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It's dark, nearly evening. The sun's setting just beyond the bridge, the dark crimson bleeding into the smudged oranges of the sky. Leonard’s starting to take time to admire the sunsets. Time. Time isn't something he has a lot of nowadays.
He walks alone, down the bridge. Maybe it's for the memories, to remember a time when he wanted nothing more than to jump, to leave all the problems behind. Maybe it's just for the scenery. It's pretty up here. No wonder people want it to be their last sight.
There's another kid (maybe not a kid, he's somewhere in his twenties) on the bridge. He's sat on the railing, legs hanging over the perilous drop. His fingers twitch at the rusted railing. Leonard's not sure if it's second thoughts or he's waiting for the right moment.
“Hey.” He calls, walking over. He doesn't stand right beside him, he stands a few feet away. He leans against the railing nonchalantly, but his steady gaze on the kid is anything but.
“Just keep walking. You won't want to see this.”
The kid doesn't look up. He keeps looking at the water. Leonard wonders briefly if he knows how to swim.
“Why today?” Leonard asks softly, disregarding the comment.
“What?”
“Why did you choose today to jump?”
The kid doesn't say anything for a moment, his cold expression faltering.
“Why do you care?” He spits eventually.
“Good question. I don't know you, you don't know me. I should keep walking. I shouldn't care. But I do. That's gotta count for something.”
Silence settles over the two for a while. The kid doesn't move from where he's perched and neither does Leonard. He's waiting this out. He doesn't want anyone to make the mistakes he almost did.
“What's your name?”
That finally lifts the boy's gaze. He looks over, assessing whether or not Leonard is worthy of the information.
“Jim.” He says quietly.
“Nice to meet you, Jim. Leonard McCoy.”
Jim hums in response.
“Why are you here?”
“I give up.” Jim sighs.
Leonard nearly winces at that. Jim sounds defeated, all the fight gone. He's fallen one time too many, and he doesn't have the strength to pick himself back up.
“Think you could sit tight while I tell you a story?”
Jim cocks his head, frowning, before nodding.
“Year and a half ago now. My wife left. Just walked out, taking everything with her. I had to sell everything she'd left behind just so I could pay rent on this little apartment I had to move in to. It's near here, few minutes walk.
“I used to walk across this bridge every day. Y'know what I'd say to myself?”
Jim’s frown turns quizzical but he says nothing.
“This is it. I'm gonna jump. Just throw myself over the rail and close my eyes. I had nothing left, nothing to live for. I started thinking that everyone would be a lot better off if I were dead.
“I'm not gonna lie to you, Jim, ‘cause you seem like a smart guy. Recovery isn't instantaneous. It isn't waking up one day and feeling fine. It's waking up one day and feeling a little less shitty than you did the day before, only to wake the next and feel like throwing yourself off this fucking bridge again. Since you're smart, I'm not gonna bullshit you and say it's all thinking positively. ‘Course, it helps to have faith in the fact that you can and you will feel better someday, but that's not all there is. It's a process, a long process. I'm still recovering.”
Leonard falls silent, looking down at the river. Jim shifts backwards a little.
“Don't give up the fight, Jim. Life is a bitch, it kicks you when you're down. Even if you gotta curl up and protect yourself for a while, you don't give up.”
It's a few minutes, a few silent, tense minutes that have Leonard hoping he'll be able to snatch Jim back should he choose to jump, before Jim slowly begins to climb down.
Leonard smiles, and it's a smile that says, I know the shit you're going through, I know what it feels like to think that nobody wants you, I know how long the road ahead is .
“Don't give up the fight.” Jim echoes.
He's pale, and he looks like he's going to throw up.
“Never.” Leonard agrees.