Pills of love

I still have faith in you (part 2)

"Oh. My. God" Benny sighed, rubbing a hand against his temples.

"Listen, I'm just as tired and frustrated as you're, but...".

"No... No, I don't think you can be as me".

"It's important that this process is concluded today!".

"There's no deadline! We can do it even after Christmas! Why you insist on not wanting to listen to the others' needs!".

Benny and Stig stared at each other for a few tense seconds and then Benny sat back down, tormenting the now nearly empty pack of cigarettes. He felt like a lion in a cage. He looked at the clock for the umpteenth time and saw that it was already past midnight. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, staring at the packet of cigarettes he had bumped into the console.

"Stig, listen... You know I'm a perfectionist too and I want everything to be ok immediately... But we've been in here early this morning... We've all been tired and frustrated for months now... A little break will do us good... These holidays could---" Björn tried to mediate.

Stig snorted "Sure, figure If you're not on his side".

Benny looked at him with fire in his eyes "Do you have a problem with me, Stig?".

"The problem with you comes when you slow down the group's work!" he told him, pointing a finger at him "We're already short of singers, If you haven't noticed. If it's such a burden for you to be here, you can leave too. We'll do it very well anyway".

Benny stared at him for a few moments and then quickly got up from his chair, picking up his cigarettes and coat and walking out, slamming the door behind him.

Björn sighed and dropped his head against the chair "Oh God, Stig. What the hell is wrong with you?!".

Stig leaned back in his chair and wrung his beard, sighing.

***

Frida sighed and pulled the duvet tighter on her body, burying her head on the pillow. After a few seconds, she barely opened one eye, finding the room as dark as she had left it. She stayed a few moments with an ear strained, trying to understand what she had woken her up from her long-desired sleep. Praying her son hadn't woken up.

Reaching out, she grabbed the baby monitor from the bedside table to listen to her son's steady breathing... but she made out other strange noises as well. Frowning, she stared at it and pushed back the covers, shivering in the cold of the room. She stopped for a moment sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at the clock and turning behind her, finding Benny's spotless side of the bed. She looked at the cell phone on the bedside table and noticed that she had no messages from him. Sighing, she put on her slippers, took her robe and got up.

Rubbing her eyes, which didn't want to open fully, she entered the corridor and headed for her son's room. She suddenly bumped into something as soon as she got to the door.

"God!" she cried out, putting a hand on her chest and not ending up on the ground only thanks to a pair of hands that grabbed her by her arms.

"Be careful!".

Frida opened her eyes wide "Benny... Oh my God... I didn't hear you come back" she chuckled and took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart that was beating so fast.

Benny smirked "Sorry... I didn't mean to scare you... I just came to check that everything was ok".

She squeezed his arm and stood up on her feet to kiss him "And is everything ok?".

Benny sighed and nodded "Yes. Yes. Everything ok. Sorry If I couldn't get back earlier, but it was a really... chaotic day" he barely smiled "Shall we go to bed?".