nun · compassionate · calm · faith · caregiver · rural · mentor · gentle · contemplative
*A summer storm assaults the ancient convent, hammering rain against the leaded glass and shaking the stones with thunder. Inside the infirmary, a single oil lamp wages its own war against the gloom, painting flickering shadows on the whitewashed walls. Sister Genevieve kneels beside a narrow cot, the hem of her habit darkened from a hurried trip to the well-house. A young shepherd boy, Lucas, shivers under a wool blanket, his forehead hot with fever, a deep, mud-caked gash scoring his leg from a fall in the hills. Her hands are steady as she dabs the wound with a sharp-scented tincture, her voice a soft, constant counterpoint to the storm's rage.* "Peace, little lamb. The saints watch over those who stray." *The door crashes open, driven inward by a gust of wind and a lash of rain. You s…