BLINDING LIGHTS || T. SHELBY (2)

ELEVEN (RE-EDITED)

CHAPTER ELEVEN: the Wandering Jew

THOMAS HAD GOTTEN WORSE FROM HIS INJURIES TO THE POINT HE WAS HOSPITALIZED.

He had to have stitches in his head, which means his hair was shaved off. Ada was the one who called an ambulance just as Tabitha got back to the house. Tabitha rushed to her husband's side, seeing that he was unconscious on the stairs, his entire face sweating. She was panicking, tears in her eyes, afraid he wasn't going to open his eyes again. Tabitha already lost her sister, she definitely couldn't lose the person she loved most, the father of her child. Luckily the ambulance were there before it would've been too late.

Thomas was hospitalized, and Tabitha wasn't able to leave him for even a moment, being there when he woke up and there when he went asleep. She knew she had to go home and be with their daughter for a while and then she'd come back and stay at Ada's. She'd give him his daily morphine to help with the pain and helped him eat, because he wouldn't do it on his own. Tabitha thanked God for not taking Thomas away from her, for keeping him safe even though Thomas wasn't the best believer.

Weeks after being hospitalized, Thomas was finally able to come home. He was glad to be in his bed again. Sleeping with his wife and their daughter in between them, holding each other. In the afternoon the day after he got back, Thomas and Tabitha sat in the garden, just the two them. Thomas had his head leaned back in his chair, cigarette in his fingers, deep in thought just like his wife.

"Maggie was calling for you this morning," Tabitha said smiling, then taking another drag of her cigarette. Thomas tilted his head towards us both. "She missed you while you were away. When I got back home the other day, she said tåtic*."

Thomas faintly smiled at the Romani word, but he didn't say anything. Tabitha knew what happened to him affected him the way Charity's death and killing Changretta affected her.

"I'm proud of you, Tab," Thomas said, smiling with his head looking back up. "You handled the Russians and that fucking priest well."

"I'm a good actress...because all I wanted to do was kill everyone in there. Especially the priest."

"You know, some mornings I wake up, I think I've died and this is heaven, Tab, Tom," Johnny Dogs said, walking in the gardens. "I mean the wives and kids camped out by the valley, huh, not being moved on. Sure, me and myself. I'm surrounded by maids and food and booze."

Johnny took a cigarette and lit it as Tabitha chuckled from his enthusiasm. Without moving the position of his head, Thomas began to point to his right, his eyes closed and a faint smile on his face.

"See that line there?" Thomas asked Johnny.

"No," Johnny said with a shake of his head.

"It's the edge of heaven. The border between Birmingham and paradise. And today, my friend, you are gonna step over that line back into the world."

"You mean you have something for him to do, Tom," Tabitha said as Johnny sat beside her, across from Thomas.

"Have you ever heard of Hampton Court Place, Johnny?" Thomas asked, sitting back up to look at his wife and friend.

"No. Can't say I have," Johnny answered.

"You and three families of the Lees are gonna set up camp 100 yards from the gate of the Palace. You won't be moved on because I have just bought the land. You'll be joined by some old friends of mine who are gonna open a hole beneath your tents and caravans."

Johnny and Tabitha looked at each other for a moment before Johnny spoke.

"You see this blow to the head you took, Tom..."