George was sat in Christine's office the Monday after at lunch eating his ready prepared sandwich Nikki had made him that morning.
"I'm sorry about Friday with Nikki"
"Its fine its not your fault, How she doing?"
"Well we had a good talk on Sunday, she needs a job though" he said looking at Christine with puppy dog eyes
"George I can't give her a job until shes sober enough, I'm sorry but at the moment I can't if she can prove to me she can stay sober ill consider it" Christine replied taking a sip of her cup soup.
George nodded "She's got a doctors appointment today I hope shes gone I really do"
"She will I'm sure" Christine replied
…..
Nikki had been to the doctors and had been given a prescription for the anti-depressants to help her, she had also been advised to attend a local Alcoholics Anonymous, which happened to be that afternoon. Nikki walked into a room amongst other people and sat down in the circle.
"Right then! Afternoon all! Its very good to see you all and some new faces, would the new faces like to introduce themselves"
Nikki nodded and stood "I'm Nikki, I'm 27 and I started drinking excessively when I left the army 8 weeks ago and given free will, I used alcohol to erase things from my memory, coming here is a massive step for me something I never thought I would do"
The instructor smiled "Well its very good that you've recognised you have a problem and in such a short time and we will do everything we can to help you along, welcome"
Nikki smiled and sat down. The guy next to her then stood up. "Hi My names James, I'm 31. I started drinking a few years ago when I joined my band, I rely on drink so much but I really want to enjoy life and start saving money so I need help to do so, ive now left the band and recently qualified as a NQT in Music I really don't know how this happened as I don't remember most of my lessons but I got through it but I want to stop drinking now and start teaching."
"Thankyou, its really good to see you here, your in a really great place both of you and we can help you"
Soon the group was over and nikki was drinking a cup of tea whilst everyone else was talking with each other.
"So you're a newbie too" James smiled sitting by her "James McCarty, originally from Essex moved up to Scotland when my band did"
"Nikki Boston, Ex-Army lived in Scotland all my life" she smiled looking at him
"Hi" He smiled back
"hi" She replied "So I heard you're an NQT in music?"
"Yeah I really don't know how I got through the teaching course but came out with a 2.1 so its better than a third, I just worked really hard on my sober nights, which wasn't that many if im honest" James said "Its why im here I want to be able to make a life out of things and not live the high life anymore"
Nikki nodded listening and understanding "I'm an NQT too from the army fast track course, I teach English and P.E"
"Really? That's really good to know, finding jobs are the most difficult I've found"
"My dad's a teacher his keeping an eye out at his school but he said he can't promise anything which is understandable I don't want to be handed a job on a plate"
"yeah this is it, listen I don't suppose you could do me a favour could you?"
"Depends what it is" She smiled
"Could you go over the teacher things with me, I just want to make sure im on the right lines of knowing what im doing"
"Yeah of course I will no problem add me on facebook and we can arrange times then"
"Alright see you soon, lovely to meet you"
"You too" she smiled back walking out and into her car
…
George had just got home and saw that Nikki wasn't there, he smiled to himself hoping she had gone to the doctors guessing she had. He got dinner on for four and went to sit in the lounge.
Nikki came in not long after George had sat down "Hey" She smiled sitting next to him
"Hi, You okay?"
"yeah, christine coming over tonight?"
"Yeah why? Your not going to puke on her again are you?"
"no…I want to get to know my baby brother"
George looked up at her and smiled "Well that is certainly okay, did you go to the Doctors like you said you would"
"I did, She prescribed me medication to help me and told me to go to an AA group which I did, met a lovely lad there called James his also an NQT but he teaches music and is a few years older than me" Nikki said rambling
"Seems like you had a good day" He smiled
"I did…Thankyou for pushing me"
"Christine needs to talk to you about what we can do about your job situation"
"Is that a good thing?"
"Yes and maybe no" he replied just as the doorbell went, he got up and opened the door "Hiya Christine"
"Hi, this little star has been so good at nursery" She smiled carrying him in
Nikki came out into the hall way and smiled "hi"
"Your not going to puke on me Nikki are you?" Christine asked
"No no" She smiled "So then dad are you going to introduce me"
"Christine this is Nikki" George smiled
"I know that" Christine laughed along with Nikki
"No I meant this little fella" Nikki smiled going over to him
"Liam this is Nikki, Nikki this is Liam" George smiled
Nikki picked him up out of christines arms as Christine let go George giving her a reassuring look. Nikki cradled him like she would any toddler "So then liam what have you been doing at nursery today?"
Liam went all shy putting his head into Nikki's shoulder.
"Im not that scary I promise" She smiled "You know liam when I was your age I loved painting do you love painting"
Liam nodded "I like Spiderpan"
"Do you? I know spiderman his a very good friend of mine" Nikki smiled taking him through to the lounge and sitting down
"You know spiderpan?" Liam asked looking at Nikki
"Yeah, he does really good things doesn't he?"
"Yeah" He smiled climbing off nikkis lap "He climbs big things" he smiled trying to climb the tv
"Liam, Your not spiderman though" She smiled
"no…want to be…when Liam old" Liam said going back to Nikki
"Liam what about daddys kiss?" Christine smiled
"Dadda" He smiled running over to him, George smiled picking him up
"I thought you forgot me"
"Liam like dadda" He smiled snugglign into George.