining Sister Julienne as well as being a passive aggressive jab toward Sister Ursula.
"Ev you are worse than Cora with those passive aggressive stares." Evelyn shrugged with a small smile,
"What can I say? It runs in the family, oh and I'm going out tonight to celebrate my divorce, let me know if either of you want to join me." Patsy and Delia shared a look,
"Where are you planning on going?" Evelyn smirked, her hand on the doorknob to Patsy and Trixie's shared room sending the pair a look,
"Gateways."
She honestly wishes that she had remained in the room to see their expressions but the drama required a swift exit, one that she was more than happy to oblige with.
They caught up with her quickly, dragging her into the empty chapel quickly, "Evelyn."
The woman smirked, "Yes Patsy?"
Delia spoke up from Patsy's side equally as flabbergasted, "Are you...?"
Evelyn leant forward slightly, "Must be genetic." Before waltzing away.
She is the Diva.
Domestic violence is something that Evelyn unfortunately had had too much experience with, it was something that nagged at the back of her head constantly.
It was also something that Hayley had seen too often, Mr Watts was known to be a violent man, especially when provoked, all it took was some provocation, and Mr Watts was in a cell before daybreak.
And when he attempted to get into the house, after bail had been posted, scaring Sister Mary Cynthia, beyond measure the siblings had formed a plan of their own.
Corinthians Chapter 1 Verse 1
"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman."
Therefore, by association the fact that Hayley was disposing of a violent man into the Themes of a second time was only right.
"What's the story?" Hayley shrugged as she returned her hat to her head,
"Got too drunk, took a tumble, didn't wake up in time." Evelyn nodded,
"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I have ladies to dance with." Hayley let out a chuckle,
"Well that's something I bet our father would never have expected, we are so far 3 for 12." Evelyn let out a small giggle,
"Make that 4, our Delilah, has been compromised by our lot as well." That didn't surprise Hayley in all honesty it was an expectation, as Delilah much like Cora and herself had always been slightly more well outspoken, in their endeavours.
"4 for 12, our family might still be saved, yet."
After Hayley left the army she never expected to see anyone from that part of her life again, and yet it seemed that fate had proved otherwise.
The explosion at the docks was certainly something she never expected and yet, here she was running head first into a building that was still on fire.
She was helping a man out of the building when she saw Valarie Dyer, "Val?"
The woman looked equally as surprised but neither had a chance to dwell on the details. Hayley tried performing CPR, compressions and breaths but it was of no use, he was gone.
Sheila put her hands over Hayley's "He's gone Hayley."
Later at Nonnatus Hayley was patching Val up, disinfecting and dressing the wounds, she wasn't really listening to the conversations, until Val tapped her twice on the arm, something she always used to do when Hayley would get a little too far into her own head.
"How do you and Miss Dyer know each other, Officer King?" Cora grunted dressing the burns,
"I spent 5 years of service in the Queen Alexandra's, they needed a few extra soldiers and I happily obliged. I was leaving to go back into an infantry division as Val was joining up, she's patched me up once or twice before." Val let out a small laugh,
"Try at least a dozen times, Hayley was a little blighter when it came to scrapping with some of the privates." When Val set about going back to the pub Hayley walked with her.
And when she noticed how shaken the Police Officer was she dragged her upstairs, pulling her into her Auntie Flo's flat, with Flo waving them both up happily.
"Alright spit it out, you know I don't like it when you get like this Junior." Hayley was still looking Val up and down searching for injuries in places that they did not exist.
She couldn't talk, she could barely think, her mind a flurry of bad thoughts, she could still hear the men screaming, it echoed through her head, ricocheting through her skull.
She could only make out the muffled sound of Val's voice trying to pull her back to the present but she couldn't, not even the taps were working, until she felt Val's lips on her own.
When they searched their foreheads resting against one another's, "Come back to me Junior."
Hayley nodded her hands resting on Val's lips, "I just couldn't-, the thought of you being hurt, of me not being able to protect you again."
Val nodded, "I know, but I'm fine, alright."
Hayley mumbled into Valerie's shoulder, her neck bent to accommodate for the height difference. "I said goodbye to you once, I never want to have to do that again."
Their relationship was complicated, very complicated, but if there was one thing that Hayley knew absolutely it was that she would protect with Valerie Dyer, with her life if necessary.
"...But it was an army inquiry so I just wore my uniform." Hayley let out a chuckle as she approached,
"And I'm two for two on that front, a different uniform this time though." Valerie squeezed Hayley's hand in comfort.
"To Hong Kong with you then." Patsy nodded into the phone,
"Yes, as soon as I can get passage from Southampton." Cora nodded, leaning against the wall next to the telephone,
"Of course, I'm sure I won't tempt you to allow me to give you some cash to take with you, can I?" Patsy scoffed,
"Never." Cora smiled slightly,
"Then you will write or call, I don't care how much I have to pay."