NEW REIGN || Tommy Shelby

IV. REAL FEARS

"Go to sleep, you fool," she said with a laugh made of nerves and tears. "I'll be here when you wake up."

With her words, his shoulders seemed to relax and after a few moments, his hand went limp in hers.

***

"Mrs. Shelby?" a small voice cooed. "Mrs. Shelby are you alright?"

She startled awake, her eyes squinting in the light of the hospital room. She had fallen asleep in the wooden chair and as she sat up she flinched, her neck pinching in pain.

"Yes," she huffed, offering the nurse a half-awake smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, Ma'am. I'm just here to let you know that your husband is free to go. There doesn't seem to be any internal bleeding, just a small concussion and the superficial wounds. If you'd like to stay until tonight, you're more than welcome; this medicine is going to make him very drowsy."

Rose just nodded, her eyes flicking back and forth between the nurse and the gentle rise and fall of Tommy's chest.

"The medicine for you to take home will be brought in shortly by the doctor- just pain killers, don't worry. He should take them once in the morning and once around dinner time for maximum comfort until they run out. I'll leave you one to give him when he wakes up."

She placed a single white pill on the table next to the bed, along with a glass of water. There was another tight lipped smile before she nodded her head and left, leaving Rose once again in silence.

"Maximum comfort..."

She turned to the bed to see Tommy awake a moving to sit up. His face was squeezed in a grimace and she sighed, adjusting his pillows.

"You'll be in pain for a while, Tommy. The medicine is just there to ease it."

"I've had my ribs broken and my body kicked to bits, love," he wheezed, his words still a slur. "I don't know anything about 'maximum comfort'."

She let out a strained laugh and pulled his blankets further up his chest.

"Here," she muttered, putting the small pill into his mouth and gently coaxing him to swallow it with a gulp of water. It took a moment and each movement seemed sharp with pain. When he finally did swallow, his head fell back onto his pillow.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"Did the nurse call you Mrs. Shelby?"

She froze. Her silence seemed to be answer enough, though, as his eyes finally opened and he looked up at her. There was a bloodshot ring around the blue of them and she almost gasped. It was a wonder her was even able to talk, let alone sit up. She pushed it aside as she remembered what had just happened.

She felt a deep blush rising on her cheeks. It was foolish, and she knew it- there was a perfectly reasonable explanation, but the playful glint in his eyes, still handsome even under the bruises and cuts and despite the pain she knew he was in, made her heartbeat jump in her chest.

"I- well, if I hadn't told them I was, they would not have let me see you," she stuttered. He let out a raspy laugh, which immediately turned into a hiss of pain, as she floundered. "I had no idea how hurt you were, and I...are you laughing?"