Blue Eyes

29

            Alfie stormed through the hospital. Ada had arrived at Polly's flat in tears. Her speech was so hurried and jumbled that he couldn't quite make out what she was saying. But he heard John's name. And he heard her say something about the hospital. So he followed her there.

There was chaos already forming in the waiting area. Blinders were everywhere, trying to figure out what happened. The Shelby family was in hysterics. Arthur was shouting at cowering nurses who didn't have a clue what to do. Polly was holding onto Esme who was wailing and could hardly stand upright.

Amidst the fray, he saw those beautiful blue eyes filled with tears. Ella ran over to him. How was it that in the brief moments they'd been apart, her world had been torn down.

"My brother's dead. My brother's dead." She sobbed. They were the only words she could get out. A scratched record playing over and over again, the horrible message stuck in her mind. "He's dead, he's dead, Alfie."

Alfie embraced her tightly as a cold chilled him to the bone. He spotted Tommy through the chaos. The leader of the Peaky Blinders looked seconds away from falling over. His face was like stone but his eyes were full of anguish and anger.

It made Alfie sick to his stomach. The Italians were playing with fire. They had thoroughly pissed off the wrong people.

"C'mon, love." He ushered Ella over to a quieter hallway. She stumbled along beside him, her grief taking up every ounce of her being.

"He's dead. He's dead, Alfie."

He sat on the stairs and took her into his arms. "Easy, love, I've gotcha now."

Ella curled up instinctually into his lap, pressing her face to his shoulder and bursting out into loud tears. "He's dead...he's dead."

She was inconsolable for nearly an hour. Alfie stayed sitting on the stairs with her, never once letting go of her. All he could do was whisper softly to her and try to comfort her.

Tommy and Arthur eventually left the waiting area to go downstairs to the morgue. They passed by the hallway where Alfie and Ella were sat. Tommy paused when he saw the scene at the end of the hall.

"I know it hurts, love, I'm so sorry." Alfie murmured to her. He noticed movement and glanced up to see Tommy staring at him.

What could either of them say? For years, Tommy and his brothers were Ella's source of comfort. But they'd been through too much to support each other anymore. They'd caused each other such grief and from behind their blinding armor, they discovered they were only fighting each other with no real results. Blame wasn't the issue anymore, neither was healing. It was vengeance.

They had a common enemy. Sometimes that's all that mattered in war. Sometimes it was more than enough for rivals to set down their weapons and make a pact. A pact to see them through this until their enemy was dead.

But emotions were hard to keep in check after the loss of a loved one. And Ella would set fire to the powder keg.

~~~~~~~~~~

So much pain built up in Ella. It stewed and boiled on the trip from the hospital to Watery Lane. So much uncertainty was in the air. Her cousin was clinging to life and she had no answers about her brother's death other than it was the Italians.

She stepped out of the car and saw Tommy going for the door. Alfie lagged behind, unsure what she planned to do or say. "Aren't you going to say anything?" Her voice was strong and carried well down the lane.