Friend in Need
She was falling apart, and at a rate that he'd never thought possible and still wouldn't if it wasn't for the fact he could see her. She hadn't been best pleased when he'd turned up at her front door to play the shoulder to cry on but she's quickly changed her mind when she saw he'd brought alcohol with him. It was now well into the night and the bottle of wine that he'd brought with him now had no even so much as a drop left in it, none of which he'd touched. Something was causing this change from rational Sandra to breaking down Sandra, that was obvious but what wasn't so obvious was what had caused this. Tonight though he was her shoulder to cry on, her friend to listen to her problems and try to help. Problem was at that moment in time she didn't seem to desperate to share what the problem was.
She was quietly becoming more and more drunk and less and less rational as she sat on her sofa next to him. The more she drank the more she seemed to be revealing. Gerry was exhausted but despite her protests he wasn't willing to go anywhere, he couldn't leave her, especially in the state she was in. He'd never sleep again if if meant that at some point Sandra would be back to herself.
"Gerry?" Sandra slurred.
"Yes Sandra."
"I care about you, you've proven yourself trustworthy. Maybe that's why your exes stick around." With all the alcohol her normal barriers weren't just moved but were non-existent and if that wasn't a sign of how bad things were then nothing was.
"What's wrong Sandra?" Gerry braved yet again knowing that the alcohol may have made her less reserved and less likely to kill him for interfering in her life.
"I can't do this anymore, it hurts Gerry." She told him as she visibly sobered up a little.
"Do what Sandra? You don't have to do anything."
"I do but I don't think I can anymore."
"You're going to need to give more of an explanation that that."
"I can't cope with life anymore."
"Sandra what sparked all of this? You were fine a month ago."
"I was like...those big white birds that are on the river that I'm scared off..." Sandra began, reminding Gerry that although she appeared more sober she was actually off her head drunk.
"A swan?" Gerry offered.
"Yeah them, graceful on top of the water and paddling desperately underneath to stay afloat. I got too tired to keep fighting Gerry."
"You aren't giving up. Tell me how you feel."
"Numb, I don't feel not really. I'm tired, not physically but mentally and nothing is helping it."
"Sandra drinking yourself into oblivion isn't going to be helpful." Gerry said as she hung her head and slouched further back into the sofa.
"What are you doing?" Sandra asked as he took her hands and began singing to her the lyrics of a song that sounded vaguely familiar but in her drunken state couldn't quite figure out what it was. Gerry was in fact singing a song that Paula had used to love and that he didn't know he knew the words of.
"Keep holding on cos you know we'll make it though.
Just stay strong cos you know I'm here for you." Gerry dangly softly in her ear.
By the time he'd reached the end of the song she was sound asleep against him, her tiny smile while she slept reminding him that although it was tough just now and the possibility of a never ending battle that this would all be worth it because when ever she was ready to give up and stop fighting he'd be there to cheer her up, even if it was just slightly.
A/N I was in tears writing this at lunch time today at school so reviews really would be nice
Beth x