All disclaimers apply: None of these characters actually belong to me. They are property of CBS. This story was not written for any other purpose than entertainment and I am getting no money for this.
Look What the Cat Dragged In
WARNING: Character death
"It looks like a great day here in Chicago," the radio announcer chirped.
Gary Hobson lifted his hand and slapped the clock. It turned off and Gary put his head back on his pillow. Outside the door, he heard a thump and a meow. "Go away!" he yelled.
Meow.
Gary groaned and threw the covers off of himself. He dragged himself to the door. It creaked as it opened. He looked down to find the cat sitting there, like it did every morning. It trotted into his apartment while he bent down and picked the newspaper up from the floor. He closed the door as he looked at the front page.
After a shower and two cups of coffee, Gary headed downstairs to the restaurant/bar he and his partner, Marissa Clark, run. He walked into the office. "Hi, Marissa," he greeted.
"Hi," she replied. Her voice sounded funny.
Gary looked at her in suspicion. "What's up?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," she said, trying to sound uninterested.
Gary sat down in the desk across from her. "Okay," he said slowly. "What's really going on?"
A smile spread across Marissa's face. "You have a visitor," she told him.
Gary leaned back in his chair. "Who is it?"
Marissa's grin spread. "Why don't you go find out? She's in the dining room."
Gary smiled. "It's a she?"
Marissa nodded. "Go and see," she said.
Gary got up from his chair and walked toward the door. "I'm going to like her right? She's not some maniac or something?"
Marissa laughed, "Gary, go."
Gary pushed the door open and walked toward the dining room. He pushed another door open and saw a blonde walking around slowly, looking at the place. The door swung closed behind him. "Can I help you?" he asked.
She turned around. "Gary!" she cried.
"Erica," he smiled. "What are you doing back?"
She walked over and hugged him. "We're just visiting for a while," she told him.
"Where's Henry?"
"He's playing at a friend's house. I'll bring him by later, if you want me to."
"Yeah, sure. How about I take you guys out to dinner?" Gary offered.
"Sounds great."
"Um, sit down. Tell me what's been going on since you left," Gary said, pulling out a chair for Erica. "Where are you guys staying?"
"In a hotel across town. It's nice," she said.
"Why don't you stay with me?"
"You don't have enough room..." Erica began.
"No, it'll be okay. You can have my bed and Henry and I can sleep in the living room."
"Gary, I don't know."
"I insist."
Erica smiled. She shook her head in defeat. "Okay, but I don't want to put you out."
"Don't worry about it," he said, looking at his watch. "I have to get going. You and Henry come over whenever you want to. I'll be back later, okay?"
Erica nodded.
"Good," Gary said.
Gary walked down the block, looking for a small child wandering around. He saw a little boy standing looking in a window. He walked up to him. "Hey, buddy. What are you doing?"
The little boy looked up at him and smiled. Suddenly, the boy's mother came out of the store. She shrieked and pushed Gary away. "What are you doing to my son?" she cried.
"Nothing," he insisted. The woman took the little boy by the hand and stalked off muttering something about perverts and creeps. "You have a nice day, too, lady." He shook his head and checked the paper. The story had been replaced by an ad.
He continued to walk down the street. He was waiting at a stoplight when he saw his cat across the street. He squinted to make sure. He looked at his paper again. It was the little boy again. He sighed and crossed when the light changed. He began to go toward the park. As he passed the cat, he heard it purring. He smiled. Opening the paper, Gary read about the little boy, Jerimy, wandering from his mother again.
As Gary approached the park, he saw Jerimy's mother reading a book on a bench. He looked around, but didn't see the little boy anywhere. He checked the paper.
Gary began to walk around, looking up in the trees and anywhere else he could think of. He felt like a fool. "Jerimy?" he called. Suddenly, he heard a branch snap. He looked around, but didn't know where the sound had come from. Then, he saw a branch fall to the ground not too far from him. "Jerimy?" he called again.
"Help!" the little boy yelled. Gary rushed over and looked up into the tree. Jerimy was hanging from a branch.
"Don't worry, okay? I'm going to come up and get you." Gary began to climb up the tree.
"I'm slipping!" Jerimy screamed.
Gary jumped off the tree and stood under the boy. "Jerimy, you can let go. I'll catch you."
"How do you know my name?" the little boy asked.
"Your mom sent me to get you. Come on, now. I'll catch you, I promise."
"You'll drop me!" he insisted.
"I won't. I swear. Come on, now. Just let go."
Jerimy squeezed his eyes shut and then let go of the branch. He kicked his feet as he fell. He didn't open his eyes until he landed in Gary's arms. He smiled. "You didn't drop me!"
"I told you I wouldn't," Gary said, smiling. He put the boy down. "Go on, get back to your mom. She'll be looking for you." He watched as the kid ran away.
"Gary!!" he heard a familiar voice yell. He turned around, but didn't see anyone he recognized. Suddenly, he saw Henry running at him. He smiled and waved. Henry slowed down and when he reached Gary. He hugged him.
"Hey, buddy. How are you doing?" Gary asked, looking down at the boy. "I bet you've grown two inches," he continued, grinning.
"I missed you," Henry said.
"Me too," he said, ruffling Henry's red hair. "How would you like me to take you and your mom out tonight?"
"Cool!" Henry exclaimed. "Where to?"
"You pick," Gary told him.
Later that night, Gary, Erica, and Henry were sitting in Gino's East. In front of them were huge slices of pizza. Henry wolfed down two, and then jumped up.
"Mom, can I go write on the wall?" he asked Erica.
She swallowed her bite of pizza and wiped her mouth. "Just your name," she told him. He sighed, disappointedly, but took the pen and walked toward the nearest wall.
Gary watched him walk away. "He's really getting big."
"Yeah, only a few more years and he'll tower over me."
Gary laughed.
Gary spread a blanket out over the couch. "Think you'll be okay here?" he asked Henry. Henry yawned then nodded. Gary stood to the side of the couch. "Hop in."
Henry laid down on the couch and smiled as Gary covered him with another blanket. "G'night, Gary," he said.
"Night, buddy." Gary muffed Henry's hair and then went into the kitchen and sat across from Erica at the table.
"He really misses you," Erica said.
Gary kind of grinned. "Really?"
"Well, yeah. He likes you a lot, Gary."
Gary looked toward the couch. "He's an okay kid." Erica shook her head. "What?" Gary asked.
"You're impossible," she said, smiling.
Thud. Meow. Gary opened his eyes and lifted his head. His neck screamed with pain. Slowly, he straightened it out and stood from the chair he'd slept in. He cocked his head to both sides, trying to pop his neck. He walked to the door and let the cat in. He bent down and picked up the paper.
Gary closed the door and opened the paper. He went into the kitchen and began to make some coffee. He was careful not to wake Erica or Henry. The cat jumped up on the table and spread himself across the paper.
"What are you doing? Get off of there," Gary told him. He picked the cat up and put him back down on the floor. "Crazy cat," he muttered. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. He skimmed the headlines while he waited for his coffee to brew.
"Mind if I join you?" Erica asked from the doorway.
Gary smiled. "Good morning," he said.
She yawned, "Oh, sorry. Good morning to you, too." She walked over to the coffeepot. "Is this almost done?" she asked.
"Should be," Gary said.
Erica opened a cabinet and took out two mugs. She filled them both with coffee. She set one down in front of Gary and took a sip of the other. "Anything interesting?" she asked.
Gary shook his head, "Not really." He looked up from the paper. "What were you planning on doing today?"
Erica took another sip of her coffee. "I don't really know. Henry needs some new clothes and school things." She shrugged. "Maybe we'll go shopping."
"Sounds like fun," Gary said, looking back to the paper. "How about I meet you guys for lunch?"
"Okay," Erica agreed. "About 12:30?"
Gary nodded. He downed the rest of his coffee and then went to get dressed.
Gary walked down the street, checking his watch to make sure that he wouldn't be late. For once, the paper was cooperating with him. He came to an intersection and waited for the light to change. While he was waiting, he opened the paper.
On the second page, a new story had appeared. His heart seemed to jump up into his throat. He read the story quickly and then took off across the street. Tires screeched as he ran. "Two blocks," he whispered as he ran. At the next intersection, he didn't even stop.
His feet seemed to be flying. He looked at his watch, only about thirty seconds. He tried to go faster. Ahead of him, was a large group of people. "Move!" he yelled. They turned to look at him, but didn't go anywhere. "Move!" he yelled again as he tried to push through them. Only about ten seconds left. He got through the crowd and took off at a dead sprint. He couldn't be late.
Ahead of him, he saw the stoplight turn red. He pushed his feet harder. Only a few more seconds. Suddenly, there was a horrible screech of tires and a few terrified screams. He slowed. It was too late. He ran again until he reached the intersection, where people were now standing, some covering their mouths, turned away, while others gawked. He pushed through the crowd and knelt down beside the body.
He brushed the red hair out of the boy's eyes. "Hey, buddy," he said, voice cracking.
Henry's eyes opened and fluttered. "Gary, I don't feel well."
"I know," Gary said, gathering the boy up and sitting him in his lap. "I'll get you some help okay?" He turned to the crowd. "Someone call an ambulance," he said, his eyes were brimming with tears.
"They already did, mister," said a man.
Henry's head slumped against Gary's chest. Gary's heart stopped. "Whoa, hey, buddy, stay with me," he said, patting the boy's face. Henry's eyes fluttered again. "Come on, Henry, hang on," he pleaded, even though, he knew the outcome. "Someone go find his mother, Erica Paget, quick!"
Henry's head leaned against Gary's chest again. Gary looked down at the lifeless body. He rocked Henry back and forth in the middle of the street, tears running down his cheeks.
Erica sat alone in Gary's apartment, looking out the window, sitting in the dark. She hadn't even turned the lights on when she'd come back from the hospital. Everything seemed surreal: the panic in the stranger's voice, running out to see Gary in the middle of the street rocking her son.
Gary opened the door and turned on the light, but she didn't move.
He walked past her, silently. The quiet was awkward, but he couldn't say anything, yet. He opened a drawer and pulled out some pajamas. It was getting late, and he was exhausted. He went into the bathroom and shut the door. He took his shirt off and threw it in the hamper. He crossed turned around to the sink and ran warm water over his hands. He splashed some water on his face and grabbed a towel off the rack. He looked like hell.
He sighed and grabbed the shirt he'd brought in with him. He finished changing, brushed his teeth, and took one last look in the mirror before going back into the bedroom. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. It wasn't quite midnight. He looked back at Erica. She still hadn't moved. He sighed, but left her alone.
Gary pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch. He made it for himself like he'd done the night before, for Henry. He tried not to think about Henry as he made up the couch. After he'd put the pillows on the couch, he turned to Erica. "Mind if I turn the light back out?" he asked.
She shook her head.
He didn't say anything else. He silently crossed the room, turned out the light, and walked back. He pulled the blanket back and climbed in. He looked, sadly, at Erica for a moment before turning over and closing his eyes.
Gary jumped in his sleep and woke up. He propped himself up and looked around, squinting. He looked out the window; it was still dark. Erica wasn't sitting there anymore. He looked toward his bedroom. He could see a form underneath the sheets. He relaxed and laid back down on the couch. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep.
As he lay there, he heard a strange noise. He lifted his head again, and listened. He couldn't tell what it was. He thought it was coming from his room. He tossed the blanket off of him and swung his legs off the couch. He could still hear it. He walked into his room and listened carefully.
He relaxed when he realized it was coming from Erica. He walked to the other side of the bed and sat down. He didn't want to wake her. Even in the dark, he could see her face was still red and puffy from crying. He touched her cheek, lightly.
Gary began to get up when Erica began to cry in her sleep. He sat down on the bed again and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. She began to cry harder and eventually, woke herself up. She sat up with a start, but realized that Gary was next to her.
They looked at each other for a moment before Gary smiled and wiped a tear away. Her face crumpled and she dissolved into sobs. He put his arms around her and held her. "It'll be okay," he whispered.
That morning, Gary woke up back on the couch. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten back there. He yawned and sat up. He looked at the clock; it was almost eight. He hadn't heard the cat. He looked around, but didn't see him either. He got up quickly and checked outside the door. Nothing. He didn't understand.
Quickly, he grabbed his robe and threw it on before running downstairs to McGinty's. Marissa was in the office already.
"Gary?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered. "You haven't heard my cat around here, by any chance, have you?"
Marissa shook her head. "Is something wrong?"
Gary scratched the back of his head. "I don't know," he said.
"Gary, you don't sound well. Did you have a rough night?"
He sat down at the other desk. He put his head in his hands. "Marissa, you have no idea."
"What's the matter?" she asked. Gary remained quiet. "Gary?"
He took a deep breath. "Henry's gone," he said, finally.
"Gone? What do you mean?"
"He's dead."
Marissa gasped. "Oh my god, Gary. I'm sorry."
"Thanks," Gary said.
Marissa could swear there was something else. "Gary, you're not telling me everything."
"The paper's not here."
"What?"
"The paper, it didn't come this morning."
"Are you sure?"
"If the cat's not down here, then it didn't come."
"What are you going to do?" Marissa asked.
"Nothing," Gary said.
"What?"
"I'm not going to do anything. It was my fault that Henry died. I didn't see the story in time. It's punishing me. I don't deserve it anymore." He pushed his chair back and left, slamming the door behind him.
Gary shoved his hands in the pockets of his robe and started back up the stairs. At the top, he sat down. He couldn't help but think that Henry might still be alive if he'd only paid more attention to the paper. He hung his head and sighed.
He heard noise coming from his apartment. Erica was awake. He looked toward the door. They had to talk about it sometime.
When he opened the door, he saw that Erica was already dressed. She was digging through a drawer for something.
"Need something?" Gary asked.
Erica looked up quickly at him. "I need," she said, pausing and digging some more. "I need a," she continued. She began to get frustrated and pulled violently at the drawer.
"Whoa, whoa," Gary said. He took her by the shoulders. "Settle down, okay? Tell me what you need."
Erica jerked away from him. "I need a damn pen!" she cried.
Gary took her by the shoulders again. "Here," he said, "sit down." He pulled out a chair for her. He closed the drawer that she had been looking through. He opened the one next to it and pulled out a pen. "Here you go," he said, holding it out for her.
"Thank you," she said, softly. She looked down at the pen and began to cry. "Gary, what am I going to do?"
Gary put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be okay," he said.
She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "I just have so much to do," she sighed.
He knelt down beside her. He tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "It'll be all right," he assured her.
Thunder rumbled loudly. Gary's umbrella pulled with the wind. His black overcoat flapped open. He put an arm around Marissa, who was standing next to him. She put her head against his shoulder and touched his hand, reassuringly.
Gary looked toward Erica. She was sitting with her ex-husband, tears and raindrops streaming down their faces. He looked away and began listening to the minister.
"Lord, take him and keep him." He bowed his head and began to pray.
The minister finished and the small crowd began to disperse. Gary stayed, waiting for Erica. She stood, slowly, staring at the small coffin. Her ex-husband took her by the shoulder and began to lead her away. Gary stood and watched them. Erica tore her eyes away and looked around. Her eyes settled on Gary. He smiled, weakly. She didn't respond. Her eyes seemed like stone. He looked away and lead Marissa to the van.
Gary leaned his umbrella against the wall in his apartment. He took his coat off and threw it over the chair. He loosened the tie around his neck and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and sat down on the couch. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
He heard a noise outside the door. He lifted his head and listened again. There it was. He pushed himself off the couch and went straight for the door. He threw it open and looked down.
Nothing. He sighed and closed his eyes. He closed the door again and went back to the couch. It had been two days since he'd gotten the paper. He put his head in his hands. There was too much going on.
The door opened. Gary lifted his head and saw Erica. Neither said anything. Gary watched as Erica went toward the bedroom. He watched her pull her suitcase out from under the bed.
"What are you doing?" Gary asked, getting up from the couch.
"I have to leave," she said, quietly. She disappeared into the bathroom.
"Erica, don't, please," Gary pleaded.
She came out of the bathroom with her brush, toothbrush, and shampoo. She dropped them into her suitcase. "I can't stay here anymore, Gary."
Gary put a hand on her shoulder.
Erica shrugged it away. "Don't," she told him.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Erica's shoulders tensed. She turned around and faced him. "You're sorry?" she began. "Where were you?" she yelled and began to cry. "You knew it was going to happen! Why didn't you stop it?" she sobbed.
Gary looked at the floor. He couldn't respond, right away. A lump began to form in his throat. "I tried," he choked out. He looked up into her eyes. "You have to believe me, I tried."
Erica looked at him. "You save strangers everyday. Why didn't you save him?"
"The paper didn't..." he began.
"You can't blame this on the paper!" she yelled. She advanced on him. "This was you! Why weren't you there?"
Gary opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't. He didn't have an answer. He looked back down at the floor, ashamed. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Erica became angry and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Gary sat on the bed and closed her suitcase. He waited for almost ten minutes for Erica to come back out. When she didn't, he let out a sigh and walked out of the apartment.
Gary walked through the rain. He hadn't grabbed his jacket or his umbrella. He was dripping wet from head to foot. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't know where he was going. He just kept walking.
Finally, Erica came out of the bathroom. She saw that Gary wasn't there. She figured it was for the better and kept packing. Suddenly, she heard a thump outside the door. She looked toward the door, but ignored the sound and went back to packing. She heard a familiar meow from outside. She closed her suitcase and opened the door. Sitting outside, were the cat and the newspaper.
"He's not here," she told the cat. The cat wound his way in and out of her legs. She bent down and picked up the paper, putting it on the table. The cat meowed loudly. Erica sighed. "What?" she asked.
Gary stood on an El platform. He didn't care where he went, he just needed to get away. The train pulled up and he got on. He sat by himself, staring out the window. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cool glass. In not much time, he was asleep.
Gary woke with a start. The train was stopping. He looked around, trying to find out where he was. He stood up with the other people and meandered off the train. He began to make his way home. It had stopped raining while he was on the El. He came to a bridge and stopped, looking out onto the water.
The cat sat on the table rolling on, meowing over, and pawing at the paper. Erica finally had enough of the noise and picked it up. "Enough!" she cried.
A page fell out onto the floor. She picked it up and looked it over. "Oh my god," she whispered.
Gary stood at the edge of the bridge. He put his one leg over and sat on the ledge.
"Better be careful, mister," said a passerby.
"Thanks a lot," he mumbled sarcastically.
Erica came running up on the bridge, out of breath. Gary eyed her strangely. "You ought to listen to them," she huffed.
Gary scoffed and looked back out onto the water. Erica stood by the rail, next to him. "How'd you find me?" Gary asked.
"Intuition," Erica answered. "Why don't you get down off of there?"
"I feel like sitting here," he said. "Alone."
"Please, Gary. You're making me nervous. Can we just talk for a minute?"
"Don't you mean yell?" Gary asked.
"I'm sorry, please, just come down from there." She put a hand on his.
He looked down at her hand. His face softened. Gary began to stand, to get himself back on the right side of the rail. Just as he was getting ready to go over, his foot slipped. He held onto the railing as tightly as he could.
Erica grabbed onto his forearms. "I've got you, pull up."
"I can't," Gary said, straining to hold on. "I'm too heavy for you."
"I'm not letting go. Come on, pull yourself up. I've lost one person this week. Please, don't make it two."
Gary looked up into her eyes. She was serious. He held onto her arms and began to pull himself up onto the bridge. Finally, he was able to stand on the ledge. He gripped the rail tightly and swung his legs over. As he did, he stumbled into Erica.
"If you hadn't been here," he said, their faces just inches from each other.
"I know," she breathed.
"How did you?"
Erica smiled, slyly. She pulled the paper out of her back pocket.
"How?" Gary asked.
"Does it really matter?" Erica asked.
Gary smiled. "I guess not," he paused for a second, looking down at the ground and then back to Erica. "Thank you," he said, finally.
"All in a day's work, I suppose," she answered.
Gary smiled.
Gary stood, folding the blankets from the couch. Erica's suitcases were by the door, ready to leave. She came out of the bathroom and smiled weakly at him.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded, slowly.
He put the blanket down on the couch and crossed to her suitcase. He picked it up and opened the door for her. She took her jacket and walked out before him. The cat meowed. "Hold down the fort, okay?" he said.
They stood together in the train station. Neither really wanted to say goodbye. The train pulled in.
"Well, I guess this is it," Erica said.
"Just for a while, I hope," Gary replied.
"Yeah," she answered. "We'll see."
Gary looked at her for a moment, a forced smile on his face. "I'll miss you."
"Me too," she replied. "I'll call you when I come back, okay? We'll get together sometime."
Gary nodded. He put his arms around her in a hug. "Don't make it too long, okay?" he whispered.
"You got it." She let go first. "I have to go," she told him.
"I know," he said.
She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then boarded the train. Gary waved and then began to walk away.
"Gary!" Erica called.
Gary turned. "Yeah?"
She took a deep breath and shouted. "I don't blame you!"
Gary sighed. An enormous weight had been lifted from his chest. He smiled and waved at her. She waved back and disappeared into the train again.
Gary began walking down the platform, paper in his back pocket. Everything was almost back to normal.
THE END
1
1
Look What the Cat Dragged In
WARNING: Character death
"It looks like a great day here in Chicago," the radio announcer chirped.
Gary Hobson lifted his hand and slapped the clock. It turned off and Gary put his head back on his pillow. Outside the door, he heard a thump and a meow. "Go away!" he yelled.
Meow.
Gary groaned and threw the covers off of himself. He dragged himself to the door. It creaked as it opened. He looked down to find the cat sitting there, like it did every morning. It trotted into his apartment while he bent down and picked the newspaper up from the floor. He closed the door as he looked at the front page.
After a shower and two cups of coffee, Gary headed downstairs to the restaurant/bar he and his partner, Marissa Clark, run. He walked into the office. "Hi, Marissa," he greeted.
"Hi," she replied. Her voice sounded funny.
Gary looked at her in suspicion. "What's up?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," she said, trying to sound uninterested.
Gary sat down in the desk across from her. "Okay," he said slowly. "What's really going on?"
A smile spread across Marissa's face. "You have a visitor," she told him.
Gary leaned back in his chair. "Who is it?"
Marissa's grin spread. "Why don't you go find out? She's in the dining room."
Gary smiled. "It's a she?"
Marissa nodded. "Go and see," she said.
Gary got up from his chair and walked toward the door. "I'm going to like her right? She's not some maniac or something?"
Marissa laughed, "Gary, go."
Gary pushed the door open and walked toward the dining room. He pushed another door open and saw a blonde walking around slowly, looking at the place. The door swung closed behind him. "Can I help you?" he asked.
She turned around. "Gary!" she cried.
"Erica," he smiled. "What are you doing back?"
She walked over and hugged him. "We're just visiting for a while," she told him.
"Where's Henry?"
"He's playing at a friend's house. I'll bring him by later, if you want me to."
"Yeah, sure. How about I take you guys out to dinner?" Gary offered.
"Sounds great."
"Um, sit down. Tell me what's been going on since you left," Gary said, pulling out a chair for Erica. "Where are you guys staying?"
"In a hotel across town. It's nice," she said.
"Why don't you stay with me?"
"You don't have enough room..." Erica began.
"No, it'll be okay. You can have my bed and Henry and I can sleep in the living room."
"Gary, I don't know."
"I insist."
Erica smiled. She shook her head in defeat. "Okay, but I don't want to put you out."
"Don't worry about it," he said, looking at his watch. "I have to get going. You and Henry come over whenever you want to. I'll be back later, okay?"
Erica nodded.
"Good," Gary said.
Gary walked down the block, looking for a small child wandering around. He saw a little boy standing looking in a window. He walked up to him. "Hey, buddy. What are you doing?"
The little boy looked up at him and smiled. Suddenly, the boy's mother came out of the store. She shrieked and pushed Gary away. "What are you doing to my son?" she cried.
"Nothing," he insisted. The woman took the little boy by the hand and stalked off muttering something about perverts and creeps. "You have a nice day, too, lady." He shook his head and checked the paper. The story had been replaced by an ad.
He continued to walk down the street. He was waiting at a stoplight when he saw his cat across the street. He squinted to make sure. He looked at his paper again. It was the little boy again. He sighed and crossed when the light changed. He began to go toward the park. As he passed the cat, he heard it purring. He smiled. Opening the paper, Gary read about the little boy, Jerimy, wandering from his mother again.
As Gary approached the park, he saw Jerimy's mother reading a book on a bench. He looked around, but didn't see the little boy anywhere. He checked the paper.
Gary began to walk around, looking up in the trees and anywhere else he could think of. He felt like a fool. "Jerimy?" he called. Suddenly, he heard a branch snap. He looked around, but didn't know where the sound had come from. Then, he saw a branch fall to the ground not too far from him. "Jerimy?" he called again.
"Help!" the little boy yelled. Gary rushed over and looked up into the tree. Jerimy was hanging from a branch.
"Don't worry, okay? I'm going to come up and get you." Gary began to climb up the tree.
"I'm slipping!" Jerimy screamed.
Gary jumped off the tree and stood under the boy. "Jerimy, you can let go. I'll catch you."
"How do you know my name?" the little boy asked.
"Your mom sent me to get you. Come on, now. I'll catch you, I promise."
"You'll drop me!" he insisted.
"I won't. I swear. Come on, now. Just let go."
Jerimy squeezed his eyes shut and then let go of the branch. He kicked his feet as he fell. He didn't open his eyes until he landed in Gary's arms. He smiled. "You didn't drop me!"
"I told you I wouldn't," Gary said, smiling. He put the boy down. "Go on, get back to your mom. She'll be looking for you." He watched as the kid ran away.
"Gary!!" he heard a familiar voice yell. He turned around, but didn't see anyone he recognized. Suddenly, he saw Henry running at him. He smiled and waved. Henry slowed down and when he reached Gary. He hugged him.
"Hey, buddy. How are you doing?" Gary asked, looking down at the boy. "I bet you've grown two inches," he continued, grinning.
"I missed you," Henry said.
"Me too," he said, ruffling Henry's red hair. "How would you like me to take you and your mom out tonight?"
"Cool!" Henry exclaimed. "Where to?"
"You pick," Gary told him.
Later that night, Gary, Erica, and Henry were sitting in Gino's East. In front of them were huge slices of pizza. Henry wolfed down two, and then jumped up.
"Mom, can I go write on the wall?" he asked Erica.
She swallowed her bite of pizza and wiped her mouth. "Just your name," she told him. He sighed, disappointedly, but took the pen and walked toward the nearest wall.
Gary watched him walk away. "He's really getting big."
"Yeah, only a few more years and he'll tower over me."
Gary laughed.
Gary spread a blanket out over the couch. "Think you'll be okay here?" he asked Henry. Henry yawned then nodded. Gary stood to the side of the couch. "Hop in."
Henry laid down on the couch and smiled as Gary covered him with another blanket. "G'night, Gary," he said.
"Night, buddy." Gary muffed Henry's hair and then went into the kitchen and sat across from Erica at the table.
"He really misses you," Erica said.
Gary kind of grinned. "Really?"
"Well, yeah. He likes you a lot, Gary."
Gary looked toward the couch. "He's an okay kid." Erica shook her head. "What?" Gary asked.
"You're impossible," she said, smiling.
Thud. Meow. Gary opened his eyes and lifted his head. His neck screamed with pain. Slowly, he straightened it out and stood from the chair he'd slept in. He cocked his head to both sides, trying to pop his neck. He walked to the door and let the cat in. He bent down and picked up the paper.
Gary closed the door and opened the paper. He went into the kitchen and began to make some coffee. He was careful not to wake Erica or Henry. The cat jumped up on the table and spread himself across the paper.
"What are you doing? Get off of there," Gary told him. He picked the cat up and put him back down on the floor. "Crazy cat," he muttered. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. He skimmed the headlines while he waited for his coffee to brew.
"Mind if I join you?" Erica asked from the doorway.
Gary smiled. "Good morning," he said.
She yawned, "Oh, sorry. Good morning to you, too." She walked over to the coffeepot. "Is this almost done?" she asked.
"Should be," Gary said.
Erica opened a cabinet and took out two mugs. She filled them both with coffee. She set one down in front of Gary and took a sip of the other. "Anything interesting?" she asked.
Gary shook his head, "Not really." He looked up from the paper. "What were you planning on doing today?"
Erica took another sip of her coffee. "I don't really know. Henry needs some new clothes and school things." She shrugged. "Maybe we'll go shopping."
"Sounds like fun," Gary said, looking back to the paper. "How about I meet you guys for lunch?"
"Okay," Erica agreed. "About 12:30?"
Gary nodded. He downed the rest of his coffee and then went to get dressed.
Gary walked down the street, checking his watch to make sure that he wouldn't be late. For once, the paper was cooperating with him. He came to an intersection and waited for the light to change. While he was waiting, he opened the paper.
On the second page, a new story had appeared. His heart seemed to jump up into his throat. He read the story quickly and then took off across the street. Tires screeched as he ran. "Two blocks," he whispered as he ran. At the next intersection, he didn't even stop.
His feet seemed to be flying. He looked at his watch, only about thirty seconds. He tried to go faster. Ahead of him, was a large group of people. "Move!" he yelled. They turned to look at him, but didn't go anywhere. "Move!" he yelled again as he tried to push through them. Only about ten seconds left. He got through the crowd and took off at a dead sprint. He couldn't be late.
Ahead of him, he saw the stoplight turn red. He pushed his feet harder. Only a few more seconds. Suddenly, there was a horrible screech of tires and a few terrified screams. He slowed. It was too late. He ran again until he reached the intersection, where people were now standing, some covering their mouths, turned away, while others gawked. He pushed through the crowd and knelt down beside the body.
He brushed the red hair out of the boy's eyes. "Hey, buddy," he said, voice cracking.
Henry's eyes opened and fluttered. "Gary, I don't feel well."
"I know," Gary said, gathering the boy up and sitting him in his lap. "I'll get you some help okay?" He turned to the crowd. "Someone call an ambulance," he said, his eyes were brimming with tears.
"They already did, mister," said a man.
Henry's head slumped against Gary's chest. Gary's heart stopped. "Whoa, hey, buddy, stay with me," he said, patting the boy's face. Henry's eyes fluttered again. "Come on, Henry, hang on," he pleaded, even though, he knew the outcome. "Someone go find his mother, Erica Paget, quick!"
Henry's head leaned against Gary's chest again. Gary looked down at the lifeless body. He rocked Henry back and forth in the middle of the street, tears running down his cheeks.
Erica sat alone in Gary's apartment, looking out the window, sitting in the dark. She hadn't even turned the lights on when she'd come back from the hospital. Everything seemed surreal: the panic in the stranger's voice, running out to see Gary in the middle of the street rocking her son.
Gary opened the door and turned on the light, but she didn't move.
He walked past her, silently. The quiet was awkward, but he couldn't say anything, yet. He opened a drawer and pulled out some pajamas. It was getting late, and he was exhausted. He went into the bathroom and shut the door. He took his shirt off and threw it in the hamper. He crossed turned around to the sink and ran warm water over his hands. He splashed some water on his face and grabbed a towel off the rack. He looked like hell.
He sighed and grabbed the shirt he'd brought in with him. He finished changing, brushed his teeth, and took one last look in the mirror before going back into the bedroom. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. It wasn't quite midnight. He looked back at Erica. She still hadn't moved. He sighed, but left her alone.
Gary pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch. He made it for himself like he'd done the night before, for Henry. He tried not to think about Henry as he made up the couch. After he'd put the pillows on the couch, he turned to Erica. "Mind if I turn the light back out?" he asked.
She shook her head.
He didn't say anything else. He silently crossed the room, turned out the light, and walked back. He pulled the blanket back and climbed in. He looked, sadly, at Erica for a moment before turning over and closing his eyes.
Gary jumped in his sleep and woke up. He propped himself up and looked around, squinting. He looked out the window; it was still dark. Erica wasn't sitting there anymore. He looked toward his bedroom. He could see a form underneath the sheets. He relaxed and laid back down on the couch. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep.
As he lay there, he heard a strange noise. He lifted his head again, and listened. He couldn't tell what it was. He thought it was coming from his room. He tossed the blanket off of him and swung his legs off the couch. He could still hear it. He walked into his room and listened carefully.
He relaxed when he realized it was coming from Erica. He walked to the other side of the bed and sat down. He didn't want to wake her. Even in the dark, he could see her face was still red and puffy from crying. He touched her cheek, lightly.
Gary began to get up when Erica began to cry in her sleep. He sat down on the bed again and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. She began to cry harder and eventually, woke herself up. She sat up with a start, but realized that Gary was next to her.
They looked at each other for a moment before Gary smiled and wiped a tear away. Her face crumpled and she dissolved into sobs. He put his arms around her and held her. "It'll be okay," he whispered.
That morning, Gary woke up back on the couch. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten back there. He yawned and sat up. He looked at the clock; it was almost eight. He hadn't heard the cat. He looked around, but didn't see him either. He got up quickly and checked outside the door. Nothing. He didn't understand.
Quickly, he grabbed his robe and threw it on before running downstairs to McGinty's. Marissa was in the office already.
"Gary?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered. "You haven't heard my cat around here, by any chance, have you?"
Marissa shook her head. "Is something wrong?"
Gary scratched the back of his head. "I don't know," he said.
"Gary, you don't sound well. Did you have a rough night?"
He sat down at the other desk. He put his head in his hands. "Marissa, you have no idea."
"What's the matter?" she asked. Gary remained quiet. "Gary?"
He took a deep breath. "Henry's gone," he said, finally.
"Gone? What do you mean?"
"He's dead."
Marissa gasped. "Oh my god, Gary. I'm sorry."
"Thanks," Gary said.
Marissa could swear there was something else. "Gary, you're not telling me everything."
"The paper's not here."
"What?"
"The paper, it didn't come this morning."
"Are you sure?"
"If the cat's not down here, then it didn't come."
"What are you going to do?" Marissa asked.
"Nothing," Gary said.
"What?"
"I'm not going to do anything. It was my fault that Henry died. I didn't see the story in time. It's punishing me. I don't deserve it anymore." He pushed his chair back and left, slamming the door behind him.
Gary shoved his hands in the pockets of his robe and started back up the stairs. At the top, he sat down. He couldn't help but think that Henry might still be alive if he'd only paid more attention to the paper. He hung his head and sighed.
He heard noise coming from his apartment. Erica was awake. He looked toward the door. They had to talk about it sometime.
When he opened the door, he saw that Erica was already dressed. She was digging through a drawer for something.
"Need something?" Gary asked.
Erica looked up quickly at him. "I need," she said, pausing and digging some more. "I need a," she continued. She began to get frustrated and pulled violently at the drawer.
"Whoa, whoa," Gary said. He took her by the shoulders. "Settle down, okay? Tell me what you need."
Erica jerked away from him. "I need a damn pen!" she cried.
Gary took her by the shoulders again. "Here," he said, "sit down." He pulled out a chair for her. He closed the drawer that she had been looking through. He opened the one next to it and pulled out a pen. "Here you go," he said, holding it out for her.
"Thank you," she said, softly. She looked down at the pen and began to cry. "Gary, what am I going to do?"
Gary put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be okay," he said.
She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "I just have so much to do," she sighed.
He knelt down beside her. He tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "It'll be all right," he assured her.
Thunder rumbled loudly. Gary's umbrella pulled with the wind. His black overcoat flapped open. He put an arm around Marissa, who was standing next to him. She put her head against his shoulder and touched his hand, reassuringly.
Gary looked toward Erica. She was sitting with her ex-husband, tears and raindrops streaming down their faces. He looked away and began listening to the minister.
"Lord, take him and keep him." He bowed his head and began to pray.
The minister finished and the small crowd began to disperse. Gary stayed, waiting for Erica. She stood, slowly, staring at the small coffin. Her ex-husband took her by the shoulder and began to lead her away. Gary stood and watched them. Erica tore her eyes away and looked around. Her eyes settled on Gary. He smiled, weakly. She didn't respond. Her eyes seemed like stone. He looked away and lead Marissa to the van.
Gary leaned his umbrella against the wall in his apartment. He took his coat off and threw it over the chair. He loosened the tie around his neck and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and sat down on the couch. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
He heard a noise outside the door. He lifted his head and listened again. There it was. He pushed himself off the couch and went straight for the door. He threw it open and looked down.
Nothing. He sighed and closed his eyes. He closed the door again and went back to the couch. It had been two days since he'd gotten the paper. He put his head in his hands. There was too much going on.
The door opened. Gary lifted his head and saw Erica. Neither said anything. Gary watched as Erica went toward the bedroom. He watched her pull her suitcase out from under the bed.
"What are you doing?" Gary asked, getting up from the couch.
"I have to leave," she said, quietly. She disappeared into the bathroom.
"Erica, don't, please," Gary pleaded.
She came out of the bathroom with her brush, toothbrush, and shampoo. She dropped them into her suitcase. "I can't stay here anymore, Gary."
Gary put a hand on her shoulder.
Erica shrugged it away. "Don't," she told him.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Erica's shoulders tensed. She turned around and faced him. "You're sorry?" she began. "Where were you?" she yelled and began to cry. "You knew it was going to happen! Why didn't you stop it?" she sobbed.
Gary looked at the floor. He couldn't respond, right away. A lump began to form in his throat. "I tried," he choked out. He looked up into her eyes. "You have to believe me, I tried."
Erica looked at him. "You save strangers everyday. Why didn't you save him?"
"The paper didn't..." he began.
"You can't blame this on the paper!" she yelled. She advanced on him. "This was you! Why weren't you there?"
Gary opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't. He didn't have an answer. He looked back down at the floor, ashamed. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
Erica became angry and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Gary sat on the bed and closed her suitcase. He waited for almost ten minutes for Erica to come back out. When she didn't, he let out a sigh and walked out of the apartment.
Gary walked through the rain. He hadn't grabbed his jacket or his umbrella. He was dripping wet from head to foot. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't know where he was going. He just kept walking.
Finally, Erica came out of the bathroom. She saw that Gary wasn't there. She figured it was for the better and kept packing. Suddenly, she heard a thump outside the door. She looked toward the door, but ignored the sound and went back to packing. She heard a familiar meow from outside. She closed her suitcase and opened the door. Sitting outside, were the cat and the newspaper.
"He's not here," she told the cat. The cat wound his way in and out of her legs. She bent down and picked up the paper, putting it on the table. The cat meowed loudly. Erica sighed. "What?" she asked.
Gary stood on an El platform. He didn't care where he went, he just needed to get away. The train pulled up and he got on. He sat by himself, staring out the window. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the cool glass. In not much time, he was asleep.
Gary woke with a start. The train was stopping. He looked around, trying to find out where he was. He stood up with the other people and meandered off the train. He began to make his way home. It had stopped raining while he was on the El. He came to a bridge and stopped, looking out onto the water.
The cat sat on the table rolling on, meowing over, and pawing at the paper. Erica finally had enough of the noise and picked it up. "Enough!" she cried.
A page fell out onto the floor. She picked it up and looked it over. "Oh my god," she whispered.
Gary stood at the edge of the bridge. He put his one leg over and sat on the ledge.
"Better be careful, mister," said a passerby.
"Thanks a lot," he mumbled sarcastically.
Erica came running up on the bridge, out of breath. Gary eyed her strangely. "You ought to listen to them," she huffed.
Gary scoffed and looked back out onto the water. Erica stood by the rail, next to him. "How'd you find me?" Gary asked.
"Intuition," Erica answered. "Why don't you get down off of there?"
"I feel like sitting here," he said. "Alone."
"Please, Gary. You're making me nervous. Can we just talk for a minute?"
"Don't you mean yell?" Gary asked.
"I'm sorry, please, just come down from there." She put a hand on his.
He looked down at her hand. His face softened. Gary began to stand, to get himself back on the right side of the rail. Just as he was getting ready to go over, his foot slipped. He held onto the railing as tightly as he could.
Erica grabbed onto his forearms. "I've got you, pull up."
"I can't," Gary said, straining to hold on. "I'm too heavy for you."
"I'm not letting go. Come on, pull yourself up. I've lost one person this week. Please, don't make it two."
Gary looked up into her eyes. She was serious. He held onto her arms and began to pull himself up onto the bridge. Finally, he was able to stand on the ledge. He gripped the rail tightly and swung his legs over. As he did, he stumbled into Erica.
"If you hadn't been here," he said, their faces just inches from each other.
"I know," she breathed.
"How did you?"
Erica smiled, slyly. She pulled the paper out of her back pocket.
"How?" Gary asked.
"Does it really matter?" Erica asked.
Gary smiled. "I guess not," he paused for a second, looking down at the ground and then back to Erica. "Thank you," he said, finally.
"All in a day's work, I suppose," she answered.
Gary smiled.
Gary stood, folding the blankets from the couch. Erica's suitcases were by the door, ready to leave. She came out of the bathroom and smiled weakly at him.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded, slowly.
He put the blanket down on the couch and crossed to her suitcase. He picked it up and opened the door for her. She took her jacket and walked out before him. The cat meowed. "Hold down the fort, okay?" he said.
They stood together in the train station. Neither really wanted to say goodbye. The train pulled in.
"Well, I guess this is it," Erica said.
"Just for a while, I hope," Gary replied.
"Yeah," she answered. "We'll see."
Gary looked at her for a moment, a forced smile on his face. "I'll miss you."
"Me too," she replied. "I'll call you when I come back, okay? We'll get together sometime."
Gary nodded. He put his arms around her in a hug. "Don't make it too long, okay?" he whispered.
"You got it." She let go first. "I have to go," she told him.
"I know," he said.
She reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then boarded the train. Gary waved and then began to walk away.
"Gary!" Erica called.
Gary turned. "Yeah?"
She took a deep breath and shouted. "I don't blame you!"
Gary sighed. An enormous weight had been lifted from his chest. He smiled and waved at her. She waved back and disappeared into the train again.
Gary began walking down the platform, paper in his back pocket. Everything was almost back to normal.
THE END
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