Chapter Text
Katherine Price brushed the hair off her damp forehead with the back of her hand. She was certain there was blood down her front, too, but she couldn’t be bothered to clean up just yet. In fact, it’d be a miracle if she could make it down the front stairs in her current state. She’d been up for hours attending to Mrs. Walsh during her labor, and it had been a devil of a job. The baby had come just fine, especially given Mrs. Walsh’s age, but the afterbirth took longer than it should have, and Katherine had worried about hemorrhaging. Still, mother and baby were safe now, and Katherine was free to go home for a few hours of much-needed sleep. It was about time she stopped taking so many night shifts.
Hauling herself to her feet, Katherine untied her apron at the back. There was a small washbasin and mirror near the door, which she crossed to in a few steps. Hopefully the Walsh family wouldn’t mind if she borrowed it for a minute. After all, she had just delivered their seventh child. Dabbing at her forehead and behind her neck with the washcloth, Katherine studied her reflection. Drat. Her hair had begun to come free of its carefully pinned style, though she’d taken such effort earlier to keep it out of her eyes.The only other sign of her long night was the matching pair of dark circles beneath her already-dark eyes. Just as Katherine was turning away and folding up her apron, the front door swept open along with a gust of chilly Birmingham night air. It was Mr. Walsh, who was only just now returning from the bar. He reeked of smoke and whiskey.
“Ah, nurse. How is she?” He asked upon spotting her.
Katherine straightened and fixed a smile onto her face. “She’s just fine, Mr. Walsh. There was a bit of a scare, but your son is here now, and in fine health.”
“A son, is it?” At this news, Mr. Walsh beamed. “About time we had another. There were enough women in this house already.”
Katherine didn’t let her smile slip. “She’s feeding the baby if you’d like to see her now. Another nurse will be back tomorrow to check in on the both of them.”
He seemed uninterested, already on his way past her to the bedroom to see his wife. “Fine, fine.”
“If that’s all, I’ll be going now, Mr. Walsh. Please call us if anything unusual happens.” All Katherine received in response was a nod.
“Charming man,” she muttered under her breath. Katherine shrugged on her coat, picked up her bag, and with one final glance in on her patient, stepped out the door.
Though it was early May, the Birmingham streets were still bracingly cold, and Katherine drew her coat tightly around her. If she’d remembered to bring a hat, it would have been very welcome just then. Or maybe a scarf. The city was mostly dark, save for the few streetlamps illuminating her way like little fallen stars. She was grateful for the light- a woman walking alone at night needed to be on her guard. In fact, most of the other nurses insisted on being walked home if their patients kept them out late, usually by a husband or oldest son. The only reason Katherine agreed to the night shift at all was the reassuring weight of her pistol in her coat pocket. It was unusual for a young woman to be armed, but Katherine was an unusual nurse. She had allegiances to keep, a cause to defend, and many of the other high-level suffragettes had chosen to arm themselves as well. Still, she’d have to keep the weapon concealed at all times. Her accent already identified her as an American, and she didn’t need any extra reasons to stand out.
As luck would have it, Katherine lived close. It would take her only a few minutes to reach her doorstep, and she knew most of the neighbors on the way. She was just rounding the corner on her own street when she relaxed enough to relinquish her grip on the concealed pistol. Just ahead, the Murphy girl sat on her front porch with a cigarette between her fingers, nodding at Katherine as she passed. “Out for a late night stroll, Katherine?” she called.
“Something like that.” Katherine responded wryly.
The girl flicked the ash from her cigarette and readjusted her cardigan. “Well, you’d best get inside soon- word is that the Blinders are coming round this way tonight, maybe even the Shelby brothers themselves. You don’t want to be around for that. I’m going in myself when I’m done with my smoke.”
The Shelby brothers. No, Katherine certainly didn’t want to be around when they showed up, not with their reputation. The whole city was either in their pocket or on their payroll, and Katherine knew well enough to steer clear. Murdering gangsters, the whole family, though there were rumors that one of the sisters was a fellow revolutionary.
“I will,” she called back. “Thank you.”
The Murphy girl sniffed in response.
Soon Katherine was at her own door, setting her medical bag down to wrestle with the keys in the lock. “Damn door,” she grumbled, giving it a good kick. It swung open, groaning in protest of its unjust treatment. “Quiet, you,” was her parting comment to it before she was inside, flicking the lights on. She was extra careful to bolt the door behind her.
Katherine’s flat was small, one room with only one window. She kept it clean, though there wasn’t much decoration to be found anywhere. The narrow bed by the wall was the only thing that appealed to her at the moment, but Katherine forced herself to sit at the table and open her bag. Her tools would have to be sterilized before she slept, in case she woke to an emergency. The strong scent of the alcohol kept her awake as she worked.
Finally, with her task finished, Katherine stripped out of her uniform and stockings, leaving them in a pile on the floor. No amount of ruckus tonight would keep her awake, and she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
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Katherine awoke to a loud knocking at her door. The sunlight filtering through the curtains informed her that she’d slept until at least midday, and a quick glance at the clock confirmed it. She’d been asleep almost 12 hours, and it had clearly done her good; Katherine’s eyelids still felt heavy, but there was no more ache in her feet or weariness in her bones.
The knocking started up again. “All right!” she called. “I’ll be there in a minute!”
Katherine pushed herself upright and padded towards the door. She reached up to run a hand through her hair, only to realize she’d left last night’s pins in. That must have been the cause of the painful jabbing sensation at the base of her skull. One of these days she’d chop the whole mess off, the way young ladies were starting to. It would certainly be less upkeep. After shrugging on a dressing gown, Katherine cracked open the door to find her neighbor on the other side, baby on her hip.
“Christ, I’ve woken you.” Ada Thorne lamented, looking harried. “Sorry, Kit, it’s only that I’m late for a meeting and Freddie’s out. Could you watch Karl for an hour? I swear I’ll be quick about it.”
Katherine stifled a yawn. “I would’ve been up soon anyway. Yes, Karl can stay with me for a bit, if you promise it’ll only be for the hour.”
The young mother was visibly relieved. “You’re a saint, Kit. Truly, it’ll be quick, and Freddie will come by to pick him up at three.” There was something about Ada that made her easy to say yes to, perhaps the sincerity in her eyes. Her vigor and idealism were contagious. As she transferred Karl into Katherine’s outstretched arms, she glanced down at her watch. “Christ, it started ten minutes ago.”
“Then you’d better hurry, hadn’t you? Karl and I will have a grand time by ourselves.” Katherine reassured her, ruffling the child’s hair.
Ada planted one last kiss atop her son’s head and turned to leave. “Thanks, Kit. I’ll make it up to you, maybe bring you one of those pies that Freddie likes so much.”
Katherine nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”
“Behave yourself, Karl!” Ada was already halfway down the sidewalk, yelling back over her shoulder. “If he gets fussy, just give him something to suck on and he’ll quiet down!” and Ada Thorne was gone, leaving a bleary-eyed Katherine in her wake.
Closing the door and setting Karl on the floor, Katherine wondered about Ada’s meeting. Though it was supposed to be a secret, anyone with half a brain knew of the Thornes' involvement with the communists. Freddie was one of the most prominent organizers in the country, after all. Katherine hoped that Ada’s cause would align with her own, that liberation for the working class would also mean liberation for women. It was quite possible that Ada could be a powerful ally. But was she trustworthy? From his place on the floor, Karl babbled joyfully.
“You’re right, Karl,” she responded as though discussing the weather with a friend over a plate of sandwiches. “Let’s get something to eat, eh?”