midwife » michael gray. [completed]

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.

→ CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN; TRUE COLOURS. 

Hannah and Polly arrived home safely – as safely as Hannah could get them back because the only driving she had really done was when Michael took her on the back roads to do some quick lessons. Hannah was stood by the phone as Polly rushed around the house, doing everything she could do to keep her mind off the stuff that was going on back at Tommy's.

Hannah had her own worries. No-one knew what the convent would say when Hannah told them that she couldn't work again. Fortunately, it was Betty that answered the phone, her sweet tone becoming stern as Hannah told her everything that had happened.

"You need to stop putting that family before your job, Hannah. The nuns won't put up for this for much longer," Betty said over the phone, her voice severe and full of honesty.

Hannah looked down at the floor as she continued to listen to Betty list off all the things that would happen to Hannah if she lost her job. Hannah knew the consequences, but a young child had gone missing, Michael and Tommy were AWOL as they tried to hunt down the lost youngster and Polly was a hysterical mess, worrying about everything and everyone.

"My place is here," Hannah cautiously said. "With a family that are broken-hearted and in need of an outsider's comfort. Please, cover my shift tomorrow and I will do anything that you want," Hannah paused and chuckled momentarily. "I'll even clean out that God forsaken medical storeroom if you want."

Betty refrained for giggling along; she wasn't in the mood at all. "This is the last time and I mean it. I adore you and I know that Michael means a lot to you, but you've put so many years work into getting this occupation and getting to where you are now. Do not ruin it."

Polly was sat at the other side of the room, her head in her hands as she cursed the ground that Father Hughes walked on. Hannah said her goodbyes and thank you to Betty before walking over to Polly and handing her a drink of water.

"I need something stronger than this," Polly mumbled but still, she downed the water in one go and placed the glass violently on the coffee table.

"There's nothing in here I'm afraid. It looks as if someone has completely cleaned out the alcohol cupboard," Hannah joked.

"Probably Michael over these last two weeks."

Hannah put Polly's comment to the back of her head for the time being, there was more significant things to focus on than Michael and Hannah's brief absence from each other. The relationship between the two of them would be something that they discussed when Charlie was back home safe, and Father Hughes was deceased or at least away from Birmingham. That way there would be no distractions and they could talk over everything that has occurred during their short-term time of being boyfriend and girlfriend.

"When do you think they'll be home?" Hannah asked, watching Polly as she inattentively looked ahead at the wall. "Michael said tomorrow but I imagine that they will all have the business finished rather soon, you know what they are like."

"Yes, I do." Polly's voice was monotone as she turned to look at Hannah, her eyes shut slightly, and voice broken as she spoke. "Why couldn't my life be easy? I never asked for any of this. I just wanted my children, my family and a pleasant life. Instead, this lifestyle that we live has turned me into a woman I did not want to become."

"Life throws things in your direction and sometimes you lose control of yourself, but it never makes you a bad person."

Hannah's words were no comfort for the distressed women who was trying her hardest not to panic about the events that were unfolding. Her nephew was a complete mess as he frantically looked around for his son, Michael was on a mission to murder the man that had ruined his life and John and Arthur were out doing some business that Hannah did not want to know about.