I know it's been a minute, but I don't think I can start posting again before I acknowledge the Elephant in the room.
If you don't know, I am an American. Need I say more about that?
I just want you to know that I, like you; want happiness, love and care.
I am planning to continue as "normal" (erm... I mean I plan on ACTUALLY posting... but that's a side tangent.)
As for adding more diverse characters to primarily Across the Plains, but also to future pieces added to Vignettes of Love. I would LOVE to work more diverse characters into these works, however with Across the Plains there is a real life component that I have to consider- historical accuracy to the REAL place that the story is set.
If you have the bandwidth and ability, I would love some assistance/beta-ing to ensure that these characters are properly written. â¤ď¸
I am planning to come back to Across the Plains this month, but I don't know that if it will be posted this month.
my favorite thing about this post is that a handful of people have gone "oh wait! this is tangible proof that i don't need to be embarrassed about leaving a lot of comments!! i'll stop being so ashamed!" YES!! ao3 authors basically universally will die for people who comment spam. we love to see it and we do not find you weird or annoying At All.
think about it this way: we ourselves are weird enough to have spent several hours, days, or Months writing down this story. we are weird enough about the content to do that! why on Earth would we be mean and judgmental toward people who care enough to get excited about reading it?? we shared it Specifically For You To Get Excited About!
SPOILERS: Season 13, Episode 4 (You've been warned!) :)
TW: Incurable Illness, Fear of Said Illness.
This was born out of me thinking that surely Patrick would be concerned that Shelagh's TB could reactivate from its latent stage if an epidemic of TB began in the Burrow.
You'll have to let me know your thoughts- especially of my "Mature Jenny" ending. :)
Final Warning! This Chapter contains Spoilers for Season 13, Episode 4 of Call The Midwife. It ALSO contains triggers for Incurable Illness and Fear of said Illness.
Mycobacterium TuberculosisÂ
Two words Patrick Turner hoped were on their way out of the catalog of potential diagnoses. A decade prior when heâd diagnosed Shelagh, or Sister Bernadette of the Order of Saint Raymond Nonnatus as she was then known, with Tuberculosis it was such an unfortunately common illness that sanatoriums and the triple treatment were well known amongst the communities it ravaged.Â
Now, in 1979 a relatively new testing process and vaccination for Tuberculosis was making its way through neighborhoods as the National Health Service provided funding and supplies to, hopefully, make TB an illness of the past- just as Jonas Salkâs polio vaccination largely eradicated the polio that made his own son Timothy so sick at the end of 1958.Â
Yet here he was- diagnosing not one singular patient, but a whole family with small children with the blasted disease. It was heartbreaking, especially with the father succumbing to the illness so shortly after diagnosis.Â
Suddenly, his mind turned back to Shelagh. It had been over 15 years since her last post-treatment appointment- as the standard was set at 5 years of active monitoring from the time of triple treatment completion.Â
While active the disease had ravaged her body, including the pelvic organs, but what if her immune system was minutes away from failure?Â
Would the disease reactivate and threaten Shelaghâs life again?Â
Would the TB that she successfully fought off 20 years prior be the cause of an untimely demise?Â
Patrick needed to see her. He needed to know that his wife, his beloved Shelagh, was safe. He also needed to find a way to tell her that TB was back in the burrow. But how would he tell her without worrying the children? Sure, Timothy could handle the situation as not only was he training to be a doctor like Patrick himself, but heâd been through Shelaghâs initial infection from a distance. But Angela, May, and Teddy were not even born during that time.Â
How would they tell Angela, May, and Teddy what was going on?Â
How would they as a family handle the potential treatment?
What would Shelaghâs treatment look like?
Would Shelagh need to go back though the full Triple Treatment?
Would the hospital allow Shelagh to have visitors?
There were too many questions, and too many hours of work to go that day to spend energy on worrying about the potential answers.
It was late that night when Patrick arrived home, thankfully to Shelagh waiting up for him as she often did, and the children (including Timothy) sound asleep in their beds.Â
âPatrick, you look as though youâve had a horrid dayâ Shelaghâs sleepy voice, heavily laced with a Scottish accent- which often happened when she was tired.
For a moment alll he could do was nod. The image of the Chidozi family, with Felix laying dead on the floor surrounded by his wife and children.Â
âShelagh, Tuberculosis- itâs back in the Burrowâ
âOh Patrick, surely itâs just one small instanceâ
âIt might be, but that poor family has to deal with the loss of their husband and father.â
âA Family, I take it.â
âYes, a brand new Poplar family with four small children. Itâs a wonder that the eldest two were in the TB Screening and Vaccination Scheme.â
âItâs a relief to know that because they were involved in such a vital programme. Besides, there are four children with bright futures, and their father will surely watch over them.â
Patrick Turner couldnât hold in his fears any longer.Â
âShelagh, I worry about you. What happens if TB is widespread again. Youâre at risk of the disease reactivating. What if we donât know andâŚâ he wasnât sure he wanted to finish that thought.
âOh Patrick, we take every precaution we can- including all of the recommended and required screenings and vaccinations to protect my health from a relapse of TB. Besides, although it is a formidable foe, we have more screening and treatment tools and techniques than x-ray vans and triple treatment courses in the isolated country sanatoriums.â
âShelagh,â
âItâs alright Patrick, we- alongside Nonnatus House are providing a robust educational program to all of our patients on TB. But no matter what, we will get through this together.
âJust like we always do.â They said together.
Despite the best efforts of the National Health Service, and the rapid advancements in medicine, the challenges, in Poplar and in life were inevitable. But just as hope prevails in dark and desolate times, it prevailed then- alongside the determination of the community who challenged the darkness together.
Across The Plains- Chapter 3: The Old White Church on the Hill.
SURPRISE!!!
I *fInally* got the writing bug back, and felt able to add another Chapter on my favorite ongoing work Across The Plains.
Special shout out and thank you to the random kudos I received a while back for getting me excited to write.
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think. :)
In small towns, there are always those few points that those in the area find comfort in gathering at. These places become more than a grocery store, gymnasium, bank branch, or church. They become places where news lives and community thrives. But often the most powerful and frequently visited, aside from the grocery store, is often the church.
Upon a slight hill, stood the church of choice for a majority of the Goessel Area. Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church. Alexanderwohl was the church that had stood the test of time, after being started by the first Mennonite settlers in the area. It had come a long way since the days of being housed in an immigrant house and one room schools to worship. This was a church that welcomed congregants at their infant blessing, and continued to pray over them through their childhood blessing, receiving their first bible, being baptized in their last years of school, marrying the person of their dreams, and concluding their lives with their funeral. A full and complete circle within the church sanctuary.Â
That afternoon, as Shelagh rode to church with her sisters and young Timothy Turner, she thought more about Marianne. She hadnât known her well, although as was typical they would greet each other in passing. Marianne had been the definition of a cradle mennonite. At her funeral, they recounted her early childhood days, her baptism, and her marriage to Dr. Turner. The more she thought about Marianne and who she was as a person, she realized that Marianne had given her a number of opportunities- including singing with the church choir, accompanying the children when they performed both at the church and at the town school.
Even though Shelagh began every morning with devotions and prayer in the Hospital's chapel with her sisters in Christ, something about being in the sanctuary of Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church felt powerful beyond measure. Maybe it was something to do with the upcoming annual baptismal service, or maybe it was because Timothy Turner was staying with them in the Sisterâs quarters behind the hospital.Â
This year seemed a bit different though, even though Shelagh had been involved in the community and church more than ever before, she felt empty and alone. Even during their morning services in the Hospital Chapel, it felt as though God was no longer interceding in her life.
Meanwhile back at Bethesda
âTrixie, could you have a look at Mary Schrag? It seems to me that her labor has stalled, and poor thing is miserable.â Jenny Lee asked Trixie Franklin.
âOf course Jenny, poor thing. Iâll pop in once iâve checked in on Mrs. Kauffman in room 12.â
âThank you Trixie, Have you seen Cynthia?â
âOf course sweetie, last I saw her Cynthia was with Mrs. Wohlgemuth.â
âThank you!â Jenny Lee as she rushed back down the hall to Mary Schragâs room.
These scenes were typical when the Sisters attended their duties in the Church. Trixie was often given the role of lay nurse in charge. Although she was prohibited from being called a Ward Sister, as the Deaconesses preferred for the community to be able to tell who was a lay nurse and who was a professed deaconess, she took kindly to the term Nurse in Charge.
That night, as the plains lay under a blanket of a million stars, Shelagh seconded herself to the hospital chapel to pray and discern what God was trying to speak to her. This particular night however, she did not feel the chapelâs usual comfort surrounding her- instead she felt an emptiness, a coolness, that couldnât be described as anything other than strange.
As Shelagh walked back to the Sisterâs quarters, she pondered the feeling- was she going through a Faith Crisis? She couldnât be certain, as it was a topic that had only briefly been touched on only during her Deaconess training, as Sister Julienne didnât feel that it was a particularly important topic for the group of sisters that called Bethesda home.
As she fell asleep that night, she resolved to request a meeting with the Reverend Friesen next week after service to reassure herself that this wasnât a faith crisis, and that the feelings sheâd had that night in the chapel were just a rare instance of her mind being unsettled. Was this a sign that she shouldnât have become a deaconess?
If you're someone who likes to sort your ao3 bookmarks by date, you might be wondering why you have a bunch of old fics at the top of your list, even though there isn't a new chapter added or seemingly any other edits at all.
It's because a lot of authors are currently editing their fics to restrict them to logged in users only. While that doesn't add any new content, it does edit the fic and that puts it at the top of your recently updated bookmarks list.
Please rest assured that I plan to NEVER restrict my works to logged in users!
I do reserve my right to restrict based on content (Primarily adult or triggering content), but I want users to read my works for their pleasure- account or no account.
I work my hardest to have accessible works, and if there is something you need for my work to be accessible to you that I can do on my end- please let me know.
Vignettes of Love: The Turner Family- Chapter 8: The Big, Bad, Horrible, No Good FLU!
This is too timely, but also VERY Late.Â
Dedicated to @awholeboxofchickens & @anamarialujan.Â
Please Pardon any strange grammar. Grammarly does itâs thing and I just accept it.
Remembrance Day. A day that meant different things to every member of Nonnatus House, primarily because each member had been in a different location and phase of life at the end of World War I.
Sister Julienne was still known as Louise and lived with her family in Aden.
Shelagh Turner was not yet born to her parents in Inverurie, Scotland.
Not yet a doctor, Patrick Turner was in his formative years of education during the first world war.
Sister Monica Joan was one of the only members of Nonnatus to be nursing during the war.
Regardless, Remembrance Day was meant to be a celebration and remembrance of those lost to the wars that scared the 20th century; however, this year, much of Nonnatus was in no shape to celebrate.
This year an early round of influenza gripped hold of Nonnatus and much of Poplar, for that matter.
While Nurses Franklin, Dyer, and Anderson; Sisters Winifred, Monica Joan, Frances, and Hilda; Doctor Turner and the Turner Children appeared to have a mild case of influenza, Sister Julienne and Shelagh were not quite as lucky.
Shelagh's servant's heart led her to care for her children at home, including Timothy, dropping off meals for those at Nonnatus and helping as needed. Although she only contracted a mild case like the others, Shelagh's lungs were weak enough that soon after recovering from the flu, Shelagh contracted a nasty cold- which was why she was spending the day at Nonnatus when Sister Julienne fell ill. Being at Nonnatus's house gave Shelagh a chance to interact with the Sisters and the Nurses while reducing the risk of contracting another illness (as she might at the surgery). Although Shelagh had protested the decision at first, it was during the noon meal a few days later that she realized the real purpose of Patrick's push for her to stay at Nonnatus.
"Sister Julienne, are you alright?" queried Nurse Franklin
It was at that moment that Trixie Franklin exchanged looks with Shelagh. Neither was convinced this was true, as they'd watched her lose balance a handful of times throughout the morning. They both knew that they couldn't say anything at that moment because Sister Julienne was just as stubborn as Sister Monica Joan could be at times.
But Shelagh knew she couldn't stay silent any longer when she found Sister Julienne asleep at her desk around tea time that afternoon.
"Sister Julienne," called Shelagh; she knocked on Sister Julienne's office door before entering to find her asleep atop the never-ending paperwork.
It was time that Shelagh spoke up, but not before calling her husband to assist on the matter- medically, of course.
It took Shelagh several minutes once Patrick arrived to get Sister Julienne to wake.
"My dear Shelagh, is it teatime already?"
"Yes, it is indeed, Sister."
"Shelagh, is Doctor Turner joining us for tea." Sister Julienne's front was falling quickly.
If she was this tired and loopy, how much worse would she allow it to get before she sought help?
"No, Sister, he's here to have a look at you. You're not well."
"Shelagh, my dear, I'm fit as a fiddle- I simply needed a rest, and my paperwork saw to it that it happened."
At that moment, Shelagh reached forward and felt Sister Julienne's forehead burning up.
"Sister, you're burning up with fever."
At that realization, Sister Julienne finally gave in and allowed Patrick Turner to assess and diagnose her. Unfortunately, Sister Julienne fared the worst out of all Nonnatus and was sent to rest in bed. At the same time, a nasty case of Pneumonia and a severe case of the Flu ran their course, her body aided by Antibiotics and fever reducers when possible.
Long time no post. To make a VERY Long story short Iâve finally made it back to a place where bringing back my CTM fanfic can be a reality.
The question is: what would YOU the reader want to read? Understand I refuse to do explicit R rated scenes but am open to some heavier topics (I.E one specific darker prompt I have in mind)
Where do you want to see Across the Plains go? What one shots do you want?
this is the offical âi careâ symbol
this is how it works:
basically you reblog this and your followers know that you care and that they can message you about anything anon or not and you will reply back or at least look at there message. if you care about your followers please reblog
Hi! Once you get this you have to say five things you like about yourself, public ally, then send this to ten if your favourite followers (nonnegotiable) SPREAD POSITIVITY!
Five things I like about myself:
Iâm dedicated to my job
my writing improves each time I work on something
my future is bright
someday, my âbroken piecesâ wonât define me- theyâll make me better
Unfortunately, I donât have 5 Tumblr friends, so I leave it to you to spread the message.
Both have very strong personalities and while they totally up for it, they have a particular quirk like not wanting to sit on their partnerâs lap.
One of them smells something delicious and abandons their partner for food first
The whole trail of clothes to the bedroom thing that movies do? Yeah that but someone trips
The lube is in the other room
Someone is ticklish and things become a tickle battle for X amount of time.
Hit pause because otherwise someone is wetting the bed
Other ideas:
Someoneâs stomach grumbles loudly
In the middle of it, and oh no thereâs a cat in the room and the other person is allergic to cats
Sneezing in the middle of kissing
B: You know (insert language)? A: Yeah. B: Say something hot/romantic. A: Only remembers a pasta recipe and recites that. B:âŚ. are you telling me how to boil water?!
A pet interrupts
Someone is clumsy and accidentally elbows the other/knocks their head on the headboard.
For some reason itâs impossible to maintain a rhythm that works for both partners
Accidental face-elbowing happens⌠a lot more than youâd expect. Especially if they didnât bother getting undressed before getting in bed and theyâre trying to undress without damaging one another.
âŚas does accidental groin-kneeing.
Sometimes the dirty talk comes out hilarious instead and then youâre giggling too hard to get anything done.
Summary:Â âThe end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.â
-Â Friedrich Nietzsche
For the next several hours, Patrick and Sister Julienne could only sit next to Shelagh, talking to her, praying for her, and singing songs that might bring her comfort if she was on the road towards her heavenly father. When they could simply sing no more, they turned to prayer and silence, fitting for a woman who began her time in Poplar observing hours of silence every day.
Then, like a shooting star across the night sky, Shelagh awoke for more than just a moment. Years later, Shelagh would recall the moment as though it felt like the fog had lifted, and she was in control of her body again.
âPatrick?â Shelagh whispered weakly.
âIâm here, Shelagh. Sister Julienne is here as well. How are you feeling?â
âOkay.â
With glances to speak between them, Patrick and Sister Julienne made a decision they would not regret. They decided that they would spend time with Shelagh before they alerted Doctor Evans. The trio spent the better part of the afternoon enjoying each otherâs company and filling Shelagh in on the events during her slumber. Once Shelagh was sufficiently filled in, it was time to allow Doctor Evans to examine her.Â
âAh, Mrs. Turner. Glad to see youâve returned to us. Now, I think itâs best if both of you would excuse yourselves from the room while I complete an examination on Mrs. Turner here.â
Luckily for Shelagh, Patrick, and Sister Julienne still could sense her non-verbal cues without evidence.
âI beg to differ, Doctor Evans, Shelagh has only just woken up. Iâm sure sheâd feel more comfortable if the two people she knows and trusts the most were with her.â
âVery well, then. I simply ask that if you are unwilling to leave the room, then you step away from the side of the bed.â
It was that moment when Patrick Turnerâs faith and composure ran out.Â
âGet out of my surgery. Now. Do not return.â Patrick Turner yelled suddenly at the top of his lungs.
âI apologize, Doctor Turner, but I am the one in trust to care for your wife.â
âOut. Now.â Patrick yelled again, louder.
âYouâd best be off Doctor Evans, Shelagh and Doctor Turner are the people who are in trust of this surgery, and who are responsible for its reputation. Be off with you.â Sister Julienne finally spoke up.
It was several hours before Shelagh, who had been upset by Doctor Evansâs commotion, was calm again, and everyone was sure that he was gone.
âShelagh, I donât want to upset you, but I should examine you to make sure that youâre alright.â
âPlease donât make Sister Julienne leave.â Shelagh whimpered
âI wouldnât dream of it Shelagh, you need her just as much, if not more than me right now. Would you like her to hold your hand?â
âYes.â The look Shelagh gave him at that moment was one of pure love and gratitude.Â
It was by no means a full physical exam, but rather a combination of vitals and checking eyes, ears, and the throat. It was enough to trust that Shelagh was okay and not overstep her unspoken boundaries at that moment. Once done, both Patrick and Sister Julienne could hear Shelaghâs silent plea for them to hold and comfort her. After a few hours, Sister Julienne excused herself back to Nonnatus to tell Timothy and Angela that Shelagh was awake, giving Patrick and Shelagh a chance to talk privately.
âHow are you feeling, Shelagh?â
âOh, Patrick, Iâve never felt better.â
âShelagh, I know youâre scared. Weâre here for you.â
âIâm scared that I am going to get worse, Patrick. Iâm scared that Iâm not better.â
âShelagh, having this conversation is one step towards healing. Shelagh, are you afraid that you arenât a good mother because of your depression.â
âYes,â The only meek whisper Shelagh could muster.
The rest of the night was spent comforting Shelagh and helping her understand that depression made her no less of a mother, nurse, secretary, and friend. Even seeing Timothy and Angela the next morning did not seem to help. It appeared as though even Sister Julienne was struggling to get to Shelagh.
âShelagh,â Patrick probed one day as he took her hand.
âYes, Patrickâ
âHow would you feel about going home to Timothy and Angela.â
âOh, Patrick, do you think Iâm well enough?â
âShelagh, I think having you home will help you heal more than spending your days in this room and rarely seeing a soul, aside from Sister Julienne and I. Shelagh, you need time and a safe place to heal. It wonât be instant or ever complete, but rather an ongoing process. Somedays will feel better than others. It might also help to have Angela and Timothy when you need someone to make you laugh or help you with overwhelming tasks.â
âOkay,â Shelagh agreed after quite a while. However, she didnât want Timothy and Angela to struggle with her problems, the prospect of having purpose glimmered above everything.
The first week was rough, but Trixie and Sister Julienneâs visits seemed to help, especially when Shelagh could catch a rest on the Settee. Then it was like something turned on a dime. Shelagh was becoming gradually more anxious to stay home with Timothy and Angela without another adult present. It wasnât helping that she did not sleep that well at night either. The final straw was coming home to Shelagh sobbing on the floor of the kitchen, whispering something about being a âfailure of a housewifeâ through her tears.Â
Through the grapevine, news of Northfieldâs new Family Residential Program made itâs way to Patrick. It seemed like the answer to helping Shelagh. The program structure made it so that Timothy would continue his studies while he and Angela remained with Shelagh. It also allowed Sister Julienne to come as a companion, allowing Patrick to continue working and visit on his off days. Although it was unusual when Shelagh didnât have a protest to going away, it confirmed to Patrick that she needed time outside of Poplar to grieve and heal.Â
After six months away, Shelagh returned to the flat part-time under the observation of Sister Julienne and her team at Northfield. A further six months of the part-time arrangement passed before a two-week trial of full-time home living occurred, ending with Shelagh returning to Poplar permanently, under the care of her new team at Harley Street.
In the years following, Shelagh appeared to return to her âold self.â Yet, Patrick, Shelagh, and Sister Julienne could attest that bad days still came up, albeit less severe than before treatment. Even during her pregnancy, when Shelaghâs team insisted on watching her like hawks, she remained stable.Â
When the choir began âO Nata Luxâ that year, Shelagh felt the songâs truth in her heart. Looking among the faces in the pew with her, Shelagh felt a weight lift off her chest. As tears of joy and gratitude slipped down her face, she pressed a kiss on her smallest boyâs head.Â
A year ends, and it was complicated all over the world.
But I want to thank all this beautiful fandom for the support, the fanfics, the gifs, the videos, the poems, the analyzes, the messages, the memes, images, questions, answers , laughter, tears, to the old ones, to the new ones, in short, to all the beautiful community that is here, for making this 2020 less sad.
Here we not only talk or complain about an English series of midwives from the 60s, here we share our lives and love people without ever having seen their faces, sometimes without even knowing their names.
I only know that there are people with a brilliant soul, and that is felt through a nickname and an icon in a social network a little old and unstable.
