How you doing?

How you doing – Fiz makes her concerned face, and asks this of Steve at the bar. You know this isn’t going to go well.

It’s Friday, and it’s been a long week of sadness and anger. It’s the day after the baby’s funeral. Steve is working a shift at the Rovers. The factory girls are having a birthday party for Izzy at the bar. Fun, fun, fun – until Fiz noticed Steve.

You could see it in her eyes – the mental gears shifting. No more time for fun. It’s time for ‘oh, poor you, I want to make you feel better’. When you see that look, it’s time to run as fast as you can. Too bad Steve didn’t.

Fiz gave her condolences, and stopped speaking. Whew, maybe that’s it. But even that made everyone else put on a serious face and acknowledge Steve’s loss (something he was likely trying to put out of his mind for just a bit of time).

Not a bromide missed

And of course Fiz’s roll was just starting. Every bromide not fit for a sympathy card popped into her mind, it seems, culminating with “Michelle’s still young…”

Those words, unfortunate at the best of times in this situation, came out of Fiz’s mouth just as Michelle walked out of the back room and into hearing distance.

Steve lost it. Earlier in the week, Michelle had lost it big time so perhaps she hasn’t had a chance to build up her reserves for another explosion. She dealt with Fiz’s insensitivity surprisingly well. I was grateful, I couldn’t have taken another Michelle outburst.

Steve hasn’t been able to let out his frustration and hurt and rage. So Fiz’s words pushed all his buttons and she got the brunt of it. She didn’t really deserve it. Insensitive as her words were, and inappropriate as her extended expression of sympathy was in the first place at a lunchtime birthday bash at a bar, she meant well.

So everyone feels uncomfortable and embarrassed. Her friends have to comfort Fiz. And Steve will feel bad about taking it all out on her when she was just trying to be nice. Steve and Michelle have had their noses rubbed in their loss at a moment when both thought they could try to feel normal for a little bit. Oh Fiz, please, next time just buy a card or flowers! Or just say sorry for your loss. Then zip it.