Heroin and Vodka
Author's note: Nothing to say here except that the plot is progressing quicker than I thought. Things are going to get a bit more messy regarding Annalise before they get better from the next chapter onwards. Anyways, enough of my chit chat. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rimes.
Chapter 16
Isaac hadn't called back.
It had been six days since she had left the voicemail. It was very much unlike him to never call usually responded within hours, minutes if he wasn't busy.
But the fact remained that he hadn't called back.
Annalise had been over to his place but had instead found the clinic shut with a message pasted on the door—
Out of town for a couple of weeks. Will be back by the first week of November. Please call me on my regular number to reschedule your appointments.
Except she had tried calling him. Multiple times. But no one had answered. Each time her call had been redirected to voicemail.
Annalise had found the message pretty odd as therapists would usually stay within the confines of the city, in case of emergency situations regarding patients. They were after all doctors.
Not to mention the disastrous event that went down with Nate a couple days ago.
She had always suspected that Nate felt insecure about Eve, but never had she imagined that the situation would escalate to such a level
Flashback- A few days ago…
Annalise was cooking red meat—Nate's favorite dish. She was just adding the finishing touches when Nate walked in. He deposited his jacket on the countertop and walked over to Annalise.
"Mmm…smells good!" he said, wrapping his arms around her. It was when he was in close proximity that Annalise smelt it. She could recall that smell at any time.
The distinct smell of lingering alcohol.
"You been drinking?" Annalise asked, rounding on him.
"Yeah. So what if I have?" Nate drawled. "Just because you can't drink doesn't mean I can't as well."
"That's not what I meant. I just—" Annalise tried, but was cut off.
"You slept with Eve?" he asked.
Annalise's eyes widened at the question.
"Where is this even—"
"Did you or did you not sleep with Eve?" Nate's voice rose.
This time Annalise switched from defense to offense, right off the bat.
"Would it bother you if I was?" she growled.
Nate growled back.
"Screw who you want. But don't have me living up here—"
"It was your choice to move in." Annalise countered.
"Because you thought that Frank was going to put a bullet in your head." Nate shouted back.
"Then get out!" Annalise shouted back. "I'd rather be alone than—"
"You're an alcoholic." Nate replied.
Annalise rolled her eyes in frustration.
"Of course I am. But I've been sober for months now. But unfortunately you're the same you—so suspicious, so ill-accommodating—"
"Are you saying the problem's me?" Nate questioned.
"I'm saying you're a little bitch, that's what you are." Annalise shot back.
Nate's afce darkened. He stepped closer to Annalise until his face was inches away from her's.
Annalise backed up into the sink in fright, afraid he was going to hit her. It was then a memory flashed across her mind. It was something that Isaac had told her during one of their sessions way back.
Flashback
It was towards the end of one of their earlier sessions. He had just been seeing Isaac for a few weeks then. Annnalise had been feeling some of the harsher withdrawal symptoms and had come to Isaac for help.
Isaac had merely smiled at the time and had given her a piece of advice that had held her together all these months.
"I can't make you do anything, Annalise. It's hard, I know. Believe me. But most good things in life are hard to come by. So…" He looked directly into her eyes. "Have some fire. Be unstoppable; be a force of nature—because that's the Annalise Keating I know."
End Flashback
Her resolve sharpened.
"That surprised you, huh?" she asked, stepping forward, steel in her eyes. "You want to hit me. Good." She shoved her hands against his chests. "Hit me. Hit me!" she shouted.
"You're a cancer." Nate whispered, inching closer to her. He was so close to her, that she could smell the alcohol in her breath. "It's why Sam cheated on you, why Frank left—"
"All those men meant nothing to me!" Annalise shot back, glaring at him.
"It's why your therapist left." Nate replied, quietly. "And you're going to die alone in this house. And no one's going to give a rat's ass about you—not Eve, not me and definitely not your therapist once he realizes how sick you really are."
Annalise's eyes widened at the mention of Isaac. She had never thought Nate would use Isaac's absence against her in such a cruel manner.
"Leave." Annalise replied, coldly. "LEAVE!" she shouted, grabbing his jacket off the countertop and throwing it into his hands.
"Glad to." Nate shouted back, striding towards the door and slamming it shut.
End Flashback
In retrospect, it had been one of the shittiest weeks of her life.
It had been six days since Isaac had taken up residence at Jacqueline's. He hadn't been left with any other choice, knowing fully well that Annalise would come searching for him as soon as he left her messages unanswered. While Jacqueline had been accommodating at first, she had been pestering him continuously to drop Annalise as a patient, especially after Isaac had confided the whole Denver fiasco to her.
They had had one of those conversations last night itself.
Begin Flashback…
"Isaac, you're only delaying the inevitable. You have to drop her as a patient." Jacqueline informed him.
"I can't Jacqueline." Isaac replied. "I know this seems messy, but what kind of therapist would I be if I didn't at least give her a chance to explain herself."
"What is there to explain, Isaac?" she shot back, clearly exasperated .Try as she might, she just couldn't make her ex-husband see reason. "She's a criminal with a criminal history."
"An alleged criminal. And no criminal history I'm aware of." Isaac replied, in her defense. "Besides, for all I know, this Denver person could be trying to mess with me and—"
"Isaac, you're getting too close to her. You need to back off here." Jacqueline replied.
"What do you mean, "too close"?" he asked, in trepidation.
"Can't you see, Isaac?" she replied, with a sigh. "You're too emotionally invested inn her to see reason. Even when it's right there in front of your eyes."
End Flashback
He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He needed a fresh perspective— a clearer picture. And he needed some space from Annalise to think.
Isaac waited outside the campus gates. The final bell rang, signaling the end of class.
At first, he had been hesitant about approaching the Keating 5, fully aware of their association with Annalise. He had been puzzled a s to whom to approach.
He decided against the girls for they would not take too kindly to his approach. Besides, one of them could report the matter back to Annalise. Instead , he focused on the boys—Wes Gibbins, Asher Millstone and Conner Walsh.
Of the three, he knew of Asher the least as Annalise rarely mentioned him, mentioning him even less since the shooting incident. Isaac felt there was some connection he was missing.
That left only Wes and Conner.
Of the two, he did not dare approach Wes. Wes was Annalise's only student whom she spoke of frequently during their sessions, almost fondly. It was almost uncanny how often she spoke of him. Thus, he rather doubted he would give away anything detrimental regarding Annalise , especially if it concerned him.
Which only left Conner.
He had looked up Conner's profile on Facebook. It hadn't been too hard to find. The boy was also an active member on other dating sites such as Humpr and Tinder.
As soon as he spotted him leaving the main building, he made a beeline for him.
"Conner Walsh?" Isaac asked, as he stepped up behind him. Conner turned around upon hearing his name.
"Yeah? May I help you?" he asked.
"I certainly hope so." Isaac replied, extending his hand and shaking Conner's. "My name is Dr. Isaac Roa. And I'm here to speak to you regarding Ms. Keating."
Authors note: There you go. How many of you saw that coming? Bet you all thought he would talk to Wes instead, didn't you? The way I see it, Wes is too loyal to Annalise to just give up information about her to some stranger. Conner, on the other hand, is a different matter entirely.
Anyways, read and review.