Hold onto your seat and brace yourself for this absolute curveball of an episode because we can guarantee you that you’re not ready. We sure weren’t and it hit us right in the gut. As we approach the Season 11 finale of “Call the Midwife” with Episode 7, a sense of mystery looms over Nonnatus House. Last episode, a lost raven (yes, a bird) caused mayhem in the house and its presence worried Sister Monica Joan who sought out clairvoyant Dulcie Greenhalgh for answers. She saw unfortunate events in Sister Monica Joan’s future, and though the eldest of the midwives is in good health this season (we are keeping her spiritually and mentally protected in bubble wrap), we couldn’t have predicted what would go down this week. Dulcie was seriously downplaying her visions.

School Before Health

The bad luck begins with the return of Timothy Turner. No shame to Timothy or anything… but it’s true. The doctor-in-training is back from medical school and in dire need of bedrest after coming down with *gasp* glandular fever aka mono aka kissing disease. (Can you believe?! Timothy is all grown up!) Though he’s being forced to recover at home, a high temperature, fatigue and swollen glands are not about to stop him from getting some valuable study time. His parents encourage him to take it easy, but he refuses to fall behind in his schoolwork and grows angry with them for treating him like he’s still a child.

Focusing On the Job

While Timothy dives into his textbooks, Nancy on the other hand struggles to keep her focus with her midwifery training. Sister Hilda observes that she’s often distracted when they’re at work and takes her concerns to Sister Julienne in hopes she can be guided in the right direction. Together they decide that rather than speaking to Nancy directly, in fear of undermining her confidence, they’ll show her what she can achieve when the right opportunities are presented to her.

To kick off Nancy’s new responsibilities, they put her in charge of morning orders in Phyllis’ absence. Seems easy enough, right? Well, it probably would be if she was actually a morning person. Already, things get off to a bad start when Nancy sleeps through her alarm and misses her first day leading the womens’ orders. In response, Sister Hilda gives the young nurse a bit of tough love and notes that even a small slip up like this could ruin her career in the future and that she needs to make a better effort.

A Couple Who Struggles Together…

When she’s not busy helping Nancy with her career, Sister Hilda is doing the best she can to make her patient Edina Corbett comfortable during her pregnancy. After a false alarm with Braxton-Hicks contractions and so much hip pain that she can’t get out of bed, Edina finally agrees to spend the remainder of her time at Dr. Turner’s maternity hospital until her baby arrives. She isn’t the only one suffering, though.

Edina’s husband and local train conductor, Lionel, has also been experiencing terrible headaches, which Edina blames on an incorrect prescription for his glasses. Even so, Lionel shrugs it off. Make no mistake - a headache on “Call the Midwife” is not just a headache and if you’re wondering if this seemingly minor issue comes back later, then we’re here to tell you that YES, yes it does.

A Young Mother

From medical school to midwifery training, the team has a lot on their hands as they attempt to guide the young people around them. Though one of the youngest at Nonnatus House herself, Sister Frances also finds herself mentoring someone of her own. 15-year-old Carole Reece returns to Dr. Turner’s surgery for an appointment about her son’s dry skin and is glad to see a familiar face in her former midwife. There, Sister Frances also meets Carole’s foster mother Norma, who’s helping her care for Dean before the mother and son move into their own flat together.

Giving Carole Options

Following Carole’s appointment with Dr. Turner, the young mother learns her son has eczema. Though a change in his bathing routine should be an easy fix, Sister Frances offers her support knowing that Carole doesn’t have family to be there for her. During the midwife’s first visit to Carole at her foster home, she can see that it’s taking time for her to adjust to her new life. When Sister Frances speaks with Carole’s foster mother about her care, Norma remarks how vulnerable the teenager will be when she moves out. She shares that different boys have visited Carole at their building, and though Norma always makes sure they stay away from her home, there will be no one to stop them when Carole is living on her own.

Sister Frances alerts Dr. Turner who recommends that Carole take birth control pills, but Sister Frances relays doubts that Carole will take it consistently. Alternatively, he suggests that Carole get fitted for a coil, or an IUD, at the family planning clinic. Unfortunately, their talk doesn’t go so well. When Sister Frances visits Carole at her new flat, Carole shies away from the idea of using an IUD and promises Sister Frances that she’s no longer sexually active ever since having Dean. Despite this promise, Sister Frances remains skeptical. On top of this, she notices that Carole’s skin has become increasingly irritated, similar to her son’s. However, there’s no sign of bed bugs or other creepy crawlies in her new apartment and Sister Frances remains stumped at Carole’s condition.

Redemption and a Conference

Meanwhile, after a late morning snooze during her first day on the job, Nancy makes a point to take her new responsibility of morning orders more seriously. She’s up bright and early every day following the alarm mishap and she impresses Sister Hilda and Sister Julienne so much that she receives an invitation to join Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner at the upcoming midwifery and obstetrics conference. Nancy is hesitant when she realizes the conference will take place on the same day she usually sees Colette, but ultimately agrees that the opportunity will help advance her medical career and Colette as well.

A Volunteer Babysitting Gig

After an unsuccessful attempt to convince Carole to try contraception, Sister Frances visits with her again with a housewarming gift from the Nonnatus House garden. Despite Carole’s initial enthusiasm to be living on her own, she admits that she feels even more lonely than she imagined. Knowing that Carole lacks a close social circle and any family to turn to, Sister Frances offers to take Dean off her hands for a night so that Carole can go out and meet other youths in the area.

When Sister Frances enters Nonnatus House that evening with a stroller and baby on board, she explains that Carole has taken the evening to go to a dance at the local youth club. In reality, Carole is actually sneaking off with a boy she’s met. However, the date ends abruptly when the two have an altercation and he forces Carole out of his car.

Carole’s Secrets

Following this incident, Carole finally arrives at Nonnatus House (much later than promised) to collect Dean. Though Sister Frances isn’t able to pull much information from the frustrated teenager before she departs, she notices that Carole’s skin condition has worsened. The next day, she goes to Carole’s home with Dr. Turner in tow, but when they get there they find Carole unconscious on the ground, jaundiced, and Dean in a fit in his crib.

They take Carole to the hospital, but as it turns out, a concussion or neurological issues are not to blame. Instead, Carole’s doctor casually drops that she’s pregnant, which is likely the cause of her jaundice and why she fainted at home. Sister Frances is stunned (and initially in denial) to hear that she’ll already be having a second child and is almost at her third trimester.

When Sister Frances visits Carole after her examinations, Carole admits that the boy she was on a date with the night prior is the father of her second baby. Like Dean’s father, he didn’t want anything to do with her pregnancy and again has left her with no support. To make matters worse, Carole’s water breaks early while she’s at St. Cuthbert’s. Sister Frances stays by her side to help her through her delivery again - this time as a friend and witness - but when Carole finally gives birth to her daughter, there are complications with her breathing.

Conference Day

As Sister Frances waits with Carole for news on her baby, Nancy, Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner are off to the midwifery and obstetrics conference in Chelmsford. The hot topic of the day is the use of epidurals and Nancy takes a front seat for the conference sessions as an eager participant and student. It’s a proud moment for her colleagues as they watch Nancy blossom in her career.

A Poplar Disaster

After a long day of mingling with others in the industry and learning about medical innovations, the trio makes the trek back home to Poplar. Blissfully unaware, they end up on Lionel’s evening train where they’re surrounded by dozens of soccer fans celebrating throughout the cars. Back at home, Edina goes into labor and Sister Hilda comes to her aid at the maternity hospital. She eagerly awaits Lionel’s arrival in hopes that he will arrive in Poplar on time for her delivery, but as his train approaches its destination things take a turn for the worst.

In the midst of the trip, Lionel’s eye issues and head pain return. Alone in the conductor’s cabin and unbeknownst to those riding the train, he has a seizure. As this occurs, a light ahead signals for the train to stop, but in his unconscious state Lionel continues to go through it and the train charges ahead. Nearby, another train with the right of way on a merging track moves forward as well. It’s only as the train’s speed greatly increases and a horn sounds loudly beside them that the group realizes something is terribly wrong. The two trains collide right by Poplar’s station and the crash rocks shops and homes throughout the neighborhood.

On the train, Nancy stumbles out of the bathroom with minor injuries only to discover that the door to her train car where she left Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner has been blocked by debris. Another passenger helps her off the train to safety despite her pleas to go back. Close to the derailment, the Buckles, the Robinsons and Matthew gather together to help the panicking community. The majority of them are shaken but safe, but Cyril and Lucille’s close friend and fellow church member Mrs. Wallace sustains an injury to her eye from shattering glass at the Robinsons’ home.

When the group sees the extent of the injuries from the explosion and the terror that the crash has caused, they do what they know best and immediately jump in to help those around them. They take as many people as they can to Nonnatus House where Sister Monica Joan is horrified to hear of the unfortunate events that have taken place just as Dulcie envisioned. Curse that raven!!!

An officer arrives and finally reveals that one of the trains involved in the crash was the train that their friends were on. The Nonnatans are distraught, but Sister Monica Joan makes her best attempt to hold it together so they can focus on the wounded currently in their care. Both Sister Julienne and Dr. Turner remain unconscious in the destroyed train car, and the episode concludes with perhaps one of the biggest cliffhangers of “Call the Midwife” history. Has it left us in shambles? Yes. Are we prepared for the Season 11 finale? Absolutely not.

Forgot how we got here? Catch up on “Call the Midwife” with the Season 11, Episode 6 GIF Recap.