When they got to Polly's house, without Polly, Bea went to wash her face and mouth and then to her room.
"I'm going to call a doctor to check on your stitches," Michael announces as she goes to her room.
Bea didn't answer and just locked herself in the room.
"She didn't even let me help her," Finn says to Isaiah as they sit on his office after the funeral.
"Her brother just died," Isaiah points out.
"Yeah, so I want to be there for her, to help her."
"Well, Bonnie did die because of your family. The Billy Boys said they had a message for Tommy and they used Bonnie to pass it through."
"That's not my fault."
"Of course, not. But put yourself in her shoes. She probably wishes Bonnie, and herself, had never met any of you Shelby's. Most likely he'd still be alive right now."
"You really think she wishes that?"
"Wouldn't you?"
"I don't know..." Finn raises his glass to his lips and drinks its contents. "Bea did tell Tommy she was angry at Aberama and not him."
"She was being graceful. As she always is. But deep down, she blames Tommy and most likely, every other Shelby and your businesses."
"So you think I should just leave her alone."
"Not alone, but don't go to her so soon. She wants to be alone, to grieve on her own. Let her. When she's ready, she'll just show up and talk to you."
"She shouldn't have to be alone."
"She clearly wants to be."
"She left with Michael."
"Had to leave with someone," Isaiah dismisses.
"Could have left with me."
"You two are closer than she and Michael. He probably doesn't talk to her much and that's what she wants."
"I could have not talked to her."
"Are you jealous of Michael taking your grieving lover home?"
"Well, he did ask her to marry him."
"What?!" Isaiah asks shocked, leaning forward on his chair. "When?"
"When they were both in New York."
"No," Isaiah exclaims, unbelieving, with wide eyes.
"Bea told me when she returned."
"You could have told me, mate... Ah, I'm going to ask Michael about that..."
"When was the last time you spoke with him? Not even yesterday when we reunited in Charlie's Yard did you speak to that traitor. So, years ago, when he went to America?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So, first thing you bring up to him 'you proposed Bea while you two were in America'?"
"I'll start with 'Congratulations on scoring an American and losing all your family's money'," Isaiah jokes, earning a chuckle from Finn. "But seriously, aren't you curious to listen to what Michael would say about it?"
"No, Bea said it all."
"All? Then did they have something in New York?
"No! Of course not! She never liked him. Only as a friend. At best."
"Curious... I'm her friend and I wouldn't just propose to her."
"Maybe you have better judgement than my cousin."
"I sure hope I do. Don't want to lose my job."
They both drink a bit quietly before Finn speaks his mind again.
"What of when she was bleeding? She slapped my hand away."
"Finn, she had just said her final words to Bonnie. Probably didn't want comfort as much as you think and definitely didn't want anyone touching the wound she got while her brother was murdered."
"I just know how much she loved Bonnie... I don't want her to suffer alone."
"When she's ready to suffer with someone, I'm sure you're the first person she'll talk to."
"I'm going to see her tomorrow. I'll get a few roses, or poppies, she likes poppies, and I'll give them to her."
"Not the best idea."
"Why not?"
"Too soon."
"I'm going."
"Suit yourself."
A doctor went to Polly's house to attend to Bea's wound. When he saw how sickly she was he insisted on taking her to the hospital, but she refused. The doctor left after stitching her head again and Bea was left alone in her room.
She was lying in bed, with her back to the door when Polly went to check on her. Despite being awake, she didn't speak to or look at Polly. A little while later Polly took her a tray with food and water. Bea didn't sit up or even acknowledge Polly's presence and what she was bringing to her.
A few hours later Polly went in and took the untouched plate of food away, leaving only the water since it was still good to be consumed unlike the food.
The night passed and next morning Polly went to check on her with Michael.
"She's still not talking," Polly whispers to Michael.
"Let me try."
Polly nods and leaves Michael alone with Bea.
"Beatrice, you should eat."
If she had the strength to speak, Bea would say 'no, shit', but she remained silent.
"I'm going to stay at a hotel from now on... I'll leave the name here and then I'll make sure Polly writes down the room number. Gina wishes you a speedy recovery," he adds.
Liar.
"All right... try to eat something. It does you no good to starve yourself."
Michael left after a few seconds in silence.
It passed a few hours when Bea heard some noises from down the stairs.
"Absolutely not, Finn!" Polly says strongly. "She needs peace."
"I just want to see her and give her these," Finn argues.
"No. She won't even talk to me or eat her food. She doesn't need you bothering her."
"I won't bother, and I can make sure she eats something."
"Can you, boy? How? Are you a magician now? Are you going to cure her grief?"
"I can try to cheer her up."
"Cheer her up? How? With flowers and a joke?"
"She likes poppies."
"Bea needs some time. Let her have it."
"Time for what? You're saying she's not eating—"
Finn was cut of by loud coughs coming from Bea's room. He looks up, in the direction of the sound and then starts running up the stairs.
"Finn!" Polly calls out, going after him.
Finn ignored Polly, went to Bea's room and opened the door completely, only to see her in bed, coughing hard.
"Bea..." he starts.
Polly gets inside, passing between him and the door, and stays in front of him, holding the door so he doesn't walk further inside.
"Get out," she whispers to him.
"She's sick..."
"Are you a doctor now? Get out, let her rest. I'll attend to her."
"Pol! I want to help her."
"Leave."
Polly turns back and Finn looks over her to the bed, where the whisper had come from.
"Bea..."
"I want to be alone," she speaks again. The first full sentence she'd said since Bonnie's funeral.
"You've heard her. Go," Polly insists, before pushing Finn's numb body out of the room and closing the door.
Polly goes to the bed and touches Bea for the first time.
"Oh, my dear..." she says as she feels the sweat through Bea's sleeping gown. "How long have you been this sick?" she wonders as she puts a cold hand against Bea's forehead and cheeks. "I'm calling for a doctor."
"No, no doctors," Bea says weakly.
"Beatrice Gold, you are sick! You need to have a doctor look at you."
"Let me be. Please, Pol..."
"This will only get worse, Bea."
"I just need to bathe... and a tea."
"This is not something that goes away with a bath and tea."
"It's all I'll do."
Polly stares at Bea for a while, seeing how hard she's trying to keep her eyes open.
"But you will eat something along with that tea!" Polly then bargains.
"I will," Bea agrees in a whisper.
"Come on then," Polly says as she makes Bea sit up and then move her out of the bed.
As Polly helps Bea into a tub and fills it with water, she asks for her maid to change the sweat filled sheets on Bea's bed. Bea sat down on the tub and let Polly take care of her. She had always been well of on her own, and she wasn't a child, so it should be weird to have someone, someone who's not even her family, wash her. But Bea was too weak to care.
Surrounding her with a towel and drying her up, Polly takes Bea to her room again and makes her sit down on the newly made bed and dressed her up.
Soon, the maid that had changed the sheets brought up tea and toast.
As agreed, Bea forced some food in her system, with Polly sitting by her. After eating what she felt was enough, she laid back down.
"My dear... I know it is hard," Polly starts, "but your brother wouldn't want you to give up. You have to fight. You have to be strong for him. You have to live for him."
"I'm just so tired Polly." Bea starts to cry in silence.
"I know, my dear. But if you give up you will only get sicker and more tired and then your life will be wasted away."
"Do you know how many times I have wished that it was Aberama gone and not Bonnie?" Bea lets out.
"A lot, probably. And still, not as many as Aberama has wished. I know that you blame him, but he blames himself enough. You need to stay strong, Bea."
"Where is he anyway?"
"He's around. He'll come and see you when you are better. Now rest. Sleep a bit and when you wake up, you'll have to eat some more."
Finn went by the next day and the day after, but always when he went, Bea was asleep. It broke his heart to see that even in her sleep Bea wasn't at peace. Furthermore, she continued to sweat a lot, concerning him and Polly, and she was very pale, with bags under her eyes despite being now asleep most of the time. As she slept she'd also cough and she'd cough even more while awake, having difficulty breathing during fits that, fortunately, Finn didn't witness.
Despite how weak she looked and the sweat and paleness, Polly could see that she was someone trying to get better, by eating more, drinking much more liquids and talking to her.
Finn, every time he went there and saw her, wanted to hug her close, but he couldn't disrupt her sleep, that he knew she needed, so he always left without getting too close.