Paper Daisies - #wattys2017

Peggy

It was still dark when Peggy was awoken, still wrapping her arms around Emma.

"Mam, come quick, it's Thomas." Came the desperate whisper of Laura.

Peggy heard the creak of old mattress springs as Mam struggle to her feet from around her large belly. She heard her mother's footsteps retreat into the other room.

"I don't think he's breathing." Came Eliza's voice.

There was a lengthy silence before Mam spoke.

"He's still breathing," She said. "Laura, go and get Mr Holston, he might be able to help."

Laura got up without a word and came rushing past Peggy, her bare feet slapping the rotting wooden floor before the door creaked open and then closed behind her retreating back.

Mr Holston, whom Laura was fetching, was a barber for the residents of the slum. He had some surgical knowledge and was the closest to a doctor they had access to. If anyone would be able to help Thomas it was Mr Holston.

Peggy decided it best that she awoke Emma, so she gently shook her sister awake. Emma moaned as she blinked her eyes open.

"What is it, Pegs?" She asked, a tinge of annoyance laced her tone.

"Laura just went to get Mr Holston for Thomas." She recounted.

Immediately Emma got to her feet and went into the next room. Peggy remained where she was, as she knew she would only get in the way.

Soon Laura returned with Mr Holston. The pair rushed past Peggy and into the next room. It was then that Peggy crept out from under her blankets to peer through the door of the other room.

Mr Holston was bent over Thomas, so that neither face was visible. The rest of the family, who were awake, stood around watching. Mam was holding a sleepy Simon who had been woken by the commotion and was still half asleep. Eliza held a whimpering Alice, so that she would return to slumber without much fuss.

"What's wrong?" Peggy asked after a long silence that only contained the slight rustle of the underqualified Mr Holston moving around Thomas, making examinations.

Everyone looked up at Peggy's words.

"Go back to bed, Pegs." Eliza said.

"She can go to my flat." Mr Holston, looking up from Thomas, "There's to much going on here, she'll be more likely to sleep in a quieter place." He volunteered.

"Thank you, Mr Holston, that's very generous." Mam said, before turning to her daughter. "Grab your blanket, Peggy."

Peggy did as she was told, gathering up her blanket in her small arms.

"Emma, could you take the young ones to Mr Holston's flat, please." Mam instructed when Peggy popped her head into the other room with her large bundle.

Emma nodded before taking Simon in her arms. She escorted the two younger ones to the nearby flat that belonged to the Holston family.

After a light tap on the door, Mrs Holston answered.

"Ah, the young Fieldses, come in, come in." She waved them inside the one room flat. "You'll have to kip on the floor I'm afraid. Don't have a spare mattress, although I have a rug that you can lie on."

Emma nodded. "Thank you very much, Mrs Holston."

"Oh, it's no trouble." She said, flapping out the rug so it lay flat across the rotting floorboards that had certainly seen better days.

"Lie down, Pegs." Emma instructed.

Peggy did so before pulling Simon down next to her. He instinctively curled into her, mostly asleep already.

Emma placed Peggy's blanket on top of the two young ones.

"You run back to your family now, Emma, I'll take care of these two." Mrs Holston said.

Emma thanked her once more before hurrying back to the Fields' flat.

It didn't take long for Peggy to fall asleep alongside Simon as Mrs Holston softly sung lullabies.

Peggy slept late the next morning, without the noise of her large family preparing for the day ahead. She yawned and sat up.

"Well good morning to you, Peggy." Mrs Holston said. She sat at a small table with Simon balanced on her knee, making sure he ate the small scrap of food she could spare.

"Good Mornin' Mrs Holston." Peggy replied standing up, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's nigh on ten O'clock." The woman replied. "Now quickly eat you breakfast and then I'll get some jobs for you from your mother."

Peggy nodded and quickly ate up the piece of bread offered to her.

Once finished the three of them returned to the Fields' flat.

A solemn chaos filled the air. The family was rushing back and forth, but little was said. Laura spotted the new arrivals and came over.

"Thank you so much, Mrs Holston." She said.

"It was a pleasure having them." Mrs Holston replied with a grim smile. "Although I wish the circumstances had of been better."

Laura nodded, before speaking once more. "Well if you could have them for a while longer, we'll be ever so grateful."

Mrs Holston nodded.

"Could you perhaps get Peggy to get through the artificial flowers?"

"Of course"

Laura handed Mrs Holston a bag full of petals and then another bag of stems before handing the pot of glue that was slightly warm, to Peggy.

The trio then left to get started on the flowers. Mrs Holston had her own work to do, but made sure that Peggy was on track.

They worked in silence for the rest of the day, save for the occasional noise from Simon, who played with a few pots in the corner.

Towards the end of the day Mr Holston returned, shaking his head sadly when he saw Peggy and Simon.

"They should stay the night again." Was all he said.

Peggy's mind was whirring with thoughts as she fell asleep that night. What was wrong? Still no one had answered the question she had posed so many hours ago. She pondered on what the answer could be as she fell into a fitful slumber.