Self Medicating

Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 26th August 2006

Characters: M'galec, Abrei
Description: M'galec goes to check up on Abrei and finds her drowning her grief as quickly as she can.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 3

Abrei

Abrei didn't bother getting the door when she heard someone knock a second time. She was almost to the bottom of her first bottle of wine, and rather liked the idea of making at least half way through a second before she faced anyone else.

She'd rather hoped that the vague queasiness that had been bothering her would go away with enough to drink, even though it didn't seem very likely. But in spite of knowing just how bad an idea it was to drown her misery in alcohol, she'd chosen to do it anyway.

And whoever was knocking on her door could either come in or go away on their own. She was hoping they'd choose go away.

M'galec was not about to just leave. "Master Abrei," he called as he cracked open the door. "I have come to check in on you."

Abrei made a rude noise before taking another sip of her wine. "Well, you might as well come in, then, and get it over with."

The bronzerider gently closed the door behind him. "Ah, well, I see you have taken to medicating yourself." It wasn't said in a _completely_
condescending tone. "How are you doing?"

She deliberately drained the last bit of wine from the bottle before holding it up. "Oh, I'm doing wonderful. Thank you for your concern."

"Do you plan to open another one of these?" M'galec asked as he took the bottle from her hand.

The second bottle was sitting on her other side, and she lifted it up and displayed it. "Any more questions?"

"Do you have another glass?"

She squinted at him. "Does it look like I have _any_ glasses?" She probably did, somewhere... but she hadn't bothered to try to find them.
Not when she could just pull the cork out and drink it straight from the bottle.

Well, she had to have a glass _somewhere_... "I will just take a quick look in your cupboards."

Abrei glared at his back as she worked her second bottle of wine open.
"Why do you want to stay, anyway? I'm too drunk to cry, and not drunk enough to have sex with you. So you're not getting any fun out of me."

M'galec resisted the urge to scowl. As if he would stoop so low. "It is beneath me to take advantage of a women when they are drunk, Abrei.
I am here because I am worried about you."

"Oh, it's _beneath_ you, is it?" She took another long pull from the bottle before sinking lower onto the couch. "You didn't have any problems with me being _beneath_ you before."

"You were not drunk, and I did not initiate it," he replied matter of factly as he finally found a glass and walked back to the sofa.

Abrei didn't bother to try to look sultry--even half dressed, she was unlikely to be able to accomplish it. "And which part bothers you more? The fact that I'm drunk, or the fact that I'm not taking my clothes off?"

"The fact that you seem unwilling to share your wine, actually," the bronzerider said as he sat down next to her. He was pretty sure she was trying to get a reaction out of him, and he was determined not to fall into that trap.

Though she was more interested in making him leave, Abrei wouldn't mind upsetting him instead. "Well, what are you going to give me for it? It's _my_ wine, after all."

M'galec snorted. He probably shouldn't ask... But that didn't have to stop him. "You are proposing payment? Just what do you have in mind?"

Her eyes raked over him, and she raised an eyebrow as she met his gaze again. "I don't know. This is pretty good wine, and it's making me feel really nice. I don't think you've got much to offer in that regard."

"Fine," he shrugged as he leaned forward to set the glass on the table.
"Have it your way, Abrei."

"My way?" She took another drink, and then shoved the bottle at him.
"Yes, M'galec. This whole day is going my way, isn't it? This whole month. This whole _sharding_ turn."

He took the bottle and began pouring some in his glass. "I know it has not been easy for you, Abrei. That is why I came. To help, if I can."

She reached out a foot and quite deliberately kicked the glass to the floor. "Drink out of the sharding bottle. I'm drowning my misery, and you can't do that with glasses."

M'galec chose to ignore the way her robe fell open as she swung her leg around. He was a healer after all, and had seem plenty of naked women in his day. And most were far less agitated. Though also far less appealing... "Well, that will leave a sticky mess. I suppose I had better clean it up."

Her foot hit him this time, planting itself against his chest. It was the leg she'd injured, and for the briefest moment she was distracted by the scars winding around both sides of her knee. The latest scar was a thin pink line that was mostly healed, and she had no problem shoving M'galec back onto the couch. "Drink the wine or get out. I don't want a nagging auntie."

"No need to take it out on your leg," he said as he wrapped his fingers around her leg and gently settled it in his lap. "You do not want to hurt it while you are drunk and cannot feel the pain from misusing it." M'galec fingered the scars lightly, taking the excuse to examine them. For her own good. "How has it been feeling?"

"Fine," she replied shortly. "I can hardly feel it, what with the rest of my life falling apart. Are you going to give my wine back or not?"

M'galec reached over her leg carefully to retrieve the bottle. He took a healthy swig of it before handing it back. "I do not like all this animosity between us, Abrei. I am here to be your friend. I want you to know that you can talk to me any time you have need of me."

She fortified herself with another drink before replying. "I don't have a lot of friends, I admit. But I'm pretty sure that bruising sex on the floor followed by slurs about one's character tends to ruin a friendship. But what would I know? I'm just an obnoxious woman who uses sex to get what she wants, aren't I?"

The bronzerider wanted to point out that her childishness in running off to another weyr to find another surgeon, not to mention her throwing herself on him and _seducing_ him shamelessly was what lead to that whole unfortunate affair. But she had already had enough troubles in her life. "Perhaps neither one of us were at our best at that moment." At least_behaviorally_...

Abrei snorted and flopped her head back against the arm of the couch.
"You should leave now. I'm almost drunk enough for sex. And last time I got drunk enough for sex, R'han broke my sharding heart."

Well, M'galec certainly was not R'han. "I would not break your heart."

Abrei laughed and took another sip from her rapidly emptying bottle. "Of course you would. You'd use me up and you'd throw me away. That's all bronzeriders know how to do, I think. I'm done with the lot of you."

"Do not say that, Abrei. You are too young to be so bitter," M'galec said gently as he reached for the bottle.

She snatched the bottle back against her chest. "I'm not giving up on men," she retorted. "Just bronzeriders. I let far too many of you get to me." Her words were starting to get the slightest bit slurred now, though the most obvious sign of her intoxication was how freely she spoke. "Except for the first time, you've _all_ been bronzeriders. And you've all got huge obnoxious egos!"

"You are a strong woman, Abrei. It is only natural that you should you crave a strong man." He wrapped his fingers around the neck of the bottle. "You want a man with a huge obnoxious ego."

"You think so, do you?" She wasn't particularly graceful even while sober, but luckily what she was doing required little grace. Her leg slid from M'galec's lap as she lurched to her knees, one hand bracing itself on the opposite arm of the couch as she leaned over the bronzerider. "Well for your information, M'galec... I don't want you."

He wrapped his arms around her - just to steady her. "I don't want you either."

"Then get your sharding hands off me." She flopped back onto her side of the couch, with her wine bottle safe against her chest. "And go find me a bluerider. A really, really experienced one with lots of energy."

"I am sure a beautiful woman like you will have no problem finding a man to spend your night with on your own." M'galec pulled himself to his feet. "I am offering you my ears, my shoulders, and even my arms if you want them, Abrei. But I am not offering you my penis, and certainly not any other man's. Now if you will excuse me, I have a weyrmate to go home to. Let me know if you need me."

Abrei waved her wine bottle in his direction. "Have fun with your weyrmate! Give her all my love!"

Last updated on the August 27th 2006

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Self Medicating