midwife » michael gray. [completed]

CHAPTER TWO.

→ CHAPTER TWO; TEA & CAKE.

Breakfast was served far too early in Hannah's eyes. By seven in the morning, she had to be washed, kitted out and down the stairs in the unappealing midwifery uniform. Her roommate, Nurse Alexandra Hill, was a fashionable woman who in some way managed to make the God-awful uniform look rather eye-catching. The woman was up a while before Hannah almost every single morning as she wanted to look her best. Hannah, on the other hand, could not care about her looks and was often too exhausted to put on make-up and do her hair nice. By the end of the day, it would only be a catastrophic muddle anyway.

"How many hours sleep have you had?" Alexandra questioned as both her and Hannah strolled into the dining room.

"About five I would say," she replied before taking her seat across from Sister Maria. "The birth was problematic but me, mother and baby all got there in the end and we were successful. I am going to see Mrs. White today during my rounds so I can check on the baby then and see that he is still doing okay."

"Correct me if I am wrong but was last night the first time that you have delivered a baby with no one else present?" Sister Margaret asked. Sister Margaret was the leading nun who took charge most of the days. Out of all the nuns at the religious foundation, she was the one that nurses, midwifes and even other nuns could go to in time of need.

"Yes, that is correct. I just hope they aren't all like that." Hannah smiled at Sister Margaret before grabbing the plate that had a few pieces of toast on it.

"Some go very well, others don't. You will understand once you have a few more years' experience."

Hannah nodded before taking a bite of her toast. She had not been in Small Heath for long and was a newbie to the profession that she had adored since being a young girl. However, her thoughts about midwifery were being clouded by a certain Michael Gray. When she had arrived back at the convent, she had struggled to sleep as her main focus was on the handsome fellow she had met down an alley. It was not a romantic place to meet but then again, Hannah was not looking for romance.

Bringing up boys in front of the nuns would be risky in Hannah's eyes but she was enthusiastic to know more about the man. Out of everyone at the dinner table, the nuns were most likely to know something about Michael than any of the other midwives. The nuns had been in Small Heath for many years and they had quite possibly delivered Michael. If any of the other midwives knew of Michael then it would be through word of mouth, or their own relationship with the man. For all Hannah knew, Michael could be some random man that sought-after midwives in the dead of night.

"Does the name Michael Gray ring any bells to anyone?" Hannah asked. In her eyes, the question was innocent and should have not have raised any alarms but when Sophie, another midwife who lived in the convent, spat out of her drink and began to cough, Hannah knew that she had brought up a conversation that probably should have been kept buried. "Are you okay, Sophie?" Hannah asked, leaning across the table to look at the young woman.

"Perfectly fine," the young midwife answered, waving one hand in the air. "Perfectly, perfectly, fine."

Sister Maria was the scariest of the nuns but deep down, she had a heart of gold. The look that she was giving Hannah petrified her, but she could also see the concern. At that moment, Hannah was more anxious about Michael and what the issue was surrounding him. From her the short-time she spent with him, Michael seemed like an ordinary man. There were parts of him that puzzled Hannah such as the expensive suit as it was rare to see men that age dressed so smart but the blood on his expensive suit only contrasted what she had previously believed. No man that she knew would dare stain the luxurious and rich suits that they had obtained so this only augmented her inquisitiveness and yearning to know more about Michael.