SEVENTEEN
Trixie and Cora's return to Poplar and their welcome back wasn't what they'd expected, and although they'd been warned about Sister Ursula nothing could have prepared them for what they found.
Cora was thankful that the Nun was leaving and all would return as it was before they left, but there was nobody as thankful as Evelyn in that regard.
"I'm simply thankful that I didn't lose my job, the things I wanted to say to that woman would have surly got me sacked." Cora let out a chuckle wrapping an arm around her sister as they made their way downstairs for dinner that evening.
“I have no doubt about that Ev.”
"Cora, can I talk to you?" Cora nodded with a small smile as she indicated for Delia to take a seat on the sofa.
"Of course, you're one of ours Delia, and you are always welcome, always." The woman nodded sitting down slowly,
"It's about something that happened on the ward today, I'm just- it was awful and you've been in the army and been a midwife, I watched a woman go into preterm labour, and I can't get the sound of her screams out of my head." Cora hummed, standing to grab something that sat untouched in the corner of the room.
A jar filled with blue, pink, green and white beads, setting it on the table,
"24 white beads are in that jar."
Delia looked at Cora, still slightly confused, although she figured she grasped the basic meaning, "24 babies that didn't make it, I remember them all, but you see those green ones?"
The Welshwoman nodded, "They are the children of the mothers who had white beads in this jar previously. There is no trick to it, but there is always a way forward and it's remembering that today is a bad day, tomorrow might be as well but next week won't be the same. You are a nurse and an incredible one at, and if there's one piece of advice I can impart on you it's that loss is not what defines life, life is what defines loss."
Valarie had only just received her acceptance letter when Hayley made her way inside the black sail. "Hayley! Hayley I'm going to be a midwife at Nonnatus!"
Hayley let out a small chuckle as she caught Val in her arms, they stared at one another for a minute, the tension overwhelming, when Val grasped Hayley's neck pulling her into a long kiss.
"Unless you want me to take you over the bar we have to stop." Valerie let out a small giggle, pecking her on the cheek,
"I'll see you after your shift okay? There will be a pint waiting for you."
Cora loved Valerie Dyer, she was one of the finest nurses that the Doctor had ever come across, suspended only by her wife of course.
Evelyn too, in the very brief interaction they'd had a number of years ago while the pair were on leave Evelyn had to admit, of all her sister's previous lovers Valerie Dyer was her favourite.
"I had a dentist flirt with me today. I had to let him down very easily." Cora quirked a brow rolling up her shirt sleeves, as she beat down to look at the engine of her car.
"Oh yeah and how did you do that darling?" Trixie shrugged,
"I told him I like them taller, and a bit rougher, with brown hair, and a large family." Cora quicker a brow,
"Careful Nurse Franklin, I'll be forced to move this to the bedroom if these flirtations continue." Trixie let out a small giggle as she sat watching,
"And what would we be doing there?" Cora smirked, pulling out a part of the engine to clean it with the oil laced rag that hung in her shoulder,
"I think you know exactly what I'd be doing to you my love. I hear you and Valerie are sharing a room at Nonnatus?" Trixie nodded sipping on her lemonade,
"Yes but something tells me that we won't be sharing much, Valerie and Hayley seem to be close." Cora nearly hit her head on the hood of the car with the speed in which she stood.
"How on earth is it that you can clock them so quickly and yet it took you a good few months to see that with Delia and Patsy." Trixie shrugged,
"Well I'm not perfect." Cora hummed,
"Yeah well I'd respectfully disagree with that, Valerie and Hayley have known each other for years and their relationship is well complicated but they do love one another." Trixie hummed,
"Oh that was very clear, will she be joining us for our family dinners?" Cora shrugged,
"I would hope so, but that depends on Hayley."
"Hayley is taking me to the theatre. We are watching West Side Story in the Royal Box, and then we are having dinner there in the VIP area of the restaurant."
"Meanwhile Tom and I will be in the pictures, and there's no fancy dinner there."
"Your carriage awaits Nurse Franklin." Trixie smiled although she glanced at the car slightly perplexed,
"What happened to the Jaguar?" Cora shrugged with a small smirk,
"Well I figured that the occasion called for the Bentley."
"How are you, how's everyone?" Cora smiled into the phone, perched on her desk,
"Good we miss you but thankfully everything's getting back to normal after Sister Ursula." Patsy laughed lightly but Cora could tell it was pained,
"Well that is something... how is Delia?" Cora hesitated,
"She's okay, she misses you, but she's been spending a lot of time in your room here, it's a small comfort I suppose, being surrounded by your little trinkets and your perfume." Patsy nodded,
"He's getting worse Cora, much worse and I know that as a nurse I should know that, expect it but-..." Cora sighed,
"It's so much harder when your family, I know, you just say the word Pats and I'll be out there within the next week." Patsy shook her head,
"No, this is enough, for now."