Choking On Sapphires

84 Sleazy Bed Track

Claire sits at Genevieve's oversized desk in her office worrying over paperwork and forging Genevieve's signature to keep the business running smoothly. The afternoon sun drops through the tall windows, plush curtains pulled back to show the landscaped yard. The smell of food wafts through the house, Aggie is busy in the kitchen and Alfie is giving Genevieve a bath. A small moment of calm in the estate as things run as they should.

But as Claire finalizes the books, her ears perk up to another sound, shouting from the bedroom. Something that usually wasn't and shouldn't be happening. Genevieve had only started speaking again and yelling was the last thing she needed to do. But as Claire makes her way down the hall to the decorated bedroom door she hears Alfie shouting back. Which given the circumstances was most unusual.

Genevieve growls angrily, hands in her hair, tugging at it with her face contorted in pain. "I can't do this!" She bellows.

"What do ya fuckin want from me love? I don't know why you're so bloody angry!" Alfie shouts in confusion, hands in the air in surrender to the whirlwind that was Genevieve, whipping around her room.

Claire stands with her hand on the knob and listens.

"I need my medicine is what I need!" Genevieve sounds distressed and Claire can hear sobs between the forced out words.

"I said I'd give it to ya." Alfie says more quietly, "Just lemme have it 'n I'll-"

"No! You don't understand! I need it out of my head! Now!" She shouts, taking a dramatic swig of the glass bottle.

"Fucks sake Genny!" Alfie growls and knocks the bottle out of her hand as it lands on the carpet and spills.

"Look what you've gone and done!" She wails, stumbling back towards the bed.

"Me? I'm not gonna let ya kill ya self on the stuff! You need to calm down. I told ya you're safe. Memories can't hurt you unless ya let them." he insists but it falls upon deaf ears.

"It's never safe in my head Alfie." Her voice grows quieter, her chest still heaving from the excitement as she falls back into the bed. "Only when I have my medicine. Then he leaves...then I can't...remember..." her breathing slows as she sprawled on her back, gown covering her only partially like some painted Greek goddess.

"Fuckin' 'ell." Alfie stands with his mouth open and rubs his face hard. "What the fuck was that love?" He commands, moving towards her and covering her with a blanket.

"Alfie." She whines. "I don't...can't..." She sighs and puts the back of her hand to her forehead. "It's too much. It...hurts too much." She laments before he watches her eyes glaze and her vacant expression return.

He takes a few heavy steps back. Understanding where the outburst had come from but not knowing why it was so damned intense. He'd never seen her behave like this. He mutters swears to himself as he lets his bewildered expression stay, walking towards the door.

"What good you were in there." He remarks as he opens the door to reveal Claire waiting. He was soaked, shirt transparent and hair with droplets clinging to it.

"Alfie? What on earth was that?" Claire's voice was light and full of concern.

"You know as much as I fuckin do." He answers, exasperated as he shuts the door. "Get someone in there to watch her, I'm...fuckin'....I need some fuckin' air." He grumbles, moving past her and shaking his head in defeat.

"Can you tell me what happened at least?"

He only half turns, hands up in surrender to the encounter. "One minute she's happy in the bath, the next she's sobbing to the point of sickness, then screaming and fightin' wif me." He doesn't look at Claire while he speaks, but he still uses his hands to elaborate." She saw the...bruises and the marks on her. It was time for her afternoon medicine, right? I was gonna see how she handled a bath without it, check her pain 'n that. And she started staring and then cryin' 'n and talkin' 'bout how she doesn't want to remember." He finishes angrily. Knowing he could do nothing about the cause or effect of the situation they were in.