- "This is not how this day should end. Or how his world should begin."
- - Edina cradling her newborn son in her arms
Edina Corbett is a expectant mother who arrived from India with her husband Lionel and daughter Roberta and is expecting her hoped for second child though the road is far from easy.
Overview[]
Edina Corbett lives in Poplar with her husband and daughter Roberta ("Bobbie"), her husband Lionel is a train driver and she has only a few weeks left to go. Unfortunately she is suffering from a condition known as synthesis pubis, a painful condition affecting the joints of the pelvis. She is under the care of Sister Hilda, she explains to her that in the last few weeks she is having difficulty getting up the stairs but hates making a fuss whilst Sister Hilda enjoys it as a pastime.
Her husband Lionel, a train driver is suffering from headaches which she puts down to his glasses and he puts down to him getting old. Sister Hilda suggests a special type of girdle to give her some relief, she admits is does give her some comfort. Despite her condition she should still be able to have a home birth, she then explains the reason for the gap between Roberta and her new baby is because Lionel and her were apart for some time as he was building the railways. She also goes into how being Anglo-Indians they thought coming to England would be like coming home but it wasn’t so simple though she does admit she felt at home now.
Edina begins experiencing pain and Lionel calls for the midwives, Lucille Robinson explains she is having Braxton hicks contractions, more generally known as a false alarm. Edina gets teary eyed from disappointment. She feels better when Lionel gets the wallpaper for the baby’s bedroom. Lionel begins complaining of his age and how he is getting so forgetful, Edina says he was always like that and she loves him for it, naturally in a conversation about memory he forgets about the rice cooking.
Roberta comes knocking on the door of Nonnatus House, Edina being unable to get up from bed because of the pain. Sister Hilda decides the maternity home is the place for Edina who is taken there, at first Lionel is afraid of something being wrong but Sister Hilda explains it is simply for her to get more rest. Everything was under control according to Sister Hilda. In no time Edina goes into labour and is being attended by Sister Hilda, but while she is pushing new life into the world her husband is driving a train from Chelmsford. The train was coming from a midwifery conference attended by Dr Turner, Sister Julienne and Nancy Corrigan. Edina is moved to the delivery room with a possibility of delivery before the night it out, and Lionel’s train is on time and she says “you have no idea how happy that makes me.”
Unfortunately a great tragedy strikes as Lionel loses consciousness whilst driving the train and makes it speed up and it misses a red light. The train ends up colliding with another and causes a massive explosion in the area around Nonnatus house. Nancy Corrigan gets off as she was in the toilet but the other two are trapped in a carriage. As the rest of the Nonnatus team rallies around the community Sister Hilda is still with Edina and has no idea of the tragedy. Edina groans in agony as each contraction brings her closer and closer to her baby, she can’t wait for her husband to come, the 5:19 yet the clock gave the time as 7:05 though Edina is more occupied with the pain. She knows Lionel wants a son even if he never said it to her.
When Sister Hilda briefly left the delivery room she met Miss Higgins who had arrived to get fresh supplies for the disaster. She tells Sister Hilda of the tragedy that the driver has been killed. Sister Hilda realises she must be talking about Lionel, and tells Miss Higgins that Edina can not know she is a widow until the birth is over as her physical agony was already enough. She also asks for absolute confirmation that it is indeed Lionel who is dead.
Edina eventually gives birth to a baby boy and Edina is filled with joy and says “I have everything”, causing the smile to fade from Sister Hilda's face. What should have been among the best days of her life became the worst when she is told of the news and begs for it not to be true but Sister Hilda and Miss Higgins confirm it and she desperately asks for her baby which they hastily get for her. Edina is heartbroken and the two women try to make things as easy as possible for her, they ask if she wants her daughter but she says Roberta is in good and caring hands with two ladies from their church. She said it was not the way her day should end or her babies world should begin.
The next day Roberta is called to the maternity home after being told of the news and wants her dad, despite her sadness she is still happy to meet her baby brother. Edina puts on a brave face and asks Roberta for name suggestions, Roberta suggests Jeremy which she agrees to make his middle name and tries to think of a R name or a B name to go with Roberta or her nickname Bobbie, Roberta suggests Barry but she goes with Lucille’s suggestion of Benedict.
Edina decides to discharge herself early as she knows her daughter needs to see her in her kitchen and sleep in her own bed. According to Edina Roberta was tormented in school as her father crashed the train. When she gets home she notices Lionel never finished the job of papering Benedict’s room. Edina tries to finish the job but is too distraught. When Sister Hilda and Miss Higgins come for a visit she admits she’s crying because she’s angry with Lionel for leaving her to bring up two children alone and crashing the train, an inquest is being planned. Miss Higgins was able to speak to a connection at the coroners office and it turns out Lionel had been suffering from a brain tumour, that was why his vision was bad and his memory would lapse. This tumour can cause seizures, of which he had when he was driving the train meaning he was not careless and was not to blame for the crash.
Edina is last seen getting help from Fred Buckle with baby Benedict’s room, she is holding him as Sister Hilda helps with the ironing. She smiles just about and with her knowledge she will be okay as she begins her new life as a single mother.
Quotes[]
It cannot be true. It is too much of a disaster. You have to say this is not true. You have to say this is a mistake!
- Edina on the verge of tears after being given the bad news about Lionel.