Back in Town

Chapter 10: Post Trauma-Day Four, Part 3

*Flashback – Month 4 of Alec and Liv, continued*

The next day, a Thursday—Alec's normal Roast Beef Sandwich day—she called in to the pub to say she couldn't come in because she was sick. She peeked out the window as she spoke to Jack on the phone, and saw that the police car was across and down the street a little. She could see the two officers in the car, so she knew why it was there, but they had moved back. She sighed, supposing this was Alec's version of a compromise.

She really did feel sick, her heart ached, her stomach felt nauseous, and her head pounded. She moved from under a blanket on the sofa, with a box of tissues in hand, to her desk, where she sat and stared at a blank page for an hour before going back to the couch and burying her head under a pillow with a moan.

Bloody. Alec. Hardy, she thought to herself. Why had she let him so close? She had sworn after Jim that she'd never let another man close. She made it four years and now here she was, head over heels for a stubborn, strong-willed Scotsman. Who, if she was honest with herself, was more like her than she cared to admit. Why did it bother her so much that he wanted to protect her? Because for most of her life, she had only ever known protecting herself. Letting someone else assume that duty made her feel weak, or at least made her feel like they thought she was weak.

Friday came and went, with her having cancelled singing at the pub that night. She had ignored multiple calls from Alec, and a few from Ellie. Saturday morning at seven a.m. there was a banging on her door. She was still in bed, and covered her head with her pillow, hoping the banging would go away.

She had an emotional and alcohol hangover from the multiple glasses of wine she had drank the night before. She knew drinking alone was dangerous. Her father was an alcoholic and she had sworn to Ellie she'd never drink alone. But at the time, it certainly seemed like the perfect way to get things off her mind. She groaned as the banging continued and finally got up, wearing only an oversized t-shirt that covered her bottom, and pants. She slowly made it to the door and opened it just as Ellie Miller was about to pound on it a third time.

Ellie's frown turned into a giant, obviously-fake, smile as her friend opened the door. "Well good morning, sunshine!" She invited herself in, two shopping bags in hand, and went straight for the kitchen just off the main entryway. "I assumed by the fact that you've been off the grid for two days that you were laying around here, moping, pouting like some poor pitiful creature who isn't getting her way. So, I've brought food and am making you breakfast." The painfully-chipper woman chattered away as she began unloading groceries out of the bags and cleaning up the kitchen that Liv had ignored for two days.

Ellie went to throw away a few stray pieces of rubbish and saw two empty wine bottles in the recycle bin. She dropped the charade and frowned at her friend, who had followed behind her slowly and had managed to prop herself onto a stool by the kitchen counter. "Two. Bottles. Olivia MacDonald I've got a right mind to spank you like a child and send you to your room."

"Please, please send me to my room. I'd love to go back to bed," she mumbled from where her head lay buried within her crossed arms on the counter.

"Oh no you don't. The only place you're going is a hot shower, then you're getting dressed in real clothes, then you're coming out here and having breakfast. And then we are going to have a talk."

"Aren't we talking now?" she grumbled as she pulled her head back up and squinted her eyes at her friend.

"Now. Shower. Let's go." Ellie grabbed her arm and pulled her off the stool and pushed her towards her bedroom.

"I can bloody well get myself in the shower, Ellie," she growled.

"Like hell you will. If I leave you in here you'll flop back on the bed and pass out again. Come on, strip off the t-shirt, it's not like I haven't seen you naked before when we were kids, or when we skinny dipped in the ocean that time for a dare." Ellie had her in the en suite bathroom and turned on the water, being sure to only have it as warm as necessary to be bearable. When she turned, Liv stood naked, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at her. Ellie rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that glare is supposed to scare me. Have you looked in the mirror? The only thing frightening about you right now is that scraggly mop of hair you haven't brushed in two days. Get in the shower, clean up and wake up, brush your teeth, get dressed, and come back out to the kitchen. Breakfast will be ready."