"Wake up Gem. You gotta get to work."

Gem woke with a start and stared up at Spot, who was standing over her, staring. She groaned and rolled over on her side.

"What time is it?" She said groggily

"Early. We gotta walk back over to Manhattan. Hurry up or you're gonna be late." He turned and walked over to the door leaving her to get ready.

Gem sat up and rubbed the sleep out her eyes. She got up and walked over to her dresser pulling out some clothes that she planned on wearing to work. Then she went and washed up before returning to her room. Once again, she walked over to her dresser opening her drawer and grabbing her flask. Empty. She panicked. She paced the floor. She couldn't go to work sober; she wouldn't make it through the day. Then a thought struck her. Jameson's Liquor cabinet.

She quickly walked towards the door and looked up and down the hallway, making sure Spot wasn't in sight before slipping quietly out the door and down the hall and then down the stairs. She tip-toed through the common room and walked towards the small office.

She peaked her head in first, making sure Jameson wasn't in there. When the coast was clear she slipped in and headed towards the large closet on the other side of the room. She opened it, and breathed a sigh of relief. A half full bottle of whiskey sat on the top shelf. She reached up for it and opened the bottle. She drank nearly all of it, before placing it back in the spot where she got it. She turned and exited the room. She turned and slowly closed the door behind her. As she turned back around she almost walked right into Spot.

"What were you doing in there?"

Quickly, Gem replied, "Looking for Jameson. Haven't seen him in awhile".

Spot looked as is he didn't believe her, but let it go.

"Come on, we need to go."
"Where are the other boys?" Gem asked as they made their way to the front door.

"Jameson will get them up."

The pair walked the rest of the way in silence. When they finally reached the factory that Gem worked at Spot left her at the front gate.

"I'll be back later. I'm gonna sell in Manhattan today."

Gem just nodded and then watched him walk away waiting for him to turn the corner before turning and running in the opposite direction.

"I can be late" She thought to herself and she ran the rest of the way to her apartment building. Once again she ran the whole way up the stairs and into her apartment, forgetting to close the door behind her. She ran through the kitchen and flung her top cabinet door open, grabbed the bottle of whiskey that she had opened last night and began to drink. All of a sudden she heard a voice behind her.

"Gem, what are you doing?"

Gem froze. She placed the bottle on the counter in front of her before turning.

Spot stood in the doorway, staring at her, daggers in his eyes.

"What the hell is that Gem? What the hell are you doing?" His voice was eerily calm. That's what made it so scary.

Gem just stood there and stared at him. Spot walked over to her, and nudged her out of the way, picking the bottle up off the counter.

"You're kidding me right? You really didn't just leave work to get drunk."

"I was going to go back," Gem said sheepishly, looking away preoccupied with something on the ground.

Spot took a deep breath to keep from screaming at her.

"How long you been drinking like this Gem."

She didn't answer him, just shook her head.

"Since Daisy died right. You been drinking since Daisy."

Once again silence was his only response.

"How many bottles a day Gem?"

Gem replied quietly, "About 7".

Spot could no longer contain his anger.

"SEVEN! You drink seven bottles a day! Gem that's more then all my boys can drink in one night!"

Silent tears began to flow down Gem's cheek but she said nothing.

"Where's the rest of it?"

Gem turned and opened the cabinet behind Spot. There was at least 20 bottles a lined up in neat rows, like soldiers, out for protection.

Spot's eyes widened.

"Where do you get the money Gem? That's a lot of liquor."

"I steal it, I buy it. Depends."

Spot just stared at the cabinet in amazement. Then he looked over to Gem eyeing her up. She didn't look like she had a drinking problem. She looked skinny that was about it. No swelling or redness in the face. Her eyes were never bloodshot. He hadn't smelled anything on her breath since he had been around her again. She hid it well.

"Does Jack know?" Spot questioned

Gem just looked at Spot through her tear filled eyes and shook her head.

Spot felt bad for her for the first time that morning. He hadn't realized till that point just how much pain she still felt.

Finally, Gem wiped her eyes and walked past Spot heading for the door.

"Where you going?" Spot yelled after her.

"To work," she yelled over her shoulder.

Spot made it over to the door in two steps and grabbed her arm pulling her back into him.

"You can not go to work like this."

"Yea Spot," she hissed at him; "I can. I have to go to work or I will lose my job."

"Are you kidding me Lanie? Do you realize what could happen from you being drunk at those machines?"

She turned and stared at him. He never used her real name unless he was angry or upset with her. It was like a father yelling at his daughter.

"I am not drunk Spot. I have to go to work." She raised her voice a little bit hoping to get her point across to him. Spot didn't want to hear any of it though.

"No you are staying here."

"No I am not. Let me go!"

She was ready to spit on him. Anger was beginning to seep through her pores and it took every nerve in her body to control herself from punching him in the face.

Spot sensed this, and in one try, scooped her up and threw her over her shoulder and proceeded to grab her keys off the table and carried her down the hall.

She was screaming, "PUT ME DOWN NOW SPOT! GOD DAMN YOU! PUT ME DOWN!" She pounded on his back until her fists turned red. He walked into her bedroom and threw her onto her bed. She stared at him for a second. Then watch his retreating back as he closed her door behind him.

It took her a second to realize what he was doing. Her keys. He took her keys off the table before he put her in here.

"He's going to lock me in here," She finally realized. She jumped off the bed and ran over to the door and turned the handle. Nothing. It didn't turn.

She started pounding and kicking the door with all her might. "LET ME OUT CONLON! RIGHT NOW!" Silence greeted her. She pounded for a little while longer, screaming along with it. Her energy eventually gave out and she fell to the floor in a sobbing heap and cried until it hurt. Then she listened. Still there was only silence.

"He wouldn't just leave me here." She called out to him.

"Spot!" There no answer.

"Come on Spot, let me out. I promise I'm done yelling, I won't go to work. Just let me out."

She heard footsteps walk down the hall and stop in front of the door.

"I can't let you out Gem. Sorry."

Gem had no other reaction but shock.

"WHY?"

"You need ta stop drinkin'. You're an alcoholic Gem."

Gem just stared at the door as the harsh reality hit her dead on. She was an alcoholic.

Spot's voice drifted through the door again.

"I have gotta go sell. I'll be back in two hours."

With that the footsteps retreated back down the hallway and she listened as she heard the front door close, leaving her all alone.

She retreated back to her bed and fell onto the bed, and cried herself to sleep.