Rolling his sleeves up, Tommy walked into the distillery and moved through the wooden barrels. The building was empty and Arthur had informed him that he had kept the man who had done this there. Tommy's hands had been shaking all the way there. Arthur had driven him after Tommy had left Charlotte at home, his daughter asking him where he was going. He had looked down to her and wondered what she would say if she knew where he was going. She looked up to him as though he was perfect, but he was anything but perfect. He knew that she would see that soon enough.
But there was no chance that Tommy was going to sit back when they had the man who had hurt his wife. He was thinking about Elizabeth all the way to the distillery. He'd tossed his cap to the side along with his coat and his jacket on his way to the stock room. Reaching for the cuffs of his shirt, he had undone the cufflinks and placed them into his pocket, not wanting to lose them because they had been a gift from his wife.
"Tommy," Arthur said, knowing the look in his brother's eye as he moved forwards, striding with purpose towards the stock room.
"What?" Tommy asked, letting his sleeves bunch up at his elbows.
"Yer need to know that this boy who did this…he's just a kid…"
"So?" Tommy demanded to know, looking over to Arthur, a wild look in his eye that he was struggling to hide. All he could think of was getting revenge on whoever had done this to his wife. It was all that he wanted because as time went on, his mind began to fear the worst. His mind began to fear that his wife wouldn't wake up and come back to him. How did Tommy cope with that knowledge? How could he raise Charlotte on his own? How could he look after James alone?
"So, he says that he doesn't know who paid him to do this," Arthur said to him.
"Well, he should've thought about that before he blew my bloody buildin' up!" Tommy snapped, the anger taking hold of him as he reached for the gun in his holster, checking that it was there. He stormed into the stockroom, the wooden double doors opening wide and he looked into the room.
There were wooden crates stocked high with their gin inside of them. Some loose bottles were dotted around and the sun was streaming in through the small glass window at one side of the room, showing the dust floating around and casting shadows. Tommy looked to the middle of the room where a boy was tied to a chair, dressed in an ill-fitted navy suit. His black hair hung in his face and he looked terrified. His green eyes were wide and wet, tears flowing freely down his cheeks.
It almost took Tommy off guard. It wasn't what he had expected. He had expected a man. He expected him to be indignant and to tell him that he would never tell him why he had done this. But this was not what he had expected in the slightest.
"Please," the boy pleaded and Tommy suspected he couldn't be any older than Finn. He looked like a teenager, barely old enough to shave the stubble that was growing on his chin. "I didn't know…I never knew…"
"Yer didn't know?" Tommy checked, his tone still harsh and low. "Yer didn't know that yer could've killed my wife?"
"No," the boy said, shaking his head and spit drooling from his mouth and onto his chin. "I didn't know. All they told me was that I 'ad to go and light a fire near the 'ouse. I didn't know anyone would be in it or that it would be laced with explosives. I never knew."
"And yer think that's an excuse?" Tommy demanded to know from him as Arthur stood in the doorway, seeing his brother circle the boy tied to the chair. "My wife is laid in a hospital bed clinging on for life!"
"I'm sorry," he sobbed hysterically. "If I knew…but they told me…told me they could clear our debts…that we'd be safe…"
"Who?" Tommy demanded to know from him, pulling at his tie and undoing his top button.
"I don't know," he responded, shaking his head quickly. "They just said that they could help my family and we needed it…we didn't know what else to do…please, Mr Shelby…I don't know."
Tommy ran a hand along his chin, holding it firmly in his grip as he looked up to the window and glanced at the dancing sunlight though it. He shook his head back and forth and closed his eyes, seeing his wife in his mind and imagining exactly what she would say to him right now. He could imagine precisely what she would say and how she would look at him. She would tell him to let the boy go. She would tell him that he should try and find out who had asked him to do this.
But that didn't stop Tommy from reaching for his gun, his hand curling around it and he longed to pull it out. But he didn't. He left it where it was and slammed his fist against the wall, bowing his head next to it and letting his forehead press to the cold brick. He knew that Arthur was watching him, clearly waiting for him to tell him what the plan was.
But Tommy wasn't thinking rationally enough to have a plan. He hadn't thought rationally since Elizabeth had been taken from him.
"Yer don't know who asked yer to do this?" Tommy checked, still keeping his forehead against the wall.
"I don't know," the boy sniffed loudly once more.
"Then yer tell us everythin' that yer know about 'im," Tommy demanded from him. "And yer work for us know until we find out who paid yer to do this. Do yer understand me?"
"He…he would hurt us…if I do that," the boy sniffed and Tommy nodded once and opened his eyes, turning to look at him. He pulled out his gun and stormed forwards, pressing the barrel of it against the side of the boy's head. He shuddered and began shaking under its presence as Tommy kept it there and bent down, his voice snapping into his ear.
"And yer think I wouldn't?" Tommy demanded to know from him. "Yer think that I wouldn't kill yer right now?"
"No…I'm sorry…please, Mr Shelby," he continued begging from him.
"Then yer work for us," Tommy snarled at him and pulled his gun back, pocketing it back in its holster and standing up straight, tugging at his shirt and sniffing loudly, the back of his hand running under his nose.
"Tommy!" Finn's voice entered the room and Tommy looked to him, seeing a large smile covering his face and Tommy instantly knew without him saying anything. He wanted to let out a deep sigh in relief, but he kept it hidden. He needed to hear the words first. "It's Liz…she's awake."
…
Running through the corridors of the hospital, Tommy ignored the nurses who demanded for him to slow down and walk. His steps were heavy and harsh as he panted for breath, his mind unable to comprehend anything else but his wife. She was awake. She was alive. He came to her private room and pushed the door open, seeing the doctor stood in front of the bed and obscuring his vision of his wife.
"Ah, Mr Shelby," the doctor spoke, but Tommy didn't look at him. He was too busy looking at his wife as the doctor moved to the side and he saw her laid there in bed, propped up by pillows and looking straight at him.
The doctor moved to the side before Tommy pushed past him and he sunk to his knees at the side of the bed, reaching for his wife's hand as his other hand went to her cheek, holding it in his fingers and cradling her tenderly.
"Yer alive…Liz…yer awake," Tommy said, unable to stop himself from stating the obvious.
She managed a sad smile for him as she picked her hand up and placed it on top of his on her cheek. "You didn't think that you would be rid of me that easily, did you?"
"I didn't know what to think," Tommy said to his wife, shaking his head back and forth and struggling to comprehend what had happened. It had all felt like a nightmare. "Liz, I didn't know what to think."
"I'm here, Tommy," she promised him, letting her forehead drop down to press against his. "I'm not going anywhere."
Tommy nodded against her and picked his head up to peck her on the forehead before he looked to the doctor, finally acknowledging his presence as his wife let her head rest by his shoulder, her hair tickling his neck.
"Is she goin' to be alright?" Tommy asked from him.
"It's too early to tell," the doctor admitted. "At the moment, she seems coherent and hasn't lost any memories, but head injuries can be complicated, Mr Shelby. There can be difficulties with mobility…and other issues with memory loss as well. We will need to keep an eye on her over the coming weeks."
Tommy nodded. He could do that. He could keep his eye on her and watch her like a hawk. He would ensure that she didn't exhaust herself or do anything too strenuous.
"When can she come 'ome?" Tommy asked, wanting nothing more than to take her back home where he knew she could recover comfortably. That would be for the best.
"Not for another week or so," the doctor said. "I want to keep an eye on her for a while longer, but for now, I'll give you some privacy."
The doctor left and Tommy nodded, grunting a thank you and then looking back to Elizabeth who had bid him goodbye. She looked to her husband and her lips arched sadly as she took hold of his cheek in her hand, her thumb running along his cheekbone.
"You look terrible," she said to her husband.
He chuckled and nodded. He knew he looked a state. "'Ard to sleep when yer in 'ere, Liz. I haven't exactly been copin'."
"I'm sorry," she said.
Tommy's brow furrowed. "What the 'ell are yer apologisin' for?" he demanded to know from her. "None of this is yer fault, Liz. Yer didn't ask for this to 'appen, did yer?"
"Well, no, but I can only imagine how you have been because I would have been exactly the same," Elizabeth said and Tommy shook his head, moving to sit up on the bed besides her. She shifted slightly, pushing herself to the side to give him more room. "Doctor Marks told me that you had been here every single day with Charlotte and James."
"I 'ave been," Tommy said. "And I'll 'ave 'em brought here."
"How have they been?"
"As well as they could be," Tommy said. "Charlotte…I've tried to keep 'er 'appy, but she's a clever girl. She's been worried and James 'as been the adult, tryin' to 'old 'imself together."
"Bless them," Elizabeth whispered. "You should tell Frances that everything is fine so that they can stop worrying."
"I'll 'ave Finn go and fetch 'em. He was just parkin' the car."
"Don't be long," Elizabeth said, smiling to her husband as he stood up and bent down, kissing her chastely and swearing that he would never take that for granted again.
…
Tommy had told Elizabeth about the boy who had caused the explosion, leaving out the part where he had threatened him. He didn't want to cause her disdain with him already. He had sat next to her on the bed, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as she rested against him. He'd helped her get to the toilet and back into bed, with Elizabeth joking that he was quite the nurse. Charlotte and James had arrived within the hour and Tommy had warned them to be gentle with her. Elizabeth had held the children tightly, not wanting to let them go but knowing that they should get a good night's sleep and not stay in hospital with her.
"You should take them back home," Elizabeth said to her husband as Charlotte remained in her lap and had fallen asleep.
"I'll 'ave Finn drive 'em," Tommy said.
"Tommy, you need to get sleep too," Elizabeth urged him.
"And I will, but I'm not leavin' yer," Tommy said, his tone firm and final. "Frances will be alright with 'em tonight."
"And I'll look after Charlotte," James interjected from the chair he was sat on. Elizabeth looked to him, pride taking hold of her at the young boy and how protective he was over their daughter.
"Thank you," Elizabeth said to him.
Tommy untangled himself from his wife and began to wake Charlotte up gently. She complained about leaving, but she went eventually, hugging her mother tightly and Tommy carrying her from the room and back to Finn. James pecked Elizabeth on the cheek before following Tommy and Charlotte from the room.
Elizabeth sat back against the pillows and sighed in contentment, closing her eyes and hearing footsteps approach her room once more.
"That was quick, Tommy," she commented, eyes still closed.
"Not Tommy."
Peeling her eyes open, Elizabeth turned to the doorway to see Mosley stood there, his coat over his arms and his gaze set on her. He was dressed in an intricate grey suit with red tie. He leant against the frame of the door and looked at Elizabeth as she sat up against her pillows and pulled her quilt up her lap.
"How can I help, Mr Mosley?" Elizabeth queried.
"Oh, I just wanted to see how you were," Mosley said. "I had business with Doctor Marks and he informed me you had woken up. I assume Tommy won't be far away."
"He's just taking Charlotte and James back to the car," Elizabeth said. "He shouldn't be long."
She hoped that was enough to get him to leave, but he was still stood there. She laced her hands onto her lap and pressed her thumbs together.
"Yes, I had hoped to see him. I am helping him try to find out who did this to you," Mosley said. "So far, we haven't found anything too useful, but we shall keep looking into it. I assume Tommy told you about the boy?"
"He told me," Elizabeth said.
"And he let him go," Mosley drawled. "He let the boy go without another word…a boy who could have killed his wife."
Elizabeth arched a brow. "What are you implying?" she demanded to know from him.
"Nothing at all," Mosley said in a slow drawl. "Just that from what I had heard of Tommy Shelby…well…he's more like the type of man not to let someone get away with harming his family. I wonder if he's losing his touch."
Elizabeth's teeth ground together as Tommy appeared in the doorway, looking to Mosley with that arched brow and passive glance.
"Why kill someone who could lead us to the people behind this?" Tommy wondered from him. "Believe me, Mr Mosley, if I find the man who did plot this then I wouldn't think twice about puttin' a bullet in 'is 'ead."
Mosley chuckled at that, but nodded. He moved his coat over his other arm. "Well, in that case I will leave you to it."
Neither Tommy nor Elizabeth bid him goodbye. Tommy shut the door behind him ad moved further into the hospital room. The tables in it were covered in flowers that had been sent from various people and Elizabeth had commented that they did help to brighten up the dreary room. She was eager to get home as soon as possible.
"I still despise that man," Elizabeth informed her husband as he shrugged out of his jacket and left it on the chair. He pushed a hand through his hair and moved to sit on the edge of the bed again, Elizabeth moving and indicating that he could sit next to her again. He took that as his prompt, pulling his legs onto the bed and feeling her rest against his side, her hand sitting on his chest and toying with the material of his white shirt.
"You and me both," Tommy promised her on that front. "But if he can 'elp me find whoever did this than he might be useful."
"And do you know who did this or have any idea?"
"Not at the moment," Tommy confessed. "But whoever it was, they'll pay."
"Tommy," Elizabeth said and he knew that tone. It was her warning tone. She didn't want him to do anything brash. She never wanted him to do anything brash that could risk him or their family.
"It's fine," Tommy said, not wanting to worry her when she was still so weak.
"Is it?" she questioned as he placed his hand on top of hers and she moved her finger over his wedding band. "Just be careful, Tommy. Promise me that."
"Always do."
"And usually you never are careful," she retorted.
"Can be difficult sometimes, but I'll do my best," he assured her. "Anyway, I don't want yer worryin' over it, not when yer 'ave just woken up. Yer need to be restin' and for the next few weeks I'm goin' to make sure yer do."
"You really do intend on playing nurse, don't you?" Elizabeth asked, her tone light as she yawned and closed her eyes.
"Think I'd make a good nurse."
"Your bedside manner leaves little to be desired most times," she said to him. "But I have to say, you're rather attentive right now. I don't think I'd like you nursing anyone else like this."
"Well, my wife gets special treatment," he said jokingly back to her and he looked down to see her eyes were closed. "And my wife should get some rest."
"I will," Elizabeth assured him. "So should you."
"I'll try my best," Tommy said. "Get some sleep, Liz. I'll be 'ere when yer wake up."
She nodded and he kissed her forehead before letting his cheek sit by the top of her head, knowing that sleep wouldn't come easy to him, not until he found out who had almost taken Elizabeth from him.
...
A/N: So I'm back in anticipation of the new series. Would love to know what you think!