It's always been you- Tommy Shelby

10 - new doctor

As Lydia entered the hospital she immediately noticed a tall muscular figure dressed in a doctors jacket. His hair was soft brown and wavy. Lydia's eyes met his and she was warmly greeted by an unfamiliar face. He sauntered towards her, with a subtle smile across his lips. 

"Hi, you must be Nurse Thorne. I'm Doctor Wright, but please call me Jack." The man said offering his hand for Lydia to shake. Lydia reached out and gently shook it, smiling.

"Hi, yes I am but please call me Lydia. I wasn't aware we had a new Doctor arriving?" Lydia replied. 

"Well... I've just moved into the area. It was a sudden exchange." Jack explained.

"Ahh, may I ask where you previously worked Jack?" Lydia asked curiously. 

"I was last in Liverpool." He plainly stated. Lydia nodded understanding. 

"Anyway, from now on I will be overseeing your shifts as Head of Surgery. I hope that won't be a problem?" He asked kindly. 

"Not at all, I'm looking forward to someone different for once." Lydia replied.

"You'll have to help me find my way around here, the hospital is quite confusing." He joked in an attempt to flirt with the nurse in front of him. 

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine, you should settle in nicely here. Everybody is lovely... except Head Nurse Pickering; calling her a cow would be an understatement." Lydia joked. Jack chuckled at her remark.

"Perhaps you could show me around Small Heath some time? I don't know where to avoid and where to go. I've heard there's a gang... something 'blinders', and supposedly I should avoid them at all costs, if possible." Jack explained. The irony was almost laughable. 

"Well, whoever told you that is correct." Lydia said avoiding his question of what would be seen as being asked on a date from an outsider's perspective.

Lydia's shift proceeded as the streets of Small Heath became darker and emptier. The small flirtatious glances from her new boss Jack didn't go unnoticed by her. Lydia attempted to think nothing of them as there was a man who already had a hold on her heart. However, she thought to herself that maybe Jack could be a distraction from her aching heart. 

As Lydia walked home she thought about how Jack may react when he found out about her involvement with the Peaky Blinders. Most people were always deterred away from Lydia, for fear of having their eyes taken. 

However, it seems that tonight was different from normal. Lydia heard a pair of footsteps behind, she attempted to remain calm and refrain from panicking, but that didn't last long when she turned to notice the man who was still close behind. 

The space between the pair was closing as the man picked up the pace, Lydia tried not to think about the time she was followed home after a night shift and nobody was there to save her during the war. She heard the footsteps quicken. Lydia aimed to keep walking as quickly as she could, this was until she was grabbed by the wrist. 

Flashbacks from last year once again entered her mind. Instantly Lydia ripped her wrist from his hand, kneed the man in his groin and ran as quickly as her legs would carry her. Tears streamed down her face as she heard the man's voice call from behind. 

"Oi, you little slut! You don't get away that easy." Lydia could tell the man was drunk from his slurring words. 

The Garrison soon came into sight, Lydia quickly noticed the light in the private room was still on, meaning one of the Shelbys must have been in. As she reached the pub doors, they didn't open. Lydia's breathing became shallow as she cried even more. She prayed that her attacker was still stumbling slowly enough for him to catch up. 

"Tommy? Arthur? John? Anyone? Please open the door! Please!" Lydia cried as she banged on the door in desperation.

"Somebody! Please!" She cries once again. The door was suddenly unlocked and opened, his blues meet her greens. Lydia let out a heavy breath when he pulled her inside from the cold. 

Lydia cried into Tommy's chest as he held the back of her head in an attempt to calm her shaking body. Before shutting the door Tommy scanned outside for anyone that could have hurt his girl. 

"Lydia. Lydia. It's okay. You're safe now, what happened?" Tommy asked as he gently held her face in his hands, his thumb traced her cheek benevolently. He stared into her eyes diligently waiting for an answer. 

"There was... somebody who-who tried to-to." Lydia said in between sobs. 

"Tried to what Lydia?" Tommy said, anger starting to appear in his voice. 

"I-I just thought it was going to happen again. I got away but I was so scared Tommy. I was so scared." Lydia explained as they sat down in the chairs. Tommy's eyebrows furrowed as he comprehended what Lydia just said. His eyes became wide as he looked at Lydia once again, then he realised what she meant by 'it was going to happen again'. 

"Lydia by 'again' do you mean-" Tommy started but is interrupted.

"Yes I mean what you're thinking." Lydia interjected, not wanting him to say it out loud. The anger and pain across his face became very coherent. 

"I-I" Tommy stumbled over his words.

"It was when you and the boys were at war. Only John and Pol know." Lydia said keeping her head down. Tommy had never felt this kind of rage or care before. How could he feel these two things so prominently and simultaneously? 

"Wh-Why didn't you tell me Lyds?" Tommy asked, trying to refrain from shouting.

"Because it was too painful to talk about. And besides, it was a long time ago." Lydia tried to explain.

"I'm so sorry Lydia. I had no idea. If I could have done something to stop that happening to you, I would have done everything possible." Tommy said, suddenly feeling guilty that he wasn't there to help. 

"I know Tom, I know." Lydia said frowning. 

Tommy grabbed Lydia's hand in his and held it up to his mouth to kiss it gently. He had to withhold from crying. He was not the one that could be weak at that moment. He needed to be strong for Lydia's sake. 

"Lydia who was it." Tommy asked in a serious tone but trying to sympathetic at the same time.

"Tommy..." She replied tilting her head to the side as if to say 'really?'

"Tell me who it was Lydia. I need to know." He asked again. 

"It doesn't matter. He is long gone. Polly sent him running for the hills when she told him I was practically a Shelby. Not before she took his manhood though." Lydia joked, trying to make light of the situation. Tommy forced a small chuckle for her sake, but he did not find it funny. 

"Sorry I wasn't there to protect you. Let's go home." Tommy said to change the conversation. 

"Where's home Tommy?" Lydia asked as they stepped out of the Garrison after locking up.

"My place. My place is home." He said taking her hand in his as they walked down Watery Lane. 

As they enter Tommy's home, he took her into the kitchen and without asking; made a pot of tea. Lydia found it fascinating to see the leader of the Peaker Blinders, Thomas Shelby; making tea. She loved the domesticated side of him, that she seldom saw. The rarity only made her cherish moments like these even more.

 "Lydia, I think you should stay here for the meantime. Your house isn't safe anymore and besides, I've got a spare room." Tommy explained but didn't include his additional and ulterior motives for wanting her to stay. 

"As much as I hate to admit it, for once I agree with you Tommy." Lydia replied taking a sip of her hot tea. 

The pair casually talked for the rest of the evening before Lydia's eyes started to slowly close, with her head rested on top of her arms on Tommy's small kitchen table. It wasn't long until Tommy was asleep too. With the now cold tea on the table, the pair slept in each other's company in Tommy's kitchen.