Another love

Part Eighty - Four

Sarah was frantic whilst they ran through the hospital corridors, the sight of Ruby limp in Tommy's arms was enough for her heart to break.

"Out of the way! Out of the way! No, Where's the doctor?" Tommy shouted at the nurses who were trying to help, "I need to speak to a doctor."

"- Mr Shelby. Mr Shelby, your daughter has consumption. Consumption is a very infectious disease. There are procedures that must be followed. Please, hand over the child." The doctor pleaded with him

Tommy glanced over at Sarah like a frightened child, "Sarah?"

Sarah tried to keep her voice cool, not wanting to spook the wild horse inside of him, "It's going to be alright." She reassured.

Nodding at her, Tommy reluctantly handed Ruby over to them, "Right, you take her. You be gentle. That's my daughter, you hear me?" Tommy seemed calm for a moment before trying to move past them all "I need to be with her. I need to be with my daughter!" He tried to shove away all the doctors to get to her but in the end, Sarah jumped between them knowing that this wasn't helping Ruby.

"Tom....Tommy!" She snapped grabbing his face and making him look at her, once she knew that she had his attention she pulled him aside and kept a grip on the lapels of his coat to prevent him from trying to run, "OK. Come on. They are X-raying Ruby, they have to X-ray us - because we might have it as well-"

"- fuck us, Sarah, fuck us! fuck you and me! Who brought this on? We brought on this curse!" Tommy shouted moving out of her grip

Letting a frustrated cry, Sarah dragged him away and shoved him against a wall, "Stop, Tommy. fucking stop!"

"They wouldn't let me pass. It's because I didn't pass. They did it on purpose, to punish me." He panted quietly pressing his forehead against Sarah's.

"Tommy, stop it, please." She pleaded quietly, they needed each other right now, they didn't need to be thinking about the past.

"Alright." He exhaled sharply.

Sarah began speaking to the doctors but was yet to release tommy from her hold, "My husband is very sorry. OK. My husband is very sorry and he is calm now." her hand moved down to Tommys chest where she could feel his heartbeat slowing to a steady pace, he nodded at her that he was ok now, "He is recovering from addiction. Sometimes..." her voice trailed off.

"Sometimes he's a horse in a crate, kicking the crate. It's just the crate I'm kicking. I'm sorry." He told them sincerely, rubbing his hand over his face to collect his thoughts, before turning to face his wife, "Sarah? Tell me what I have to do."

"This way, sir." One of the nurses spoke up as she guided them down another corridor

Sarah let out a breath of relief that Tommy was complying with the doctors, and held his hand tightly as they walked.

"Sorry." He said quietly

Sarah shook her head, "Thank you." She whispered back.

The tests seemed to go on for a while and it was putting Sarah further on edge, with the knowledge that Tommy was somewhere here having the same tests without her there to keep him calm, and then Ruby who was only a child and confused about why she was seeing and hearing things, and why she was in hospital and there was nothing Sarah could do. Leaving her X - ray room Sarah caught a glimpse of Ruby through another room, she looked so small and helpless as the nurses poked and prodded her, she wasn't even aware that the doctor was talking to her until he grabbed her shoulder gently. Her eyes snapped to his furiously.

"Mrs Shelby," he tried again, pulling his hand from her shoulder, "Mrs Shelby, you can't be in here without a mask."

Sarah shook her head profusely "no I'm fine, she needs me I'm fine." She insisted as she tried to go past him only for him to block her path