Chapter 14 - Gramophone
"So is that why you two came here. To mock me," said an annoyed Thomas, "that's your form of 'help,' aye?" John finally stopped laughing.
"Tommy don't be like that," said John.
"Is it?! You come down here, put me in a bed, and take advantage while I'm out. Is that it?!" demanded Thomas.
"Thomas," said Grace, trying to calm him.
"And YOU, I bet you helped yourself, right?" Thomas said whilst pointing at Arthur, " All the whiskey is taken care of."
"Thomas, stop," said Grace.
"Ok, Tommy, I didn't mean it," John repented.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, all the whiskey is gone Tommy, because your boy here threw out the rest before it could be drank," Arthur said coldly from his corner.
"Nice," Thomas said nodding his head, "Well done John. I really hope that isn't how you are handling our family business." Tommy gasped after a sharp pain in his side rewarded him for that remark.
"Tommy!" exclaimed Grace. She reached out to help him lie on his back again.
"My God …" said John exasperated . Tommy looked up at the ceiling again, only to find the ring of darkness waiting. Fear ignited once more. Faint sounds of shovels wafted in the air around him. John ran into the kitchen. Arthur actually stood up from his chair concerned. Tommy grabbed Grace's arm.
"Don't let me pass out again!" he begged her.
"I won't! Just look at me and try to calm yourself!" Grace desperately promised. Arthur had never heard Thomas speak this way. He walked over to the bed to kneel down beside him.
"Tommy, Tommy what can I do?" Arthur said, finally offering help. Arthur took hold of his other hand.
"I don't know … my vision is going dark … I can hear shovels … there's a pain in me side … " whimpered Thomas.
"Alright, Alright … just stay with me. Listen to my voice, yeah. You don't need to be listening to those shovels," said Arthur in a soothing voice, "You're not in France anymore." John rushed back into the room.
"Ok, I have eh, water and ice, and hot water is boiling as we speak," John said quickly, "how's he?"
"I know I'm not in France," replied Thomas in pain.
"Typical, he is," Arthur replied as if speaking to the whole room. John snickered. Grace placed a cold washcloth on his head. Arthur's remark actually made Tommy laugh. The dark ring faded from his vision, and the shovels stopped their banging, only the pain remained. John ran back into the kitchen after he heard the kettle whistle.
John returned with hot water and another washcloth. He let the cloth cool a bit before applying it to Tommy's pain. Tommy winced a bit. John pulled back the cloth.
"No no no, just leave it on, " Tommy told him. "I'm not havin' the kid yet," he jested. With that note, Arthur padded him on the shoulder and returned to his chair in the corner.
"Tommy, this needs to stop," Grace said looking directly into his eyes. She was still holding his other hand. He didn't say anything. He did, however, push himself back to a sitting position with the towel wrapped around his side. He kept the warm cloth in place with his other arm folded around his rounded middle.
"Please don't push yourself," pleaded Grace.
"I'm not, I'm not. Just wanted to congratulate my saviors," replied Thomas with a wince. Grace rolled her eyes in disbelief at what she was hearing. John snickered.
"What, after all this, you still want to argue?" John questioned.
"No," said Thomas. "No, I'm done fighting, at least for tonight," he said softly. Tommy flinched as the air left his lungs. Arthur chuckled at his remark.
"I know I'm not the easiest person to put up with, especially now. And, I know I don't say this enough, " Thomas started. John and Arthur lingered with anticipation on these words.
"But, thank you, for helping me, " Thomas said at last. Then, he turned to Grace. "And thank you Grace, you've had to put up with this," he gestured to his middle, "more than this lot," he said pointing at his brothers. Grace smiled.
"Damn, the one time where a gramophone would actually be useful. So I could have a recording of Thomas Shelby saying those words every bloody morning," Arthur joked. John roared with laughter. "Yeah, I would pay good money for that!" said John. A genuine smile cracked over Thomas's face as he let his brothers have their fun.
"I'll drink to that," said Arthur getting up from his chair to find another source of alcohol.