support group one: no one left behind

[hearnospeakno]

When: Friday 6:00 p.m.
Where: Attic Observatory
What: Community Support Group

As Nick promised on his open advertisements, there are chairs and coffee in the Attic Observatory. There's even a table laden with what food products Nick and co could round up.

The process of setting up for a group meeting felt enough like Boulder that Nick took a short break to lean, palms first, against a wall. It was a short, easily displaced moment, and he has no intention of lingering on it.

This is about everyone, one way or another. For all the people stuck here, and everyone new, and all those in-between. Nick left the purpose of the group intentionally vague. In the future, he assumes it'll have to be narrowed down and split up for the sake of different needs, but for this first coming together of the displaced in any non-official capacity he wants it to be open for everyone. It wouldn't be right, otherwise.

So all newcomers will find Nick by the attic observatory door, nursing a cup of black coffee next to a clearly printed sign:

Hi, I'm Nick. Welcome to the first Nexus Hotel Support Group. Whatever your problem, we'll listen. Help yourself to coffee and food.

Underneath the words, Nick has drawn and crossed out a mouth and ear, leaving an arrow pointed at himself. His pad of paper and pen are obvious on his lap.

Comments

[hearnospeakno]

Nick shares more of Larry's misgivings than most people would ever be able to tell.

It's simple: Larry can speak, and his voice will say so much more than his words. Nick can write, and as long as he keeps his face still, it doesn't matter what he feels. So the way that Nick is eating himself alive can go mostly unnoticed, because Nick is good at being still and quiet and unremarkable.

But for someone who knows him like Larry does, it's obvious from the way Nick sits next to him with a tight jaw and wide eyes that Nick is not sure of this--Nick, of all people, who is usually so sure of everything.

(And he's sorry in ways he doesn't know how to explain; sorry for not being enough, for not knowing what to be anymore.)

He nods his hello, and writes: Could you talk for me, at this thing?

Nick doesn't think of Ralph. More correctly, he tries not to, as he looks away and drums his fingers on his knee for the tactical response and not the sound.

[digyourman]

There was a tick of hesitation, more about Larry assessing the tense set of Nick's jaw and shoulders than any real apprehension. Head tilted, Larry briefly narrowed his eyes, watching the slender boy beside him, and then slowly nodded.

"Yeah, sure," he said, and then leaned forward with a little two-fingered wave, not sure if he still had Nick's attention.

"Hey, you wanna get out of here for a minute, take a breather?"