WHO: Haymitch and Jane WHEN: May 15 WHERE: The community center WHAT: Matchup! Jane seeks help WARNINGS: talk about drug abuse and death STATUS: gdoc, complete
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Jane was having some issues. She wanted to quit smoking, but smoking was the only thing that calmed her down withdrawal. Jane was happy to be alive again and with Jesse, but she still found herself depressed and wanting the job. Her stomach ached, even after eating. She didn’t know what to do, and she was afraid that going to Jesse would result in him getting her more heroin. He’d do anything for her.
So she went to the community center. She looked for a man named Haymitch. (What kind of name was Haymitch, anyway?)
Jane knocked on the doorway of an office, “Hello?”
---
Haymitch was actually getting used to people seeking him out, it wasn’t like his information was hidden. There were posters advertising the groups, and by extension him, all over the community centre and hospital and even some of the stores in town.
He was in his office working on one of the assignments he’d been given for his counsellors course when there was a knock at the door, looking up he called out, “Come in” and gave a nod, hitting save before gesturing to the seat on the opposite side of the desk, “Please take a seat”
***
Jane took a seat and put her purse down on the floor beside her. “I’m Jane Margolis. I’m Jesse’s girlfriend. Jesse Pinkman? He’s mentioned you.” She laced her fingers together nervously. “He doesn’t know I’m here, though. I’m having trouble with withdrawal. And … just,” she put her lips in a thin red line, “Good ol’ urges to get through the day.”
---
Haymitch nodded, “Haymitch Abernathy, though you already knew that” he replied, “Everything here is confidential unless I have reason to believe you plan on hurting yourself or others” he advised her, suicide or murder those were the only two loopholes which could be used to discuss others and so far, thankfully, they’d been loopholes he’d never had to use. “Am I correct in thinking it’s heroin?” he asked, wanting to be sure of what he was dealing with before they started on the path.
***
Jane nodded, closing her eyes. “I was sober for a long time. Then I met Jesse and he was using meth… I just … fell back into the habit easily. He tried it with me for the first time, I showed him. Then it wasn’t long after that I died of an overdose.” She stared straight ahead, trying not to show she was ashamed of such a thing. She was doing so well until Jesse came along. But she didn’t blame him. It was her choice.
---
“It’s easily done I’m afraid. Falling back into old ways I mean, but it’s not a cycle that can’t be broken” Haymitch told her, “It takes dedication and a bloody strong will but you can do it. And you won’t be alone. Support is sometimes the thing that helps people the most. Doing it alone is possible but it’s a harder road”
***
“I can do it with Jesse. Unless he’s been here long enough that he’s all better now. I couldn’t really tell. We’ve been together this whole time, we’ve just been uh...well, eating and fucking, really.” She cleared her throat. “But I’m willing.”
---
“Generally it’s encouraged that your sponsor and support is someone who isn’t trying to give up as well but perhaps in this instance you may help rather than hinder each other” Haymitch mused, “I’ll check in with you of course and you can either attend group sessions or private ones, perhaps a couple of times a week to begin with before we move it to once a week. And I’m always around should you need additional support”
***
Jane smiled softly at Haymitch. “Yeah, good point. I just thought maybe since he’s been here for awhile, he was over it too. But I know it takes longer. I’ve been through this before.” She nervously picked up her purse and started to rifle through it. “So you’ll take care of me?”
--- “You won’t ever be over it” Haymitch told her, “It’s always something that’s going to be there, but yes some people once they’ve been clean for awhile, can handle supporting others” He nodded, “Of course, I promise that as long as you’re willing to try then I will always be here to help”
*** “You can say that again,” she muttered. She thought she was over it, but then Jesse came back into her life and she leapt back off the wagon.
“I’m willing to try. Did I mention I died from it? Yeah, I’m more than willing to try.” She put her purse over her shoulder. “Do we start today or is this just a consultation? And how much do I owe you?”
---
He was pleased to hear her response, so many people had the idea that what they did here was some kind of cure. The worse ones were the ones who expected to ever be able to drink casually again, but Jane seemed to have her eyes open in that regard which would make things somewhat easier for her.
“We start today” he said, “Consider this your first session. There’s no charge for this, the only thing I ask for is honesty” He’d never take people’s money to help them, he was funded by the hospital and social services - after all he was saving them from having to treat overdoses and the like.
***
She sighed deeply at the idea of honesty. When she was using, she wasn’t the most honest person. But she wasn’t right now, and even with the influx of money, she didn’t want to. Okay, maybe a little part of her wanted to.
“Cool. Thanks. Should I come back next week?” Jane almost wanted to pay, the less money she had, the less she was considering finding someone with heroin.
---
Honesty was something Haymitch insisted on, especially if she was to join one of his groups. He couldn’t risk everybody for the sake of one person, he had to be able to trust what she told him.
He nodded, pulling out a card with his contact details on it and writing down his office times on the back, “This is when I’m here and out on the board are the times of the group meetings” he told her, “We can work out which is best for you next week, if that’s okay?”
***
“That works for me.” She put the card in her purse and stood there for a second. She thought she’d choke and freak out for a second. “Thanks. Really.”