period drama

"Well Finn, it..pains me to say this, and I know this wont be easy news for you to hear, but Augustine has had another one of her turns. I think you ought to know - she's having a dreadfully heavy period"
"Oh Medallion..no!"
"Actually it's Madeline"
"But no, it can't be true. Oh Lord why have you chosen her? She who wouldn't pull the tail off a lamb! She who would never even spit on a choir boy! Poor girl, if only I'd known. I mean the pastor said she'd been looking pale, but oh, I just thought - I never... oh" (bites fist and looks anguished)
"Oh Finn! you weren't to know! I mean half the village is down with consumption so you'd be forgiven for thinking it was an ordinary bout of that. If I'd known, if I'd known it was this bad... I'm so terribly sorry, I would have been here sooner. But please know, I'll do anything I can to help"
"I don't know if there's anything you can do to help... if there's anything anyone can do.." (stares off winsomely into the distance)

[END]