Chapter 29
AN: This chapter takes place before and after John's funeral, but I decided not to write that scene into the story. If you do want to see that scene, I may write it into a one shot for the Shelby Sisters story.
Edith pauses as she enters the hallway of the hospital floor she had been told Michael was on; she watches the nurses and doctors move around for a few minutes, jumping as a hand touches her arm gently.
"Sorry sweetheart, do you need some help?" A nurse asks her softly, a sympathetic smile gracing her lips as Edith reaches up to swipe away the single tear that had escaped her eye and was falling down her cheek.
"Um, yes. Please." She responds, clearing her throat before continuing. "I'm looking for Michael Gray. He's my cousin." The nurse nods, giving her another small smile as she begins to guide Edith down the hallway.
"He's not been feeling up to visitors, but I'll knock anyway." She replies, Edith nodding with a small smile of her own as they stop in front of a closed door. "Mr Gray?" The nurse calls, knocking as she pushes open the door, popping her head into the room. "Your cousin is here to see you."
"I don't want any visitors." Comes Michael's gruff reply, Edith's breath catching in her throat at the thought of being turned away by him. The young nurse turns to face Edith, shrugging her shoulders with a sad smile.
"Tell him it's Edith." She whispers in reply, wringing her hands as the nurse turns away again, relaying the message.
"Edith?" She hears Michael repeat, heart pounding at the sound of his voice calling out to her. Stepping aside, the nurse squeezes Edith's arm lightly as she passes to let her into the room, giving her a gentle warning of not staying too long, before heading back off down the hallway, leaving Edith hovering in the doorway. "Edie?" Michael calls again, bringing a fresh wave of tears to her eyes as she steps into the room, pushing the door shut behind her. She lets out a shaky laugh as Michael slowly pushes himself up to sit against the headboard, motioning for her to come into the room with a nod of his head.
"You look like shit." She jokes lightly, now lingering at the end of his bed, letting out a snort of laughter as he rolls his eyes at her.
"Thanks." He replies sarcastically. "What are you doing here, Edie?"
"I needed to see you." She whispers, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "I needed to make sure you're ok."
"Come here." He says gently, holding his good arm out for Edith, who immediately moves towards him, dropping lightly onto the bed and tucking her head against his neck, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. Michael lifts his good arm again, cupping the back of Edith's head as he shushes her softly, tilting his head to press a kiss to her temple.
"I thought you were going to die too." She cries, leaning into Michael's hold as her sobs rack her body. "I can't lose you too."
"You're not going to." He whispers against her hair. "I'm not going anywhere."
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"Alright?" Michael greets Bonnie the following morning as he appears in the doorway to Michael's hospital room. Bonnie repeats the greeting, moving into the room to take a seat beside the bed.
"I can't believe they let her stay." Bonnie comments with a small laugh, resting his elbows on his knees, leaning forward towards Michael who scoffs.
"They wouldn't have been able to get her to leave, even if they tried. She faked sleep for at least an hour, and when a nurse came in during the night, she threatened to scream the place down if they forced her out." Michael replies with a laugh of his own, shaking his head at the memory of his cousin's actions.
"Sounds like our Edith." Bonnie states, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear gently.
"She hardly slept." Michael continues, nodding his head towards his cousin who was curled up at his side, barely still laying on the bed, close to falling off if hadn't been for Michael's good arm holding her on.
"She's not been sleeping much at all." Bonnie replies, continuing to run his fingers gently through Edith's hair. "God I hate that I have to wake her."
"She says she doesn't want to go to the funeral, but she needs to." Michael comments. "She doesn't mean it though, she wouldn't miss it for the world."
"I know," Bonnie says with a sigh, glancing up at the clock. "We need to get going." He says reluctantly, leaning forwards to press a kiss to Edith's cheek. "Love?" He calls gently, rubbing her cheek to try and wake her. "Edith, time to get up." Edith sighs as Bonnie presses another kiss to her forehead, turning and smiling at him sleepily, before remembering where she was, the smile falling as her eyes fill with tears.
"No." She whispers with a shake of her head. "Please Bonnie." Bonnie shuts his eyes, rubbing them as he thinks of how to respond.
"We don't have to go...but I really think you should, love."
"But then he's gone. Really gone."
"I know." Bonnie cups Edith's cheek with his hand as she lets out a choked sob, tears streaming down her face. "Come here." He kneels beside the bed, pulling Edith into his lap as she sobs in his arms.
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Edith takes a deep breath in an attempt to settle her nerves and her reeling mind from the shock of the events of the funeral that morning, as she knocks on Tommy's office door later that afternoon, pushing it open to stick her head into the room. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes. Come in." He replies, raising his hand to wave her into the room, noting how she visibly trembles as she steps closer to his desk.
"What's going on?" She asks quietly, shaking her head as Tommy silently motions for her to sit.
"Edith, with John gone..." he starts slowly, placing his hands in his pockets, trailing off as she shakes her head adamantly.
"No." She whispers, tears pooling in her eyes as Tommy reaches up to rub at his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Tommy."
"No, Edith. You need to listen." He states gently, moving around the desk to stand in front of her, holding a hand out for her to take. She shakes her head again, glancing down at his hand as she takes a step back.
"Tommy...I can't." Edith cries softly, clutching her hands to her chest as the tears begin to roll down her cheeks. "Please, Tommy. Please. I can't do what you're going to ask of me. I can't."
"With John gone," he repeats slowly, moving to sit on the edge of the desk. "You and Finn are going to need to step up in the company."
"No."
"Edith."
"No! Please!" She sobs, her head frantically shaking from side to side. "We've just said goodbye to our brother. Please, Tommy. Don't ask me to do this. I can't do this!"
"Edith! For once in your life, shut up and fucking listen!" Tommy booms, anger suddenly flashing in his eyes, dimming immediately as he notes how his statement and volume brings a fresh wave of tears to Edith's eyes, his little sister stumbling backwards at his words. "You and Finn will be equally taking over John's share of the business, until you're both old enough and have enough experience to take over your own part." He continues more gently, watching as Edith rings her hands, taking her lip between her teeth. He notes the change in her posture as she straightens suddenly, taking a deep breath as she swipes at her cheeks, appearing frustrated at the way the tears were rolling down her face.
"I'm not doing it." She states, voice full of hurt and anger.
"You don't have a choice."
"You think you can have everyone eating out of the palm of your fucking hand." Edith hisses, stepping forwards, her eyes locking with Tommy's. "Well guess what? Not everyone wants to conform to your fucking way of life! You can't control everything."
"Watch me."
"Oh yeah? And how has that worked out for you in the past, eh? Look at John. Look at how that fucking worked out. You choosing his life for him. He's dead! Because of you." Tommy's head snaps back as if she'd reached out and slapped him, both equally as shocked as each other at the words that had left Edith's mouth. She lets out a squeak of surprise, clasping her hand over her mouth as she slowly backs away from Tommy before bolting out of the room.
Still shaking from the angry conversation she had just held with her brother, Edith slips back into the warm living room, avoiding making eye contact with any of her family members as she sinks down on to the sofa beside Bonnie. He reaches his hand out, silently offering her comfort in the form of his upturned palm, squeezing her hand gently as she tucks her hand in his as she silently tunes in to the conversation going on around her. She glances around at the saddened faces of her siblings, her gaze finally landing on Polly who was sat alone in an arm chair, ranting to no one in particular.
"And he used your brother's bloody funeral as a-"
"Stop, talking about him!" Edith explodes suddenly, jumping up from the sofa, everyone falling into a stunned silence as they turn to face her. Bonnie rises slowly, reaching out to Edith as she lets out a frustrated laugh. "He's not even here and he's all we can fucking talk about!" She shouts, flinging her arm out in the direction of the door. "Tommy, this, Tommy that, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy." She yells, clapping her thumbs and fingers together in the air. "I'm so fucking sick of it! He's in our heads!" She continues, jabbing a finger to her temple, spurred on by the silence and shocked expressions from her family members. "And because of him, and this fucking company, our brother is dead! Dead. And we're all next!"
"Edith..." Ada starts, rising from her own chair, reaching her hands out towards her sister who falters, swaying against Bonnie's hold as she lets the sobs break free. Bonnie tightens his grip on his girlfriend as she collapses against him, shifting slightly to allow Ada to wrap her arms around her sister too. "I think Edith needs some space." She says quietly, turning to the rest of the family, Finn catching on quickly as he ushers everyone from the room, Bonnie and Ada silently guiding Edith back on to the sofa, once again sobbing in their arms.
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It's hours later, after a nap in one of the smaller drawing rooms of Tommy's house that she and Bonnie had occupied, that Edith shuffles towards her boyfriend, fear pooling in her stomach as she hovers by the sofa he was laid on. "Bon?"
"Yeah?" He replies softly, holding his hand out to Edith over the arm of the sofa, smiling as she slips her hand into his. His smile drops as he watches the tears pool in her eyes, leaning forward to pull her towards him, Edith dropping lightly into his lap as she whispers: "I'm bleeding."