"Kez, Kez, open your eyes," Tess says, untucking Kez's shirt, rolling it up so she could locate the gunshot wound which was seeping blood.
Bea came rushing into the room, handing Teresa a cloth, a pair of tweezers, some bandages and a bottle of whiskey.
"Is she going to be alright?" Bea asks, a tear slipping from her eye.
"She'll be fine, we just need a little space," Tommy assures, and Bea nods, exiting the room.
"Kez, have some of this," Arthur says, lifting the bottle of whiskey to his sister's lips, before passing it back to Tess, who pours it over the wound.
"Hold her," Tess instructs, and the two eldest Shelby brothers grasp onto their sister's arms, keeping her stable when she begins thrashing because Tess was digging around the wound with tweezers trying to find the bullet, "got it."
"Thank fuck," Kez breathes out, shaking Tommy and Arthur's hands off her to grab the bottle of whiskey, taking a rather large gulp.
"I need that back," Tess states, and Kez hands the bottle over, grunting in discomfort when Tess pours it directly around the wound cleansing it before wrapping bandages around Kez's torso.
"It's fucking hot in here," Kez says, removing her shirt, leaving her sat there in her bloody vest.
"This is what you get when you get gobby to men with guns," Teresa scolds.
"In my defence, he was aiming at Tommy, not me, so me opening my mouth technically had no consequences," Kezia responds, reaching into her pocket for her cigarettes and matches.
"You're an idiot," Tess scoffs.
"Agreed," Tommy states, as Arthur nods.
"Now who are the ones getting mouthy to someone with a gun?" Kezia retorts, as there's a knock at the door, "can we come in yet?"
"Fair warning, Kez is still a cocky shit," Tess responds as Bea steps through the door, followed by the rest of the family and blinders, Freddie cradling Karl to his chest.
-
"You've been awfully quiet," Kez states, sitting opposite Bea, who was stood behind the bar.
"Take a wild guess as to why," Beatrice replies, "perhaps it's because no matter how many times we warn you not to do something, you go and do it anyways. You're not invincible, Kez."
"You're mad at me," Kezia hums, "but I know you well enough to know that's not all that's going on in your head."
"You could've died," Bea says.
"I didn't though," Kez responds.
"When I saw the gun being shot, when I saw you stumble, when I saw you bleeding, when I thought you were going to die... my heart sank," Bea states.
"You were worried, that's understandable," Kezia shrugs, wincing in pain, "note to self, stop shrugging so viciously."
"I was worried, but that's not all," Bea admits, "Kez, I was scared you were going to die without me ever telling you how I feel about you. I was scared I'd never get the chance to tell you, that I'd never speak to you again, that I'd never feel your touch. It really put things into perspective."
"You don't need to-"
"I do," Bea nods, "you've been right from the beginning, Kez, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get to this point, I'm sorry it took you almost dying for me to get here, but I realised I don't know what I'd do without you, I don't know how I'd live without you. When you're not around it's like I can't breathe."
"Bea, really, you don't have to say it-"
"I love you, Kez," Bea states, "I'm in love with you."
"You said that out in the open," Kez speaks slowly, her face contorting into one of confusion, "is this a joke?"
"We're safe here," Bea states, "... I know they won't judge, or change their opinions of me, they give me no reason to be afraid, not anymore."
"What are you saying, Bea? You can't have just changed your mind this quickly," Kez responds.
"You're not happy about this?" Bea frowns, "I'm saying that I love you, and that I don't mind these people knowing that. You getting fucking shot, it's put things into perspective for me. You can be here, and the next second not, I don't want to waste a moment with you, not anymore."
"Of course I'm happy about this," Kez smiles softly, "forgive me for being slightly confused by the drastic change in mindset. Does this mean I can shout out that Beatrice fucking Walsworth is in love with me?"
"I reckon we should take a softer approach to telling people," Beatrice states.
"Telling people what?" Ada asks, sliding onto the barstool beside her sister.
"That we-" Bea states.
"We? Both of you?" Ada queries, glancing at Kez who was silently taking a sip from her whiskey.
"Yes, it involves both of us," Bea nods, gulping slightly, taking a deep breath, "Ada, Kez and I, we're in a relationship of sorts."
"Of sorts?" Ada repeats, looking between the two of them confused.
"We haven't established it just yet," Bea says, "Kez?"
"I've already told you how I feel about her, Ada, at Johns wedding, I told you about a woman," Kez states.
"That woman was Bea?" Ada says and Kez nods, "I understand you might be annoyed about this, but please try to be happy for us."
"Try?" Ada states, "I don't need to try, I am happy for you, both of you. It'd be hypocritical for me to be annoyed or mad given my husband, the father of my child was Tommys bestfriend. And I've seen how well you've taken the news of Tom and Tess. So long as you're both happy and nobody gets hurt, I think this is wonderful, we should celebrate."
"Celebrate?" Kez says.
"Celebrate love," Ada states, "you are in love, right?"
"Yes," Kez and Bea answer simultaneously.
Ada turns to her bestfriend, "she ever steps a toe out of line, tell me and I'll set her straight. She can be a pain in the neck but-"
"Oh believe me, I can handle her," Bea laughs, "Kez, would you mind grabbing me a stool?"
"I feel like I'm being used to prove a point," Kez grumbles, going to stand up, being stopped be Bea, "I'm pulling your leg, Kez, you've just been shot, sit down."
"You want a stool, I'll get you a stool," Kez states.
"I don't want a stool," Beatrice responds, "sit back down."
"Yes, ma'am," Kez says.
"Ah, I see you've got it all figured out," Ada laughs, "now to celebrate, Bea do we have any bubbly back there."
"We just might do," Bea says, going to check the back rooms.
"You actually thought I'd be mad at you?" Ada asks her sister, who shrugs, "yes. You were mad when you found out the boys had slept with some of your friends."
"There's a difference, Kez, they were using my friends, and my 'friends' were using me to get to them," Ada states, "you and Bea, I don't know I haven't seen it, but it works, and you love each other, I can't be mad about my sister and my bestfriend being happy."
"I found some," Bea announces.
"Get over here, you lot," Ada says, calling over the rest of the family.
"We're seriously doing this?" Kez asks, looking at Bea, "we don't have to."
"I know we don't have to," Bea responds, reaching across the bar to squeeze Kez's hand, "I want to."
"Alright, then," Kez smiles, lifting Bea's hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles, as everyone gathers round the bar.
"What's going on, Ada?" John asks.
"I believe two people have a rather grand announcement to make," Ada squeals, clapping excitedly, stepping to the side where Freddie was stood.
"I take it you two are the people," Polly states, gesturing to Beatrice and Kezia, whose hands were now intertwined.
"We're together," Bea says.
"Obviously, you're stood there, she's sat there," Arthur responds, grunting when Tess slaps his arm, "she means courting, bonehead."
"Oh, then crack that bottle open," Arthur says, reaching for the champagne.
"Ahh, future little sister in law," Finn hums.
"Seriously, Finn?" Kez laughs, as Arthur begins handing out glasses of champagne.
"I love, love," Esmé sighs, leaning her head on Johns shoulder as he places a kiss to her head, his arm around her waist.
"Bea, get out from behind that bar, come on, lovely, grab a glass," Arthur states, turning to smile at Kez, "glad to see you've finally acquired some taste after that Grace fiasco."
"Does everyone know about that?" Kezia groans, to which there was a chorus of 'yes'.
"Fuck Grace," Beatrice scoffs, making her way round the bar.
"Amen to that," Tess says, clinking glasses with Bea as she passes by to stand beside Kez, resting her hand on Kez's shoulder.
"To success, and to Bea and Kez," Tommy toasts, everyone seems to skip the first part in their repetition, just smiling as they say "to Bea and Kez."
"So I'm officially claimed, huh?" Kezia whispers to Bea, who smiles, leaning down to place a kiss to her lips, "you are. No turning back now, you're all mine."
"Delightful," Kez replies.
"Whilst you're healing, no strenuous activities," Tess states.
"Fuck off," Kez scoffs.
"Should probably listen to the nurse, Kez," Bea says.
"Oh, really?" Kezia replies.
"I promise to make it up to you once you've healed," Bea whispers.
"How long will it take to heal?" Kez asks Tess, who shrugs, "when you stop wincing whenever you move."
"What about work? I can't stop working," Kez states, "I'll be fine, nothing is ever too strenuous."
"Poor you, you're just going to have to take it easy for a while," Tess replies.
"So I just... sit around all day? No thanks," Kezia says, "I hate this."
"I hate it too, all I'm going to be hearing is complaining," Tess groans.
"Oh, cry me a river," Kez scoffs.