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Phyllis walked down the corridor on the top floor of Nonnatus House when she had to stop to cough into her elbow. She was at the tail end of her bout of influenza, which she and several of her colleagues had come down with one by one in the past week. Phyllis, Lucille, Valerie and Trixie had all succumbed, and Sister Julienne had waited on them hand and foot as they suffered through their symptoms. Julienne had subsequently fallen ill herself, though she refused to admit it and kept on working regardless.
It wasn’t until earlier that morning, when Phyllis had finally woken feeling more like herself again, that she’d finally managed to get Julienne to admit she was unwell and to stand down. She had only just helped her to bed, where the Sister promptly fell asleep. Phyllis hadn’t gotten far, so was muffling her cough as best she could as not to wake her.
Once she’d recovered she started making her way downstairs. While she was by no means ready to go back to work, she would need to inform Sister Hilda and the others of Julienne’s condition and to make up a plan for dividing her work between them. She went in search of Sister Hilda, starting with the clinical room.
When she rounded the corner to the phone room she found an unfamiliar nun sitting at the desk, deeply concentrated on a map lying next to the Rolodex. She looked young, Phyllis estimated her to be around the same age as Sister Frances.
“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise when she looked up and saw Phyllis. She stood and held out a hand. “Hello, I’m Sister Caroline,” she said excitedly. “And you are…?”
“Phyllis Crane, SRN, SCM.” She looked down at Sister Caroline’s outstretched hand. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t shake your hand, I’m still recovering from the flu.”
“Oh, of course,” she said, withdrawing her hand with a sheepish expression. “I wasn’t thinking, of course you are. That’s why I’m here!” she added with a little nervous laughter, gesturing to herself.
“Mmh. Do you know where I might find Sister Hilda?”
“She’s, uuh…” Sister Caroline did an exaggerated thinking face. “...at the Maternity home. I think.” By the time she answered, Phyllis had already discerned that information from the board above the telephone, along with the names of the other Sisters on loan from the Mother House.
“Thank you.” Phyllis gave her a tight smile. “I’ll let you get on with your work,” she said, turning to leave.
“It was nice to meet you, Nurse Crane,” Sister Caroline called after her. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
Phyllis was certainly going to take her up on that offer, but first she needed to speak with Sister Hilda. Before she did anything, however, she needed breakfast. For the first time in a week, the prospect of food seemed appealing.
She mixed oatmeal, water and salt in a large pot and put it on the stove. Waiting for the mixture to heat up, she sat on one of the kitchen chairs. It concerned her how tired she’d gotten already. But then again she was still recovering, and she knew she lacked a certain base stamina which the others got from cycling around Poplar every day. She figured she would be taking over some of the caretaking responsibilities in the coming days, but she would certainly require assistance while still recovering herself.
She stirred the pot and once the mixture had thickened into porridge she filled three bowls and headed upstairs. Trixie, Valerie and Lucielle were each given a bowl and while they ate, Phyllis decided to check in on Sister Julienne.
When Phyllis had convinced Julienne to finally take to her bed earlier that morning after several days of clearly being ill, she’d fallen asleep before Phyllis even left the room, snoring softly. This time when she cracked the door open however, the snoring had grown deeper and louder. She put it down to congestion, but didn’t think it was worth waking the Sister up for. Sleep was the best thing for her now.
Phyllis went downstairs and ate her porridge at the dining table, her first meal at the table for a week. After putting away the dishes she decided to catch up on some paperwork, but she found herself having to stop frequently to cough. The discomfort in her chest made itself known frequently and she felt that she still had trouble shifting the congestion.
Eventually the coughing grew more frequent and she decided she had to do something. She remembered an old home remedy she was given by her mother as a little girl during an illness when her lungs were clogged with thick mucus. From her memory, a chopped onion was sprinkled with sugar and left for a few hours until the juices gathered at the bottom, which was then consumed. She thought it was worth a try and headed to the kitchen to prepare a batch.
A few hours later she was sipping the foul-smelling syrup when Sister Hilda arrived, case in hand.
“Ah, now there’s a sight for sore eyes. It’s good to see you back on your feet, Nurse Crane. How are you feeling?”
Phyllis swallowed another spoonful of liquid with a grimace and turned to cough. Hilda winced in sympathy. “Better, but not fully restored,” she croaked when she finally catched her breath.
“Well, I’m glad it’s moving in the right direction. Which is good, not least because I think Sister Julienne is rather overextending herself.” Hilda looked to the kitchen and then the parlour. “Would you happen to know where she is, by the way? I didn’t see her in her office.”
Phyllis nodded. “She’s in her bed, sound asleep.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” Hilda sounded relieved. “I could tell she was falling ill, we all did, but there was no convincing her to rest.”
Phyllis had a fleeting thought that, if it had been Sister Evangelina instead of Sister Hilda, things probably wouldn’t have been allowed to go this far.
“She wouldn’t allow us to go upstairs other than to sleep, insisting she be the only one to enter your rooms for fear of contamination. But we weren’t allowed to help much downstairs either. She started skipping meals and appeared less and less in chapel. And Sister Frances and I have mostly been out, and I couldn’t ask the others…”
Phyllis frowned, suddenly realising something.
“Where’s Sister Monica Joan?”
Sister Hilda looked uncomfortable. “Well… You know how she can be.”
Phyllis crooked an eyebrow. Hilda pulled out a chair and sat.
“Sister Julienne was very worried about her getting ill. It went for all of us, but especially Sister Moncia Joan. She felt mollycoddled and sent Sister Julienne right to Coventry. She’s been out most days and hasn’t been back until teatime, sometimes not until Compline.”
“So she’s out now?” Phyllis asked and Hilda nodded. “Do you know where?”
“No… Though, word has it she’s been sighted outside the Palazzo Cinema on more than one occasion, so that would be my best bet.”
Phyllis nodded slowly. “Well as long as she stays warm and keeps coming back I suppose we shouldn’t worry too much. And perhaps her behaviour will change with this latest development.”
“Indeed,” Sister Hilda agreed. “Well, I should probably put this away,” she said, indicating her medical bag, “after which you and I should probably have a proper chat about how we go forward from here. And then I think a phone call to Mother Mildred is in order.”
Phyllis couldn’t agree more.
Together they came up with a plan. They looked at what work could be postponed, and divided up that which had to be done soon between them. Phyllis didn’t feel ready to undertake any physical chores but was more than eager to get started on some administrative tasks. The nuns would all take on more responsibilities around Nonnatus House, cooking and cleaning and doing laundry and all the other things which Sister Julienne had been doing practically on her own.
As they were working on the roster, the sound of a seemingly unrelenting cough reached them from upstairs.
“I believe that’s Sister Julienne,” Phyllis said.
“I should go and check on her,” Hilda said with a frown.
“No, I’ll go. You should phone the Mother House.”
Phyllis made the trek upstairs. Lucille was peeking out of their bedroom, a handkerchief pressed to her nose, looking concerned. “Don’t worry, lass, I’ll take care of it. You go back to bed,” Phyllis said, waving at her to go back inside. When she reached Julienne’s bedroom the coughing still hadn’t stopped.
Knocking without waiting for a reply, she stepped in and walked right up to the bed. She slid a hand under Julienne’s shoulders and helped her to sit up. Heat was radiating through Julienne’s nightdress despite the aspirin she’d taken only a few hours earlier, which concerned Phyllis.
“Easy, Sister,” she said. She sat on the bed next to her, holding her steady with one hand and reaching for the glass of water on the nightstand with the other.
She handed the glass to Julienne, who took small sips between coughs as the fit slowly decreased in strength and frequency until it finally stopped, leaving her out of breath. Her face was red and tears were rolling down her cheeks from the effort.
“There we are. It’s okay,” Phyllis said softly. She pulled out a clean handkerchief and wiped Julienne’s face, then pressed into her hand so she could blow her nose. She made a few attempts but it was futile, the congestion wouldn’t budge. Phyllis realised they may have to consider that she might also be suffering from a sinus infection on top of everything.
Julienne was taking shaky breaths and Phyllis felt her trembling. She was leaning more and more heavily against her, the strength to hold herself up fading fast.
Phyllis looked at the lone pillow at the head of the bed. She should have thought to bring her more earlier, but it hadn’t occurred to her at the time. However, there was no time like the present. She gently helped Julienne lie back down. “I’m going to get you more pillows and a few other things. I’ll be right back,” she said, pushing herself off the mattress.
She returned with more pillows, cough syrup, a thermometer, a kidney dish, a bowl and a few cloths. She put the items down and turned on the bedside lamp. Julienne squinted and shielded her eyes with her forearm. But when her coughing started again she moved the arm down to cough into her elbow.
“Here, let’s get you sitting up a little.” Phyllis sat on the edge of the mattress and helped her sit up. She then put the pillows against the headboard, and when Julienne leaned back her head was much more elevated than it had been.
“Thank you,” Julienne said breathlessly.
“I’ll pour you some cough mixture, then I’d like to take your temperature,” Phyllis said, reaching for the bottle. Julienne swallowed the cough syrup with a grimace, though if it was due to the taste or a sore throat, Phyllis wasn’t sure.
Julienne looked as if she was falling back asleep already, but Phyllis was concerned about her fever and wanted to take her temperature. She picked up the thermometer and helped Julienne stick it under her tongue. Phyllis busied herself while waiting by fetching a fresh glass of water and filling the bowl. When she returned she had to gently nudge Julienne, who appeared to have fallen asleep. “Just a few more minutes and then you can go back to sleep, I promise,” she said softly.
Phyllis organised the bedside table and fetched another blanket to keep by the foot of the bed just in case. Julienne struggled to keep her eyes open and was half asleep again by the time Phyllis retrieved the thermometer. She frowned at the result. It was a fever but not very high, though the fact that the aspirin hadn’t reduced it more was a concern. She wasn’t due another dose for about another hour, but Phyllis didn’t want to have to wake her again so soon and made the decision to provide the next dose already.
Julienne swallowed the pills and a little extra water at Phyllis’ encouragement, but her eyes slowly slid shut when Phyllis took the glass from her hands.
Phyllis reached for the bowl and cloths. She dipped one of the cloths in the water and wrung it out, then used it to gently wipe the sides of Julienne’s neck. Julienne shivered but then relaxed further into the pillows. Phyllis continued by gently wiping Julienne’s face, before finally rinsing the cloth, folded it and placed it on her forehead.
When she was sure Julienne was asleep and breathing fairly easily she got up, turned off the light and stepped out, closing the door behind her.
She quickly checked in on Lucille, then Valerie and Trixie before heading downstairs, finding Sister Hilda at the dining table.
“Everything alright?” she asked as Phyllis approached.
“She’s very congested. And completely exhausted, she could barely keep her eyes open for more than a minute.”
“Poor pet,” Hilda said with a sad expression.
“Did you speak with Mother Mildred?”
“Yes. She’s been informed of the new plans. Our reinforcements shall stay as long as it’s necessary, and…” Hilda hesitated for a moment before continuing. “She is coming to visit.”
Phyllis tried not to let her true feelings on the matter shine through. She didn’t dislike the woman on a personal level, but it seemed that whenever she visited, something always happened which was disadvantageous to the inhabitants of Nonnatus House or their friends in Poplar.
They continued going over some of the plans and Phyllis had a look at the paperwork which Julienne had abandoned worryingly quickly that morning - yet another sign of how truly awful she must have been feeling.
Toward the early afternoon, Phyllis felt her energy wane. She was making slower progress and her eyelids felt heavy. When she’d yawned for the third time in as many minutes she turned to Hilda. “I think I’m gonna head upstairs, see if I can catch forty winks and hopefully be of more use after I get some sleep.”
“Of course. I’ll hold the fort. Sleep well, Nurse Crane.”
Phyllis went upstairs, got changed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
She groggily woke up several hours later, having slept for much longer than she intended. It was clear that the illness would take some time to recover from, even now she was feeling a lot better.
She headed downstairs, stifling a yawn, and was greeted by Sister Frances in the parlour.
“Nurse Crane, it’s good to see you. I was just about to go wake you up. We saved you a plate but Sister Hilda said I should wake you before it gets too dry.”
“Thank you. How’s Sister Julienne, has anyone been up to check on her?”
“Sister Hilda was up earlier but she was still asleep.”
“And Sister Monica Joan?” Phyllis asked.
“Haven’t seen her yet. But she’s been coming home late some days, and she’s always been back for Compline.”
Phyllis nodded. She wasn’t particularly hungry but thought it best to get some sustenance in her, so she retrieved her plate from the oven and sat down to eat.
Sister Monica Joan arrived home not long after and was distressed to hear that Julienne had been taken ill. She went upstairs to see her, and then spent the rest of the evening in the chapel.
Phyllis did a little more paperwork, but any fears she might have had that her extended nap would keep her up all night soon disappeared. When she started finding it difficult to focus on her work she paused and took a seat in one of the armchairs, turning on the wireless. When she woke up some time later, she found that someone had draped a blanket over her. She yawned and returned to her bed, falling asleep quickly.
In the following days, Phyllis and the young midwives all started feeling better with every day that passed. Julienne was suffering with all the same symptoms they’d all had, but with a higher and more persistent fever, and a severe headache which meant the curtains were constantly drawn and the lights off. The swelling in her sinuses had eased off a little, and instead of being bunged up, her nose was constantly running. It also caused a post-nasal drip which was uncomfortable and made her cough.
Phyllis and the nuns all helped take care of Julienne, supplying her with whatever she needed to make her more comfortable. She was sleeping for most of the days, which was put down mainly to fatigue from the malaise. But on the few occasions she found herself awake she found she wasn’t able to do much due to the light sensitivity and headache.
After a few days they’d gotten into a routine, and Julienne finally seemed to be over the worst of it. The headache faded somewhat and she was able to sit up and read for short periods of time. But she still had a fever and was suffering with a lot of upper respiratory symptoms and a cough. Phyllis strongly suspected that she was having muscle and joint aches as well, as her movements were unusually stiff and careful.
Phyllis had almost forgotten Mother Mildred’s promise/threat, when she suddenly phoned early one morning to say she would be arriving in just a few hour’s time.
The news clearly had Julienne stressed. Soon after she’d been informed, Phyllis found her on the stairway heading downstairs. She was pale with flushed cheeks, her cap slightly askew, clutching her dressing gown tightly around her above the nightdress, visibly shivering.
“Whatever are you doing out of bed? I was on my way up with your breakfast,” Phyllis said, displaying the tray she was carrying.
Julienne shook her head. “No, I need to-” She turned and coughed harshly into a closed fist. “There are things which I need to see to before Mother Mildred arrives.”
Phyllis frowned. “Well if you must, I’d prefer it if you ate first.”
“I’m not really hungry.”
Phyllis gave her a meaningful look.
Julienne hesitated. A particularly strong shiver ran down her back and her shoulders curled up even tighter. She threw a longing glance back toward her bedroom and it looked to Phyllis like she wanted nothing more than to crawl back under the covers.
“At least have the tea. I’ve stirred in plenty of honey.”
Julienne swallowed thickly, then tried and failed to hold back a cough. “Oh, alright then,” she spluttered before turning and heading back upstairs.
Phyllis followed closely after. She entered Julienne’s bedroom, putting the tray on the desk. Julienne stood by the bed and stepped out of her slippers, and Phyllis took the dressing gown as she shrugged out of it. She quickly slipped beneath the blankets and pulled them up to her chin.
Phyllis picked up the tray and placed it over Julienne’s lap. Julienne was reaching for a handkerchief and blew her nose, then turned and coughed into it. Phyllis wasn’t sure she should say anything, but in the end she couldn’t stop herself.
“I’m sure you wish to speak with Mother Mildred, but I don’t see why you can’t do it here. And as for any administration you might have intended to do, I can assure you it’s all in hand. There’s no need for you to be rushing back.”
Julienne had picked up the cup of tea, holding it close with both hands for warmth. She took a sip. “I’ve been idle for far too long,” she said, sounding defeated.
“You’ve not been idle. Quite the opposite, your body has been working very hard to fight off this bug.”
Julienne sighed. “And it’s caused you all extra work, which isn’t fair.”
“These things happen. And we all look out for each other, don’t we?” Julienne looked up at her and Phyllis smiled at her. “Go on, have some porridge,” Phyllis encouraged.
Phyllis tidied up a bit and then went to check on the young nurses. They were all a few days behind her on their recoveries, and each had a few straggling symptoms.
Phyllis went downstairs to drop handkerchiefs and a few items of clothing off in the laundry room. When she came back upstairs, Julienne was leaning back against the pillows, spoon in hand, sound asleep. Phyllis carefully extracted the spoon from her loose grip, lifted the tray off of her and made a quiet exit.
It was a few hours later when Phyllis caught a glimpse of Julienne coming down the stairs and entering her office.
Phyllis knocked lightly on the open door as she entered. “Ah, Nurse Crane,” Julienne said in a very congested voice. She was once again clutching her dressing gown around her, but looked a little more rested than she had.
Phyllis looked her over carefully. “It’s quite cold in here,” she finally said.
“A little,” Julienne conceded.
“Well if you’re going to insist on staying, I shall insist you use the paraffin heater,” Phyllis said in a tone which made it clear that it wasn’t a suggestion.
Julienne looked uncomfortable at the thought, but then a shiver shot through her spine and she curled in on herself. “Perhaps that’s not such a bad idea.”
She started pushing herself up from behind the desk, but Phyllis waved for her to sit. “I’ll get it,” she said and headed for the store room.
She’d only just returned and watched Julienne light it when the doorbell rang.
Behind the door was Mother Mildred. She brought oranges, as well as the ominous news that she was to make an announcement after luncheon.
They gathered in the parlour, exchanged pleasantries and drank tea while Sister Hilda and Sister Frances prepared food in the kitchen. Their conversation was punctuated by Julienne’s frequent cough and sniffling, and Phyllis could tell her smile was forced.
When it was time to eat, Mother Mildred sat at the head of the table. Julienne had been on her way there and looked momentarily confused when her seat was occupied, so Phyllis cleared her throat to get her attention and indicated the empty chair next to hers.
Mother Mildred talked almost constantly throughout the meal. Phyllis tried to pay attention, but would throw occasional glances to her other side to keep an eye on Julienne's progress. She managed to finish most of what she’d put on her plate, though that hadn’t been much to begin with.
When everyone had moved on from the lunch and started to peel their oranges, Mother Mildred finally made her big announcement; they’d be taken away to some unknown location to convalesce, and evidently it was not the Mother House. Warning bells went off for Phyllis, worried about what Mother Mildred had planned for them.
Then all of a sudden she insisted on speaking with Sister Julienne alone. Julienne swallowed thickly and slowly stood, looking as if it took great effort to do so. Phyllis watched her lead the way down the corridor towards her office, and watched her shoulders slump when Mother Mildred indicated for them to enter the chapel instead.
Phyllis was doing the dishes when they both returned, and she wasn’t sure if she was imagining things but she could swear that Julienne looked significantly paler than when she’d left.
When she was informed of the intended destination she felt rather faint herself. A ten day working trip in a harsh climate with limited resources of the Outer Hebrides was not exactly what she pictured as an ideal setting to convalesce.
She was almost restored at this point with only a few lingering symptoms, and the young midwives were not far behind. But Julienne was clearly not fit to be out of bed for any extended period of time, let alone travel. As a trained nurse this would be obvious to Mother Mildred, Phyllis thought.
But the woman appeared to see nothing but her goal. She had disappeared as quickly as she arrived, with the explanation that she was to visit the Turners and inform them of her plan and ask for assistance.
Preparations started being made almost immediately. Lists were written, travel arrangements made and packing of medical equipment and supplies was started. Phyllis and the others had tried convincing Julienne that they would take care of it and that she should rest, but she remained in the clinical room clutching a clipboard in one hand and a handkerchief in the other. She would frequently pause her organisational activities to blow her nose or cough.
When she eventually started tilting dangerously to one side, Phyllis gently but firmly took the clipboard from her and ushered her up the stairs. Julienne moved slowly and a bit unsteadily, and Phyllis didn’t need to feel her forehead to know her fever was spiking once more. She was shivering beneath the dressing gown and by the time they reached the landing she had trouble putting one foot in front of the other. Phyllis supported her the last bit towards the bedroom.
“I don’t like the idea of you going anywhere so soon.” Phyllis didn’t mean to say it out loud, it just came out.
“We must go where we are called,” Julienne said hoarsely, leaning increasingly heavily on Phyllis.
Phyllis let out an exasperated sigh. She wanted to point out that in this instance it wasn’t Julienne who was called to go anywhere. It was Mother Mildred who was called, Julienne was simply told to go. But at the same time she was perfectly aware that the nuns had taken a vow of obedience, and she knew Julienne was not one to disobey a direct order. And she knew her well enough to know that she would never ask for special treatment or exceptions to be made for her, no matter how ill she was or how terrible she was feeling.
Phyllis helped Julienne to bed, who fell asleep immediately. She quietly tidied up the nightstand and made her way out, determined to speak with Mother Mildred about this.
The next morning when Phyllis arose however, she was surprised to find Julienne in the clinical room. She was back in her habit and going through the lists.
“Good morning, Sister.”
Julienne turned to look at her. “Good morning, Nurse Crane,” she said with a smile.
“How are you feeling?” Phyllis asked, assessing the Sister. She looked a little pale still, but seemed to have much more energy than the previous day.
“Much improved, thank you,” she said, smiling a little wider. “I wanted to catch up on the progress made yesterday and see what needs to be done before our departure.”
“Yes, well, in regards to that…” Phylls took a step closer. “Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to be travelling so soon?”
“We’re not leaving until the day after tomorrow. And I feel much better already. Like Mother Mildred said, the sea air will do us all good.”
Phyllis had her reservations about their destination. There may very well be fresh air, but she imagined the climate in the Highlands would not be ideal for recovering from the flu, especially at this time of year. Julienne did appear to have improved, but she was aware of the Sister’s tendency to push through on sheer will. After all, that was the reason she’d gotten so ill in the first place.
The day was mostly spent planning for the forthcoming trip. Julienne had situated herself back in her office, and occasionally a deep, rumbling cough could be heard coming from inside. But whenever anyone checked in on her she assured them that she was fine. By lunchtime she was looking rather tired though and didn’t say much, and when Sister Frances went to deliver a cup of tea in the afternoon, she found Julienne asleep at her desk.
“You made sure she went to bed?” Phyllis asked when Frances informed her of the latest developments.
“Yes. It took a bit of coaxing, but eventually she went. She isn’t feverish, but it makes sense she’s tired, she’s still recovering,” Frances replied. Phyllis nodded, and Frances continued, “I would be happy to go in her place. But I doubt Mother Mildred would allow it… It’s meant for you to convalesce, and I haven’t been ill.”
“Travelling hundreds of miles to work in a harsh climate does not sound like convalescing to me,” Phyllis said dryly.
Julienne slept through dinner and when Phyllis checked in on her briefly before going to bed, she was still asleep.
The next morning however, she once again found Julienne fully dressed and having started the day, this time in her office.
“Knock knock,” Phyllis said as she entered, and Julienne looked up. “Have you slept well?”
“Yes, thank you, very well,” Julienne replied with a smile. “I feel much better,” she said, and Phyllis couldn’t deny that she looked it.
“Dr and Mrs Turner will come by later for some final arrangements for tomorrow, and to bring a few things for the children,” Julienne said.
“Mmh,” Phyllis said, stifling a yawn. “I’ll put the kettle on, then we can go over the final details.”
The day was spent packing and making final arrangements, and while Julienne still suffered from upper respiratory symptoms and seemed drained by the end of the day, she hadn’t unexpectedly fallen asleep. They all went to bed early that night to prepare for their departure the following day.
The sun had only just risen above the horizon when they all gathered on the front steps of Nonnatus House to say their goodbyes. Everyone helped to load their crates and bags into the black cabs they’d hired to take them to the station.
Phyllis spotted Julienne checking her watch, shoulders high and tense, and it dawned on her that this was the first time she’d been out of the house since falling ill. There was no snow, but a thin layer of frost on the ground and puffs of smoke with every breath gave away the cool air temperature.
Phyllis walked up to her side, carrying her case and one of their supply boxes. “Everything alright?” she asked, quietly enough for only Julienne to hear her.
“Yes, thank you,” Julienne said quickly, but the smile which followed it didn’t reach her eyes. She was then distracted as she scrunched her nose and reached into her pocket to pull out a handkerchief and quickly blew her nose. “The cold air,” she said with a shrug, as if she hadn’t been doing the very same thing all morning while indoors.
Phyllis suppressed a sigh. She’d floated the idea of Julienne staying behind with Mother Mildred, but the Mother Superior had been adamant that it would be good for her. And Julienne had assured them she was feeling up for it, though Phyllis was still not thrilled by the idea. But at this point it was going to happen, however she felt about it.
She loaded her things into the car and then fetched another round of supplies before ushering Julienne into the vehicle and getting in herself. Final hugs were exchanged on the front steps and everyone bundled into the cabs, and moments later their long journey had finally begun.