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Evangelina knew immediately that something was wrong when she woke up and saw Julienne still asleep. The younger Sister was nearly always the first to rise, no alarm clock required. But she recalled Julienne having seemed a bit off the previous day. Not a lot, and she doubted anyone else noticed. But she’d been a little quieter, a little less cheerful, a bit pickier at mealtimes.
Evangelina took her habit and toiletries and headed for the bathroom. When she returned to find Julienne still sleeping she grew more concerned.
Walking up to the small bed in the corner of the room she saw Julienne’s form curled up beneath the covers, which were pulled up almost to her ear. She put a hand on the Sister’s shoulder and shook it gently.
“Sister?” she said quietly. No response.
“Sister Julienne?” she tried again a little louder, rubbing Julienne’s upper arm gently through the duvet before shaking her shoulder carefully once more.
Slowly Julienne’s eyes opened. She turned her head and looked up at Evangelina.
“Morning, sleepyhead.”
Julienne blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted. Then suddenly her face contorted into an alarmed grimace.
“What time is it? Am I on call?” Julienne croaked.
“Not to worry,” Evangelina reassured her. “It’s just time to start making our way to the chapel.” She paused, looking carefully at Julienne’s face, finding her a bit pale. “How are you feeling?” she asked meaningfully.
Julienne made an attempt to rub the sleep from her eyes. “Quite alright, thank you,” she replied, clearly not fully awake yet. “Just a bit tired,” she added quickly when she saw Evangelina’s expression, followed by a failed attempt to stifle a yawn. Julienne pulled the covers down before picking up her things and slowly making her way towards the bathroom. It was obvious to Evangelina that something wasn’t quite right. But she knew that pushing the matter too early wouldn’t do any good.
Evangelina was called out in the middle of breakfast to attend to Mrs Ellis, first time mother. When she returned in the afternoon she met Sister Edith in the door and was informed that a plate was being kept warm for her in the oven.
Entering the kitchen she was met by the sight of Sister Monica Joan cutting herself a generous slice of cake.
“What’s this, then?” Evangelina said in a mock accusatory voice. “Will there be any left for the rest of us?”
“As I shall be taking on additional duties this evening, I will require supplementary energy.” She chuckled to herself as she transferred the large slice onto a small plate.
Evangelina fought not to roll her eyes as she retrieved her own plate from the oven. “What are these ‘additional duties’ you speak of?”
“Sister Julienne has been taken ill,” Monica Joan said, putting the lid back on the tin. Monica Joan took a seat at the small kitchen table and Evangelina sat opposite her. “She tried to deny it, but the girl is clearly unwell. Sister Ada sent her to bed after luncheon.”
Evangelina felt a pang of worry. She must have declined fast if she willingly went to bed at lunchtime.
“I shall take the first shift this evening,” Monica Joan continued. “Hence…” She lifted a large spoonful of cake triumphantly before taking a bite, a blissful smile slowly spreading across her face as she chewed.
Evangelina shook her head, but her mind was fixed on the well-being of their Sister.
When she’d finished her meal, Evangelina walked back to her and Julienne’s shared bedroom. As she approached she heard coughing coming from inside their room.
She opened the door silently and peeked inside. Julienne was once again curled up under the covers. A habit was laying uncharacteristically untidily on a chair behind the bed.
As she watched, Julienne coughed once again, a bit more harshly this time. As the coughing abated she opened her eyes and sat up a bit, clearly looking for something to drink.
Evangelina stepped inside, fetching the glass from her own nightstand and handing it to Julienne. She accepted the glass gratefully and took several sips.
“Thank you.” Julienne’s voice was small and a bit hoarse.
Evangelina didn’t reply, scrutinising the younger woman in the bed in front of her. Her skin was paler than it had been that morning. “What’s this, then?” she asked in a much softer tone than she had to Monica Joan not long previously.
“I-, it’s not so bad,” Julienne said defensively, eyes glistening. “I would like to do something useful…” She paused to cough into her elbow, then took another sip of water. ”…but Sister Ada insisted I take to my bed for the rest of the day.”
“Quite right. You do look peaky.”
A shiver went down Julienne’s spine and she pulled the duvet more tightly around herself.
Evangelina leaned forward and reached out a hand to Julienne’s forehead, which was warm to the touch. Julienne blinked slowly and let out a shaky breath.
“Well, you definitely have a fever,” Evangelina said, more to herself than to Julienne. She withdrew her hand and looked sympathetically at the Sister. “How are you feeling? Really.”
Julienne turned to the side and coughed into the crook of her elbow. She took another sip from the glass and leaned back against her pillows before she answered.
“I suppose I’m a bit tired,” she admitted in a small voice. She swallowed thickly. “And… my throat’s a bit sore,” she added, looking almost ashamed.
“And that cough?”
“It’s not so bad,” Julienne tried, but Evangelina could see that she was suppressing a cough as she said it. It didn’t take long before she was coughing again.
“Right. You stay here, I’ll make a cup of tea.”
She squeezed the young woman’s shoulder before heading back to the kitchen.
Evangelina returned a few minutes later with a cup of tea, throat lozenges and a thermometer. She put the cup and lozenges on the nightstand and indicated for Julienne to open her mouth, slipping the thermometer under her tongue. She busied herself by straightening out the discarded habit on the chair as the mercury rose.
Evangelina checked her watch to ensure enough time had passed, then reached for the thermometer.
“101.2,” she read out, frowning. She watched Julienne shiver as she shook the thermometer out. “And still going up I suspect,” she mumbled to herself.
Nowhere in Nonnatus was particularly warm this time of year and their room was no exception. Evangelina knew they had to be mindful of not letting the temperature soar too much, but at the same time the best thing for her would be sleep. And she wouldn’t sleep if her teeth were chattering.
Evangelina picked up the cup and handed it to Julienne, who coughed into her elbow before she accepted it and took a tentative sip.
“I put some honey in there for your throat.”
Julienne smiled gratefully.
“You finish that, I’ll be right back.”
Evangelina returned with medicine, a blanket and towel-wrapped hot water bottle. “Here we are,” she said as she slipped the hot water bottle under Julienne’s covers, then draped the blanket on top. “Now,” she said, unscrewing the lid on the pill bottle. “Aspirin, then sleep.”
Julienne turned and coughed deeply before accepting the pills. She swallowed them down with the last of the tea. Then she scooted down to a lying position, hugging the hot water bottle to her chest, eyes drifting shut.
Evangelina drew the curtains and made her way to the door when she heard Julienne say something. It wasn’t much louder than a whisper.
“Sister Evangelina?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Evangelina spent the rest of the afternoon and evening doing inventory, cleaning, doing laundry and other chores. If she was near enough she would occasionally hear a deep cough coming from the bedroom. She checked in on Julienne a few times and though she was usually sleeping, it didn’t seem very restful.
Julienne was asleep during dinner time, but when she woke up a little later Evangelina brought her a tray.
“Sister Edith’s made pea soup,” Evangelina announced as Julienne slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. Evangelina placed the tray over Julienne’s lap, taking in her Sister’s flushed cheeks and glassy eyes. “But first…” She picked up the thermometer and held it out towards Julienne, slipping it under her tongue.
Julienne shivered and pulled the covers and blanket up around her shoulders, careful not to knock over the tray. Evangelina checked her watch and when she was satisfied that enough time had passed she reached for the thermometer. She looked at it and frowned.
“102.3,” she read out. She pointed at the food as she shook the thermometer. “Go on, eat while it’s hot.”
Julienne looked at the food with an expression of concern. She also looked very tired. “I’m not particularly hungry,” she said in a small voice.
“Sister Monica Joan told me you didn’t eat much at luncheon. You know as well as anyone that the body needs energy to recover. If it were me ill in bed you would tell me the same thing.”
Julienne looked up at her. Then she quickly turned her head and coughed. Evangelina’s brow furrowed. The cough sounded much chestier than it had earlier in the day. Each fit also went on for longer, and when she finally stopped she was slightly out of breath. Julienne closed her eyes and leaned her head on the headboard behind her.
Evangelina reached out and touched Julienne’s upper arm. Julienne looked up at her.
“Come, now. Just a few mouthfuls. Then aspirin and you can go back to sleep.” Evangelina smiled kindly and looked meaningfully down at the tray.
Reluctantly Julienne picked up the spoon. Evangelina pulled up the chair from behind her own bed, picked up her bible and started reading, as a way of keeping Julienne company without forcing a conversation.
Evangelina kept throwing glances at her patient, who was slightly hunched over with tense shoulders, occasionally shivering. She also noticed that Julienne kept her left hand against the bowl as if trying to absorb the heat from it.
Julienne finished about half the bowl’s contents, stopping every so often to cough into her elbow. “I’m afraid that’s all I can manage,” she said after recovering from a particularly long coughing fit.
Evangelina inspected the bowl. “That’ll do, for now.” She held out two aspirin and a glass of water. Julienne swallowed the pills as Evangelina removed the tray. When the pills were gone Julienne burrowed down beneath the duvet and blanket so far that almost only her cap was visible.
Evangelina left the room and was relieved not to hear too much coughing from the bedroom for the rest of the evening. When she snuck back quietly after Compline, Julienne was sound asleep and snoring lightly. Evangelina went to bed and quickly fell asleep herself.
Evangelina woke up occasionally by the sound of Julienne coughing. But once she’d ensured that everything was alright, she would fall right back asleep.
Then suddenly she was woken up by another of Julienne’s coughing fits. Only this one was much harcher and didn’t seem to want to stop. Evangelina rolled over and in the darkness she only just managed to make out some movement in the bed on the other side of the room. She sat up quickly and turned on the lamp on her nightstand.
Julienne was sitting up, leaning heavily forward, one arm on her knee keeping her from toppling forwards and the other pressed tightly against her sternum. Her eyes were screwed shut and a few tears were streaming down her blotchy red cheeks.
Evangelina hurried over to the other bed and held Julienne while rubbing her back in soothing circles. Evangelina could feel the heat coming off her, the nightie plastered to her back with perspiration.
Suddenly the coughing turned to retching and Julienne brought up at least part of her dinner, which landed on the blanket.
“S-sorry,” Julienne whimpered tearfully before another coughing fit took over.
“Shh,” Evangelina soothed. “You know my rule. No apologising for being ill,” she chided gently.
Evangelina quickly readjusted the blanket to try and stop the liquid from seeping through to the duvet beneath, but also act as a shield should there be another round of vomit. Julienne kept alternating between coughing and retching while Evangelina steadied her.
Quick footsteps came closer and then there was a sharp knock at the door before it opened. Sister Monica Joan was in her full habit and took in the scene, looking with concern at Julienne and then at Evangelina. “How can I be of assistance?”
“Fetch a basin. Or make that two. Fresh sheets, clean clothes. Cloths. Another blanket.”
Monica Joan nodded and disappeared. The coughing had started subsiding a little, but Julienne would occasionally retch still, even though nothing more came out. Tears were running down her face from the discomfort of it all.
As it started to calm down a little, Evangelina held out a glass of water. “Here. Small sips,” she instructed. Julienne took hold of the glass with a shaky hand, wiping at her tears with the other.
Monica Joan reappeared carrying everything Evangelina had asked for. Evangelina turned to Julienne. We need to get you into something dry.”
“Come here,” she said, holding a steadying grip on Julienne’s upper arm. She helped Julienne stand and led the unsteady Sister to the empty chair behind her own bed. When Julienne was seated her face was sweaty again and she was panting slightly. Evangelina crouched beside her and gently put fingers on either side of her wrist, checking her pulse. It was fast and a touch weak, but not alarmingly so.
Evangelina took one of the enamel bowls and put it in Julienne’s arms, who clutched to it like a lifeline.
Together, Evangelina and Monica Joan quickly stripped and re-made the bed while Julienne was catching her breath. Evangelina kept throwing glances at Julienne, but the coughing had calmed down and she seemed more exhausted than anything else.
By the time they finished, Julienne looked half asleep. Evangelina walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I will help you get out of these wet things, have a quick wash, and into a fresh nightie. Then you can go right back to bed. Okay?”
Julienne blinked slowly and gave a quick nod. Evangelina got the feeling she was afraid to speak, in case it set off more coughing. Or worse.
She looked over to the older Sister and continued. “And Sister Monica Joan will find some more pillows, so we can prop you up a bit in bed.” Monica Joan nodded and disappeared again.
Slowly and methodically Evangelina worked together with Julienne to get her out of the old nightie, cleaned up and patted dry, and then into the fresh nightie. By the end, Julienne looked ready to drop.
Sister Monica Joan returned with several pillows. Together she and Evangelina helped Julienne get settled back into bed. The phone rang in the distance. Evangelina and Monica Joan looked out through the door and then at each other.
“I’ve got this,” Evangelina said and indicated for the older Sister to go.
Thanks to the many pillows, Julienne was now able to stay in a more upright position in bed. Evangelina hoped it would help with her breathing and coughing and allow her to get some better quality sleep.
Julienne was still coughing occasionally but it was much calmer now. She was struggling to keep her eyes open though, and Evangelina had to clear her throat to make Julienne look up at her.
“I’m putting this right here,” she said, holding up a basin and then placing it on the floor next to the bed. “Just in case.”
Julienne nodded faintly and her eyes drifted closed. Evangelina threw a glance at her watch. She decided she’d have a quick look at the on-call board, see if there was anything she could do out there and if not, try to catch some more sleep.
It transpired that the phone call had been a false alarm. A tired switchboard operator had accidentally connected a caller to the wrong destination. With everything under control and Sister Monica Joan still on call, Evangelina went back to bed and managed to sleep mostly undisturbed for the rest of the night.
When she woke up in the morning she found Julienne sound asleep. She was coughing much less frequently now, but there was still an audible rattle whenever she did. Once Evangelina had gotten dressed and ready for chapel, she went over to Julienne’s bed. She touched the back of her fingers to the younger woman’s cheek - still too warm, but not as bad as during the night - and arranged easy access to aspirin and water on her nightstand. The basin was still unused and she prayed that it would remain so.
Evangelina’s day was a busy one. House calls in the morning, afternoon clinic and then holding a Mother and Baby class in the parish hall, which meant she wasn’t home until after supper. Upon returning to Nonnatus House she got a full status report from Sister Monica Joan, who had caught up on sleep during the early morning and was now holding the fort. Julienne had slept for most of the day, her temperature stabilised and then gone down a touch. She’d finished the slice of toast Sister Monica Joan brought her for lunch, and even had a small supper which she insisted on having in the kitchen.
She’d still been very tired though. The effort of spending half an hour out of bed had proven exhausting, and Monica Joan had ushered her right back to bed. And after much coaxing she had even admitted to a sore throat, headache and a discomfort in her chest in connection with coughing. She wouldn’t hear of any suggestion that Doctor might be summoned, though it was understood by all that if she didn’t improve on her own it would be inevitable.
Evangelina was relieved to hear that Julienne was at least not worse, and perhaps even doing a little better. When she went to check on her however, she found the Sister in the midst of another coughing fit and with a rising temperature. It was clear she wasn’t going to join them in chapel for Compline this evening either.
When Evangelina decided to turn in for the night, she froze mid-step as she entered the bedroom. Sister Julienne wasn’t there. Her duvet and at least one pillow was also missing. Evangelina immediately got a bad feeling about it.
Just as she wondered where on Earth the Sister had gone, a muffled coughing sounded from somewhere outside in the corridor. Evangelina stepped out and listened. Soon it happened again. It seemed to come from the room at the end of the hallway.
Evangelina quickly made her way down the corridor and opened the door to the storage room. Inside was a camp bed which had been awkwardly unfolded on too little floor space. On top of it was Julienne, shivering under her duvet, almost to the point of her teeth chattering. The room had no heating and was considerably chillier than any of the bedrooms. She’d clearly walked there wearing her dressing gown and found it cold, draping it on top of her duvet when she’d laid down.
“What in the name of goodness are you doing in here?!” Evangelina exclaimed, exasperated.
“Don’t want to… keep you up,” Julienne replied weakly between coughs.
“And you thought you’d retreat to the most cold and damp spot in Nonnatus? A place where you’ll develop pneumonia, or worse?” She sighed, and Julienne was seized by another coughing fit.
Once it subsided, Evangelina picked up the dressing gown and held it out. “Go on, get up.”
Julienne stared up at her.
“Obviously you’re not staying here,” Evangelina stated.
Julienne looked like she didn’t want to move, but also like the cold was really getting to her.
Evangelina sighed. “You will sleep in your own bed. I will sleep in mine, or in the parlour if I have to, but you’re not staying here another minute.”
She pushed Julienne’s duvet down and hooked a hand under Julienne’s arm, helping her to a standing position. She realised it had happened too fast when she saw Julienne’s eyes unfocus and she began toppling to one side. Quickly Evangelina steadied her, helping her lean forward until the blood had reached her head.
Then she helped Julienne put on the dressing gown, tying the sash around her waist. She picked up the pillows and duvet and took Julienne’s arm in her free hand, leading the unsteady Sister back to their room. They had to stop once on the way for Julienne to cough and catch her breath.
When they were back in their room, Julienne practically collapsed onto the bed. Evangelina fluffed the pillows and tucked her in under the duvet. She frowned at the flush of her Sister’s face. It could just be the recent exertion of coughing and moving about, but she had a sneaking suspicion that her temperature was on the rise again. If she wasn’t better by morning they would definitely have to phone Doctor.
Evangelina prepared a hot water bottle and once Julienne was wrapped up with it and the shivering had stopped, she fell asleep instantly. Evangelina was glad for it. Julienne clearly still needed sleep - but also because this way she didn’t have to argue about sleeping arrangements. The parlour sofa was not made for sleeping on, and she didn’t relish the thought of bunking in with Sister Monica Joan. And while she was perfectly aware she might get more restful sleep there, she had absolutely no intention of leaving Julienne alone.
Evangelina got changed and laid down in her own bed and drifted off to sleep, soothed by the knowledge that should Julienne need her, she would be right there by her side.