red↳ thomas shelby

- XVIII. -

[ B i r m i n g h a m , 1 9 2 1 ]

"Ready for a visitor, Mr. Shelby?"

Tommy didn't even bother opening his eyes as the Irish nurse came into his hospital room.

"No." he grunted, hoping that the woman would just leave him alone to rest.

"Get the fuck out of my way! He doesn't get a fucking choice."

Tommy internally winced. He was wondering how long it would be before Zara found him. Tommy tried to go back to sleep, in hopes that it would prolong the earful he was about to receive but to no avail.

"Thomas Michael Shelby you open your eyes right fucking now." Zara snapped, arms crossed with tears streaming down her face, standing at the foot of his hospital bed. Tommy slowly fluttered his eyes open, squinting at the light.

"Hi, love."

Zara scoffed. "Is that all you have to say to me? Tommy, I was worried sick." She began to softly cry again, never taking her gaze off of him.

He groaned in pain as he tried to sit up, and Zara rushed to his side to support his back. She might be mad at him but she wasn't going to watch him struggle in pain. Tommy took her hand and pulled her to sit on the edge of his bed. He raised his other hand to wipe the tears from her eyes, and then cupped her cheek.

"I'm fine, Zara. I just didn't want you to have to see me like this."

"Tommy, when I woke up and you weren't there, I..." she took a deep breath, "I thought you left."

Tommy shook his head, firmly. "Never."

Zara sighed in relief and threw her arms around Tommy's neck, burying her head in the chest of the man she loved. Tommy wrapped his arms around her just as tightly, and felt a part of him relax now that he knew Sabini and his men hadn't gotten to Zara.

The happy couple were interrupted as the nurse poked her head into the room once more. "Forgive me, Mr. Shelby, but you have another visitor."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Tell them I want to rest."

"I'm here on the King's orders. I'm afraid I must insist."

In a flash Zara grabbed her gun and moved in front of Tommy in a protective stance. Practically snarling at the unwanted guest.

"Ah, you paid extra for daylight. The racketeering business must be booming." Inspector Campbell slowly walked into the hospital room, the sound of his cane echoing in the room.

"What are you doing here?" Zara hissed, keeping her gun pointed at the inspector.

Campbell ignored Zara and stood over the foot of Tommy's bed. "Are you not going to thank me for saving your life?"

"Pass my cigarettes?" Tommy gestured to his nightstand.

Inspector Campbell rolled his eyes, and moved to get the cigarettes. He looked them over for a moment, but made no movement to hand them to Tommy. "Three nights ago, at the cooperative stables in Montague Street there was a murder." Campbell pressed the cigarettes and a box of matches onto Tommy's chest. "A man named Duggan."

Zara followed Campbell's every movement with her gun, as he walked back to the foot of the bed.

"The Oxfordshire constabulary found his body in a shallow grave." Campbell continued.

"I need to piss." Tommy said, not wanting to deal with the Inspector at this moment. "Nurse?" Tommy called as he tried to sit up.

Campbell clenched his jaw and pressed his cane to the base of Tommy's throat, pushing him back down. Tommy reached up to grab the cane, and Zara's grip tightened on her gun.