In My Blood // Alfie Solomons

One more day

Meanwhile in Birmingham...

But tommy couldn't stay at the hospital he felt like a sitting duck. He was broken and sore all over, but he needed to get out, he needed to get somewhere Sabini couldn't touch him.

'Curly you forgot to lock the gate'

'No i did lock it i pinched me self when i did it' curly held up a hand.

'get that stuff undercover.' Charlie instructed readying himself for a fight.

'tommy?' he asked and curly looked up a smile on his face.

'Hello boys,' Tom said trying his best to offer them a smile. 'go get that oil you put on the horses when they go lame, yeah Charlie?'

'Hell tommy you werent supposed to be discharged for three weeks.' Charlie said putting his refile down.

'I was a sitting duck, I was charlie' Tom said rubbing his head.

'are you fucking mad? Don't answer that you are fucking mad.'

'I need to get us on a boat to London.' Tommy told him.

'you discharged yourself?' Charlie asked unable to believe his eyes, tommy looked like shit.

'Ya got drugs charlie?'

'For horses, Tom not for people. You need a hospital.'

'I was a fucking sitting duck in there Charlie. Sabini could send a man at any time and finish the fucking job!' tommy told him as she groaned sitting down. 'I got things I need done.' Tommy murmured. Charlie put a hand to tommys head.

'Jesus youre burning up.'

'right tommy, here ya go.' Curly had brought the oil.

'right tommy that stuff is for rubbing into fucking horses.' Charlie told them trying to take it away from him.

'I am a horse' tommy said

'If you were a horse they would shoot ya with this many broken bones.'

'Come on charlie' tommy said in complete agony.

'A real doctor. Real people medicine, not stuff for horses,' Charlie pleaded.

'Sitting. Fucking. Ducks.' Tommy repeated.

'curly call polly.'

'no' tommy snapped. 'charlie don't curly don't! no one will tell polly because if she finds out the whole bloody Birmingham will know and then we will definitely be dead.' Tom informed them and curly nodded agreeing with Tommy. 'get the black powder too,' tommy said.

'you pay for a bloody hospital and youre using witchcraft!' Charlie said flabbergasted.

'I need, sleep in the open air and the feel of a boat under us Charlie.' Tommy tried to stand up. 'don't suppose you got any witchcraft for broken ribs, eh?' Tommy asked walking to the water..

'fuck sake Tommy.' Charlie muttered.

'theres the stuff for the horses. It puts them to sleep in seconds,' curly said handing it off to tommy.

'arthurs worried about you. He came straight to mine after visiting you.' Charlie informed him.

'arthur worries too much. Tell him ill phone him the minute we get to London.' Tom said.

'london?' charlie asked.

'right now they think I am still in hospital so sabini isn't expecting me in London therefore all his men are up here at least the majority are. So john and Art have to keep up appearances at the hospital just in case sabini has men guarding the hospital. It has too look like I am still there Charlie.'

'you think of everything, god just like your mother.'

'We need to get to camden town' tommy told them.

'What business you have in camden town?'

'you got a boat here?' tommy asked

'only the January she heavy London will take four days.' Charlie told him.

'perfect four days to sleep and recover. Can you spare curly. He can be my doctor.' tommy said

'then God help you Tom.' Charlie said as he helped tommy.

'if I sleep all the way its Camden town , did I already say that?' tommy said 'Tell pol on the way that shes in charge until i get back. If i dont come back shes in charge for good.'

They have fever soaked dreams sleeping drinking smoking and repeat until they arrived.

'You hungry tommy' curly asked as tommy came up for air, he felt a bit better, still awful but less dead.

'Food would be nice.' Tommy agreed.

'You steer and ill put something on'. Tommy took the wheel.

'how much longer curly?'

'One more day, mr. shelby.'