Nun-Nurse: A series of one shots

Past uncovered... secrets almost

Everyone at the dinner table- other then Valarie who was out at a patient- was laughing and talking between themselves, even the Turner's had joined for dinner. Little Anglea Turner was sat next to her godmother, talking animatedly.

"Sis Julie?" Anglea asked thoughtfully.

"Yes dear?" Sister Julienne smiled at the youngest Turner, a lot of the table had also smiled at the young girl.

"Can you stop being a nun?" The whole room fell silent, Shelagh's cheeks burned red in embarrassment, All eyes went to Shelagh, smirking. Patrick's and Trixie were trying harder then anything not to burst out laughing.

"Um, well, it is possible, if they want to leave, they can." Sister Julienne was having a hard time keeping a straight face to little girl.

"Have you ever known someone to leave the order, Sister?" Lucille asked obliviously.

Trixie, Patrick, Sister Julienne, Timothy, Phyllis and Sister Winifred all burst into laughter.

"Just one!" Sister Julienne and Trixie exclaimed simultaneously.

"Oh my word," Shelagh exclaimed, burying her head in her hands, Lucille just looked at the table quizzically, Angela now more interested in her food and the rest of the table in hysterics.

"What? Who was it?" Lucille countined, completely unaware of why everyone was behaving so oddly.

Shelagh removed her head from her hands and looked at Lucille, "Me." She gave a half smile before lightly touching the almost invisible scar on her left palm.

"What?! No! But, what?" Lucille questioned, baffled at the news.

Just then Teddy started crying for attention, "I'll get him!" Timothy piped up, having barley recovered his breath from laughing so hard.

"Thank you. I think." Shelagh said as Patrick winked at his son.

"I was Sister Bernadette. Let's just say over a series of events over about two years, I was having difficulty with my vocation. I got TB in '58, and when I recovered I left the order and five months, two weeks and three days later I got married." Shelagh explained to the newest addition, meanwhile her running her palm got more and more obvious.

Patrick and Shelagh glanced at each other, memories flying through each of there heads till Shelagh looked away and began to take a drink.

"Shelagh, how come you always rub the bottom of your left hand whenever you explain your past as a nun?" Trixie looked at the married couple, slightly amused but the question was laced with genuine curiosity.

Patrick's eyes widened and Shelagh separated her hands and stretched he hands out at her side, "Habit, I always do when explain something that happened to me in the past, do not know why, I think it is because my mother used to do it to me before she died." Shelagh quickly lies, trying to hide the embarrassment of being caught.

Once the conversations started up again, Patrick whispered in his wife's ear, "I really wish the old parish hall kitchen was still there, because I would be whisking you away there now. Is that in your head now?" He chuckled.

"Sort of, the dreams I had afterwards." She turned to look at her husband, "I will explain later and perhaps re-enact some?" And with a wink, the night went on as normal till they were home and the children were in bed. The dreams that plagued Sister Bernadette, are now heaven to Shelagh Turner.