Blackened Heart- Tommy Shelby

Morphine Dreams

Later on that evening Olivia had dosed Tommy up on morphine when she noticed that he was struggling to contain his pain. It was when she was checking his bruised ribs, just the touch of her finger tips had him reeling away.

"Do you have to check those?" He demanded through gritted teeth.

Olivia tucked the sheet back around him, careful not to touch his skin further "You're in pain Mr Shelby. I'm going to give you some morphine"

He watched her carefully as she began to prepare the pain medication, watching as a strand of her hair fell from under her nurses hat. Having only known her for a short time he could tell she was tired, having been forced to dedicate her time to him.

As she pressed down on his inner elbow she looked up at him, catching his eyes on her once again "You'll feel a slight scratch" she warned.

It didn't matter. Tommy's body was riddled in pain, so much so that the needle in his arm was a relief. As soon as she injected the morphine he felt his body begin to relax.

Leaning his head back on the pillow he closed his eyes "Don't you have someone to take over from you?" He asked as he heard her move away and take her seat.

"No" she replied "Not until you're out of the woods" her voice was calm and full of warmth, something he felt he didn't deserve.

"Do you do this for all your patients in a similar position?" He opened one eye to get a look at her reaction but she was looking down, scribbling her notes.

"Not really but given your...." she paused briefly "reputation, the hospital thought it would be best that I head up your care"

"You're the best I take it" he closed his eyes once again, his body tingling with relief.

He heard her slight laugh and her pen scrape against the paper "I'd like to think so"

———

As he fell into a pain free slumber he found himself in the same hospital room but this time he was free of his pain riddled body but not of his memories.

There where images of his brother John's funeral, the smoke suffocating his lungs as he watched the coffin burn.

The day he met Ada's baby boy.

The day he watched Grace leave on the train as he promised himself to never let another woman in.

A moment in the tunnels when he looked down the tunnel, his ears straining to hear when he suspected they weren't alone.

Tommy couldn't escape the fires licking at his ankles, even in his sleep he was being tortured by all of his mistakes.

——

"He's okay Miss Grey, he had an uneventful night which is good news. We're going to try and get him up today, get his legs moving"

"Isn't it a bit soon Nurse Heart?"

"The longer we leave it the harder it will be for him. It's going to be painful but it has to be now" she said softly, her voice soothing Tommy as he groggily fought off the morphine.

"I understand. Can you call me when you're done? His family are worried" Tommy had never heard his aunt so worried before, her voice was barely a whisper.

"Of course"

——

"Get fucking off me!" He snapped as Jackson tried to lift him off the bed "I can do it myself"