12 Days of Christmas
"Three double whisky's, no ice."
Max leant against the bar, his body hunched over, his elbows pressed hard against the slick warm wood.
He chewed at the flesh of his bottom lip whilst the barman measured whisky from the optic that hung above them. Christmas karaoke blared, voices murmured lyrics they were unsure of and the CD squealed noisily as it turned.
"Thanks..."
He murmured, taking the glass, raising it to his lips and sipping it. It was warm and the kick at the back of his throat when he swallowed made him wince.
"Wrong perfume after all, was it?"
Cal asked, leaning in behind him and gesturing to the barman with a twenty pound note.
"Fuck off..."
He huffed with a roll of his eyes, still the twitch of good humour at his lips as Cal nudged him with his elbow.
"Not worth it mate. Plenty of other fish..."
He handed over the money to the barman and snatched up his drink, taking a large gulp of foamy lager.
"Oh, she's worth it."
Max said quietly, taking another sip of whiskey, screwing his eyes shut as he swallowed.
"Besides."
He coughed as he spoke.
"Why settle for the fish when you could have the mermaid?"
He asked with a shrug of his shoulders. Cal raised an eyebrow over his pint glass.
"What?"
He asked, glass part way to his mouth.
"Never mind..."
Max whispered, a quick smile at his lips and he dipped his head again, slouching further over the bar, drink in hand, watching as the copper coloured liquid caught the light and sparkled against it's glass confines.
He felt Cal move from his side, and he was alone again. He tilted the glass back and forth between his thumb and forefinger, watching the liquid tilt and turn and lilt and roll, almost, but never quite spilling over the edge.
He drew in a long, exhausted breath and exhaled through parted lips and as he breathed the song changed to a fast paced 'On the first day of Christmas...' He took another, larger gulp of his drink, trying to blot out the tuneless singing of whomever was at the microphone behind him.
The twelve days of Christmas. He pondered today's date, thirteen days until Christmas day. He tugged at the collar of his jacket so that it curled about his jaw, his body still cold from his walk to the docks.
Thirteen days. He rolled the thought over within his mind, the prospect of spending Christmas alone, the thought of the days, and the days after them, ongoing, seemingly forever with this overwhelming sense of loss within himself. An all consuming grief for the woman who was never quite his.
It would be twelve days until Christmas day tomorrow. He raised his glass to the light, squinting at it before taking another sip, and from that thought began to grow the tiny bloom of an idea.
I'm not usually one for writing something which carries on from the actual programme. But last night's episode of Casualty, and the fact that we won't be treated to a Christmas special, and will have to wait three weeks until it is next on, prompted me to write my own Casualty Christmas special...
I hope you enjoy it. Reviews and comments very much welcomed and appreciated x
"Three double whisky's, no ice."
Max leant against the bar, his body hunched over, his elbows pressed hard against the slick warm wood.
He chewed at the flesh of his bottom lip whilst the barman measured whisky from the optic that hung above them. Christmas karaoke blared, voices murmured lyrics they were unsure of and the CD squealed noisily as it turned.
"Thanks..."
He murmured, taking the glass, raising it to his lips and sipping it. It was warm and the kick at the back of his throat when he swallowed made him wince.
"Wrong perfume after all, was it?"
Cal asked, leaning in behind him and gesturing to the barman with a twenty pound note.
"Fuck off..."
He huffed with a roll of his eyes, still the twitch of good humour at his lips as Cal nudged him with his elbow.
"Not worth it mate. Plenty of other fish..."
He handed over the money to the barman and snatched up his drink, taking a large gulp of foamy lager.
"Oh, she's worth it."
Max said quietly, taking another sip of whiskey, screwing his eyes shut as he swallowed.
"Besides."
He coughed as he spoke.
"Why settle for the fish when you could have the mermaid?"
He asked with a shrug of his shoulders. Cal raised an eyebrow over his pint glass.
"What?"
He asked, glass part way to his mouth.
"Never mind..."
Max whispered, a quick smile at his lips and he dipped his head again, slouching further over the bar, drink in hand, watching as the copper coloured liquid caught the light and sparkled against it's glass confines.
He felt Cal move from his side, and he was alone again. He tilted the glass back and forth between his thumb and forefinger, watching the liquid tilt and turn and lilt and roll, almost, but never quite spilling over the edge.
He drew in a long, exhausted breath and exhaled through parted lips and as he breathed the song changed to a fast paced 'On the first day of Christmas...' He took another, larger gulp of his drink, trying to blot out the tuneless singing of whomever was at the microphone behind him.
The twelve days of Christmas. He pondered today's date, thirteen days until Christmas day. He tugged at the collar of his jacket so that it curled about his jaw, his body still cold from his walk to the docks.
Thirteen days. He rolled the thought over within his mind, the prospect of spending Christmas alone, the thought of the days, and the days after them, ongoing, seemingly forever with this overwhelming sense of loss within himself. An all consuming grief for the woman who was never quite his.
It would be twelve days until Christmas day tomorrow. He raised his glass to the light, squinting at it before taking another sip, and from that thought began to grow the tiny bloom of an idea.
I'm not usually one for writing something which carries on from the actual programme. But last night's episode of Casualty, and the fact that we won't be treated to a Christmas special, and will have to wait three weeks until it is next on, prompted me to write my own Casualty Christmas special...
I hope you enjoy it. Reviews and comments very much welcomed and appreciated x