Choking On Sapphires

79 Baddest Man Alive

Alfie bursts into the best hospital he knows in London with absolutely no grace or manners to his entrance. As soon as Arthur clears the way with the doors he's shouting in his rough, thick Camden accent for the best doctor and nurses in the place and fuck anyone else because this woman was the most important.  If Genevieve had been conscious, she would've thought the whole rant was rather charming.

"We need to take her to treat her Mr. Solomons." a nurse says with clear agitation as he sputters his words, not realizing he'd have to let her out of his sight.

As she's taken from his arms, he doesn't want to let go, but both Tommy and Arthur help pry her away and hand her off to the doctors who get to work before shes even hit the gurney. They both stand with the forlorn and lost looking Alfie Solomons, showing that he was indeed human as he stood covered in blood in the hallway with the Shelby brothers hands on either of his shoulders.

"They'll do everything they can Mr. Solomons." a young girl with a sympathetic smile says, holding paperwork. "But right now we need to know some information." she says with a very timid delivery, none of the men even acknowledging her presence, they were all rattled with what had gone down.

"We'll handle it." a familiar voice from the doorway comes as Claire and Polly come with stern looks on their face and headstrong postures. Clearly two strong women who pushed the boys aside to move with the nurse to the back behind the swinging doors.

"Claire!" Alfie snaps out his trance, seeing Gen's body disappear down a hallway.

"I've got it Alfie. If you come back you'll only cause trouble." she answers with no anger in her voice as her hand rests on his chest. "I believe you might have some... business that needs tending to?" she says with vengeful eyes that swing up to meet his under her brow.

"Until I know she's okay I'm not fuckin' leavin'." he retorts with a fast shake of his head.

"That's fair. Wait here and the moment she's settled I will let you know. Otherwise, there is a phone down the hall. There are surely some calls you need to make." she gives him a harsh poke into his chest. "Make the best of this time before people know... what happened." she states clearly, breaking  through his heavy blanket of self pity and guilt he was clearly wearing on his face.  "Alfie. She needs you to be a strong man right now. And you are. You can do this."

"I know I fuckin' can Claire." he says defensively.

"There he is." she says with a more endearing nod.  "Then you need to make some calls don't you? Spend this time wisely."

"Right." he says thumbing his nose.

"I'll be back soon." she says before swiftly turning and following the bewildered looking nurse down the hall towards surgery.

"What's the plan?" Tommy says, with his characteristic cool delivery.

Alfie takes a deep breath. "Gonna call me men. We've got some feet to get on the ground." he says with a strong brow, eyes darting in through across the room. "Let's go somewhere more private, yeah? Not the place to be discussin' such things." he says with a swish of his jacket as he moves down the hall to the phone.

-------

As promised, Claire comes and finds the boys all hunched and grumbling their plans of attack in an empty conference room. She says only one at a time, but Arthur refuses to wait.

"Who's gonna fuckin' tell ME no?" he says, pushing through the doors as Claire walks with her guard up next to Alfie.

Polly sits by the bed, holding Gen's bandaged hand. Her hair was now wet and washed, brushed back and braided out of the way. The light coming through the blinded windows, bouncing off everything that was white and sterile in the single room makes her look even worse, he thinks. Or perhaps that was wishful thinking. He stands at the foot of her bed, staring and unsure of how to proceed. Polly knew Alfie and Gen had been living together, seen kissing in his club, but she'd never genuinely thought he was in love with her until she saw his eyes. Until she felt it pouring out of him as he stood there like a shell shocked soldier taking in the beaten angel before him.