Almost Crying
Chapter Nine
“Feel like… I’m gonna…” He turns, doubles over, and vomits, luckily missing my feet. I’m suddenly very grateful for my hardwood flooring.
He gags and I pull him up and to the bathroom, helping him to his knees in front of the toilet. He grips the edge of the seat and pukes again.
“You stay here, okay sweetheart? Get it all out of your system.” I kiss his hair and leave to find cleaning supplies. After cleaning the mess he made, leaving the living room smelling like lemons, I return to the bathroom. He’s still throwing up, so I flush the toilet and sit on the edge of the bathtub next to him. He vomits three more times in the following few minutes while I rub his back soothingly.
He’s trembling and gripping the seat for dear life. He closes his eyes and takes deep, shaky breaths as I flush the toilet again.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers hoarsely. He looks up at me and the sight brings tears to my eyes.
His red, tearful eyes are half closed due to a mixture of exhaustion and intoxication, and the area around them is puffy and wet. His nose is running excessively, so I grab a tissue off the bathroom counter to clean him off. He sniffles and I hold a fresh one to his nose.
“Blow,” I command, and he does. I throw the tissues away and pull his shaking body off the floor and into my lap. I cradle him and he clings to me, sniffling and breathing heavily.
“You shouldn’t have to take care of me like this,” he whispers, resting his head on my shoulder and clutching me tighter.
I kiss his sweaty hair and squeeze him. “Don’t worry about it, honey.” He looks up and me, studying my face, and frowns.
“You look tired,” he notes, gently tracing the rings under my eyes with a trembling finger.
“I haven’t been sleeping well lately,” I explain, and quickly change the subject before he has the chance to ask why. He doesn’t need any more guilt right now.
“Let’s get you some water,” I suggest. He nods. “Do you think you could hold down food?” He thinks about it, then slowly shakes his head. “Will you try to eat some crackers or something for me?” I receive another nod and then help him slowly to his feet. I allow him to rest his weight n me and I help him to the kitchen and into a chair. I pour two tall glasses of water and set them in front of him. “Drink as much of those as you can.”
He nods and pulls one towards himself, drinking it slowly. I search my kitchen cabinets and find an unopened box of crackers. I open it and pop one of them in my mouth before carrying them over to Gerard. He’s already halfway through his first glass of water. I hand him a cracker and he takes it, staring at it as he sips his drink.
“Are you gonna eat it?” I ask, watching him stare down the square snack.
“I’m considering.” His speech is still slightly slurred, but he seems more sober than he was when he first got here.
I nod and eat another one. He takes a deep breath and nibbles the corner of the cracker. He swallows and takes a sip of water.
“Well?” I prompt. He smiles weakly at me.
“I think I can keep it down.” I smile and he nibbles at it more. When he’s finished, he returns his attention to the glass in front of him. “I don’t think I can drink anymore,” he says, staring at the other glass.
“That’s fine.” I pick them up and set them in the sink. “How’re you feeling?”
“A little better.”
“Do you think you’ll need to go to the hospital?”
He shakes his head. “I think I got rid of most of it. I’ll be okay.”
I stand behind him and massage his shoulders the way I know he likes. He rests his head back against my stomach.
“I’m really, really sorry, Mikey.”
“Shh…” I ruffle his hair and wrap my arms around his chest. “We can talk about everything tomorrow, alright? Right now you should probably get some sleep.”
He nods and lets me lead him to the couch. I grab the pillows and blankets and set up a makeshift bed. He lays down, immediately closing his eyes.
“Night, Mikes. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. Sleep well.”
He gags and I pull him up and to the bathroom, helping him to his knees in front of the toilet. He grips the edge of the seat and pukes again.
“You stay here, okay sweetheart? Get it all out of your system.” I kiss his hair and leave to find cleaning supplies. After cleaning the mess he made, leaving the living room smelling like lemons, I return to the bathroom. He’s still throwing up, so I flush the toilet and sit on the edge of the bathtub next to him. He vomits three more times in the following few minutes while I rub his back soothingly.
He’s trembling and gripping the seat for dear life. He closes his eyes and takes deep, shaky breaths as I flush the toilet again.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers hoarsely. He looks up at me and the sight brings tears to my eyes.
His red, tearful eyes are half closed due to a mixture of exhaustion and intoxication, and the area around them is puffy and wet. His nose is running excessively, so I grab a tissue off the bathroom counter to clean him off. He sniffles and I hold a fresh one to his nose.
“Blow,” I command, and he does. I throw the tissues away and pull his shaking body off the floor and into my lap. I cradle him and he clings to me, sniffling and breathing heavily.
“You shouldn’t have to take care of me like this,” he whispers, resting his head on my shoulder and clutching me tighter.
I kiss his sweaty hair and squeeze him. “Don’t worry about it, honey.” He looks up and me, studying my face, and frowns.
“You look tired,” he notes, gently tracing the rings under my eyes with a trembling finger.
“I haven’t been sleeping well lately,” I explain, and quickly change the subject before he has the chance to ask why. He doesn’t need any more guilt right now.
“Let’s get you some water,” I suggest. He nods. “Do you think you could hold down food?” He thinks about it, then slowly shakes his head. “Will you try to eat some crackers or something for me?” I receive another nod and then help him slowly to his feet. I allow him to rest his weight n me and I help him to the kitchen and into a chair. I pour two tall glasses of water and set them in front of him. “Drink as much of those as you can.”
He nods and pulls one towards himself, drinking it slowly. I search my kitchen cabinets and find an unopened box of crackers. I open it and pop one of them in my mouth before carrying them over to Gerard. He’s already halfway through his first glass of water. I hand him a cracker and he takes it, staring at it as he sips his drink.
“Are you gonna eat it?” I ask, watching him stare down the square snack.
“I’m considering.” His speech is still slightly slurred, but he seems more sober than he was when he first got here.
I nod and eat another one. He takes a deep breath and nibbles the corner of the cracker. He swallows and takes a sip of water.
“Well?” I prompt. He smiles weakly at me.
“I think I can keep it down.” I smile and he nibbles at it more. When he’s finished, he returns his attention to the glass in front of him. “I don’t think I can drink anymore,” he says, staring at the other glass.
“That’s fine.” I pick them up and set them in the sink. “How’re you feeling?”
“A little better.”
“Do you think you’ll need to go to the hospital?”
He shakes his head. “I think I got rid of most of it. I’ll be okay.”
I stand behind him and massage his shoulders the way I know he likes. He rests his head back against my stomach.
“I’m really, really sorry, Mikey.”
“Shh…” I ruffle his hair and wrap my arms around his chest. “We can talk about everything tomorrow, alright? Right now you should probably get some sleep.”
He nods and lets me lead him to the couch. I grab the pillows and blankets and set up a makeshift bed. He lays down, immediately closing his eyes.
“Night, Mikes. I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart. Sleep well.”