thunder cloud. peaky blinders

FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

Adelaide looked down. Blood wept from her wound, dripping down her cheeks like tears, slipping away as quickly as her short-lived happiness. She tried to reach for it, hands scraping against cold air. Then, as she pulled her trembling hands back towards her face, she felt the icy drip of liquid. It coated her hands. Even in the darkening light, it was a stark red.

The pain in her head and cheek was hot and seething. Adelaide staggered to her feet. Faintly, she could hear the sound of police whistles and the echoes of footsteps growing quieter.

Leaning against the wall, her face was pulled into a harsh grimace. With her hands feeling so clammy, it pained her to think if it was blood or sweat coating her fingers. How long had she been lying there? Mere seconds, likely. The sound of racing feet had disappeared not long ago and as she looked out across the street, it appeared empty. But she couldn't trust her vision. It was slowed, blurry, readily deceiving her. So too her memories were fogged, covered by the throbbing pain in her head.

Using her left hand, the other tucked to her chest like a sling, Adelaide pushed against the wall, forcing herself to use her balance. Yet she toppled, dizzy, and continued to use the wall for support. Her arms ached, but no matter how she stood, they tired in seconds.

Adelaide sighed and her breath caught in her throat like a sob.

Where am I? The name of her surroundings was clear. She could envisage the wide front doors; a walking stick, hanging alone; and the large glass windows that had lined the corridors. She pushed passed it, swimming through a blank space, until she was stopped shortly- by a blank, white wall. Tommy. Tommy.

"Tommy." Her voice came out as a moan, pained and hoarse.

Adelaide stumbled past the doors of the hospital, dropping to the steps. The pale moonlight, although soft, cast a ghostly tinge on her dull surroundings. The streets that forked from both ends of the alleyway were identical: surrounded by thin houses and broken cobble. But from the left, the sound of heavy boots against pavement rose louder once again.

Run. Run. Run! Something in her mind screamed out. It sounded vaguely of a man's voice. She shifted her weight onto her hands and pushed, and then she was limping down the steps, to the road, to the light of the streetlamps, away from the footsteps. As loud as the screams in her head, her body yelled in pain, yelled for her to stop.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her back. 

"Adelaide."

Marco. Marco...

"Marco!"

Tears streamed down her face. She melted into his chest, letting him stroke her hair until she finally pulled away. Her blood stained his shirt.

"Where's my brother?"

Marco didn't need to answer.

"Adelaide!" She felt long arms twist around her waist, and as a head buried into her neck, they toppled to their knees on the floor. Her brother pulled back. Her shoulder was wet.

"We were so worried."

"I'm sorry I scared you."

Harry took her by the face again, shaking his head so hard that it must have hurt. "No, no. This is not your fault, Adelaide. Not your fault," he said, but his eyes roamed the lower half of her head, lingering on the space that throbbed and burned. "What happened?"