Street heard the car pull up and curiously peeked outside. Seeing Tan climb out of his truck made him reach for his phone.
No new message.
With a forced smile he pulls open the door "Hey, what a surprise. I didn't expect you to drop everything," he ushers in his friend.
"Ah, Bonnie is out of town, what else am I supposed to do?" Tan replies and plops down on the sofa. "What's up?" he studies his friend.
Street had beelined for the fridge to pull out a fresh bottle for Tan and was contemplating how to start this conversation.
"I thought we'd talk about the situation at work now and I sorta want to ask about the blender thing again. Why…" Street started slowly, and Tan cut in.
"Don't. You really don't want to do that, because I had to ask why Chris even called me and not you, and I have a feeling you know exactly why that was and I assume you don't want to explain that one to me"
All Street can do in that moment is swallow thickly and nod. The pained grimace on his friend's face tells Tan that he was right on the money. And it reenforces his decision to try and be there for Chris again.
"You both are my friends, and I don't want to be in the middle, so let me be clear: if this blows up in my face or Chris gets hurt… I am on her side. So don't screw this up,"
Street takes a moment to think. He hadn't expected his friend to be this direct and downright hostile. Nor did he want to break Chris's trust and send her back to that dark place and close herself off again. A small smile tugs on the corners of his lips thinking back to earlier this evening.
That moment when she came to apologize and asked him to come with her.
Chris had shared very little in that grief meeting, but she had opted to better go to AA and work those steps. He takes another conscious deep breath and then looks Tan straight in the eyes.
"I am helping or at least trying everything I can to help. And I am just doing what Chris asks me to do." Tan is already nodding his head when Street adds "Just like you," as his sort of apology for insinuating the opposite earlier.
They share a quiet smile before changing the subject to safer topics like cars, bikes and certifications they still both wanna go for. Because even though Chris is heading for Germany, they still have careers to further.
At work and in general Street and Tan have come to a silent agreement that they don't gang up on Chris but just try that one of them is always available if anything comes up. And for now, it seems to work out. Tan still is worried, and he takes note of the dark circles under her eyes but as long as Chris credibly assures him everything is okay, he is going to believe her.
To his own annoyance Tan takes extra note of the moments he sees Chris and Street together. And everything seems okay until the day Street seems to be extra occupied with his phone.
Street is somewhat distracted, and Chris seems irritated. Tan is fighting an inner battle to work out if he should step in and insert himself in what could very well be just an argument between the two friends. In the end his worry for Chris wins and he waits for her after shift.
Chris walks out of HQ deep in thought and walks right past Tan who has been leaning against his car. "Hey," he calls after her and Chris spins on her heels a little shocked. "Hey, why are you still here?" Chris asks cautiously.
"I was worried about you," Tan's voice is even and calming while he takes a few steps closer. "How are you?"
Chris feels his eyes bore into her and she contemplates lying and telling him everything is fine but deep down inside she knows he wouldn't ask if he hadn't noticed something. She wasn't stupid. Tan had given her space ever since that day she had blacked out. He always made time for her, but she had to ask and take the first step.
She swallows once or twice. Should she, could she tell Tan about Street, his mom and the liver transplant?
"Chris?" Tan prompts her quietly when she just stares off into space.
"Sorry, just. I can't talk," Chris stutters out and Tan takes another step closer.
"Whatever it is I won't repeat it. Just know I am here. I just, I noticed the tension today…"
Those words break Chris. She shakes her head and drops her backpack to the ground. Still, she replies "It's nothing," out of reflex.
Tan's eyes bore into her some more and with a sigh he finally decides to let Chris know he has been keeping a close eye on her.
"Hey, Chris, I am sorry, but I am worried about you. You were doing so well. You got so much better over the past few weeks. The shaking has stopped, the pills have stopped and most of all the dark circles under your eyes have disappeared. I don't want to see you slide back again,"
Chris stares back in shock and takes a few steps backwards until her back hits the side of her truck.
She actively leans onto the metal and closes her eyes. Dropping her head and shoulders slightly.
Chris still feels Tan's presence close to her and she takes all he said as him keeping a close eye. He must be extremely worried to stay back and check up on her. And she has to admit there is one thing he is wrong about. She feels strong enough not to go back to the bottle.
"I am, I don't want to a drink right now. I actually want something else…" she starts and lifts her eyes. Tan looks surprised and at first even in disbelief, but his eyes soften quickly.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he offers softly and leans next to her against her car.
Chris takes a minute more to think it over and then nods. "But not here," she pauses to think, and Tan interjects, "Let's order something and head to your place."
She wants to object and suggest something else but after a second thought she doesn't bother and simply pulls out her phone.
Half an hour later Chris and Tan sit on the sofa in the apartment Chris shared with Erika and Victor subconsciously takes note of the very clean state of the place. Chris didn't even flinch when he headed for the fridge to grab them both a soda. The Freezer is empty except for a few frozen fruits and veggies. But he can't help but notice the slightly anxious energy rolling off of Chris.
After they have finished their food in silence Chris gets up to clean the dishes and as Tan moves with her, she mumbles "Thank you," to him.
"Hey, I basically invited myself over. I should be doing this alone," he smiles at her with a laugh to his voice.
"No, I meant for everything. For checking in. For being patient, I sort of still haven't said a word about what's going on…" Chris trails off and concentrates on the dishes.
Would it be betraying Street if she told Tan about the transplant plans?
That thought alone sets off the rumbling in her chest again and she throws the sponge back into the sink a little forcefully before gripping onto the ledge of her counter.
"Chris?" she hears the worry clearly in his voice and in defeat she lets herself be guided back to the sofa. "Talk to me. I meant it. I won't repeat a word. I am just here to listen. To help."
Tan searches for her eyes and Chris slowly starts talking. She tells him how she is worried about Street making a stupid decision. Risking his career to help his mother.
Victor listens carefully and catches the disdain in the inflection of mother and the force behind stupid. He has to be honest and admit he doesn't fully understand why Street is that open to help that woman, but he thinks the root of all that is still the guilt his friend feels for putting his mother in prison in the first place. That feeling was the foundation for a lot of choices Street had made in his life.
"Let me guess, you told him that too?" he can't help but chuckle slightly.
Chris glares back and admits quietly "Not in so many words, but yes."
"Have you told him you're scared for him?" Tan's eyes bore deep into Chris's, and she even thinks for a split second to deny everything that sentence implies but she simply repeats her earlier statement. "Not in so many words."
Victor gets up and pats his hands on his legs. "Then I'd suggest you call him, or text him and find a way to talk. Calmly,"
Chris offers a hug as a goodbye and mumbles a final "Thank you" into his ear before Tan leaves her alone with her thoughts again.