drunk voicemails ➟ ethma

2.6

twenty-six | sleep is for the weak

ETHAN
WEDNESDAY | ZERO DRINKS

Sleeping had been a hassle before with the constant worry of his uncontrollable nightmares. Now that those have mainly ceased, Ethan suffers from massive headaches that aren't quite migraines, but strong enough to still interrupt his sleep cycle. He's been awake for almost a full forty-eight hours and he's growing restless. He craves a decent night of sleep but the heavy sunken bags underneath his eyes have a different idea. They turned his face a ghostly pale, giving the illusion vampires weren't just factious.

There's still an insistent urge to drink, but he believes he's able to control it more. At one point he had to physically slap his hand to stop himself from grabbing his keys and driving to a bar. It's the side effects that are really driving him insane.

At this point, he's been lying in bed for two hours, unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep. Ethan wants to grab at his hair in agony with the frustration he feels.

He picks up his phone, noticing the time was now a little after four in the morning. After contemplating if he could handle this by himself, he decides to call Emma in hopes she was still awake.

There's static at first, but then he hears the beckoning sound of the ring and he smiles, knowing he has a chance of getting through to her. She answers quickly as if she had already been up.

"You okay, E?" She says immediately.

"I can't sleep," He mutters sorrowfully, "I haven't slept for like two days. I'm too restless and I have a pounding headache."

"Do you want me to come over?" Emma asks.

"Yes, please." He answers, feeling like a vulnerable child.

With that, they end the call after she stated she'd be over soon. This would be the first time for Emma that she would be in their house after a long time. She still had yet to see Grayson, but that would have to wait for later.

It was pitch black outside and just being alone in the dark was a scary concept considering she's female, but the few cars parked along the desolate sidewalk only amplified her fears. She pushed them aside and walked up their driveway, pulling her jacket tighter to her body.

Ethan was waiting by the door the entire time, his body unable to remain still with his fidgety nerves. Although he was sleep deprived, it didn't stop him from pacing his entryway. Once he heard muffled footsteps nearing his door, he opened it to greet Emma.

She fell into his arms as he abruptly took her in for a hug. He was very emotional, almost on the verge of tears from failed sleep.

"When was the last time you ate?" Emma questioned after the door closed.

"Uhh—Not since this morning, I think."

"And the last time you had water?"

"The same."

Emma shook her head. His headache was most likely from lack of food and water, and the withdrawal symptoms didn't seem to help either. She looked in his fridge and pulled out a water bottle and handed it to him.

"You need to drink all of this. Your body will thank you." She said, retreating to the pantry to see what food they had.

He began drinking the water as she pulled out a loaf of bread and an avocado from the fridge.

"How have you felt today? Just in general, I mean." Emma asked.

"Well, I haven't really been hungry. I threw up earlier, though. My heart rate has been really high, like I can feel it beating at all times and my hands are clammy a lot." Ethan listed.

"My poor E-tee-wee-tee." She said, as she cut the avocado in half and scooped it out with a spoon.

The nickname brought back old memories. She used to call him that a lot, and at first it was just a joke but it ended up sticking. He felt a skip in his heart, and he knew that it was different than the one caused by the withdrawal.

He sat on the stool behind the bar which was connected to the countertop. As he continued drinking the water, his hand began to tremble, spilling the water slightly. Emma glanced up as she saw the water missing his mouth.

She handed him a small towel that was laid on the counter and watched as he dabbed the water dry from the corners of his mouth. Just then, the bread popped up from the toaster, signaling its completion.

Ethan leaned his head against the brisk granite as Emma spread the avocado onto the toast and sprinkled salt and pepper on top. She slid the plate towards him and proceeded to sit next to him.

"Thank you." He said, picking the piece of toast up and bringing it to his mouth.

They remained silent as he finished, only the sound of his teeth biting down onto the toast and the crumbs falling could be heard.

"Are you feeling better?" Emma asked.

Ethan nodded, getting up to place the plate into the sink to leave for another time. He quickly downed the rest of his water and discarded the empty bottle.

"Will you stay?" He asked.

"If you want me to, I'll just stay on the couch though." She replied.

He shakes his head, "I was hoping you'd share the bed with me."

After some contemplation, Emma agrees. It was probably better to be closer in range in case something were to happen to him.

She pads behind him, following to his room. She had already discarded her shoes when she came in and arrived in sleep ready clothes. Upon entering his room, she first noticed various clothing pieces scattered among the floor and the empty alcohol bottles that lined his dresser.

"Sorry for the mess." He mumbled, throwing random items off his bed.

Emma sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Ethan to pick his side of the bed and settle in. He chose the right side, and she proceeded to lay under the sheets next to him. This all felt a little weird to her. They had shared a bed before, but that was two years ago before Ethan developed alcoholic tendencies.

She wanted to be gentle around him, to be comforting and supportive, but she wasn't quite sure what to do. Ethan moved over slightly, unsure of how much skin contact would be too much. Emma decided to pull him onto her, allowing him to fall onto her chest. Upon that motion, he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

Ethan was sure he would finally be able to fall asleep tonight.