𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

86

Tommy frowned, opening the letter that Lizzie had given him earlier that day.

Dear Mr. Shelby,

I am sorry to express this news by letter but the sanatorium and myself have been unable to speak to you in person.

This has now become a matter of urgency. I would visit you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,
Doctor Holford.

-

"Mr Shelby, Doctor Holford" Mary spoke. "Send him in" Tommy leaned on the wall as the man walked in. "You said it had to be in person. Here i am."

"You might want to sit down" Holford spoke. "Mr Shelby i know that you are still grieving for your daughter, but i have news that cannot wait." he pulled something from his bag. "When you were X-rayed and examined at the sanatorium, ten days ago, there was no TB found in your lung but i'm afraid they found something else. Something related to your daughters illness" he frowned, handing Thomas the file. "They tried to speak to you at the hospital, but you were not cooperating. After your daughters death you could not be found to be informed in person."

"Eventually, as your personal doctor, they called me."

"I didn't offer you tea. You look like death, you want tea?" Tommy asked. Holford shook his head. "No. At the sanatorium they conducted blood tests, the tests suggest that the shadow you can see at the base of your skull is not cancer. It is tuberculoma."

Tommy lifted the X-ray to the window.

"A tubercular growth caused by the same bacteria as TB" he said. "You may have picked it up from your daughter. Once this disease enters a household it can run wild. Mr Shelby as i say i am aware that you are still grieving but you just understand this is very serious. From the size of the tumour expansion must have been rapid."

"From the size of the tumour, the expansion must've been rapid, and I have no doubt you are already experiencing symptoms. have you recently suffered seizures?" he asked.

"Bouts of weakness? Dissociation? Hallucinations?"

Tommy sat, leaning back. "Why didn't you come and see me?" He asked Tommy.

"I have work to do. Am i a danger to others?"

"No, unlike TB, tuberculoma is not infectious. Mr Shelby it is not infectious. But in your case i am afraid it is inoperable. The growth is in your brain stem and any attempt to remove it would result in trauma and brain haemorrhage. Whilst you were refusing my calls, i shows your X-days to three of the best surgeons in the country. They all said they would not operate as it would be futile"

"Of course you will want a second opinion for yourself. Dr Helen Rutherford at St Thomas' she is a friend."

Tommy cleared his throat. "This..how bad will it get?"

"As the tumour grows, the rate of physical and mental deterioration will increase. Eventually you will need people around you constantly who love you very much."

"How long?"

"I understand you have defeated many enemies, Mr Shelby. Now you have a new one. Inside you. You cannot defeat it, but you can keep it at bay for a while."

"I asked a question, how long before i need people around me?"

-

"Sorry i'm late, they closed Montague Street. There was a gas explosion or.." Ada announced, joining them in the Garrison. She looked at Tommy, "right, well it would be nice if just one thing could happen in Birmingham that wasn't our fault" she took a seat beside Lizzie.

"I gathered you all here today, because there is news" Tommy said.

Delilah sat distraught in her seat from the night prior.

"And it is of interest to the whole family. First of all, i'd like to welcome Finn's new wife, Mary, to the family" he nodded toward the two.

"Well i'm very glad that i dragged myself out of bed for this" Ada sighed.

"There is one more item of business, Johnny" He said, Johnny walked to the back room, returning with a boy."Everyone, this here is Erasmus" he introduced.

"Nobody calls me that" The boy corrected.

"They call him Duke," Tommy held his shoulder. "Twenty years ago, at Appleby Horse Fair, I met a girl. We shared the shade of a hazel tree. Nine months later, this lad was born. This is my son. His mother died on the road, up until now i never tried to find him. But i'm trying to look at life in a different way. A child is a precious thing. So i'm bringing him-"

"Into the fucking family with a snap of his fingers" Lizzie hissed, clicking her fingers.

"No. Bringing him into the fold. He'll have to earn membership of the family. For the moment, welcome, son, you have a seat go on sit down here"

Delilah took a deep breath, standing and taking a minute in the back room. She placed her hands on the table, leaning over. "Come on, Delilah." she whispered to herself. After a few minutes, she stormed back into the room, leaning against the wall.

"There are some mistakes i've made that i can never redress" Tom began, "some i can. Some wounds i can try heal"

"New wounds you can open up" Lizzie said quietly.

"Anyway, that's the business of the day" he cleared his throat. "Is it too early for whiskey?" Ada asked.

Arthur handed Duke a glass of whiskey. "Here you go, a Shelby breakfast for you,"

"I don't drink and i'm not Shelby, right? I'm a Duke,"

Delilah scoffed. "Who do you think you are?" she asked.

"You're a fucking Shelby all right. Don't worry about that" Arthur said.

"Well, Duke" Delilah began, standing and taking the glass that Arthur had offered him. "No matter if you think you are a Shelby or not, hm, you fucking are. You are stood in this room with my fucking family" she whispered, pressing a finger to his chest. "Know your fucking place, i have my brother, his name is Charles. You, duke, will never and i mean never be apart of this family. At least not for me,"

"Delilah," Tommy scolded.

"No, don't Delilah me, this boy comes out from nowhere and all of a sudden he's in family meetings. Dad, how many years did it take before i was involved, hm? Poor Charlie never sees his father, because you're too busy dealing with people like your illegitimate son of a whore," she hissed.

Tommy bit his tongue.