"Ok Chloe it's just one... last... push..."
Beth smiled as she watched her friend at work, so focused on the process of bringing new life into the world that his own internal pain appeared momentarily forgotten, and it made her heart take flight to see him smile for the first time in what it seemed had been several long weeks. His cheeks were deeply flushed and the sweat was pouring profusely from his brow and running down the back of his neck, but it was the longest Beth had seen Will engage with anyone without shunning any further human interaction and retreating deeper into himself since the depression had taken a hold. She felt proud of what he had achieved tonight, but his impromptu return to work had clearly taken it out of him – he was very evidently exhausted, and more than a little breathless. Despite his efforts over the past few hours the man was clearly nor ready to return to work just yet.
"I'll receive shall I?" She asked with a smile. "You sit down."
Will leant back on his haunches, resting his head in the crook of one elbow and took a few deep breaths. He rubbed his chest, screwing the v-neck of his shirt up in his fist, and mopped the sweat from his brow.
With one final push Chloe's baby was born, and the primeval grunting of the labouring mother was replaced by the disgruntled cries of the little girl as she breathed her first breath. Beth smiled over at Will, Will smiled at Chloe and all three broke into joyous laughter as James the father fainted to the floor.
But the evening had all been a bit too much too soon for Will and as the laughing subsided and James started to come round to the sight of his beautiful little girl starring up at him Will sat back, starring up at the ceiling and breathing heavily.
"You alright?" Beth asked with a frown of concern, as Will closed his eyes upon her approach, but Will just nodded.
"I'm just a little tired." He sighed.
"Just take a few deep breaths." She advised, as she realised what was really going on. Will was exhausted. The depression had taken it out of him physically as well as emotionally – and he'd spent several long and painful weeks prior to this evening too emotionally numb and physically weak to even manage the short distance from his bedroom to the sofa where he spent most of his days. Only leaving the house to attend his medical appointments he has quite literally slept where he had sat.
As his mind needed a chance to recover that small part of himself which the depression had stolen away from him, so too did his body now need time to heal.
Beth released a pent up breath as she knelt down beside him and patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "Take it easy." She smiled. "It'll pass... you did well tonight."
Will did his best to return her well intended gesture.
"Thanks Beth." He responded after a moment. "But if there's one thing tonight's taught me it's that I don't think I'm quite ready to return to work just yet. At least now perhaps I can hold my head a little higher though. Perhaps I'm not such a lost cause after all."
"You were never a lost cause Will." Beth soothed as she cupped her friend's pale cheek in the palm of her hand, and pecked him gently on the forehead. "Just another kind, gentle and generous human being whose been having a rough time of things lately. I haven't exactly been much of a friend to you have I? I haven't been there for you when you needed me. I didn't even notice that you needed help... But believe me Will when I say that your job is there for you whenever you feel up to it. It's not going anywhere. You just take as long as you need."
"Thanks Beth." Will looked back at her and sighed.
Beth had been very hard on him in the days leading up to his breakdown – but she really did seem to be trying to make things up to him now.
She was after all his best friend, and after tonight Will was more convinced than ever that he would eventually be able to beat the depression that had blighted him – with more than a little much needed help from his friends.