At Your Service [Tommy Shelby]

Party - part 2

As Vivian turned corner after corner, the relentless crowd showed no signs of abating. Dizziness enveloped her, and the air grew increasingly difficult to breathe. The haunting refrain, "You're too late," echoed in her mind like a relentless drumbeat. Desperation clutched at her, urging her to escape, but where could she go? She turned yet another corner, the weight of the phrase intensifying with each step, another tear tracing its path down her face.

In the periphery, she caught sight of a door—a potential escape from the sea of faces and judging eyes. Vivian, disoriented and uncaring of her surroundings, sought refuge from the relentless repetition that had become an unbearable cacophony in her mind. Memories of similar words uttered in the hospice resurfaced—words that must not be allowed to become reality again.

The panic within her surged, a rising tide threatening to engulf her. Desperation drove her to barge through the door without a second thought. The door closed behind her, shutting out the relentless crowd. Leaning against the door, tears streamed down her cheeks. She sobbed, the pent-up emotions now released in a flood.

In the newfound silence, a man on the other side of the room cleared his throat, his presence a stark interruption to the solitude she sought.

The sudden interruption startled Vivian to the core. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, the fear so profound that she involuntarily dropped the bucket and sponge, their contents splattering across the hardwood floor. As she lifted her gaze, she found herself locking eyes with Thomas Shelby, seated in a chair with a concerned expression etched across his face. The isolation she had sought was shattered, replaced by an unexpected audience in the form of the enigmatic and intimidating figure of Mr. Shelby.

~

"Oh, I am so so sorry mister Shelby!" she yelped. Before Tommy could respond to her she continued "I'll clean it up, right away." Her words spilled out in a rapid stream, a clear sign of her distress. Tommy observed her closely, noting the ragged quality of her breath, the unmistakable signs of someone caught in the grip of panic. He recognized it immediately. His brothers in arms panicking on the field. It was always the breathing they needed to control. Get them back to reality, grounded to this moment. 

Vivian wants to start cleaning the mess up, but when she puts a step forward she's taken over by a dizzying lightheadedness. Before she can grab something to hold on to she feels an arm around her shoulder. "Come on, let's sit down, ey?" he puts her down on the sofa in his office. She settled onto the cushions, still breathing rapidly, and Tommy took a knee in front of her, bringing himself to her eye level. In her eyes, he saw the unmistakable fear, akin to a drowning kitten in need of reassurance.

"Vivian," Tommy's voice cut through the chaos in her mind, commanding her attention. His hands gently held her face, guiding her focus to him. "Oi, Vivian, look at me." The urgency in his tone compelled her to meet his gaze. "You've got to breathe Vivian, alright? calm your breathing." A tear escaped her eye, swiftly wiped away by Tommy's reassuring thumb.

"I-I don't know how!" she confessed with a shaky voice, desperation evident in her words. Tommy, determined to help her regain control, placed her hand on his stomach, allowing her to feel the measured rise and fall of his breathing. "Okay, in... out... in... out," he guided her, their synchronized breaths creating a rhythm that slowly but surely began to ease the panic in her eyes.

For a couple of minutes, Tommy remained focused on helping Vivian find her breath, until he noticed a significant improvement. The storm of panic subsided, leaving a sense of relief in its wake. As he judged that she could manage on her own, he stood up, retrieving a cigarette from his pocket. Offering one to Vivian, he lit hers before igniting his own. The inhalation of the calming smoke seemed to have a soothing effect, not just on Vivian but also on Tommy, their shared moment of respite in the dimly lit room.