The Fallen City

|Chapter VIII: Sounds of Earth

"You make my job difficult, Gale." She said softly, sitting down beside him, she turned her body towards him. "You're going to push him away."

"Good." He responded.

"Don't say that you don't mean it." She said to him firmly. "It's one thing him hearing his dad loves him, but seeing is believing, Gale. He needs to see that love from you."

"He doesn't have time for me. Why should I give a shit?" He responded sharply.

"Because you don't give him time, Gale." Corona took a deep breath. "And technically he does come over whenever he can, to see you. You know the Mayfair Corporation isn't based here anymore don't you?"

Gale looked at Cory confused. He couldn't work it out. He couldn't work out why. She might have well spoken to him in Italian

"He always comes, sometimes hours out of his way to see you. Sometimes it takes him the whole day just to pop in to give you your drink and cigarettes. You're his father, and he's your son. You've been through a lot and you need each other. Show him some love, and he will too."

"How the hell would you know that?" He growled, his eyes grew fierce and dark... Like they were compensating.

"Because he told me so, and your reaction tells me you already know that." She stood up slowly, and held her hand out to him. "Let's get you home."

The walk back was definitely a scenic one, but it didn't matter. The marketplace hustled with a bustling crowd. It seemed fluid and organic. Like a well rehearsed dance. Yet it didn't matter, Gale shut it all out. More so than normal. His mind mulled over many things. time travelled very quickly.

The best thing he'd seen all morning was his front door. Gale fumbled with his keys. It felt like hours he was standing there. He frowned at each one. They all looked so unfamiliar. Someone had been playing with him surely. Someone had to have been.

"You swap my keys?" Gale's voice was low. His voice was threatening.

"No. They're your keys." Cory replied. She had a concerned look.

"Has Alban swapped my keys?"

"Gale, these are your keys." She held her hand out, she tried to smile at the man, remind him she was a friend. "Can I try?"

He didn't give her a yes or a no. He just froze. Gale wanted to snap at her, wanted to tell her he was able, he could do it. Yet his heart cried, and it never stopped. She gently removed them from his hand. Immediately she was able to open the door.

Realisation hit him like a steam train, and that same realisation hit Cory as well.

"You haven't opened your door in a long time have you, Gale?" She asked softly. She could tell he was already feeling tired, for someone who does very little, anything can be alot. His strong walk was gone. He shuffled back into his flat. Cory put the keys back where they belonged. The hook had a rusted groove where they were always hung.

She found him in the radio room. He had sat down, his expression contorted in confusion. He looked ever so slightly lost. Cory plucked the case of meds from his desk, giving them a quick once over she held them out to him.

"I don't prescribe meds as a hobby, Gale. I gave you these to stop moments like this." She waited. It felt like a very long time. His eyes were empty.

He finally nodded. A slow one, barely noticeable. It was a twitch more than anything. Cory pressed them into his hand and rested her hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze and whispering a heartfelt goodbye.

Gale waited a minute. As the silence permeated the room only underlined by the faintest rumbles outside he came back to his senses. He let go of the meds, letting them drop to the floor and roll away somewhere.