Thread: New day...Old fears...

Sam looks at Dre, as he drinks his morning coffee by the campfire.

"That shit will kill you. Come over here and have something good."

Drahcir takes a moment to regard Sam. Again, some form of mental mathematics takes place inside his head. He looks down at the bottle, shrugs and swills again.

Sam frowns.

"Dre, I *get* that you can't tell me why. I do, man. But I *won't* accept this shit of you not drinking with me."

"You don't have to do this alone, brother." Sam holds out his hand.

Sam can see in his eyes, there's simply no desire to move...to live...

He looks at Sam, like a hollow shell...blinkly slowly, a huge weight of sadness marring his brow.

Sam stands and walks over to him, sitting next to Dre.

"This is not the fix. We both know that. It's a start."

Sam offers some "irish" coffee to Dre.

"Here... warm up, man. "

Melanie comes out of the tech cabin bundled up for the weather. She walks over to Sam and Drahcir.
"I was brushing my teeth and noticed that the mouth wash was gone. So I figured I would just come out here and have some coffee."
She puts a cup of coffee in Drahcir's hand, making sure he has it before she lets go. She then sits in his lap, all but demanding his attention.

Drahcirs bearing is completely alien, both to those that know him, and even a stranger that might walk up. When Melanie sits on his lap, his body tenses to hold her, but little more. His eyes meet hers as she speaks to him, but its as if she were sitting on an elderly mans lap. Fighting within to maintain his sanity, though outwardly showing little no cognizance. His breath reaks of SCOPE and the empty bottle beneath his chair is clear evidence.

Taking the cup of coffee he looks at it and quickly brings it to his lips gulping it. His face contorts at the scalding liquid for a moment, then he gulps the rest of it down finishing with a quivering chin. His eyes lazily open and close until he brings his head forward, resting it on her chest.

Melanie holds him close, hugging him tight. She speaks quietly, her lips brushing his hair. Sam can hear her words but she doesn't seem to care.

"We need to get through this. You need to look deep down and tell me what keeps you going. I won't let them tend your sickness. I won't let them get rid of you. These idiots need someone with half a brain. And that someone is you. I'm not going to get all weepy and tell you that I need you. But I will tell you that you need me. You need me, and Sam, and Claudia. You need us and if you die, you can't be with us."

His eyes open and seem to hear and understand her words and voice. Slowly, she can feel his hands grip around her waist...then, they relax again.