![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
merryghoulTitle: how easily the pit opens
Fandom: Call the Midwife
Wordcount: 2000
Rating: Mature
Characters: Delia Busby/Patsy Mount, Trixie Franklin
Pairing(s): Delia/Patsy
Contains: sexual content
Prompts: written for the![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
femslashficlets “language of flowers” table
Notes: It’s probably safe to call this a canon divergence AU, since CTM skipped over Delia and Patsy’s disappearances to move on to Barbara and Tom getting a proper sendoff. It’s set in 1962, around the time of a smog incident in the UK at the time, just before the Big Freeze later in December that year. An explanation of the titles of the ficlets are in a separate comment.
Summary: Patsy and Delia decide to move into their own place. But a dangerous December fog stands in their way of their future.
AO3.
come before the swallow dares
They met in their usual spot in the cafe where no one assumed they were a couple. “We can’t stay in Nonattus House forever, Delia,” Patsy said. “Phyllis might not say anything. But it’s a miracle none of the nuns have caught us in the act yet.”
“What are you suggesting, Pats?”
“I’m going to leave Nonattus House and join you in the hospital. And we should get our own flat again. I’ve lost my father. I don’t want to lose you, too. So what do you say? Should we try again?”
Delia smiled. “Yes, Pats, we should try again.”
The calla lillies are in bloom again
The flat Patsy and Delia almost moved into, before Delia’s accident, was long resold, now belonging to a family of four. But it didn’t take long for them to find a new flat. Their new flat was closer to the hospital than Nonnatus House It was old and weathered, filled with imperfections. Patsy and Delia didn’t care. The imperfections were easy to hide, but the imperfections were not the point. After months of delays, finally Patsy and Delia had a place of their own, a place to be themselves in a world where not everyone accepted them as they were.
my soul left its mark on hers
Patsy and Delia couldn’t reveal why they were leaving Nonnatus House in Sister Julienne’s office. They couldn’t be arrested for being lesbians, but it was still mostly frowned upon like romantic relationships between men. They were afraid Sister Julienne would use her beliefs to discriminate against them. They were used to other people doing the same thing outside Nonnatus House.
“We are used to midwives coming and leaving Nonnatus House,” Sister Julienne said, smiling. “We will all miss you both living with us. But if you two wish to return, our doors are always open. I wish you two well.”
how easily the pit opens
Patsy and Delia had never seen such a thing. The older nuns had seen it before, a decade ago, and even earlier. Even Phyllis had seen it. They called it a “pea-souper,” a thick fog. The last “pea-souper,” the Great Smog of London, was hard to see through and dangerous to breathe in. This fog was not as thick as the Great Smog, but those that lived through it thought this fog was just as dangerous.
Patsy and Delia knew, as they looked at each other in Nonnatus House, they were not moving into their flat just yet.
Careful! Careful! Careful!
Patsy’s former patients were already reassigned to the other midwives and nuns at Nonnatus House. This allowed her to walk with Delia to the hospital. Patsy planned to return to the hospital as soon as the fog passed over London and she and Delia could move into their own flat.
Officials advised people walking out into the fog to cover their faces. Before they could leave Nonnatus House, Patsy laid out two handkerchiefs. Patsy tied a handkerchief around Delia’s face. Delia did the same for Patsy.
They briefly held hands, but knew they couldn’t leave Nonnatus House with hands entwined.
To seek the tall delphinium -
It was hell walking to the hospital. The fog covered everything. It was thick, so thick the sidewalk could be barely made out. It smelled vile. Patsy and Delia were happy they had Nonnatus House as a safe haven, at least until they could finally move into their flat. For others living in the East End, they couldn’t escape this fog that had the potential to be as lethal as the fog of 1952.
Patsy and Delia walked side by side. When they reached the hospital, they couldn’t embrace each other. They shared knowing looks before going their separate ways.
a flower that fades before the sun is very high
Patsy was not expecting to still be in Nonnatus House the week the fog struck the United Kingdom. She couldn’t work her old routes, as they were already reassigned to the other midwives and nuns. She settled with helping prepare items the nuns and midwives needed for their routes.
Delia was still on Patsy’s mind more than ever. She managed to get her tasks done, but she was still bored.
Trixie approached Patsy. “My route’s very long today. Would you like to accompany me? I’d really like the company today.”
“Are you going past the hospital?”
Trixie nodded.
“I’m in.”
a temporary relief
While Trixie was tending to a patient, Patsy ran into the hospital. She knew she didn’t belong in certain places because she wasn’t tending to a patient there. She also wasn’t related to anyone in the hospital. If she could get married to Delia, she would actually be related to her, in a way. But if society didn’t accept her now, there was no way she was getting married soon.
Patsy ran into Delia while Delia was doing her rounds. This was no time for anything requiring body contact and nothing implying intimacy. Patsy silently waved and Delia waved back.
not a native of our soil
After several hours, Delia came back from work. Patsy checked to make sure no one was passing by their room. Once they knew the coast was clear, they embraced each other, giving each other a peck on the lips.
They looked outside their window. The fog still lingered outside. “How long did they say the fog in 1952 last?” Patsy asked Delia.
“Four days.”
“I guess we’re stuck here for about a week.”
“But I know how to make the most of it. I think you do too,” Delia said, nudging Patsy in her ribs.
Patsy knew what she meant.
the breath of coming rain
It was a long wait to assume Nonnatus House was mostly asleep, in the middle of the night. There was always the risk of the occasional medical emergency, where someone might have to pick up the phone, and a few of the midwives would have to stay up to tend to the emergency. For now, Nonnatus House was still. Everyone was asleep.
Even with Nonnatus House still, Delia made her motions deliberately slow. She walked to Patsy’s bed and slid under the covers.
Patsy and Delia kissed before stripping under the covers, making sure they wouldn’t fall out of bed.
as simple as hunger
Patsy and Delia moved slowly in the bed, to minimise creaking and to prevent anything from falling and making a thudding noise. Patsy grabbed a piece of Delia’s clothing and carefully slid it off her body. They kissed. Delia flipped Patsy over. Delia took a piece of clothing off of Patsy’s body. They repeated these motions until they were nude.
Patsy kicked their clothes under the bed. There was the chance of someone opening the door to their room and seeing their clothes under their bed. Patsy hoped “keeping warm because of a medical emergency” was a good enough “excuse.”
I would only crush its tender petals
When they were fully nude, Delia climbed on top of Patsy. She took the pillow case from a pillow and placed it in Patsy’s mouth. With Patsy gagged, Delia split apart Patsy’s legs, gripping her hips, and went to work.
Patsy moved her hands up and down Delia’s back. She couldn’t wait until she was finally in her own flat, where she wouldn’t need to gag herself just to make love to Delia. When Patsy let out a moan as Delia brought her to climax, she was happy that, at least for the moment, she bit down on a gag.
A form more perfect can display;
Patsy and Delia knew they couldn’t fall asleep in each other’s arms after making love. If they had their own place, they could without fear of someone discovering them. But they decided to rest for a few moments, to recharge and to bask in the moment.
Patsy held Delia in her arms. Delia rested her head between Patsy’s breasts, listening to whatever she could hear of Patsy’s heartbeat.
They held on to each other for several minutes. They pretended as if those minutes were a lifetime in whatever stillness one could call the environment of a cold, foggy East End.
The roads to freedom
The days when the fog hung over Britain felt like a loop to Patsy and Delia. Every day they’d prepare to go to work. Everyday Patsy helped the other midwives with what they needed. Patsy teamed up with Trixie, sometimes running into the hospital to take a glimpse of Delia. They’d both go back to Nonnatus House. After the house did their usual post-work activities, including dinner, the house mostly went to bed. Patsy and Delia found their way into bed. Sometimes they made love. Other times they would cuddle. But they both wanted to move into their house.
The sun-observing marigold
It was still cold outside a week later. It was December, after all. But things were different. The fog was gone. It wasn’t known if the fog still lingered in some parts of Britain. But it certainly was gone from London and the East End.
The sun was shining. Patsy and Delia looked at each other. After a delay, soon they would be leaving Nonnatus House for the final time. They were about to move into their own flat, their own place where they could openly be themselves without fear of being discovered by people that would disapprove of them.
When buttercups are blossoming
Trixie helped Patsy and Delia pack. Having been around lovelorn Patsy recently, she was able to sense there was something going on with Patsy and Delia. By the time she was helping them pack, she had put two and two together.
“I think I know why you two are moving out,” Trixie said when everything was packed.
Patsy and Delia froze. “I didn’t think—“
“No! No! I don’t disapprove of your relationship. I’m happy for you both. And I understand why you don’t want everyone to know that you’re together. I’m not telling anyone. I hope you grow old together.”
What in your life is calling you
It was nice to have a friend like Phyllis who not only could keep secrets, but also had her own car. Phyllis’ Morris Minor saved Patsy and Delia money on hiring a moving truck to move their things and from curious onlookers.
Patsy and Delia said their goodbyes to Nonnatus House before stepping into the Minor.
Patsy and Delia’s flat wasn’t far from Nonnatus House, and yet it seemed like a whole new world. Maybe it was because finally Patsy and Delia had a private space of their own, where they could freely love each other without hateful, discriminating eyes.
emotionally reactive to the world around you
Patsy and Delia didn’t have a lot of items to move in to their flat. Some of the things in their flat were left by the previous tenants—the basics like a bed and a refrigerator. The utilities were turned on, so they didn’t need substitutes for electricity and heat, and they had running water. But they put whatever they had to liven up the apartment and give it a bit of personality.
There were still things Patsy and Delia needed in their apartment. But for those missing items, Patsy and Delia would buy them once they had the money.
The hyacinthe wooes thy kisse to close In slumberre
Patsy and Delia took their things out of Phyllis’ Morris Minor and said their goodbyes before Phyllis left for Nonnatus House. They decorated their flat with the few items they both owned. They put their clothes away in the flat’s closets. They made sure there was some food in their kitchen.
When everything was taken care of, Patsy and Delia headed to bed. It was their first night alone together without worrying about waking up midwives or being discovered by nuns. They could be as loud as they wanted to be now. Why not christen the flat, in a way?
chrysanthemum hour
Days passed. Patsy went to work in the hospital. She didn’t care that she wasn’t around Delia all the time. She didn’t want that. It would look too suspicious if Patsy kept bumping into Delia at the hospital, anyway.
In the evenings they went back to their flat, relaxing for a few hours before heading to bed and doing it again the next morning. Patsy and Delia didn’t have much time together when they worked. The important thing was they both had each other, especially after what the two of them went through, hopefully for the rest of their lives.
Fandom: Call the Midwife
Wordcount: 2000
Rating: Mature
Characters: Delia Busby/Patsy Mount, Trixie Franklin
Pairing(s): Delia/Patsy
Contains: sexual content
Prompts: written for the
femslashficlets “language of flowers” tableNotes: It’s probably safe to call this a canon divergence AU, since CTM skipped over Delia and Patsy’s disappearances to move on to Barbara and Tom getting a proper sendoff. It’s set in 1962, around the time of a smog incident in the UK at the time, just before the Big Freeze later in December that year. An explanation of the titles of the ficlets are in a separate comment.
Summary: Patsy and Delia decide to move into their own place. But a dangerous December fog stands in their way of their future.
AO3.
come before the swallow dares
They met in their usual spot in the cafe where no one assumed they were a couple. “We can’t stay in Nonattus House forever, Delia,” Patsy said. “Phyllis might not say anything. But it’s a miracle none of the nuns have caught us in the act yet.”
“What are you suggesting, Pats?”
“I’m going to leave Nonattus House and join you in the hospital. And we should get our own flat again. I’ve lost my father. I don’t want to lose you, too. So what do you say? Should we try again?”
Delia smiled. “Yes, Pats, we should try again.”
The calla lillies are in bloom again
The flat Patsy and Delia almost moved into, before Delia’s accident, was long resold, now belonging to a family of four. But it didn’t take long for them to find a new flat. Their new flat was closer to the hospital than Nonnatus House It was old and weathered, filled with imperfections. Patsy and Delia didn’t care. The imperfections were easy to hide, but the imperfections were not the point. After months of delays, finally Patsy and Delia had a place of their own, a place to be themselves in a world where not everyone accepted them as they were.
my soul left its mark on hers
Patsy and Delia couldn’t reveal why they were leaving Nonnatus House in Sister Julienne’s office. They couldn’t be arrested for being lesbians, but it was still mostly frowned upon like romantic relationships between men. They were afraid Sister Julienne would use her beliefs to discriminate against them. They were used to other people doing the same thing outside Nonnatus House.
“We are used to midwives coming and leaving Nonnatus House,” Sister Julienne said, smiling. “We will all miss you both living with us. But if you two wish to return, our doors are always open. I wish you two well.”
how easily the pit opens
Patsy and Delia had never seen such a thing. The older nuns had seen it before, a decade ago, and even earlier. Even Phyllis had seen it. They called it a “pea-souper,” a thick fog. The last “pea-souper,” the Great Smog of London, was hard to see through and dangerous to breathe in. This fog was not as thick as the Great Smog, but those that lived through it thought this fog was just as dangerous.
Patsy and Delia knew, as they looked at each other in Nonnatus House, they were not moving into their flat just yet.
Careful! Careful! Careful!
Patsy’s former patients were already reassigned to the other midwives and nuns at Nonnatus House. This allowed her to walk with Delia to the hospital. Patsy planned to return to the hospital as soon as the fog passed over London and she and Delia could move into their own flat.
Officials advised people walking out into the fog to cover their faces. Before they could leave Nonnatus House, Patsy laid out two handkerchiefs. Patsy tied a handkerchief around Delia’s face. Delia did the same for Patsy.
They briefly held hands, but knew they couldn’t leave Nonnatus House with hands entwined.
To seek the tall delphinium -
It was hell walking to the hospital. The fog covered everything. It was thick, so thick the sidewalk could be barely made out. It smelled vile. Patsy and Delia were happy they had Nonnatus House as a safe haven, at least until they could finally move into their flat. For others living in the East End, they couldn’t escape this fog that had the potential to be as lethal as the fog of 1952.
Patsy and Delia walked side by side. When they reached the hospital, they couldn’t embrace each other. They shared knowing looks before going their separate ways.
a flower that fades before the sun is very high
Patsy was not expecting to still be in Nonnatus House the week the fog struck the United Kingdom. She couldn’t work her old routes, as they were already reassigned to the other midwives and nuns. She settled with helping prepare items the nuns and midwives needed for their routes.
Delia was still on Patsy’s mind more than ever. She managed to get her tasks done, but she was still bored.
Trixie approached Patsy. “My route’s very long today. Would you like to accompany me? I’d really like the company today.”
“Are you going past the hospital?”
Trixie nodded.
“I’m in.”
a temporary relief
While Trixie was tending to a patient, Patsy ran into the hospital. She knew she didn’t belong in certain places because she wasn’t tending to a patient there. She also wasn’t related to anyone in the hospital. If she could get married to Delia, she would actually be related to her, in a way. But if society didn’t accept her now, there was no way she was getting married soon.
Patsy ran into Delia while Delia was doing her rounds. This was no time for anything requiring body contact and nothing implying intimacy. Patsy silently waved and Delia waved back.
not a native of our soil
After several hours, Delia came back from work. Patsy checked to make sure no one was passing by their room. Once they knew the coast was clear, they embraced each other, giving each other a peck on the lips.
They looked outside their window. The fog still lingered outside. “How long did they say the fog in 1952 last?” Patsy asked Delia.
“Four days.”
“I guess we’re stuck here for about a week.”
“But I know how to make the most of it. I think you do too,” Delia said, nudging Patsy in her ribs.
Patsy knew what she meant.
the breath of coming rain
It was a long wait to assume Nonnatus House was mostly asleep, in the middle of the night. There was always the risk of the occasional medical emergency, where someone might have to pick up the phone, and a few of the midwives would have to stay up to tend to the emergency. For now, Nonnatus House was still. Everyone was asleep.
Even with Nonnatus House still, Delia made her motions deliberately slow. She walked to Patsy’s bed and slid under the covers.
Patsy and Delia kissed before stripping under the covers, making sure they wouldn’t fall out of bed.
as simple as hunger
Patsy and Delia moved slowly in the bed, to minimise creaking and to prevent anything from falling and making a thudding noise. Patsy grabbed a piece of Delia’s clothing and carefully slid it off her body. They kissed. Delia flipped Patsy over. Delia took a piece of clothing off of Patsy’s body. They repeated these motions until they were nude.
Patsy kicked their clothes under the bed. There was the chance of someone opening the door to their room and seeing their clothes under their bed. Patsy hoped “keeping warm because of a medical emergency” was a good enough “excuse.”
I would only crush its tender petals
When they were fully nude, Delia climbed on top of Patsy. She took the pillow case from a pillow and placed it in Patsy’s mouth. With Patsy gagged, Delia split apart Patsy’s legs, gripping her hips, and went to work.
Patsy moved her hands up and down Delia’s back. She couldn’t wait until she was finally in her own flat, where she wouldn’t need to gag herself just to make love to Delia. When Patsy let out a moan as Delia brought her to climax, she was happy that, at least for the moment, she bit down on a gag.
A form more perfect can display;
Patsy and Delia knew they couldn’t fall asleep in each other’s arms after making love. If they had their own place, they could without fear of someone discovering them. But they decided to rest for a few moments, to recharge and to bask in the moment.
Patsy held Delia in her arms. Delia rested her head between Patsy’s breasts, listening to whatever she could hear of Patsy’s heartbeat.
They held on to each other for several minutes. They pretended as if those minutes were a lifetime in whatever stillness one could call the environment of a cold, foggy East End.
The roads to freedom
The days when the fog hung over Britain felt like a loop to Patsy and Delia. Every day they’d prepare to go to work. Everyday Patsy helped the other midwives with what they needed. Patsy teamed up with Trixie, sometimes running into the hospital to take a glimpse of Delia. They’d both go back to Nonnatus House. After the house did their usual post-work activities, including dinner, the house mostly went to bed. Patsy and Delia found their way into bed. Sometimes they made love. Other times they would cuddle. But they both wanted to move into their house.
The sun-observing marigold
It was still cold outside a week later. It was December, after all. But things were different. The fog was gone. It wasn’t known if the fog still lingered in some parts of Britain. But it certainly was gone from London and the East End.
The sun was shining. Patsy and Delia looked at each other. After a delay, soon they would be leaving Nonnatus House for the final time. They were about to move into their own flat, their own place where they could openly be themselves without fear of being discovered by people that would disapprove of them.
When buttercups are blossoming
Trixie helped Patsy and Delia pack. Having been around lovelorn Patsy recently, she was able to sense there was something going on with Patsy and Delia. By the time she was helping them pack, she had put two and two together.
“I think I know why you two are moving out,” Trixie said when everything was packed.
Patsy and Delia froze. “I didn’t think—“
“No! No! I don’t disapprove of your relationship. I’m happy for you both. And I understand why you don’t want everyone to know that you’re together. I’m not telling anyone. I hope you grow old together.”
What in your life is calling you
It was nice to have a friend like Phyllis who not only could keep secrets, but also had her own car. Phyllis’ Morris Minor saved Patsy and Delia money on hiring a moving truck to move their things and from curious onlookers.
Patsy and Delia said their goodbyes to Nonnatus House before stepping into the Minor.
Patsy and Delia’s flat wasn’t far from Nonnatus House, and yet it seemed like a whole new world. Maybe it was because finally Patsy and Delia had a private space of their own, where they could freely love each other without hateful, discriminating eyes.
emotionally reactive to the world around you
Patsy and Delia didn’t have a lot of items to move in to their flat. Some of the things in their flat were left by the previous tenants—the basics like a bed and a refrigerator. The utilities were turned on, so they didn’t need substitutes for electricity and heat, and they had running water. But they put whatever they had to liven up the apartment and give it a bit of personality.
There were still things Patsy and Delia needed in their apartment. But for those missing items, Patsy and Delia would buy them once they had the money.
The hyacinthe wooes thy kisse to close In slumberre
Patsy and Delia took their things out of Phyllis’ Morris Minor and said their goodbyes before Phyllis left for Nonnatus House. They decorated their flat with the few items they both owned. They put their clothes away in the flat’s closets. They made sure there was some food in their kitchen.
When everything was taken care of, Patsy and Delia headed to bed. It was their first night alone together without worrying about waking up midwives or being discovered by nuns. They could be as loud as they wanted to be now. Why not christen the flat, in a way?
chrysanthemum hour
Days passed. Patsy went to work in the hospital. She didn’t care that she wasn’t around Delia all the time. She didn’t want that. It would look too suspicious if Patsy kept bumping into Delia at the hospital, anyway.
In the evenings they went back to their flat, relaxing for a few hours before heading to bed and doing it again the next morning. Patsy and Delia didn’t have much time together when they worked. The important thing was they both had each other, especially after what the two of them went through, hopefully for the rest of their lives.
no subject
Date: 2018-02-24 04:36 am (UTC)6, daffodil: The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare
3, calla lily: originally The Lake by Massingham & MacDonald, made famous by Katharine Hepburn
1, baby’s breath: Vulnerable, Amy Lane
15, narcissus: “Persephone, Falling,” Rita Dove
7, dahlia: “City that Does Not Sleep,” Federico García Lorca
9, delphinium: “My Garden is a Pleasant Place,” Louise Driscoll
14, morning glory: the screenplay for Morning Glory (1933), Howard J. Green
16, poppy: Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees
8, daisy: The Garland of Flora, Dorothea Dix
12, lilac: “Then and Now,” John McCrae
18, rose: Cakes and Ale, W. Somerset Maugham
4, carnation: “Carnation,” Paul Weller
20, tulip: “On Planting a Tulip-Root,” James Montgomery
19, sunflower: My Antonia, Willa Cather
13, marigold: The School of the Heart,Francis Quarles
17, ranunculus: “Bohemia,” E. C. Stedman
11, iris: The Box: Remembering the Gift, Terma Collective
2, bleeding heart: from this webpage
10, hyacinth: “Incription for a Grotto,” George Croly
5, chrysanthemum: The Book of Disquiet, Fernando Pessoa