|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 1:42 pm
While Aaron assessed the situation, Henry shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned unsteadily against the outer wall of the bar, his eyes closed and brows furrowed. Indeed, he didn't want to be around Claire or Lorin in this state -- especially Lorin with how young he seemed -- and he certainly didn't want to be home. Thoughts of worrying Ethiriel passed his mind, but with the drunken fog he wasn't sure whether the feelings were numbed or magnified.
He turned his head and opened his eyes to look at Aaron once he started making suggestions, and for a moment his bleary eyes looked like they couldn't focus on his friend. Coffee did sound good... not a good idea this late in the evening, but even then alcohol tended to keep him up all night anyway so he was screwed one way or another. "...sure," Henry answered hesitantly, hardly paying attention to the hand on his shoulder. Looking away again, fighting hard not to cry, the nurse took a deep breath. This was all wrong. How had he screwed up so badly? He knew he had Ethiriel, his parents, and to an extent, Gabe, but it felt like everything was crashing down and crushing his spirit.
Henry knew coping mechanisms. He knew what to and not to do. Yet, here he was, significantly drunk and dumping all of his problems onto one of his best friends as if it were his responsibility. He couldn't stand it, himself, what he was doing; but here he was, doing it. Finally, he pushed himself off the wall and stood wobbly beside Aaron.
"You drove?" Henry asked -- a stupid question. Aaron had offered to drive and it wasn't exactly the closest place to the Holmes home as it was. He blamed it on the alcohol. For now.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 2:06 pm
Aaron noticed his wobble when he pushed away from the wall and stepped forward in case he needed something to hang onto; he was not quite sure if Henry was looking for a steadying arm or if it might bother him more, but he still wanted to be nearby just in case. "Sure did," he replied lightly, and with only the slightest nudge on the arm, he directed them slowly towards the parking lot. He made sure not to stray too far ahead as they made their way over to his Explorer, which he unlocked with the keychain remote.
"Door's unlocked," he told Henry as they reached the car. "You got it or you need help in?" He fidgeted with the keys in his hand, running through places in his mind that would be open and not require going inside.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 6:24 pm
"Got it..." Henry mumbled as he flopped into the seat, fumbling with the buckle before closing his door. He couldn't look at Aaron, clearly embarrassed that this was even happening. The Explorer was comfortably sized and the nurse couldn't help but relax into it.
After a moment of relative silence, save for the hum of the vehicle as it started, Henry covered his face and sighed again. Once more he fought back tears, his drunken stupor slowly, very slowly, wearing off. The more it did that, the more reality sunk in and he was lost. She was gone. She was really gone and there was nothing he could do about it. How had he messed up so damn badly? What was he going to do now?
Shoving his hands awkwardly into the pockets of his jeans, Henry was glad that he left the box at home. Touching that would have just been another reminder that everything was ruined. He was broken enough.
Voice wavering, he tried to ask, "What's open?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2016 1:45 pm
Aaron took a second longer to round the back end of the car, making sure that Henry had no problems climbing in, before he got into the car himself. He could not avoid glancing at his friend as he started the car, watching him cover his face, sigh, and sink into the seat. Aaron himself felt at a loss, much as he had with Cadi a few months earlier. He was not very nurturing (that was more Claire's arena) but he was good at distracting - but Henry did not need a full distraction now.
He waited until he had backed out of the parking spot and had merged onto the road before he answered. "A donut and coffee place that has a drive-through, Donut Time?" He knew where it was, as he usually stopped there in the mornings on his way to the work ferry. "Their coffee is pretty good." Also, luckily, it was only a few blocks away, so he kept his eyes peeled for the familiar sign. The silence in the car (he had turned the radio off), other than the hum of the engine, felt stifling, and he wondered what to say - what could he say? But Aaron also knew that he should not distract from what's going on; he could tell anyone first-hand that it only came back to bite you. "Have you talked to Eth yet?" he asked at some length. "Or your brother?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Friendly Conversationalist
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 11:09 am
At the mention of coffee and donuts, Henry did perk up a little. Coffee sounded good, and while the man hadn't really been crazy about sweets for health reasons... perhaps now was as good a time to cheat on that particular diet for his own sanity. However, he made no mention or indication that he was interested other than a brief and subtle nod -- the alcohol was already wearing off just a little, even with as little water or food intake, and reality kept piling on and on.
"No..." he replied bleakly, pulling a hand from his pocket to rub at his eyes and bridge again. "Came straight here." That seemed to be the extent of that conversation, at least for Henry.
The drive to Donut Time was rather silent on Henry's part, only offering brief and emotion-tinged answers to any questions or topics that Aaron would bring up. While they were getting closer as friends, the nurse honestly began feeling so very guilty about dragging Aaron into this mess. It was obvious that the man didn't know what to do for him in this situation, and Henry hoped to whatever higher power there was that this wouldn't dampen their relationship.
Once there, coffee and a random assortment of donuts were purchased; and while Henry had intended to eat the sweet fried goods, he almost didn't have the stomach for them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
