Just weeks earlier Gordon had been involved in a serious car crash, nearly costing him his life and now he was struggling to recover.
Gordon had been sat in the living room for hours, just staring into space. He'd be acting the same for weeks; his bubbly, caring personality had been hidden behind a moody, depressive middle aged man.
The children had long gone to bed and Jill had since been avoiding Gordon for as long as possible, not knowing what to say to him or how to behave. Usually he was loving towards her but since the accident he'd been frosty, she was unsure how to treat him. She walked slowly and hesitantly into the living room, pausing at the door briefly to observe her husband and then entered the room.
'Do you want a slice of cake that Tom and Katie made earlier?' Asked Jill, to which no reply was given. 'Gordon? Did you hear me?'
'What? Sorry?' Gordon asked quietly, not looking directly at Jill; still gazing into thin air.
'Forget it' Jill answered abruptly as she walked out of the room. She stopped in the hall, leant against the radiator and stared at the floor. She didn't know what to do or how to help Gordon, so she decided it was best to have it out with him. Jill pulled herself together and marched into the living room
'Gordon, we need to talk!' Demanded Jill
'Talk? Talk about what?' Mumbled Gordon
'You! You've not been yourself since the accident. I know it must be hard after what happened but we nee-...'
'There's nothing wrong with me. This isn't the time or the place!' Gordon shouted as he stood up gingerly and walked out the room, not even stopping to look at Jill.
Jill stared after him, startled by his reaction but also angry. He wouldn't acknowledge there was a problem and it was starting to effect not just his own judgements but also their family life. 'So when is the time or the place, hey?' she muttered under her breath.