Angels With Dirty Faces
VI
“Ruby Roo!!” Scarlett cooed at the toddler who had just walked in “Come and give us a squeeze! I bloody missed you!!”
She felt herself tear up as she watched her daughter climb on to the bed,
“Mind mummy’s legs Roo”
Kev reminded her as she clambered about, curling next to her mum holding on to her nightie as if it meant she could stay, Kev adjusted a few of the wires and pipes around the child to avoid them being snagged,
“Have you been good for Nanny and Grandad?”
The little girl nodded
“Sleepovers cause of mummy’s ouchies!”
Kevin sniggered,
“That’s right Roo” He said the words lovingly making Scarletts heart flutter “When’s your next physio?”
“This afternoon”
“Do you want me there?” She nodded glancing at her legs again “Don’t be so sad love, you’re really getting there now!”
--
They often found themselves sleeping at each other’s places and car sharing, they had become used to the comments and wolf whistles when they walked in to the station together,
“Shall we push the beds together for you tonight”
George sniggered
“No it’s fine we’ll use the back of your car”
Scarlett replied coolly, drawing more cheers from the blokes around them, as the door opened the place fell silent, station officer Tate poked his head in,
“Medhurst, Drummond, My office now!”
They side eyed each other before, following him out of the room.
They stood to attention in front of Tate’s desk, waiting in heavy silence for him to speak, although they both knew why they were there,
“It’s of my understanding that for the past 6 months you two have had some sort of intimate arrangement”
“and a very active sex life guv”
Kevin replied straight faced, Scarlett pulled her lips in and looked at the floor trying to stifle a laugh, Tate sighed,
“Thank you for that Medhurst, anyway I want any domestics and any intimacy kept out of my fire station understand?” they both nodded “and the minute it starts to interfere or cause a conflict of interest is the minute it ends or you’ll both find yourself in the social security office come Monday! Am I clear”
“Yes Guv”
They chorused,
“Back to duties the pair of you”
He motioned them towards the door with his hand, they left walking hand in hand down the corridors only breaking when sub cleared his throat behind them, they smirked at each other walking back to the mess room.
She sat on her bed, rubbing one side of her face with her hand, her stomach cramping in painful knots, nausea set right in to the pit of her stomach, the door swung open, she barely looked up,
“You alright Dolly?”
Bayleaf asked in a hushed voice, he walked over to her sitting down,
“I’ll be honest with you, I just want to go to sleep”
“Go on then!” he smiled “Treat yourself, I’ll make sure you get a good hour before that lot start coming in”
She smiled back, laying herself down and dozing off, within minutes her stomach lurched, she wretched and rushed to the bathroom,
“Kev?” Bay leaf leaned through the serving hatch in to the mess room, the young boy looked up from the newspaper “Now don’t panic but it sounds as though your Scarlett is a little bit poorly”
Kevin glanced at Tate with pleading eyes, Tate sighed,
“go on, I’d be more disappointed if you didn’t! but don’t take the mick!”
She sat on the floor, head in her hands knees to her chest, eyes sore from crying, her stomach and head aching from the vomiting, as she started to doze again, a distant voice rousing her slightly,
“Doll? Dolly?” She didn’t have the energy to shout, she put her head back down on to her knees, flinching when the door flew open “For Christ sake! There you are, Scarlett? Whats up?”
“I just don’t feel well”
She muttered, Kevin crouched to her level,
“Come on” he whispered lifting her “lets get you off this bloody floor” He carried her back in to sleeping quarters laying her down on his bed, “I won’t be a minute” he whispered giving her hand a squeeze before rushing back to the mess room “Guv? A word?”
he sighed following Kevin in to the sleeping quarters, he looked at Scarlett, she lay asleep, still, but pale, he crouched down next to her,
“Drummond? Drummond?” he gave her a gentle shake “Scarlett?”
Her eyes opened, she sat up slowly,
“I’m sorry sir” she mumbled lifting her head to face him “I’ll be out again soon, I’m just tired”
“Don’t worry about that, Medhurst is taking you home” he eyed Kevin “And will then be coming back!”
HE lay her down in her own bed, covering her up and placing a glass of water on her bedside
“If you need me call the station, I’ll be back after shift”
She nodded barely conscious.
--
He squeezed his eyes closed and took a deep breath, trying to settle his mind as another anguished cry escaped from her, the physiotherapist trying to gently encourage her to take another step,
“Come on Scarlett! You’re doing brilliantly! Keep going!”
She cried out again, He rushed to her side, hooking his arm through hers and holding her hand, she shook violently as she moved, tears rolling down her flushed cheeks,
“Come on love, it won’t be long before you and Ruby are running rings around me again!”
He adored being a husband and a dad but occasionally found himself missing watching the football with his feet up, his life had become about painting nails and braiding hair and he was fairly certain he wouldn’t forget his first tea party, or the way he hid in the bathroom to shed a few tears on her first day of nursery, even after he had mocked Scarlett for it.
He hadn’t felt this lost before,
She felt herself tear up as she watched her daughter climb on to the bed,
“Mind mummy’s legs Roo”
Kev reminded her as she clambered about, curling next to her mum holding on to her nightie as if it meant she could stay, Kev adjusted a few of the wires and pipes around the child to avoid them being snagged,
“Have you been good for Nanny and Grandad?”
The little girl nodded
“Sleepovers cause of mummy’s ouchies!”
Kevin sniggered,
“That’s right Roo” He said the words lovingly making Scarletts heart flutter “When’s your next physio?”
“This afternoon”
“Do you want me there?” She nodded glancing at her legs again “Don’t be so sad love, you’re really getting there now!”
--
They often found themselves sleeping at each other’s places and car sharing, they had become used to the comments and wolf whistles when they walked in to the station together,
“Shall we push the beds together for you tonight”
George sniggered
“No it’s fine we’ll use the back of your car”
Scarlett replied coolly, drawing more cheers from the blokes around them, as the door opened the place fell silent, station officer Tate poked his head in,
“Medhurst, Drummond, My office now!”
They side eyed each other before, following him out of the room.
They stood to attention in front of Tate’s desk, waiting in heavy silence for him to speak, although they both knew why they were there,
“It’s of my understanding that for the past 6 months you two have had some sort of intimate arrangement”
“and a very active sex life guv”
Kevin replied straight faced, Scarlett pulled her lips in and looked at the floor trying to stifle a laugh, Tate sighed,
“Thank you for that Medhurst, anyway I want any domestics and any intimacy kept out of my fire station understand?” they both nodded “and the minute it starts to interfere or cause a conflict of interest is the minute it ends or you’ll both find yourself in the social security office come Monday! Am I clear”
“Yes Guv”
They chorused,
“Back to duties the pair of you”
He motioned them towards the door with his hand, they left walking hand in hand down the corridors only breaking when sub cleared his throat behind them, they smirked at each other walking back to the mess room.
She sat on her bed, rubbing one side of her face with her hand, her stomach cramping in painful knots, nausea set right in to the pit of her stomach, the door swung open, she barely looked up,
“You alright Dolly?”
Bayleaf asked in a hushed voice, he walked over to her sitting down,
“I’ll be honest with you, I just want to go to sleep”
“Go on then!” he smiled “Treat yourself, I’ll make sure you get a good hour before that lot start coming in”
She smiled back, laying herself down and dozing off, within minutes her stomach lurched, she wretched and rushed to the bathroom,
“Kev?” Bay leaf leaned through the serving hatch in to the mess room, the young boy looked up from the newspaper “Now don’t panic but it sounds as though your Scarlett is a little bit poorly”
Kevin glanced at Tate with pleading eyes, Tate sighed,
“go on, I’d be more disappointed if you didn’t! but don’t take the mick!”
She sat on the floor, head in her hands knees to her chest, eyes sore from crying, her stomach and head aching from the vomiting, as she started to doze again, a distant voice rousing her slightly,
“Doll? Dolly?” She didn’t have the energy to shout, she put her head back down on to her knees, flinching when the door flew open “For Christ sake! There you are, Scarlett? Whats up?”
“I just don’t feel well”
She muttered, Kevin crouched to her level,
“Come on” he whispered lifting her “lets get you off this bloody floor” He carried her back in to sleeping quarters laying her down on his bed, “I won’t be a minute” he whispered giving her hand a squeeze before rushing back to the mess room “Guv? A word?”
he sighed following Kevin in to the sleeping quarters, he looked at Scarlett, she lay asleep, still, but pale, he crouched down next to her,
“Drummond? Drummond?” he gave her a gentle shake “Scarlett?”
Her eyes opened, she sat up slowly,
“I’m sorry sir” she mumbled lifting her head to face him “I’ll be out again soon, I’m just tired”
“Don’t worry about that, Medhurst is taking you home” he eyed Kevin “And will then be coming back!”
HE lay her down in her own bed, covering her up and placing a glass of water on her bedside
“If you need me call the station, I’ll be back after shift”
She nodded barely conscious.
--
He squeezed his eyes closed and took a deep breath, trying to settle his mind as another anguished cry escaped from her, the physiotherapist trying to gently encourage her to take another step,
“Come on Scarlett! You’re doing brilliantly! Keep going!”
She cried out again, He rushed to her side, hooking his arm through hers and holding her hand, she shook violently as she moved, tears rolling down her flushed cheeks,
“Come on love, it won’t be long before you and Ruby are running rings around me again!”
He adored being a husband and a dad but occasionally found himself missing watching the football with his feet up, his life had become about painting nails and braiding hair and he was fairly certain he wouldn’t forget his first tea party, or the way he hid in the bathroom to shed a few tears on her first day of nursery, even after he had mocked Scarlett for it.
He hadn’t felt this lost before,