EIGHTEEN
"Cora, what do you know about pharaonic circumcision?" Cora's eyes widened slightly,
"That's not something I've heard of for a long time, I saw it occasionally when I was deployed to South Africa, it made birth almost impossible without tearing, why?" Patrick sighed,
"We have a Somali lady, who has been through it." Cora nodded,
"FGM for many ladies of whom have experienced it isn't a bad thing, but the experience and later medical complications are."
The impending and scary possibility of a nuclear attack had the entirety of Nonnatus house panicked, and Cora fortunately had her connections.
"Well if we go to war again, Hayley and I will likely re-enlist which is something that I don't particularly want to think about." Trixie nodded, squeezing Cora's hand.
"Me neither."
Cora sipped her tea before finally giving out, and making her way to the telephone, "Cora where are you going?"
The Doctor grunted pausing, "To talk to John."
The women and Fred all exchanged looks before following the Doctor, "Yes Operator, can you patch me through to the USA, Washington DC 206, the White House."
Trixie stared at her wife with her mouth agape, "Yes I'll hold."
A beat of silence, "Yes can I speak to President Kennedy, please, tell him it's Cora King."
Another moment of silence, "Afternoon Mr President... yes, yes apologies, good afternoon John, although I suppose it's morning there isn't it... yes that's exactly what I'm calling about... Jack the last time I was in the US, I was too young to really remember it... well I'm a doctor now so yes I likely would, but that's not the point... alright thank you, let me know, yeah that's the right number. Thank you... and to you, goodbye."
She looked up at the expectant faces before shrugging, "He says that they are tapering off, and they are sitting down to talk, with the UN's involvement it's looking like they'll come to a non-violent agreement."
Although she didn't get it until Trixie spoke, "You know President Kennedy?"
Cora nodded as if it were obvious, "I met him and Mrs Kennedy at the palace in '61, had dinner with them."
Everyone shook their heads walking away, as Trixie flicked Cora's ear, "Ow, what was that for."
Trixie glared at her wife, "You could have done that at any point, couldn't you?"
Cora nodded, "Then why only now?"
She shrugged, "I didn't feel the need."
"So would you like to explain why we are on an unexpected road trip this evening?" Cora shrugged her arms wrapped around Trixie.
"Well with everyone else preparing for the end of the world, I figured I would take my wife on her own, the world is about to end, date." Trixie scoffed,
"The difference is that you will be one of the first to know, Ms knows the President of America." Cora shrugged,
"What can I say, I'm a dark horse." Trixie quirked a brow her head resting on Trixie's shoulder,
"Not to me, you're my white knight Cora King."
She received the call from John Kennedy that afternoon immediately making her way to Nonnatus house.
"I have news, John has just called." All eyes were now on her,
"News from Cuba?" She nodded smiling widely,
"Russia has agreed to the US' terms, Kennedy has stood down his weapons." The group all cheered and Trixie came flying into Cora's arms.
Sister Mary Cynthia returning to Nonnatus was a turbulent reality, it also seemed as if Cora understood what was wrong, unlike most.
"When I came back from the Army, my head was constantly buzzing. I couldn't think, eat or sleep properly, it was like I'd never be the same again." Cynthia didn't respond but she was listening diligently.
"I struggled for years and I still do, some days it's like there's a jackhammer in my head and I can barely function properly, but there are things that I can do, people that I can talk to that make living easier. You don't need to say anything, but there's a residential hospital that I know in Birmingham, they specialise in cases similar to yours, and mine, I stayed there myself for a few weeks, if you'd like I can make a call?" Cynthia was quiet for a moment before nodding,
"If you'd think it will help." Cora hummed,
"I do. And even if it doesn't, that doesn't mean there isn't help available." #
"I love you Hayley!" Hayley turned to face Valerie her eyes wide, and face slightly pale,
"What?" The Nurse let out a frustrated huff,
"I have loved you since the first time you came into the Medic tent asking for me to bandage the cuts on your chest, I have loved you, but I never said it, because I knew that we couldn't, not there, and not then, but I do I love you even it took the end of the world for me to say it, and I understand if you don't feel the same but-," Hayley cut her off striding toward her quickly kissing her,
"I have loved you since the moment that I met you Valerie Dyer, I have loved you desperately and entirely and I can't breathe properly when you're not near, you are my heart and soul, I love you Valerie and I always will."
They seemed to miss the group of people all peering at them through the door, all having gathered when they heard the shouting, that was until Alex spoke up,
"Alright Six feet for God, there are children present." Valerie let out a laugh as she turned to see the groups. Cora chuckled,
"Don't mind her, she's just a sore loser and owes me half a crown because she thought you'd take at least another week to admit it." Alex groaned slapping the money into Cora's hand,
"Mum got lucky, how could I know that the world was going to end and they'd finally admit it." Trixie smiled her hand stroking Alex' hair as she wrapped an arm around her daughter,
"Yes well your Mum has a sixth sense for these types of things, it's incredibly vexing."