Sister Evangelina, Trixie and Cynthia were about to enter the autoclave room when they froze at the door. There was a mop and bucket in the doorway and a woman standing in a nurses uniform.
"If you are thinking of coming in here, I suggest you walk on tiptoes" patsy ordered.
"Well I suggest you move your mop and bucket so nurse Franklin and Miller can get to the autoclave" sister Evangelina fired back.
"I've already double cleaned it" Patsy said her face remaining neutral.
"Red hat's are to be worn outside only" sister Evangelina grumbled.
"I wanted to ensure that it stayed on during rigerous activity" patsy said shocking them all, not only was she amazing at cleaning but she knew how to handle sister Evangelina.
"Well I think it's time for that cup of tea" sister Evangelina smiled before following Trixie and Cynthia.
Sister Evangelina followed the sound of knocking down the hall of Nonnatus. That's when she saw the shadow of her brother. He couldn't have found her, she disappeared away from her life as much as possible but it was starting to catch up with her.
"Help! Help! Help!" Sister Monica Joan shouted.
"Stay where you are sister" Trixie called to her as she ran downstairs.
"There has been an intruder" sister Monica Joan frowned.
"What do you mean?" Sister Evangelina asked.
"The glass in the back door is broken, our ramparts are breached, and the felon fled with the lemon meringue pie" Sister Monica Joan exclaimed.
Sister Evangelina shouted at sister Monica Joan as Shelagh tried to calm them down but she couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"You are like a moth to a flame with meringue, you needn't think we've forgotten about the queen of puddings" sister Evangelina shouted.
"Ladies, please! I'm sure there is no need to stage a burglary just because food has... Gone missing" Shelagh frowned.
"She forgets I have eschewed all citrus since the dentist stopped all my teeth with mercury. The alchemical reaction is too grevious to bear!" Sister Monica Joan shouted.
"Well-" before either could say anything more Shelagh cut in shouting.
"Sisters! I will make sure Fred repairs the door, and ask Mrs B to make another pie" Shelagh said hoping the fight would end.
"I don't know what she's going to make it in because whoever it was has waltzed off with the dish into the bargain!" Sister Evangelina grumbled.
"Look what I found, the mystery is over. I found it behind the bins, it was probably a tramp the poor things practically eaten the pattern off the dish" sister Winefred frowned.
"In my day they were happy with a slice of bread and some drippings" sister Evangelina grumbled as she hung out the tea towels to dry.
"We'll have to save him some titbits from your party" sister Winefred said looking at the bowel in her hands.
"What party?" Sister Evangelina shouted at her sister making her jump. Sister Winefred didn't know what to say but she knew she was in trouble.
"This never would've happened if sister julienne was in charge" sister Evangelina huffed.
"Sister julienne is in charge, I'm merely carrying out her orders" Shelagh frowned.
"Well I didn't give permission for a party and I didn't give permission for anyone to write to my relations!" Sister Evangelina shouted getting madder.
"I didn't think anyone needed permission, it was done with love. It's a tradition in the religious life" Shelagh answered back.
"I think you forfeited your right to lecture me or anyone else on the religious life. There is to be no party! Do you hear me?" She shouted.
"Sister Evangelina?" Shelagh asked as she approached her friend who was in the shed.
"Just giving this a thorough seeing to before nurse mount gets to it and deprives me of the pleasure" she explained.
"Dr Turner has arranged a bed for your brother at the Maudsley" Shelagh explained.
"Mental hospital? He'll run rings around those psychiatrists. He's sharp as a track always was" sister Evangelina smiled slightly.
"Sister, I know how fond of him you are" Shelagh commented.
"Well we can't chose where we will love can we?" She smiled at Shelagh and Shelagh knew that this was the closest she would get to a sorry but she didn't care, she loved her sister like an aunt.
"No, nor can we choose what happens when we do" Shelagh smiled.
"Mores the pity, sister julienne told me of your troubles when we were drawing up the prayer list" sister Evangelina guided Shelagh to the bench and sat down "Listen, you already have a child Shelagh, his name is Timothy and I know why because I delivered him" sister Evangelina told her.
"I didn't know. He was born before I joined the order" Shelagh thought back all those years ago.
"I can still see Dr Turner putting him into his mothers arms and she looked into that baby's face and said I want you always to be loved" sister Evangelina told her making Shelagh tear up.
"I'm afraid of loving him too much" Shelagh admitted.
"Well for who's sake? Yours or his? If there's one thing the religious life has taught me is it's impossible to love to much. What's needed is taken up and what's not needed hangs around somewhere, looking for a home" sister Evangelina sprouted her wisdom.
"I've been given so much sister, all I want to do is pass it on and I don't know how or to whom" Shelagh admitted.
"Well if I could answer that it would make me as wise as him. You just bide your time. He'll show you his plan, mark my words" sister Evangelina said looking up to the sky, she took Shelagh's hand. She prayed that Shelagh would find happiness again. She was taught by the Bible for years that a married woman gives her husband children and hopefully one day Shelagh would be given her chance...