All The Kings Men {Peaky Blinders} (Completed)

Fifteen

Fifteen-seconds wasn't until late that night, or was it early the next day? That Lily was awoken by a distressed Mary, urging her to answer the phone. "There's been an accident. Master Shelby is in the hospital." She warned Lily, before scurrying off down the stairs. Lily pushed herself out of the bed, leaving her unfinished drawing behind, and went to answer the phone.

It was Michael. "Tommy - he's at the hospital, Ada took him. I'll send a cab for you." And then he hung up. Just like Michael Grey did, he hung up. Lily was bewildered for a moment. What kind of accident? Was he dying? Would he survive to take care of his own son?

Grace's words came flooding back to Lily. It had been just after Charles was born, that Grace called Lily in to stay the night. The blonde haired Irish goddess was dressed in a simple gown and comfortable footwear, as she sat Lily down in front of the fireplace. Grace held onto Lily's hands tightly, endearingly as she looked at her with tear stained cheeks. "Lily, if anything were to happen to Tommy or I, I would appreciate it if you were to look after Charlie." Grace took a deep breath and smiled softly. "Lily, will you be Charlie's godmother?"

Lily sighed softly and leaned against the wall for a minute, remembering Grace's features, her soft curls and wonderful voice. Shit. She swore under her breath and rushed to get changed and made sure to be ready just before the cab arrived. The driver was one of the Blinders, one Lily had never had the chance to know or meet. But the driver kept his head down and said nothing as he pulled in to the hospital parking.

"You'll find them just through there." He pointed to the back doors, and pulled away as soon as Lily had shut the car door behind her. A figure was smoking a cigarette in the shadows. The slim, shaky figure was Arthur, a shivering mess as they waited for news. He grimaced at Lily as she passed him. The warm embrace of Polly Grey was the closest she could get to comfort in any form for the moment.

Polly comforted the young woman as Ada recounted how Tommy had shown up for the meeting with the Russian Communists. By the end of her tale, everyone had found space and were at various stages of cigarettes and cigars. None of them were leaving until they had some kind of news on Tommy's condition.

The sun was rising as a nurse came out, her hair matted together from sweat, and her papers folded in half. "Uh, which one of you is mister Shelby, A? And mister Shelby, J?" Arthur and John hopped too, and listened to the nurse ramble on for over ten minutes, before she gave them a final answer.

"He'll live." Arthur choked back tears as John clapped him on the back, waiting for them to tell the rest of the news. Arthur didn't let anyone celebrate while he cleared his throat. "At this point, they can't say what damages he's got, and he'll be here a while. But eh, he'll fucking live."

It was almost like they had all been waiting for it. The collective sigh of relief that even though Tommy wasn't coming out for a while yet, but he was going to live. The family retired back to Ada's house, as it was the closest, before drinking and sleeping the next twenty-four hours away. They filled each other in on what they had all done in the last day, Ada let Karl sit on Arthur's lap before Arthur grumbled to Linda about the weight of the baby, and even Michael had managed to drag himself away from the telephone for more than five minutes to actually try and enjoy himself.

But there was still two questions on everyone's tongue. Who had done it? And why?

None of them were awake past eight AM, yet when Lily woke from her timid slumber she looked around and noticed the room she had inhabited was empty, asides from a sleeping, snoring Michael on the other side of the bed. She took a moment to appreciate that he was still alive, because when Thomas Shelby almost dies, so does the entire family.