Chapter thirty-six: Top of the city
Kate exhales as she paces back and forth. She and Polly had started to discuss wedding plans, then, the sound of a truck approaching caused them to still. She hated this minute. The minute before all the mayhem descended. She remembered it from her days in the war. The still silence before the violence erupted and blood started running in the streets.
BANG! BANG! BANG! Kate dropped her cup of tea as three shots were fired. She turns to Polly, who is just as still as her. She can hear men shouting in the streets below. Kate shakes her head and bolts.
"Kate!" Polly shouts after her as she races down the stairs. "Wait!"
Kate grabs her medical kit that she'd left by the front door and yanks it open. Polly may be shouting something at her, but she can't hear it. Another shot is fired and then, there's silence. Or, she thinks there's silence, all she can hear is her heart pounding in her ears. As she draws closer to the group of men, she can see there are two bodies on the ground.
The larger group, Kimber's group starts to retreat. Kate stands there, breathing hard. John looks up and sees her. He places his hand on a man's shoulder who turns to face her. It's Thomas. She exhales as their eyes meet. She inhales as she looks deep into his blue eyes, again, silently communicating to each other. Relief washes over her as their eyes tell them the one thing that their souls have been waiting for.
The war was over.
Thomas holds out his arms, inviting her to come into the embrace he was offering her. Her medical kit falls from her fingers and she runs towards him as he strides towards her. Her arms go around his neck as his go around her waist, lifting her up from the ground. He doesn't say anything to her, he doesn't need to. She knows.
"Easy there tom," Arthur says. "you were shot."
"Shot!" Kate jumps down from his arms and she immediately spots the wound in his chest. "Thomas Shelby-
"It's nothing Kate."
She ignores him and Kate carefully peels back his coat to assess the wound. "It looks like it missed nay vital organs. Thank God."
"Kate, I'm fine."
"No, you're not." Kate declares firmly. "But you will be. I'm going to go get some water boiling in the pub, you get on over there." she heads to where Scuttleboat and Curly are lifting up a body. She walks over. "Is he alive?"
Curly shakes his head. "No. He's gone."
Kate looks at the face and freezes in place. "Daniel Owens?" tears gathered in her eyes. "Oh merciful God, in heaven I knew him!" Thomas steps towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He used to have the worst nightmares in the hospital. Always would shout that, he had to go bang." She wipes her eyes. "God, I-I can't believe this."
"Come away Kate." He turned her away from Daniel's body. "There's nothing you can do." She exhales deeply as they head towards the pub, stopping to allow her to pick up the medical bag. "No more tears Kate, you've shed enough."
She inhales. "You're right, there's been enough bloodshed for the day. I shot Grace," he doesn't react. "not on purpose. She was going for her gun, so I shot first."
"Not really concerned about what happens to her. She pulled a gun on you, you made sure you weren't shot first. Better you than me." Thomas changes the subject for her sake. "Did Peter pick up Chinn?"
Kate nods. "He showed up right after the taxi driver arrived."
"Taxi?" he turns towards her, his blue eyes studying her closely. "Why was there a taxi?"
She bites her lip before confessing. "To be honest, I almost left. I had my bags packed and Polly had ordered the taxi for me."
"And what stopped you?"
"Several things, but mostly you did." she reached up and ran her thumb across his cheekbone. "I couldn't make it down the stairs with my bags. I tried." She chuckled as he pulled her against him. "I went in and out of my room five times before putting my bags back in my room."
"Are they still packed?" she nods. "Good. You're back coming home with me tonight."
"Am I?"
"Yes." He kisses her soundly on the mouth. "I'm not about to be separated from you again."
The sound of a man letting out a loud yell causes Kate to hurry into the back room to see Arthur restraining Thomas and Jeremiah digging out Thomas's bullet!
"Hold it!" Kate shouts over the loud clamoring. Thomas looks up, gratefully at her as she makes her way through the men. "That's not how you take a bullet out! You'll do more damage than good!" She carefully maneuvers the basin and kettle of water. "Now, move over and give me some space."
"You heard my wife." Thomas says with a smile on his face.
"I'm not your wife, yet." She points out as she places the instruments in the basin and pours the hot water over it. The men make amused sounds as she hands him the bottle of rum. "Have a drink Thomas."
"Drinking isn't going to distract me from you and your surgery." He states as he takes an obliging swing of rum.
"Is that so?" Kate hops up onto the table as the men hoot in amusement. She wasn't exactly straddling him, but their hips were side to side. "Never had to distract any patient in this manner during the war."
"Well, it might have worked on a few fellas." he runs his hand down her hip, which she smacks.
"Hands, Thomas Shelby!" He laughs as Kate leans closer to examine to see the wound. She gently pushes the skin back, looking for the bullet. It hasn't gone in very deep. She'll be able to reach in and grab it. "Can you move my hair out of my face?"
"Yeah sure." Kate smiles as she grabs the proper tool to extract the bullet.
The moment he touches her hair, Kate makes her move. She reaches in and latches onto the bullet. "Don't move." She orders as she smoothly extracts the bullet from wound, causing him to look at her in admiration. "What?"
"Barely felt a f**king thing."
"You really think this is the first bullet I've pulled out?" Everyone laughs as Kate reaches into her kit for the antiseptic. "I need you to lay back."
"Why?"
She shoves him onto his back. "Don't argue with the nurse!"
"Coulda used you as my nurse back then!" Arthur crows.
"This one's mine." Thomas grips her waist and pulls her down towards him. "Go find your own!"
Kate smiles, having uncapped the antiseptic. She leans forward, as if to kiss him on the mouth, before pouring the antiseptic on the wound, causing him to let out a yell. "I am so sorry Thomas." she says as she holds him down. "But, we can't go having it get infected." Thomas begins swearing in Romani. "Yes, yes, I know." she pulls out her kit and begins searching for her thread and needle.
"What the hell is this?" Polly demands as she sweeps into the room.
"I just took out the bullet, cleaned the wound and now I'm stitching it up."
"Doesn't look like any medical technique I've seen before."
"Believe me, I've never used it before." Thomas rolls his eyes at her causing her to smile as she begins to do stitches. "Missed your heart."
"I'm not so sure it didn't." he smirks up at her. "Not really a coincidence that this is the same side you've pulled the first bullet out of me."
"Technically, I stitched and cleaned your wound. Still," she smiles. "it is quite a morbid coincidence that you keeping getting shot on the same side that has your heart, around me. Let's hope this is the last time."
Thomas nods. "It will be. I give you my word."
"Good. Hold still so I can concentrate on this."
He nods. "Right and then…I've got something for you after all of this."
Kate smiles. "Hmm, I wonder what it could possibly be." But she's fairly certain she knows what it is.
LittleBabyFox: Yes, she's finally gone!
44: Well, there will be one more coming soon, so, you'll have 3 to decide between!
MeriemDjez: And this time, she can hear them!
Idcam: I have the worst luck! In this story, Polly likes Kate, she was team Kate right off the bat!
Angel029: She's ready now.
