To Monaco & Back - Finn Shelby

18

1928 - Watery Lane
Thursday, 25th June - 10:23pm

Finn and Isabella stumbled into the house. It would be an understatement to say Isabella was tired after practically carrying Finn home from a nearby pub. He had decided to go out for a few drinks after finishing his work in the Betting Shop, however those few drinks led to a whole wad of them.

"You must stop all this drinking, especially when the baby comes it isn't responsible." Isabella scolds him, as she locks the door and kicks her shoes off. It was safe to say the baby could come at any minute. She felt like she had been carrying a watermelon inside of her for almost a month now but Polly insisted that they had a couple months of peace left.

"Let me enjoy my freedom, while it lasts anyways." Finn groans, he's now slumped on the sofa with his feet resting on the coffee table. Isabella kicks his feet off and tuts at him as she starts to walk into the kitchen. "Bella."

"Yes Finn." she huffs.

"Why do you have so many unusual scars?" he questions. He frowns as he begins to think of all the possible outcomes to the question. Isabella pauses for a moment, hesitant on whether to tell him or not.

"Istituto Italiano per i Pazzi Mentali." Isabella replied, quietly, but not quiet enough for him to not hear.

His head shot around and looked at her with a frown.

"Can you, repeat that?" he asked, there was silence between them for a moment, "In English please."

"The Italian Institution for the Mentally Insane." Isabella said, she didn't look at Finn once. She didn't want to see his reaction, or know how he felt. "I spent 3 months there, I was 4."

"Institution for Mentally Insane? You're not insane? Are you?"

"No." 

Isabella wanted to stop there, she felt like crying in Finn's arms, telling him everything. But she wanted to stop.

"What happened?"

"I was given 4 rules,
1, Swearing and inappropriate language is prohibited at all times.
2, I must speak in only a formal manner to everyone at all times.
3, Only speak when spoken to.
4, Behave in a polite manner, do not run or play playground games.
5, Follow my schedule with no exceptions for illness or lateness.
6, Do not disobey any instructions.
7, Failure to comply with these rules will result in punishment chosen by Mr Lopez.
I stood up for myself once, wanting to break my father out of his cruel and twisted mind. I hoped to turn him into a real father. Of course it didn't work, I swore at him and he took me there." Isabella told Finn. 

"Those rules are ridiculous, for anyone let alone a child. What happened there?"

Isabella paused and sat down next to Finn on the sofa, his arm curled around her shoulder and he held her close to him.

"I was kept there for 4 and a half months. My father said he would collect me after a month but sent a maid to come 3 and a half months late." Isabella paused again, waiting for Finn to say something but he didn't, "They used a device, tapped it across my skin and it went shocks, almost as if I was being struck by lightening. The doctors there eventually discovered it had cut off all blood circulation in my legs and around my stomach, almost killing me. They saved me, by accident. Cut into my shoulder which led the pain elsewhere and somehow my body reacted quicker and saved me. This carried on the whole time I was there."

"Bella," Finn muttered, "I'm sorry." Isabella felt Finn started to cry as he rested his head on top of hers, she breathed deeply holding in her own tears and squeezed his hand.

"My father wasn't fully aware of what happened there but he knew it wasn't good. He hardly spoke a word to me at all after. He fired each member of the house and employed new ones and gave them strict instructions to not talk to me unless told to." Isabella said. Finn was speechless, he didn't know what to say or how to react. 

For the rest of the night Isabella and Finn stayed mostly in silence, Isabella fell asleep in Finn's arms and he felt too bad to wake her so they remained there until morning.

He felt sick. He was angry mostly, he'd never felt so much hatred towards anyone but he know understood what if felt like. He wanted Mr Lopez to feel the pain Isabella felt. He wondered whether to speak to Tommy or Arthur but decided not to. It killed him to know that about Isabella. He never wanted her to be in pain, he wanted to swap places with her. He'd rather it be him who felt it, not her. She's to precious, to fragile, she didn't deserve it.