Supernatural Season 16

Part 3

My mood was as bad as my throat, it burned, my tongue felt like a carpet in a cheap hotel lobby and my head felt full of stones. The excessive drinking at the terminal had given me a hangover and although I slept through the flight, I did not feel rested. At least one good thing about today morning was, I was in Los Angeles and I got to meet my friend Nick.

Walking out of the Terminal in the blinding sunlight of the day, I thanked my lucky stars seeing Nick waving his hand at me. In seconds I had covered the distance between us and was enveloped in a warm hug. When he didn't see me responding to his light affectionate pats on my back.

He disengaged himself from my clutching arms and looked at me. He removed my sunglasses and saw my sleep deprived eyes and nodded quietly and pulled me closer with one arm and took hold of the baggage trolley and pushed it with the other. No words were necessary with Nick he always knew what to do.

On the drive back to his apartment we spoke a bit about his latest assignment, which he was excited about, we spoke a bit about out common friends, but eventually the question popped up about what would I do at the meeting with the Network executives in Burbank.

I had no answer honestly. I had been fretting on it and exhausted myself over the various scenarios in my head. Nick gently squeezed my hand and smiled. He was never the person to push anyone for answers. I was just glad that I had refused the offer to stay in a hotel in Burbank and wait for the stupid meeting on my own. This was much better, some quiet time with Nick before the actual nightmare began. What was I thinking, I was actually living the Nightmare for the past 3 weeks!

I brushed off the thoughts and realized my stomach was growling for food. Nick apparently heard it too and asked me to check the glove compartment, where I found a raisin oatmeal bar. I made a face at the clearly healthy snack option. I didn't want healthy food all I wanted was something greasy and sweet and then a bed. I was tired. Nick being the healthy eater took me to a burger joint for my junk craving.

After what felt like a meal meant for a football team, he took me back to his apartment. I couldn't say whether it was the long haul flight or the jet lag, time difference, but I was already half asleep and dragging my feet. So, Nick suggested I take a long nap, to recharge. But I wanted a shower first.

Post the warm shower, I knew I had to crash for a while because i felt my limbs relaxing and my head craving the softness of a pillow. I managed to crawl into the soft bed under the duvet and dozed off.

When I woke, I found Nick lying beside me propped up on his elbow looking at me and smiling. I felt like I had slept for days. Turns out I was asleep for over 12 hours. While we prepared for dinner at home, Nick offered me a glass of red wine with a faint warning that it would the only one for me tonight. I wasn't going to argue because after that massive hangover I was not ready for any more drinking.

Nick wanted to go with me to the meeting tomorrow, I thought it was a bad idea. He was reluctant to let me walk into the lion's den so to speak. We settled on him driving me to the office in Burbank.

When I finally looked at my phone after 12 hours it was filled with messages from India. Everyone was giving me the motivational speech. I loved them dearly but those words only made me clench my teeth in despair.

There was a message for a car pick up for tomorrow. I quickly confirming that I already had a ride hence I wouldn't be needing it.

I showed Nick what I had written to Jensen before I went on the bender. He couldn't help raise his eyebrows and for the first time in years he actually reacted.

"I think you have done yourself in, Pri, this shouldn't have been sent. What were you thinking? A direct attack on his professional abilities is not the way to win the argument?"