Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
Getting Much Needed Help; Part 3 of Stryker's Breakdown
Topic Started: Jul 2 2017, 01:36 PM (192 Views)
Brian Stryker

Saturday, July 1st, 2017

The front door opens to Brian Stryker’s home as he walks in carry a bag of groceries. The normally chirper man has become a husk of himself over the past week, due to in no small part, dealing with the loss of his father, learning the truth about his mother, and having to burden the load of planning the funeral and all arrangements himself. Brooke tries her best to offer, but Brian keeps pushing her away, feeling that this is his problem and his problem to handle alone.

He looks ups from the ground, face unshaven and eyes exhausted from the terrible lack of sleep he’s been getting. He looks over to his living room to see Brooke sitting there, holding Richie, but there’s another voice as well. A voice he recognizes. He walks into the living room and sees Dr. Ganter his therapist from back in Philly sitting on his couch.

BRIAN: What is….?

BROOKE: Brian! Glad your home. Please don’t be mad, but I called Dr. Ganter to fly out here to talk to you. Baby I think you need to talk with him.

Brian just shakes his head.

BRIAN: I don’t need to I’m fine.

BROOKE: Brian please… You aren’t sleeping and when you do get a few minutes, you just toss and turn all night. You don’t eat anymore and you look like you’re about to break at any moment.

BRIAN: I’m fine. I’m just a bit stressed out from dealing with…

Brian goes to walk into the kitchen.

BROOKE: BRIAN STOP!

This caused him to stop instantly as he turns back and looks at his wife. She never raised her voice like that. Not even when she was extremely pissed off. Her eyes were a mixture of anger and sadness as if raising her voice was breaking her inside.

BROOKE: You are not fine. You are far from it. You are a man who is hurting more than he will admit and it’s killing you. You keep lashing out at random times for no reason. I’m scared of what will happen if you don’t get the help you need. You may have lost your father, but please don’t risk Richie losing his. It’s bad enough watching you get broken physically in ladder matches and hardcore matches. But I can’t stand by and just watch you destroy yourself inside.

Don’t think I haven’t seen the unopened bottle in the fridge. You have been so good for four years staying sober. I know the pain must be a lot but don’t ruin it. Don’t risk the chance of destroying yourself more. Because I swear to god and everything, if you do, I will take Richie and you won’t see me or him again.

Brian watched in shocked silence at the threat form Brooke. Her hands were clearly shaking as she glared at him through tear filled eyes.

BROOKE: When we got married, we promised that we would help each other out. You have done everything to help me through every rough patch in my life. You fought to defend me from harm. You helped heal me when I was hurt. You bring a smile to my face when I’m sad. You do more than I ever could ask. So please…let me be the one to help you this time. Let me be the one to heal you. Let me be the one to make you smile when you thought you couldn’t. Let me do the job that alcohol can’t do. Please…

Brian stood in the hallway watching as his wife broke down and cried right in front of him. He looked at the floor as he turned and cracked his neck, a habit he did when he was angry. She was right. She was always right. He may have had to do this alone once with his mother, that didn’t mean he has to do it again. The stress and depression from last time caused his eventually collapse into addiction and after his last scare of relapsing he wasn’t going to let that happen again.

Brian walked over to his wife and with one arm, hugged her and pulled her close as he rested his chin on the top of her head. She hugged him back, not wanting to let him go as Richie hugged his daddy.

BRIAN: Alright, I’ll talk to him. I was so adamant about doing this myself; I didn’t realize the toll it was taking on you. I’m sorry…

Brooke held onto to Brian tightly as she tried her best to stop the tears.

BROOKE: Thank you…

Brian kissed the top of her head as he handed her the bag of groceries. She gave him a soft kiss before she placed them into the kitchen as she took Richie out back to give Brian some privacy with the doctor. Brian walked into the living room to see his therapist sitting in the arm chair, calmly looking at him.

DR. GANTER: It’s been a while Brian.

BRIAN: It has.

DR. GANTER: By my counts, at least 3 years. Not even a phone call.

BRIAN: Well hard to see a therapist when you’re halfway across the country and on an island.

Brian sits down on the couch as he leans his arms on his knees, folding his hands. The doctor sat back in his chair and looked at Brian from over his glasses, studying the man.

DR. GANTER: So you’re wife filled me in on the past week. First off, my sincere condolences to you and your family.

Brian nods his head in acceptance.

DR. GANTER: Now that has also caused some issues with you, specifically a letter from your mother. Tell me about it.

Brian inhales deeply as he rubs his face.

BRIAN: It’s a letter my mom wrote a few weeks before she died. Probably around October or beginning of November. In the letter she basically says goodbye to my dad….and reveled to me how she was the one who left my dad. Not the other way around like I believed for 30 years.

DR. GANTER: And that bothered you?

BRIAN: Well yeah, to go 30 years of your life believing your dad left before you were born? To have 30 years of pent of frustration at a man who wasn’t there to help your mom? To learn that when he asked me to live with him after, it was out of love and not out of a need. To learn that he made himself a devil in my eyes just to help my mom save face. He was taking that secret to the grave and he did in a way.

Brian balled his fists up as his clenched one in his other hand.

DR. GANTER: Are you angry to know the truth? Angry at the lie? Or angry you never learned it from them?

BRIAN: All three. My mom was a saint growing up and even more after she died. She raised a troublesome child all by herself and she never let me go hungry, or cold, or without a Christmas. She did though so I wouldn’t. But to learn that the reason it was like that was because she couldn’t stand to live with my dad….why? Were they worst off than we were growing up? What was my mom thinking that was a good idea?

DR. GANTER: And your father?

BRIAN: My dad….why would he so willing let himself be hated. Why did he let himself become this scapegoat just to keep my mom from being embarrassed? Why didn’t he tell me after her death? Why did he let me hate him for 30 goddamn years?! WHY!?

Brian held his hair as he looked at the floor. Dr. Ganter watched calmly as Brian slightly broke down in front of him. The moment Brooke talked to him, the doctor knew that Brian was bottling his feelings up, causing him to have bursts of anger that were unhealthy. Brian needed to vent and this was the only way to make it happen.

BRIAN: What am I supposed to do now? I’m trapped! I can’t confront them. I can’t confirm that this is even real. I mean there’s a chance this is all just a lie. I need closure and I can’t have it. You have any idea what that is like? To have regret that you can’t clear up because it’s too late? I’m always gonna carry this inside me forever.

DR. GANTER: Have you ever thought the reason your father never told you was because you held your mother in such high regard? You clearly idolized the woman to a degree that telling you the truth, even at that young age and after just losing her, would have surely fell on deaf ears.

BRIAN: But what am I supposed to do?

DR. GANTER: There is nothing you can do at this point. As you said, you can’t confront them. You’re just gonna have to figure it out on your own.

BRIAN: Jeez thanks doc. What a thoughtful thing to say.

Brian sits back and scoffs.

DR. GANTER: You know I don’t mince words. There are three things we know for certain. One, your parents lied to you to hide the truth. Two, they did it to protect you. Three, they both loved your very much and wanted nothing but make you happy. Maybe they didn’t want to tell you because the little happiness you were finding from a less than ideal situation was worth keeping up the act. Maybe it was easier for your father to be hated, than your mother. We can never know. But what we do know what we do and that they raised you to be the best man you could be.

You learned from their mistakes. Both from watch what was around you, and the fact you knew a child should have both parents in his life. You made a choice to do better than them and provide for your wife and child a life they couldn’t provide you. Maybe that was the gift they wanted to leave you and nothing else mattered to them.

Brian sat silent for a moment as he rubbed his face. How many people were gonna be right today? He sat back as Ganter looked at him over his glasses.

DR. GANTER: Well I think I made my point.

He started to stand as Brian stood up with him.

BRIAN: Thank you for coming doc. How much do I owe you.

DR. GANTER: Nothing. Consider this…a pro bono visit from a friend.

Ganter places his hand on Brian’s shoulder.

DR. GANTER:: Get rest. Feel better. You got a good family around you. You aren’t alone. Stop trying to be.

Brian nodded as Ganter picked up his hat as he left Brian alone in his living room. He looks out the window to see Richie running around in the backyard. He walks into the kitchen where the backdoor is and stops at his fridge. He took the bottle of beer out of the fridge and looked at it. He looked up at Brooke and Richie then back at the bottle. He sighed to himself as he unscrewed the bottle cap. He walked over to the fridge and tipped the bottle over, pouring the contents down the sink, tossing the empty bottle into the trash.

He walked outback as Richie saw his dad and instantly ran over. Brian bent down and picked up his son, holding him up as he kissed his cheek, Brooke smiling from the side.

BRIAN: Daddy loves you Richie. Don’t you ever doubt that for a minute. Got it little man?

Brooke walked over as Richie laughed. She kissed Brian herself as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

BROOKE: Feeling better?

BRIAN: Not even alittle.

Brooke looks at Brian a little surprised. He turned to her and gave her a small weak smile.

BRIAN: But I’m at least on the right path.

Brooke smiled regrew as she kissed Brian deeply as the two knew that things were not gonna be easier or ever better, but at least they could get through it together.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Solo Work · Next Topic »
Add Reply