They get a taxi home because Mark needs ("wants"!) a drink and Maisie is going to be tired. Jenny waves them off but Brendan has gone back to his game. Zombie nazis line up to die obsequiously.
In the flat Mark starts with some joplin, which is a mistake as it reminds him of lilly. He does three vodka shots until there is no vodka. Then he gets on the whisky. He stands in the kitchen, seeing out the window. The view is just the same, as if nothing has changed.
He can hear the telly. Cbeebies finishes at 7 so he sticks on a fireman sam dvd, hating himself for doing so, but then selecting "PLAY ALL EPISODES"
Back in the kitchen, wet ice in the glass, the indifferent view. Mark washes his face. In the films, this always looks good.
He drinks his drink. "I'm quite drunk" he thinks. He has this thing with feet by the sink and for a while he tries it, but it still does not work.
By the time he's finished the whisky, Maisie is sleeping on the sofa. Tender as a memory, Jones picks her up and puts her in his bed. Their bed used to feel so small. Now he has to pile the clothes he needs ironing on her side just so in the night it doesn't feel so empty. Even though she had the best side by the door, he still takes the rubbish side by the cold wall. He lays Maisie in his bed, so tender he holds his breath so she will not get subliminal messages from the fumes from the whisky, so tender he kisses her. He switches off fireman sam, puts on his coat and then goes out to get his drugs. Wet neon light seeps through chorlton like rain through jeans.
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