Chapter Text
Patsy's Pov
Patsy sat chatting to some friends.
“Your girl is taking an awfully long time getting those drinks.” a woman said.
“She probably just got chatting to someone, she has the ability to make friends with anyone.” another woman added.
Patsy looked at her watch, Delia was taking an unusually long time getting drinks.
Patsy got up.
“Watch out ladies, Patsy’s off on a mission.” one of the woman said causing the others to laugh
Patsy walked across the bar and caught sight of her Delia, talking to one of their friends.
“Delia,I was starting to think that I was going to have to go behind the bar and pour myself a drink, what in heaven's name is taking you so long, you’re usually such a sweet talker in terms of getting drinks quickly, but it's been 10 minutes and i'm positively dying of thirst.” Patsy said dramatically
“You’ll never guess who I just bumped Pats…Trixie, it’s raining something horrendous and she is absolutely soaked.” Delia explained
“What,why, how did she end up here?”Patsy asked confused
“It was the nearest place to shelter in, it's raining cats and dog out there, I’ve asked around and I think Lynn said she's got an umbrella somewhere, it doesn’t look like the rain is going to ease up,she’ll catch a cold if she gets any wetter.” Delia replied
“Why did you talk to her?” Patsy asked
“Because she's a friend and she’s absolutely drenched,that’s why” Delia replied
“You know what I mean, why did you talk to her here?” Patsy said wide eyed
“Pats, I couldn't just ignore she looks like a drowned rat, Oh hang on I think Lynn’s found an umbrella now excuse me whilst I go and find our friend and umbrella.”
Delia walked over towards Lynn who handed her an umbrella.To get to where Delia had left Trixie, Delia would have to walk back past Patsy. As Delia walked past her Patsy grabbed her arm.
“Deels, I’m sorry.”Patsy said apologetically
Delia looked knowingly at Patsy.
“Come on, I’m sure she would be glad to see you, but I warn you she's a rather soggy thing.” Delia said as she squeezed Patsy's arm.
They walked towards where Delia had left Trixie, Patsy’s heart was beating so fast she was certain she was going to burst all the blood vessels in her brain.
And then they reached Trixie, and there she was standing soggily looking like such a sorry sight.
Delia chatted to Trixie about the weather and the umbrella, but Patsy couldn’t be sure for certain, her brain was cloudy and foggy and all she wanted to do was walk away and just keep walking. She knew all about fight or flight, but for her it would be a walk away. She didn't have the energy to be able to concentrate on running away and her straight lined trousers also wouldn’t lend themselves to any amount of vigorous exercise, they just had about enough give for dancing. She felt Delia's arm on her back as if prompting her to say something.Words came out of her mouth but she couldn't hear them, they must have made sense to everyone who didn’t have Patsy's brain because Trixie replied to her,but Patsy wasn’t really listening, she just needed to know.
As a small child up until the age of four Patsy had had blonde hair , that her mum would tie in pigtails with ribbons and they would bounce around her shoulders as she skipped around the playroom and her parents friends would dote on her at dinner parties, but as she got older her hair transitioned from blonde to a light brown and Gracie became the ‘pretty blonde beauty’.Her brown hair had too many horrible memories attached with it.
So as soon as she left the boarding school she dyed her hair,a new hair colour, a new start, although the memories of her childhood would always be there it felt somewhat like a fresh beginning. Eventhough her hair was fiery red and she was a grown adult, she wasn’t feeling brave, in fact all she wanted was be be small again and not have a care in the world, because at this moment it felt like the once place she felt less guarded in was falling apart around her.
She started to speak, but she couldn’t formulate the question correctly,shes knew what she wanted to say,what she wanted to ask, she wanted to make sure that, this place would still be safe that Trixie wouldn't,she wouldn't would she? Trixie replied she must have made some sense and then like that Trixie was gone out of the door to get her bus back to Nonnatus and it was all over before it had really even begun.Patsy felt stunned not sure what had happened.
Delia turned to Patsy.
“Come on, let’s go back to the others,” and with that Delia grabbed Patsy's hand and pulled her back towards where they previously had been sitting with a group of friends.
“Gosh that was the longest drinks run in the history of humankind!” one of the women exclaimed.
"And they didn't come back with any drinks!" another woman laughed
"Right Delia you are officially retired from drink ordering, it seems your charm has run out." a third woman laughed