Nun-Nurse: A series of one shots

Button

They sat on the couch, his arm slung over her shoulder, her cheek resting on his chest. They were talking. Nothing, in particular, the conversation strayed between Patrick's patients to wedding plans to Shelagh's afternoon with Trixie.

"I could have sworn the button on my lab coat was going to come off!" Patrick laughed finishing a story

"Oh not again! Really, Patrick Turner, I swear you hate them lab coat buttons!" She joked back

"What do you mean, not again? When have there ever been a missing button?" he asked, trying to sound lighthearted but with the look of puzzlement etched upon his face.

"Oh yeah, I have not told you yet have I?" he shook his head slightly as she sat up straight and looked down, smiling at her fidgety hands, "Once, at lunch at Nonnutus, Nurse Miller and Franklin made... A comment" Shelagh hesitated and looked up at her fiancee's bewildered face for a split second

"What sort of comment?" Patrick looked utterly confused at this strange story and his fiancee's weird behaviour.

"Sister Evangelina came in saying about no more gas and air and how dishevelled you looked, so I started to worry." She saw a hint of a smirk dance on his lips, "After that, Nurse Miller mentioned how a button had fallen off your lab coat and you had no one to sew it on for you."

"I must admit I had never noticed!" Patrick chuckled, Shelagh laughed half-heartedly.

"That worried me even further, and then Nurse Franklin then said, um, I can not remember her exact words but it makes you look extremely unprofessional, and how Timothy looks, well, unkempt." She looked at his face, he looked like he was hiding guilt in a smile, "There is no need to worry though, I defended you!"

"Shelagh, you what? I am, " He was laughing really hard now, "I am sorry I am thrilled you defended me but you were a nun and what did you say!" Shelagh hit him lightly in the chest but smiled.

"Speak more highly of doctor, please. And I'd thank you to pass me the malt loaf." She grinned at Patrick's shocked but laughing features.

"You said what?!" He laughed as Shelagh dug her head in his shoulder to muffle her laughter, "Shelagh, you really said that! I never knew Sister Bernadette as well as I thought I did! What was the other reaction?"

"Shocked, to say the least, but they never brought it up again."

"Well, my beautiful fiancée loved me for longer then I thought, when did you fall in love with me?" The words fell out his mouth before he could stop them and as he saw Shelagh's eyes drop to the ground, "Oh I am sorry Shelagh, you do not have to answer if you do not want to!" He inwardly cursed himself for being so impertinent and making her uncomfortable.

"Why do we save this conversation for another day, I have to head back to get to my lodging before curfew, darling?" Shelagh started to get up and gather her things, (somewhat reluctantly).

"If you say so love." He chuckled "Come on I will drive you." He kissed her gently on the forehead and guided her outside to take her home.