𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝟑𝟕

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟕

Maeve couldn't see, her vision was clouded with the bright white lights above her as she was wheeled down the hospital corridors. The voices of doctors echoed.

"Stay with us, Miss Shelby." They repeated over and over again. Her body was shaking, hyperventilating in fact. She was pale and her skin was cold to touch.

She could hardly make out what was going on as her dress was removed, her bare skin quickly being covered with some sort of hospital cloth. "

"Where is she?" A voice boomed as whoever it was followed through the halls, bursting in but only to be held back. "Is my daughter alive? Eh, tell me she's fucking alive!" It was Arthur.

"Arthur." Polly muttered, holding him by his arm. "Let them do their job.."

"No, fucking get off me!" He shoved them all off, "you'll let me see her- by order of the peaky blinders." His voice was shallow and the doctors soon stepped aside, watching as he walked into the room, his heart dropping.

Doctors were rushing about, trying their best to prevent the worst happening. "Maeve?" He asked, dropping his jacket to the floor, "Mr Shelby, i'm going to have to ask you to step away." One said.

"Artha!" Finn stood at the door, his chest heaving up and down, "Artha- Tommy says you need to come out. He's spoke to a doctors, you need to let them do their job." Finn said as he regained his breath.

Arthur looked between his youngest brother and his daughters body which looked as though she was seizing. "What's going on?" He asked lowly as panic clearly filled the room, the doctors exchanging looks with each other. "Arthur.." Finn grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"No- tell me what's going on! What av you done to my kid!?" His voice broke as Finn pulled him away.

Maeve's hospital bed was surrounded, multiple doctors and nurses trying to figure out what to do. Arthur's sobs were inaudible from outside the room whilst he was held back by Isiah and Finn.

-

John basically jumped from his seat when a nurse left Maeve's room, clipboard in hand. Ada gently woke Arthur and he sat straight, sniffing.

"What's happened?" John asked quickly, rubbing his eyes.

The woman looked at them up in a nervous way before looking down at her papers. "Maeve is somewhat stable..she's suffered badly, lucky to be alive really. If the bullet had been even half a centimetre to the left, she'd have died." She said anxiously.

"But she's alive?" Arthur asked. The woman nodded.

"Yes but she's extremely unstable, she's considered a high risk patient." She continued. Polly looked up, "high risk of what?" Polly questioned.

"Dying." The nurse replied bluntly.

Arthur paced the small waiting room before dragging a hand over his face. "Alright, you fucking listen, yeah?" He gritted through his teeth, pointing a finger at her, "am i allowed in there, to be with my fucking daughter or not?"

"Mr Shelby, you need to calm down."

"Well you ain't answered my question av ya?" He tilted his head, "can i go through them doors or not? Yes or no."