An old friend in hand

"Andy, buddy, what the hell is going on? You look like death and is that…the same clothes you wore yesterday?" It was Richard, and he was on him as soon as Andrew stepped in for work. He was in early, early enough that he knew that Maxwell wasn't in yet. 

When Andrew had woken up, thinking that it was all a nightmare, he'd let out a deep sigh. Then, he'd patted the bed next to him and jerked up, realising that Maxwell wasn't in the bed beside him. His heart had been racing in his chest, and he glanced around at first. He'd been unable to see, so he scrambled to get his glasses and once he put them on and realised that this wasn't his house, or Maxwell's, his heart had plummeted in his chest. 

He'd buried his head in his knees and cried. 

He couldn't eat, couldn't even drink a coffee or water, so he just got in a taxi and headed to work. He had hoped that no one else was going to be here, but here Richard was, ever the good worker.