7

To call Sweeney a bloody mess would have been an understatement. He claimed most of the blood wasn't his, but after limping towards his vanity to put the gin down and nearly collapsing on the floor, Nellie insisted to check on him.

Setting him down in the barber chair and pulling off the bloody and unsalvageable shirt, she shook her head with disgust. The blood had soaked through the shirt's material, staining most of his pale skin red, and where it wasn't red it was purple with bruises. Her eyes immediately found several cuts along his arms, and several on his back.

"We shall 'ave to use the gin ta clean ya up dear." She sighed, reaching for a bottle.

"No!" He snapped. "We aren't wasting any of it on me. Just hand me the bucket of water and a rag. I'll be fine."

Having to clean up his customer's bloody messes more often than not, Sweeney always kept a bucket or two of water lying about his shop in case of emergency clean up. He pointed towards where one was sitting, expecting it retrieved.

"Mr. T," Nellie sighed. "These might get infected."

"Then I should go back outside." He growled.

"No." She snapped, Nellie let out a breath to try and calm herself, rubbing at her head agitatedly. "Mr. T jus' use the gin on the cuts. Jus' a little." She begged.

"No." Sweeney snapped again, taking the bucket and cloth form Toby who had fetched them. "This," he dunked the rag into the bucket, "will be fine."

Nellie rubbed her head again and grumbled something under her breath about men.

"Mum, are you alright?" Toby asked.

"Only a headache luv. Those things out there didn't manage to hurt me."

"Which is a relief," Sweeney growled. "Why did you come after me? It was a foolish idea that could have gotten you killed." Wringing out the soaked rag, he gritted his teeth as he began to clean off his arms.

"Ya looked like ya needed 'elp is all." tears started to fill her eyes.

"I got out of the mess fine."

All happiness Toby had previously felt on Mr. Todd's return was soon diminishing. His mum had just risked her life for him, and he was yelling at her?

"Jus'- jus' doin' wot I could Mr. T."

"You could stay here." He stood up suddenly, dropping his rag. There was nothing like the normal maddened rage in his eyes that normally accompanied his outbursts. Yet it took Mrs. Lovett several tears to fully understand what that meant.

He was worried about her. She hiccupped, and a tiny smile came onto her face as she bowed her head, taking his onslaught of words without a flinch. Toby frowned, trying to understand her happiness.

And then the door to the barber shop rattled as hungry hands pressed upon it.


A/N Aw.. Mr. T cares. -laugh-