-=₪ February 1926 ₪=-
The Mansion / Margate / 3.03am
"SORRY. The wind caught it!" Anna called up the stairs after slamming the door behind the police.
The front door was a stone's throw from the beach. Anna had never seen or experienced the ocean, or its cold wind before, and simply hadn't expected the small brass knob of the deadlock to slip through her fingers as the wind violently tugged on the door.
Louis was in the drawing room quickly drying his eyes from his recent performance for the police when Anna entered. She gave him a warm smile which helped his previous nerves of meeting a new lady melt away.
"Hi! I'm Anna. Ya must be Louis?" she asked kindly, offering her hand.
Louis nodded shyly and accepted her hand with a limp wristed, clammy one of his own.
"And what do you do Louis?" she asked, taking up residence in Malka's chair across from where Louis sat on Alfie's sofa.
"I... I'm a boxer." he answered nervously.
"Really? That explains all the muscles then." she said with a flex of her brow, "are ya very good at it? Ya look like you are."
"I'm a champion!" he declared with a grin, "won the welterweight champion of the southern counties once." he shared with more confidence.
"No? Ya never?" she asked astonished.
"Yeah, no word of a lie."
"Well, I'm suitably impressed." she beamed causing Louis to blush.
"Ah, you must be Anna, the nurse? I'm Dr Bell." interrupted the doctor without caring for what conversation was being had prior to his entry.
"Yea! That's me." Anna replied in a chipper manner.
"Right! He was hypotensive after his rather long performance today, but seems to have levelled now. I've also changed his dressings for the night. Additionally, Mrs Solomons requested him to be kept so heavily drugged for the benefit of misleading the police, that he hasn't be able to intake fluids normally, so he is currently on a drip which is running low, I recommend this is renewed at least one last time before stopping.
"I suspect he will need Laudanum shortly as he has been rejecting his pain medication for most of the day waiting for his wife to return, said he wanted to be alert." confirmed the doctor abruptly and with a rushed manner which suggested he was keen to get away from the Solomons and felt quite put out by the day and the people, including speaking with Anna.
"No' a worry doctor." Anna confirmed.
"Mm, yes." he mumbled which suggested that upon hearing Anna's east London twang, he now questioned her ability as a nurse.
"He has been making good progress this past couple of weeks in the hospital, there shouldn't be any complications. Mrs Solomons timed his fake demise well, he is rather fit and no longer needs to be in bed. He will be fine, just pain medication and changing his dressings, can you handle that miss?" he asked condescendingly.
"Me name's Anna, doctor."
"Yes, very good. Well, I shall be taking my leave. Good evening." and with that Dr Bell spun on his heel and saw himself out.
"Well, he were a bit stuffy, weren't he?" Anna said to Louis with a giggle.
"Hello, Anna is it?" asked Ishmael entering the drawing room.
"Blimey, it's like Piccadilly Circus in 'ere." she replied cheerfully, making Louis chuckle.
"Seems you've already won him over." said Ishmael with a toothy grin.
YOU ARE READING
The Camden Tales
FanfictionAlfie Solomons, the crime boss of Camden Town and King of the Jews: estranged from his wife, his empire crumbling and ravaged by war, he makes a deal with the devil, and nothing is the same again. Covering his years of involvement with the Birmingha...