Little Shelby Girl

Part 8. Never again

Tommy's POV

"She's not over there either Pol." I seem calm, but inside I'm in full panic mode. Me, Arthur and John just came back from the races when we heard that Vive hadn't returned to the house yet. It's already 9 a.m. Pol was worried, but didn't want to leave in case she arrived not being able to get in because everyone was gone.

I've just searched the streets, Arthur searched the Garrison and John's still at Charlie's, so I hope she's still with him. Although I'm sure he would have send her home by now. It's dark and it freezes. He knows I don't want her to walk in the evenings by herself.

Suddenly John burst into the room, sweat dripping from his forehead. "She left Charlie's yard hours ago, took the route across the river. He's asking everyone he knows to look for her. Came here back as fast as I could, we need to search somewhere else."

He sits down and tries to catch his breath. "This is no good Tom, I can feel it, there's trouble." He says, looking at me desperate.

*Door burst open*

"It's your father." Polly says entering the room, cigarette in her hands and giving all of us a straight face. We're confused by her statement.

"He headed back home to London didn't he?" Arthur responds.

Polly shakes her head. "I don't think he did. He's the only one I can think of and I know he still has one of his old places near the river. If he has bad intentions, he could have noticed her this morning on her way to Charlie's, waiting her up this afternoon." Polly's might be right.

"Why would he want to do something to Vive?" Arthur asks.

"I don't know. But it's him. I can feel it." Polly answers back.

"Where's exactly is it?" I ask while I pick up my coat and throw Arthurs and Johns towards them meaning we're leaving now.

"You wait here, maybe she'll come back before us. Arthur, John lets go, bring your gun." I point at all of them.

We run for about 15 minutes and when we nearby the river we search for the right place, as Polly explained to us.

"It must be over there." I say pointing at the second house behind the bridge.

We all take a moment as we stand in front of the house. Observing it while thinking of a way to get in. Arthur tries to find a sign of life by looking through the windows, but they're all taped and you can't see anything inside.

"John." I point to the lock of the front door. John takes his gun and shoots it which slightly opens it. I walk in first. It's a long hallway and at the end I see some lights escaping a room.

I kick in the door while pulling my gun. I search the room and after a second I finally notice my little sister.

Arthur sees her too, immediately pulling his gun searching the other rooms for the monster who did this.

Vive is laying on the ground next to a wooden table, covered in blood from head to toe and unconscious. I get to the ground and put my hands under her head while pulling her up a little, into my lap. I try to form words, but it feels like my brain is shutting down.

At this point I don't really realize what's happening around me and it's like with Finn all over again. John's yelling her name while kneeling next to her as well, Arthur's smacking all doors in the house and kicking everything he comes across looking for the person who's responsible for this shit.

I take her right hand in mine and I press her artery which my thumb.

"She's alive." I whisper to myself.

John's still cursing and smacking his fists to the ground, not hearing me.

"JOHN! Listen to me!" Now I have his attention. I look him in the eyes.

"She has a puls." He looks at me and it seems my words are finally getting through. "We need to get her out of here John, now." 

He nods and I move my attention back to her.

"Alright, alright, easy love" I try to slowly turn her body to her side, trying to figure out the damage that causes this much blood. I notice the back of her dress has way more blood than the front of her dress.

"John, pull up her dress" I say while I hold her to the side. John lifts her dress, which sticks to her skin. He sighs as he pulls the dress further above and so do I as we see the tens of cuts on her back. I try to stay calm. When I try to see her stomach by turning her body backwards a bit I spot a huge bruise in the size of my hand. I sigh. "She has a broken rib. We need to keep her on her side."

"Check the back of her head" John says pointing to the black spot in her hair. I nod, not trying to get sick by seeing all of this. My sister, completely molested.

"Fucking unbelievable she's alive." John mumbles under his breath.

*Door burst open*

A door in the right corner of the room burst open, it's the only door Arthur hadn't noticed I think. We both turn our heads immediately as we see our father walking out of it, completely waisted  and with a gun in his hand. He hysterically laughs at us, shaking his head.

"You two came juuuuust a little too early boys, I was almost finished." He slowly walks in our direction, still pointing the gun at us.

"Stay back eh!" John brings out trying to get his gun as well. Our father now points the gun at Vive and I see his finger moving to the trigger.

"NO!" I yell throwing my body forward so it covers Vive's as I hear the gunshot. Trying to protect her.

*BANG*

I look up, confounded by what just happened. Our father lays on the ground, blood streaming out of his head. Arthur came in the room just in time and shot the man. John's shocked and he looks at Arthur and I, I try to ignore this for now, the bastard is dead and now we have to save Vive.

"Arthur, I need something we can lay her on." He nods, searching the room, eventually breaking the door of the room making it a brancard.

"Easy, easy!" John says as we carefully pull her onto the wood. I try to put her on her side so she won't lay on the cuts or her broken rib. I try to do it as careful as possible when I hear her letting out a small moan.

We all freeze, our eyes focussed on hers. Slowly she tries to open her eyes and she begins to breath heavily and moans while tears fill up her eyes.

I put my head in front of hers and lay my hand on her cheek.

"Hey, hey, easy, it's me, it's me." She's not really looking at me, but I do my best to make eye contact with her.

"Shhh, it's over eh, look at me, look at me." Her eyes now finally meet mine. "It's over, we're here now, you're going to be fine." I nod at John and Arthur, meaning we have to go now.

She moans and flinches because of the pain, not being able to bring out any words.

"Alright, let's get you home." John takes the top and Arthur the bottom of the brancard and they take her out of the house. I've put my jacket over Vive since the temperature is below zero outside. Before I leave the room I give our father a last look. Fuck you.