Unwind ~ Remain

With his head resting in his hand and lazily lapping up whiskey from his glass, Mike leers at the room filled with people he can't stand. He is civil with them but he can't stand them. Lifting his head a bit so he can take a bigger sip of his drink without it running down his chin he considers the fact that in his state standing is a problem in general.

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Mike rests his back in his hand and continues leering at the crowd of people, making sure he gives every person who dares to make eye contact a good leering. He chuckles to himself as he repeats, "A good leering. Ha," then lifts his head lazily to attempt another drip-free drink.

In between tables, he would give a quick glance to see what his boss was up to then continue down his route of faces to leer at. He actually did not know many of the people there, but they knew him. All branches dealt with him in some regard, whether it was to get employees fired or hired, from training to inspections, everyone knew Mike.

Deciding that he has now stared down enough people Mike turns his attention back to providing employment for brewers by finishing his drink and filling the tumbler three-quarters of the way with whiskey and to the brim with ice.

He then proceeds to lap it up lazily and thinks to himself, "Look Ma! No hands," before laughing childishly. Mike spots the head of the finance department giving him a nasty look, but not as good as the look he gave her moments earlier. He did not even try to compete since he already won and instead just smiled and watched her move between the tables to where his boss was sitting.

The big man he thought, that guy. I can't stand him Mike thinks again reactively. He watches the exchange of whispers and nods between her and his boss and concludes that she has wormed her thieving ass into his speech position. Sure he was dreading giving a speech, sure he absolutely hates the idea and can't think of a single thing to say.

      "That is bullshit!" Mike screams, having jumped out of his seat and with a moment of hesitation slammed his non-drink holding hand to the table. "I am giving a speech. Not that woman. Do you hear me, John!?" He yells over at his boss.

---

      "When is it?" He then asks nonchalantly, with all anger having left his voice. "Right now. Seeing as I am up anyway." Mike says then takes a sip of his drink. He walks over to the stage that has been set up at the front of the hall and with his free hand grabs the mic, taps it and says: "Testing, testing. One two three. Molly's husband died drunk driving."

      "Go sit down Mike!" his boss gets up and says in a loud demanding voice. Mike recognizes that there is no anger or dislike in his bosses voice, only disappointment. That infuriated Mike, "Are you disappointed in me John? Am I not acting according to the company facade?" he asks pointing his drink at his boss and raising it dramatically on his final words.

      "Yes, please, Have a seat Mike. I know you, this is not you." His boss replies, flatly waving his hand indicating he wants Mike to come and sit in his assigned seat by their table. Looking at the seat he was seated when they started the evening in Mike tries to recollect the time since, he found it a blur, a daze that felt like days.

      "No, I am still waiting for my new friend to come back. The so-called nobody, isn't that right John? Until then you will listen to me." Mike retorts childishly. "Ok, so now that we have settled that." He continues speaking interrupting his boss and raising his voice a bit to try and not hear Molly's sobs. "Oh, shut up, will you? " He turns to look down at Molly, impatiently he says: "You can't cry over facts," and turns to find a more suitable spot at centre stage.

Spinning around on his heel and planting his one foot down loudly he faces the crowd. They were surprisingly at ease, he guessed this is the stuff people go to events for and why would you want to stop the main event.

      "Hey, bottle blonde. Yeah, you Mrs Finance, how was the Bahamas?" He asks while sipping his whiskey knowingly. "Maybe I should ask Nathan, Sarah or Miles, instead?" Mike mocked her in a calm voice. She looked like a deer caught in headlights right then. Delightful Mike thinks, finding it increasingly funny he takes another swig of his drink to keep from laughing.

      "Hey, I am not here to judge. It is just not very smart to take a loan out from the same bank where you deposit all your embezzled money." He puts her out of her misery of having to confess herself. Mike then scans the crowd to indicate he is done with her, cracking a smile as he sees all those named get up and leave. "So how about that great new hiring program we have in place?" He exclaims loudly over the microphone, "To think that the old hiring program actually paid workers fairly and did not have any discrimination. We should have implemented active diversity a lot sooner. Now we save a fortune by cherry-picking from the poor minorities."

      "That is enough!" Mikes boss yells, his neck straining and face red. That is the face of an angry man Mike thinks to himself. "Enough John?" Mike asks menacingly. Stepping forward with his eyes locked on John he continues, "What do you know of enough?" Mike asks through gritted teeth as he takes another step forward.

      "It is not enough that you beat your wife, you have to also impose yourself on the woman at work?" Mike reaches the stage steps and makes his way down all the while maintaining eye contact with John. "It was not enough for you to neglect your own child, you had to impregnate your intern and discard her and the child?" John knew Mike was very good at gathering information, it was a hobby and skill but by the look on his face, he did not know how much Mike knew.

The man never showed any interest in using things, to Mike the information he acquired seemed to be nothing more than passing time. If it was relevant to the company he would only hand it over if he was directly asked for it or if it was a direct threat to his job.

---

      "Mike, calm down. You are not you right now, don't go around saying slanderous things like that. We have all been very understanding tonight but this has to stop now." John tells Mike in an attempt to save face. He then looks behind him and raises his hand as he spots the security guard, with a nod from John the security guards move in on Mike.

Mike down his drink and throws the tumbler at John's head, hitting him on his raised elbow as he tries to get out from in front the fancy material covered plastic chair these events always have. Stepping behind the chair he brushes his elbow looking incredulously at Mike then glancing back to see the security only a few strides behind him.

Mike was closer, and mike had just taken a knife from one of the tables, he speeds up and dives over the empty chair and edge of the table, hitting John with a flying tackle that takes the wind from him. Mike lands on Johns side and then rolls off onto his back almost having knocked himself out as his head hit the ground. John groans then he screams in pain with Mike looking at him confused.

      "It was not enough for me to just be thankful for this job you had to take her too." Mike says between breaths, "Nothing will ever be enough for you!" He screams and pulls his arm out from under John. Screaming in agony John rolls over onto his back gripping his shoulder, the knife got lodged in during the dive and with that final pull made a gash to the bone. Looking at the knife then up at the guards, Mike grips it and moves right past them, the security guards uncertain whether to secure him instead opt to stay out of danger and assist John as he tries to stifle his crying.

Mike exits the hall, turning to head towards his hotel room. A few steps in, he drops the knife and another step further he drops to his knees. He is exhausted, the adrenalin has cleared his mind a bit but he was physically and mentally exhausted. Crawling to sit with his back against the nearest wall he leans his head back and closes his eyes.

      "Where are you Tim?" He thinks, he is not sure why but he can trust Tim, he needs him there now. "I am here, Mike." Tims voice echos in his mind, " I am sorry. It was too soon." He says with sincerity. "Yes, I think it was but it is done now." Mike thinks back at him, picturing the voice he calls Tim as a scruffy-looking boy. Tough Tim, he thought and smiled to himself. "Tim?" He thinks the question as he opens his eyes to stare at the ceiling blankly. "Yes, Mike?" Tim responds in his thoughts. "I miss her, she was the only one that could help us." Mike mouths out loud tears welling up, his throat clenched with sorrow. "I will help you, Mike, we will try together. For her." Tim says as he avoids answering what he knew was a question.

---

"Go back to sleep, I will wake you when this is over," Tim instructs Mike knowing that he is not able to deal with what is to come yet, they will work on being better after. "Tim?" Mike interrupts Tims thinking, "We could have helped if she told us, I know we could." Mike says with frail bravado in his croaking voice. "Yes, Mike, I know that also." Tim placates him, he feels Mike is drifting off.

Tim is sure they could have helped, but Mikes sister was always very protective of him. She knew Tim and it was agreed between them that Tim should take over when at work. He was less observant than Mike and did his duty apathetically. Tim did not want to be in full control but understood that this is what he needs to do to keep him and Mike out of the mental hospitals. Mike could not really operate in the real world, he was a child.

Mike asked to come out more often after her death, the police ruled it an accident. Tims only focus then was to learn how he and Mike could survive in this world, without her even his apathetic bravado waivered and parental concern took its place.

Mike was the one that started piecing it all together. "Oh, Mike. You clever boy you." Tim says as he gets up to leave. "This was not the plan but I guess a child and whisky just don't mix." He says to himself and starts running.

---

<sub>Photo by Vova Krasilnikov from Pexels

Well that felt like it took a fucking eternity. That is a wrap. Not completely what I would like for the ending but the main parts are what I wanted it just misses some ambience or styling. I think I like this image with words thing so will maybe keep at it. At least then I don't have to really think what to post and don't have to be engaged myself. It is airier like a passing hello instead of a full conversation about shit that does not matter.</sub>