Angels With Dirty Faces
IV
He heard it, he knew he did, his eyes snapped open as he forced himself up, a familiar sensation on his hand triggered a sense of relief, he lay eyes on her, choking on the realisation that she was awake, her hand was on top of his,
“Dolly?”
She mustered a small smile, her eyes still heavy, he lifted her hand to his face kissing her palm, holding her there with both hands, she could feel him shake,
“what happened?”
Her voice was hoarse, he seemed taken aback by her question,
“Let me go and get your mum eh love? She’s been dying to see you”
“No! Kevin” her voice broke “Just tell me”
He sighed,
“what do you remember?”
--
George roared with laughter, Bay leaf sniggered, Kevin blushed,
“This is why I don’t bother talking to you lot! I knew this would bloody happen!”
He grumbled
“Sorry I’ll be serious” George responded wiping his watering eyes with the back of his hand “but fancy just bloody ignoring her you tart!”
“That’s probably why she’s got the ump with you young Kev!” Bay Leaf laughed “Honestly though mate, when you two have your secret meeting later just have a word with her then, tell her why you ignored her, birds love a bloke who says how he feels”
Kevin nodded, folding his arms across his chest, unable to believe he had stooped to the level of asking George for advice about women! A wave of nausea rocked him as he heard her car pull up, within minutes she was strolling in to the mess room, she greeted everyone with a chirpy hello, he smiled towards her, with a flick of her pony tail she was in the kitchen making a cuppa without even so much as a slight acknowledgement towards him.
He sighed and looked at George, he raised his eyebrows back
“Give her a chance”
He mouthed.
Hours slipped by and as usual one by one the crew slipped off to bed. Kevin sat shuffling cards, silently willing her to make the first move and open conversation with him, she remained silent reading a magazine at the other end of the table, he cleared his throat, she paused putting her mug of tea back on the table, she looked over at him,
“What?”
She snapped, he shrugged,
“nothing”
“Well it’s must be bloody something you’ve been ignoring me for nearly two weeks now and you keep lingering around like you’re waiting for something, like a bloody puppy wanting a treat” she hissed as she stood marching towards the kitchen “Or a kicking!” She spat
He threw his arms up
“Don’t be like that!”
“Then give me a bloody hint at what you want Kevin! For Christ’s sake! I thought we were friends then you start acting like this!”
He smirked at her, unable to take her seriously, it was a well-known fact that she was usually placid and to see her getting frustrated was somewhat amusing,
“A cuppa would be nice”
She glared at him, storming through the kitchen and in to the mess room,
“Well make it your sodding self!”
“Leave it out Doll! You know I’m playing”
She charged towards him, he leant against the door, looking down at her grinning,
“Kevin, move!” she barged in to him, he stayed unmoved “I’m being serious! Get out of my way”
“I can’t do that sorry”
He laughed, she pursed her lips frustrated, her eyebrows raised,
“Right” she tutted “I’ll just go the long way then”
She turned on her heels, waltzing towards the other door, Kevin laughed more springing forward grabbing her hand, she continued to walk,
“Flippin’ heck Scarlett, stop!”
He laughed more,
“Can’t do that sorry!” He felt a weight lift as he realised she was laughing too, he managed to grab her other hand, she walked backwards laughing at him, “You owe me a bloody apology!”
“I know, I’m sorry okay I acted like a plank!”
“Maybe you can buy breakfast after shift and I’ll think about forgiving you!”
He laughed and nodded,
“You’ve got a deal as long as I can ask something of you” She looked at him waiting, her hands still in his, his stomach tied in to knots, he pulled a hand away clamping it to his neck, “Look I just need to ask if…well…I wanted to know if there was any sort of…” she began to snigger “don’t laugh Doll I’m being serious”
“I know I’m sorry”
She giggled, he pulled his hand away annoyed,
“Just forget it,” He turned and began to walk away “Don’t worry about it!”
“No, Kevin Just hang – “
She was cut off by the bells, she sighed kicking one of the chairs as Kevin rushed away,
“How did it go?”
Bayleaf shouted over the roar of the engine,
“It didn’t! thought I was joking wouldn’t stop laughing so I – “
“Got the ump and walked away?”
“Nah I was about to, but the bells went and done the job for me!”
“Christ Kevin!”
“She aint interested”
He replied his heart squeezing in his chest, he kept himself busy focusing on the call they had been given.
They made their way back to the station, the crew undressing and sloping back to bed, Kevin stood in the kitchen taking a few mouthfuls from a glass of water, Scarlett walked in, keeping her head down she brushed past him,
“Sorry” She murmured after knocking him, He cleared his throat, slamming his glass down on the side before forcing his way past her, “Kev?” She grabbed his wrist before he could move further away, she rooted her self to the floor in front of him, with slow movement, she placed her hands on the sides of his neck, bringing herself to his height she placed her lips against his, he sunk in to the moment for a few seconds before pulling away quickly, shocking himself and her, “I’m sorry that was ridiculous”
She blushed, rushing away from him,
“No, it wasn’t” he planted his hands in his pockets, “You still up for breakfast? My treat”
--
“It was just a standard call, love, you went in on BA you were downstairs, the ceiling caved in” He went cold at the memory, it felt a life time ago when in reality it had been four days, four days since either of them had stepped foot in to the station, four days since either of them had seen their home or their daughter, four days since he had watched his colleagues drag his wife’s unconscious body out of a burning house, “They thought we had lost you, punctured lung head injury broken legs fractured ribs, you were just soot and blood, I thought I had lost you”
“Where’s Ruby?”
“At your dad’s, she doesn’t know what’s gone on”
“I should hope not Kev, she’s only three!” She managed a small laugh “when can I go home?”
“I don’t know love, you were in theatre for nearly 7 hours” he cleared his throat “you’ve really done a number on your legs though love, they might have to teach you to walk again”
“Dolly?”
She mustered a small smile, her eyes still heavy, he lifted her hand to his face kissing her palm, holding her there with both hands, she could feel him shake,
“what happened?”
Her voice was hoarse, he seemed taken aback by her question,
“Let me go and get your mum eh love? She’s been dying to see you”
“No! Kevin” her voice broke “Just tell me”
He sighed,
“what do you remember?”
--
George roared with laughter, Bay leaf sniggered, Kevin blushed,
“This is why I don’t bother talking to you lot! I knew this would bloody happen!”
He grumbled
“Sorry I’ll be serious” George responded wiping his watering eyes with the back of his hand “but fancy just bloody ignoring her you tart!”
“That’s probably why she’s got the ump with you young Kev!” Bay Leaf laughed “Honestly though mate, when you two have your secret meeting later just have a word with her then, tell her why you ignored her, birds love a bloke who says how he feels”
Kevin nodded, folding his arms across his chest, unable to believe he had stooped to the level of asking George for advice about women! A wave of nausea rocked him as he heard her car pull up, within minutes she was strolling in to the mess room, she greeted everyone with a chirpy hello, he smiled towards her, with a flick of her pony tail she was in the kitchen making a cuppa without even so much as a slight acknowledgement towards him.
He sighed and looked at George, he raised his eyebrows back
“Give her a chance”
He mouthed.
Hours slipped by and as usual one by one the crew slipped off to bed. Kevin sat shuffling cards, silently willing her to make the first move and open conversation with him, she remained silent reading a magazine at the other end of the table, he cleared his throat, she paused putting her mug of tea back on the table, she looked over at him,
“What?”
She snapped, he shrugged,
“nothing”
“Well it’s must be bloody something you’ve been ignoring me for nearly two weeks now and you keep lingering around like you’re waiting for something, like a bloody puppy wanting a treat” she hissed as she stood marching towards the kitchen “Or a kicking!” She spat
He threw his arms up
“Don’t be like that!”
“Then give me a bloody hint at what you want Kevin! For Christ’s sake! I thought we were friends then you start acting like this!”
He smirked at her, unable to take her seriously, it was a well-known fact that she was usually placid and to see her getting frustrated was somewhat amusing,
“A cuppa would be nice”
She glared at him, storming through the kitchen and in to the mess room,
“Well make it your sodding self!”
“Leave it out Doll! You know I’m playing”
She charged towards him, he leant against the door, looking down at her grinning,
“Kevin, move!” she barged in to him, he stayed unmoved “I’m being serious! Get out of my way”
“I can’t do that sorry”
He laughed, she pursed her lips frustrated, her eyebrows raised,
“Right” she tutted “I’ll just go the long way then”
She turned on her heels, waltzing towards the other door, Kevin laughed more springing forward grabbing her hand, she continued to walk,
“Flippin’ heck Scarlett, stop!”
He laughed more,
“Can’t do that sorry!” He felt a weight lift as he realised she was laughing too, he managed to grab her other hand, she walked backwards laughing at him, “You owe me a bloody apology!”
“I know, I’m sorry okay I acted like a plank!”
“Maybe you can buy breakfast after shift and I’ll think about forgiving you!”
He laughed and nodded,
“You’ve got a deal as long as I can ask something of you” She looked at him waiting, her hands still in his, his stomach tied in to knots, he pulled a hand away clamping it to his neck, “Look I just need to ask if…well…I wanted to know if there was any sort of…” she began to snigger “don’t laugh Doll I’m being serious”
“I know I’m sorry”
She giggled, he pulled his hand away annoyed,
“Just forget it,” He turned and began to walk away “Don’t worry about it!”
“No, Kevin Just hang – “
She was cut off by the bells, she sighed kicking one of the chairs as Kevin rushed away,
“How did it go?”
Bayleaf shouted over the roar of the engine,
“It didn’t! thought I was joking wouldn’t stop laughing so I – “
“Got the ump and walked away?”
“Nah I was about to, but the bells went and done the job for me!”
“Christ Kevin!”
“She aint interested”
He replied his heart squeezing in his chest, he kept himself busy focusing on the call they had been given.
They made their way back to the station, the crew undressing and sloping back to bed, Kevin stood in the kitchen taking a few mouthfuls from a glass of water, Scarlett walked in, keeping her head down she brushed past him,
“Sorry” She murmured after knocking him, He cleared his throat, slamming his glass down on the side before forcing his way past her, “Kev?” She grabbed his wrist before he could move further away, she rooted her self to the floor in front of him, with slow movement, she placed her hands on the sides of his neck, bringing herself to his height she placed her lips against his, he sunk in to the moment for a few seconds before pulling away quickly, shocking himself and her, “I’m sorry that was ridiculous”
She blushed, rushing away from him,
“No, it wasn’t” he planted his hands in his pockets, “You still up for breakfast? My treat”
--
“It was just a standard call, love, you went in on BA you were downstairs, the ceiling caved in” He went cold at the memory, it felt a life time ago when in reality it had been four days, four days since either of them had stepped foot in to the station, four days since either of them had seen their home or their daughter, four days since he had watched his colleagues drag his wife’s unconscious body out of a burning house, “They thought we had lost you, punctured lung head injury broken legs fractured ribs, you were just soot and blood, I thought I had lost you”
“Where’s Ruby?”
“At your dad’s, she doesn’t know what’s gone on”
“I should hope not Kev, she’s only three!” She managed a small laugh “when can I go home?”
“I don’t know love, you were in theatre for nearly 7 hours” he cleared his throat “you’ve really done a number on your legs though love, they might have to teach you to walk again”