Burdened Love - A Peaky Blinders Story

9

It was almost a week since I saw Tommy last. I hadn't heard anything about what happened and I finally decided to try and get some information out of my brother. I head to the warehouse and knock on Alfie's office door.
"Come in!" He says loudly.
"I am right here brother you don't have to shout" I say coming in to the office and closing the door behind me.
"What do you want?" He asks.
"Just wanted to catch up I haven't seen you in a little bit." I say casually.
"Are you leaving on a world tour again?" He asks not looking up from the papers on his desk.
"No" I laugh. "Honestly I've just been worried about the situation with Tommy Shelby and that priest. Any trouble in that department?" I ask sitting back in the chair and lighting a cigarette.
"Don't worry sister even if the great Tommy Shelby found out I had leaked some information he wouldn't be able to get out of bed to come here anyways" he says chuckling.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"The bloke tried to kill the priest and now he's stuck in the hospital. Beaten to a pulp I would assume internal bleeding. The whole nine yards. You don't fuck with the Catholic Church" he says still laughing.
My heart sinks to my stomach.
"Wow. That's intense." I say quietly.
"You alright?" Alfie asks looking up at me.
"Uh yeah just don't want that to be you. So please don't do anything stupid" I say getting up and grabbing my bag.
"I have an early shift. I've got to go but we should get dinner soon?" I ask him.
"Yes I actually have something to talk to you about." He shouts and I am already out the door.
"Alright do you want to tomorrow?" I shout back.
"Yes" he yells. I barely hear him since I am almost out of the warehouse at this point. I walk quickly out of the warehouse and my breath is short. I decide on a whim without thinking to take a train to Birmingham.
After a short train ride I arrive in Birmingham. Almost immediately my new boots get mud on them as I walk the streets. I go to the best hospital Birmingham offers, betting that is where he would be. I walk up to the nurse station.
"Can I help you ma'am?" The nurse asks.
"Um do you have a patient by the name of Thomas Shelby here?" I ask.
She looks caught off guard and eyes me up and down.
"He is not taking visitors" she says bluntly.
"Could I drop off a gift for him?" I ask.
She turns to the other nurse and whispers to her and turns back to me.
"That should be fine. I can take it right now." She says.
"Oh I don't have anything right now. Are there any good shops around here I can get something?" I ask hastily.
She sighs "there's a couple shops a few blocks over" she says.
"Thank you!" I say turning and walking out the doors again.
I find a few shops but they were pretty pathetic. After 30 minutes of searching I decide on a stuffed horse and some stationary to write a note.
In the note I write: "shops in Birmingham don't have much for a man like you. At least not where I looked. The best I could do is a stuffed horse for you or your son. Here is my telephone address. I want to help. Signed M. S"
I seal the envelope and walk quickly back to the hospital. I walk in and the nurses are not at their station. I wait for probably 15 minutes and decide to find his room. I walk down the hallways quickly looking at the patient folders and finally find the room. I open the door slowly and see him asleep in the bed his face purple and swollen. I see bottles of opium some empty some not on the table beside him. It hurt to see such a powerful man so weak. I set the horse and the note on the table beside him and clear the trash off.
I walk out and make my way back to London immediately after.