midwife » michael gray. [completed]

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR.

"Have you sorted it yet?" Hannah asked as she jogged up alongside him. The basket, which held broccoli and potatoes, was held in one arm as she looked up at Tommy, desperate for a positive reply that would make her day brighten up.

There was a sigh from Tommy as he shook his head, exhausted with Hannah's constant pestering. He understood, and completely sympathised with her but things weren't as simple as Hannah wanted to believe. To Tommy, the girl had too much faith in him. Everyone knew that Tommy held the key to getting his family released from prison, he was just struggling to turn it.

"For the fifth time this week, no. I'm sorry, I really am, but I'm trying my hardest."

"It doesn't seem like you are Tommy," Hannah replied candidly. "It sounds as if you have given up before you've even started and I don't like that at all. My fiancé is stuck inside of those four walls and I want him out soon."

Tommy closed his eyes, trying to be patient with the testing midwife. When he slowly reopened them again, Hannah was stood directly in front of him and was blocking his pathway. When Tommy moved to the left, so did Hannah, she wasn't going to let him get away with this one.

"I know that you've been in contact with Churchill in the past, can you not write to him? Alternatively, give me some details and I will do it." There was too much hope in her voice.

"Hannah - "

"Or go and talk to some of your higher up contacts, surely one of them must have some connection to the law system. The sooner we get them released, the better. We are running out of time and judgement day is coming."

"Hannah - " Tommy tried again, but was interrupted by Hannah who was doing everything she could to get Tommy to listen. She would've stood there for hours, coming up with different ways that Tommy could sort out the giant mess that had happened.

"They've been in there for months now, the police and courts won't hold them for much longer. Crime is happening every single day in Birmingham and they'll need the space. We all know who the first four people to leave will be, and they won't be leaving to the outside word. No, they'll be heading straight for the rope."

"Hannah, for the last time, I am working on it. Michael will be out soon, okay?" Tommy raised one eyebrow and gently moved Hannah out of the way before continuing on with his walk to Watery Lane, ignoring the disappointed stares from residents who knew about Tommy's deception. They wouldn't dare say anything to him but they were all thinking the same thing. How could a man let his family rot away in jail?

+++

It was December the 4th when everyone came home.

Michael went straight over to the convent after being dropped off at home, still dressed in his clothes from prison, the feeling of the rope around his neck still noticeable in his mind, the same fear still there. His heart was beating a million miles per hour as he ran to the convent, unsure if Hannah would still be waiting for him or if she had moved on.

When the convent came into sight, Michael moved back for a while and had a few words with himself down the back of one of the alleyways that led to someone's house. Running a hand through his tousled curls, Michael took deep breaths and tried to focus on the positives - he was still alive, he was breathing fresh air and that he was about to see Hannah. It was what he had been dreaming about for months but now that it was here, he didn't know if he could go through with it.

It took him a good ten minutes to finally build up the strength to go knock on the tall, heavy doors of the convent. He quickly caught a glimpse of himself in the window, his face was still a little bruised up and there was a small cut besides his ear from one of the beatings. Luckily, the police had given up with their everyday taunting and beatings towards the end of the prison stint.