It's a Long Way Down

Chapter Thirty-Five: Drinking

Ember had just fallen asleep after she and Sodo had talked. Sodo watched her for a bit, stroking her hair before getting off the bed and tucking her in. It was late and he knew no one would be awake anymore. He slipped out of Ember's room, going into his and locking the door behind him. He has still been drinking a little since he relapsed, but it was always behind closed doors, away from everyone. It was his secret and he was determined to keep it that way.

He went to the rug in his room, lifting it and moving a floorboard, grabbing a bottle of vodka. He didn't bother to move it back as he leaned against the wall, sitting on the floor. Since Ember had hidden herself in her room he had been drinking in his room.

Before the loss of the kits, he'd drink a little, just enough to feel a little buzz. But since he heard they were gone, he would drink until he passed out every night. Ember wasn't around to tell him otherwise, everyone else was busy with their mates, and he felt alone. He opened up the bottle and took a long drink from it. He looked at the bottle, letting out a small chuckle, "My life really is fucked up, isn't it."

He took another drink, mumbling to himself, "Can't even have my own kits without something fucking it up. I just want to be happy."

He usually degraded his life or himself during his drinking sessions. It was the one way he felt he could actually feel something at this point. He leaned his head back against the wall as he said, "Fucking useless piece of shit. You can't even comfort your own mate. You know who was able to make her talk? Fucking Aether. She spoke with him and not you."

He soon finished the bottle, but even then, he still wasn't feeling even the slightest hint of a buzz. He quickly grabbed the next bottle, this time whiskey, opened it up, and took a long drink from it. He was glad that since Ember had remembered him all those months ago that everyone had turned a blind eye to the bender he had gone on. They stopped trying to hide the alcohol and stopped trying to check it to make sure everything was still there. It made it easier for him to swipe liquor when his stash was running low.

Sodo ran his hands down his face as he groaned saying, "Two girls. Two daughters I'll never meet. Fuck."

It never really sank in before when the nurse told him the genders of the kits. But for some reason, tonight was different. As if this drinking session was when he was finally starting to realize they were gone.

He soon finished the bottle he had and as he was reaching for the next one, he heard a knock on the door. He let out a groan, cursing whoever was interrupting his drinking session. Putting the floorboard and the rug back, he walked to the door opening it. He saw a woman who looked like Sister Imperator, but it wasn't her.

"Who the fuck are you?" The alcohol was already taking over his filter, or more, the lack thereof. The woman just straightened herself up, holding her hand out to him, "I am Sister Lilith Imperator. I was the last Sisters younger sister. I'm her replacement. You didn't get to meet me last time, but I saw you all kinds of upset. I had to subdue you somehow."

"You're the one that knocked me out," Sodo said. Lilith nodded, "That was me, yes. I had to get you to calm down enough so I could handle my business without having to worry for my life. I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself. I did take a look at the file Sister had for you-"

"She had a file on me?" Sodo asked. Lilith nodded, "Yes, on you and all the ghouls. Yours was quite extensive. With multiple trips to the freezer, many outbursts, inability to control your abilities-"

"Yeah, a bunch of bad shit, I get it, go on," Sodo waved his hand signaling for her to go on. Talking to the replacement for Sister Imperators was the last thing he wanted to do right now. He had about 5 bottles of liquor he was trying to drink so he could sleep without dreams calling his name. Lilith sighed and told him, "There was a brief mention of how you were a water ghoul before. That transformation process is definitely something that sounds painful, but anyway, the fact you were able to get a handle on your abilities on your own is astounding. Honestly, great job. Also, congratulations on finding your mate, the amounts of rejections I saw in there is crazy. I'm sure she never told you that-"