The Hospice Behind The Scenes

The quiet subplot of St Bernadine's Hospice: Queenie's waiting, the nuns' care, the postcards, and her death.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Call Answered In Berwick

A Call Answered In Berwick The Accented Voice At St Bernadine's Hospice, a nurse answers Harold's frantic call and tells him Queenie is asleep. She takes down the strange message that Harold is walking to save her. The Patient Who Hears The nurse notices a change in Queenie after the call. A woman with no family and no friends suddenly has a reason to wait. The Seed Of A Miracle The hospice staff do not know what to make of the pilgrim. But they pass on the message: Harold Fry is on his way, and Queenie must keep living.

Postcards On The Ward

Postcards On The Ward The Growing Collection Harold's postcards arrive one by one. Queenie can no longer speak or write clearly, but she recognizes the handwriting and holds the cards where she can see them. The Change In The Patient Sister Philomena later tells Harold that Queenie sits up, shows the postcards, and waits in a way she had not waited before. The small squares of paper are a lifeline. The Presence Of The Pilgrim Although Harold is still hundreds of miles away, his postcards make him present in the room. The hospice becomes a stage for his promise.

The Nun At The Door

The Nun At The Door Henry From Dorset When Harold finally enters St Bernadine's, Sister Philomena welcomes him warmly. Later a younger nun mishears his name and calls him Henry, and he does not correct her. The Corridor Of Small Moments He notices the garden, the sprinkler, the empty chair. There is no applause, only the loose silhouette of a nun leading him down a clean corridor. The Last Door Sister Philomena announces a visitor and flattens herself against the door as Harold passes. He looks into the room and sees a slight form beneath white sheets. The meeting he has walked eight hundred miles for is about to happen.

Queenie's Last Breath

Queenie's Last Breath Almost Nothing Queenie drifts in and out of consciousness. She remembers a good man who came and went, and she remembers that he walked. She is so tired that even the effort of focusing on a pink quartz is too much. The Game With Her Father A memory comes of running down stairs in red leather shoes while her father calls, Where are you? She answers, Here I am. The light is very bright and something twists at the window, showering the room with stars. The Easy Closing Queenie parts her lips for the next intake of air, and when it does not come, something else does. It is as easy as breathing. The waiting ends.

The Message Of A Smile

The Message Of A Smile A Peaceful End The sisters tell Harold and Maureen that Queenie looked peaceful, almost childlike. Just before she died she gave a smile, as if she had found something. The Answer To The Promise Harold does not know if his walk healed Queenie. But the smile suggests she was no longer afraid at the end. The promise has been kept in a way that transcends medicine. The Faithful Witness Maureen repeats the words to Harold: Queenie was a good woman and a true friend. The hospice, with its quiet witness, lets them say goodbye together.

First afternoon of Harold's walk

Spring to early summer

The day of Harold's first arrival

The day after Harold's visit

After Queenie's death, relayed by Sister Philomena