Finding Sleep

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing save for Dr. Orellana and Miss Corra. They belong to me.

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Harry was not sure how long he had been sitting in the chair in the little white room. He had yet to move from his spot on the chair after Dr. Orellana had taken Marv into the other room to get some x-rays taken. He was still too busy trying to come to terms with what had just taken place and the revelation that Marv could very easily have brain damage.

Harry Lyme was not the type of person to be emotional; he was not the type of person to show his emotions very much. Therefore, if anyone he knew were to look at him at this moment, they would not recognize him. His shoulders were still shaking as he was forcing down some dry sobs, trying his hardest to get his mind under control.

He took in a deep breath, staring straight ahead of himself as the last of the sobs faded away. He took a finger and dried his eyes, surprised by the few tears that were there. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. He ran his hands over his lap in an anxious gesture, smoothing out his black inexpensive pants in the process.

Here they were; in a city they have never been before, with no place to stay, no place to sleep, no place to call home. Marv and him were currently living on the edge; on the run from the cops after having stolen the Children's Hospital Donations. They weren't even in their own clothing anymore. The clothes they had been wearing before had been clothes they had found at the jail where new inmates gave up their worldly possessions before serving their sentence. If there was a time to stress out; now was that time.

Yet Harry kept it together the best he could as he finally managed to calm himself down enough to get up and figure out where Dr. Orellana had taken Marv. He poked his head out into the hallway and looked both ways, a part of him still half expecting to be caught in some trap by the McCalister boy. He shook off the feeling and took a few steps out, reading the signs. He wished he had gotten up and followed Dr. Orellana when he had the chance, but he had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts to do so.

A moment later a nurse came by and could tell that he looked lost. She walked up to him.

She titled her head down to one side, a smile on her lips. "Hello, sir? Are you here with someone?"

Harry looked her over before answer. She was a middle aged nurse wearing a brightly colored nurse's outfit with little kittens on it. She had short curly blonde hair. He licked his dry lips. "Yeah….Um….I'm here with my friend. He was just taken by Doctor….Orlan?" he couldn't remember what the doctor had said his name was.

"Dr. Orellana?" suggested the woman.

Harry nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. Him. He took my friend to go have x-rays. I would have followed but….I was in a bit of shock…"

The blonde nurse nodded understandingly. "You're with Mr. Rinehart?"

Harry opened his mouth to say, "no" but remembered that that had been what Harry said Marv's last name was and quickly recovered. "Yeah. I'm with Marv."

"Actually, Dr. Orellana just took him back to get his x-rays. He will be back in a few minutes. The x-rays won't take long at all. In the meantime, why don't you go sit out in the lobby?"

Harry frowned. He knew exactly what would happen if he went out into that lobby; he would be stuck in that lobby for hours without anyone telling him what was going on. It would be hours before someone finally came to get him to and take him to Marv; and that probably wouldn't happen until after he pestered them long enough. He shook his head. "No, I would really rather stay with Marv, if that's alright with you. I want to be with Marvin."

The nurse nodded. "I understand that sir, but he's already in the other room having his x-rays taken." She paused and looked at how frustrated and tired Harry looked. "How about this, you go out into the lobby while the x-rays are being taken and when they're done I'll come and get you."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her, looking skeptical. "Something will probably come up and you won't be able to come get me." He knew he sounded cynical, but he was too tired to care. He only wished to be with Marv.

The nurse gave him a sad smile. "I promise you, sir. I'll come and get you."

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head. "Fine, I really don't feel like arguin' with ya." He caved at last. The nurse smiled at him brightly and showed him the way back into the lobby. She took him back through the thick heavy metal door they had walked in through earlier and showed him the area he could sit at.

The lobby was a decent size, since it was a fairly sized hospital to begin with. The lobby was empty save for a woman and her young son, who were both curled up and sleeping in a chair near the window. He slumped into one the chairs closest to the heavy metal doors and the nurse smiled down at him. He just looked up at her with a glum expression. "I promise you, I'll come and get you."

Harry shrugged and sunk further into his seat. She left without another word.

Harry was far too exhausted to put up any more of a fight than he already had. He was still feeling the aches and pains from the traps the boy had set on them. Not to mention the sensitive and burned skin on his head. He had been surprised when he had taken a shower earlier and he had not been in much pain. Perhaps since his head had already been burned once, the pain was not as severe. He didn't know; nor did he care. He could live with burns; it was the unknown he couldn't live with. He hated not being with Marv and not knowing what was going on.

Harry crossed his arms, glaring out at the world around him. He didn't care how threatening he looked to those around him; he was in a foul mood and all he wanted to do was be near Marv and to sleep. Yet he knew he would never be able to sleep without Marv; nor without knowing what was wrong with him.

Harry didn't know how long he had been sitting out there before several nurses came out from one of the many doors that led out into the lobby; all of them laughing and talking. None of them were the blonde nurse who he had spoken to earlier, which just put him in a fouler mood. She had said the x-rays wouldn't take long, so why was he still waiting?

He couldn't help but listen to what the women were saying.

"Well, hey, at least you get to go home now, Sharon!" said one of the woman. She was short and petite and had shoulder length brown hair. She poked at another woman's arm playfully.

The woman he assumed to be Sharon shrugged sheepishly, her long red hair flowing down her back as it was held back in a ponytail. "Yeah, yeah. But I'll be working New Year's! So, I'll know how you feel then!"

"Still though, "spoke up another nurse. "Then is later. Now is now! Now get out of here! Go abandon us who still have to work!" The woman's words were light and teasing, proving she wasn't actually upset. Sharon laughed as she turned to leave, waving at the other nurses who were slowly retreating back to the back rooms.

They all started saying goodbyes to each other. It was then that Harry heard the women say the two words that made his whole body freeze and tense.

"Merry Christmas!"

Those two simple words made the wave of emotions come hurtling back at Harry instantly. In all the commotion between trying to chase Kevin and surviving his apartment of traps, to dodging the police, and trying to find new clothes to wear and where to wash up at, harry had completely forgotten what day it was.

It was Christmas Day.

Harry shook a little as another surge of dry sobs overtook him. It wasn't the fact that it was Christmas alone that bothered him. It was the fact that it was Christmas day and here they were in the hospital; one of them currently fighting for the life. Instead of being in a warm safe bed with the man he loved, he was sitting in an uncomfortable chair waiting to hear news on his condition. He wanted to wish Marv a Merry Christmas. He wanted to hold him close and never let go.

A few tears pricked at his eyes as he sat there. He quickly wiped them away. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and he flinched, looking up at the touch. His gray-ish blue eyes landed on the nurse who he had spoken to earlier. She jumped a bit herself when he flinched. She placed a hand over her chest. "Oh! I'm sorry I frightened you sir! But your friend is done with the x-rays."

"Oh! Great!" Harry quickly stood up, wiping the last of his tears away. The nurse put a hand up to stop him though. He looked up at her accusingly. "I thought you said I could see him!"

"You can! But first I need to tell you something" she informed him patiently. He just glared at her. "Your friend had his x-rays just fine, but when we went to take him back to the room he nearly collapsed. He became incredibly dizzy and fell to the floor. He had to be placed on a stretcher for he eventually passed out." Harry's eyes were now wide with horror and concern. Yet before he could open his mouth, she continued. She raised a hand to stop him from speaking. "He's stable now. He's awake. I only wished to tell you because he has been taken to a different room. We've placed him in his own private room for the time being. They debated whether or not to place in the ICU, yet for now they won't put him in there until after the surgery, which should take place here shortly."

"Can I see him?" Harry croaked out, still worked up.

The nurse nodded. "Yes, of course. That's why I came to get you." She gave him a sweet smile. "I promised, didn't I?" Harry nodded and quickly followed her as she turned and walked back through the heavy metal door, this time not needing to wait for the woman at the desk to let them through. As they walked, she turned and said, "And you may call my Miss Corra."

Harry nodded faintly, his mind to focus on seeing Marv. He could just picture tall, lanky, not-so-bright Marv sitting in one of the hospital beds and the very thought made his heart stop. He just wanted to be near Marv again. He wanted to be there by his side, so that he could reassure him, and himself, that everything was okay. Run his hands through his long thick curls and wish him a Merry Christmas and tell him that everything would be alright in the morning. The doctors would figure out what was wrong with his head and they would be able to both walk away from all this without looking back.

Harry continued to follow Miss Corra, glancing by all the other rooms they went past. He glanced inside them, seeing other patients asleep in their beds. He certainly wished he could sleep; he was dead tired.

A low buzzing sound could suddenly be heard as they stepped closer to Marv's room. Miss Corra turned back to look at Harry. "This is his room. Room 1674." She pointed to the label next to the door. Harry nodded, already having engrained that number into his head for future reference.

The buzzing noise suddenly stopped just before they walked into the room. Harry tried walking past Miss Corra, yet someone was coming out of the room before them and he was stopped in mid step. "Hello, Dr. Orellana. I was just bringing Mr. Rinehart's friend in to see him."

Dr. Orellana looked over at Harry and smiled at him. "Hello. It's good to see you again. Marv has had his x-rays taken."

"How do they look?" demanded the shorter man nervously. "I mean, is he alright?"

Dr. Orellana's smile vanished. "Well, what can be seen in the x-rays is that Marv has a skull fracture on the back of his head. The fracture in itself is minor; however, there is a part of the bone structure that is now pressing into the outer tissues of his brain." He paused at Harry's mystified expression. "I'm trying to explain this in the simplest terms, sir. Now, because of this pressure on the tissues, there has been some swelling. The brain is a very fragile piece of the human body. Even today we don't fully understand how it works."

Harry felt his stomach plummet, the feeling of dread and denial coming over him again. "So….this…swelling….What does it mean? How—How is it affectin' Marv?"

"When the brain swells, it can cause enormous amounts of damage" Dr. Orellana continued.

There was that word again: Damage.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to keep his temper from flaring up. He just wanted to know what the Hell was wrong with his Marvin!

"Damage…." He nodded, his lips formed into a straight line. "Damage. Why-Why do I keep hearing that word? What KIND of damage?"

"It's hard to say at this point. Everyone is affected differently in these cases. It could mean memory loss, loss of hearing, loss of sight, loss of speech. The possibilities are endless. He may never fully recover from this. But do not despair; there is a way for us to help him. He will have to have surgery in order to fix this before the swelling gets any worse and more permanent damage is made."

"Permanent? Surgery?" whispered Harry, his face going pale.

Dr. Orellana nodded. "Yes. Now, Marv has already been prepped for the surgery. He will be going into surgery as soon as an operating room is available. There was a terrible car crash in New York city, if you haven't heard. Several people had to air lifted from the scene. But do not worry; the swelling is not worsening quickly, so there is time. Otherwise we would operate immediately. Plus, he has been asking for you" The tall dark haired doctor added the last bit on a much softer note. "We figured you would want to see him before his surgery. I'll be back in a short while to take him to surgery."

Without another word, Dr. Orellana moved out from the doorway, where Harry immediately pushed through, and his eyes only for Marv.

The room was dimly lit, only a small lamp in the corner of the room for a source of light. Yet Harry wasn't concerned about the lighting, he was concerned about the man sitting in the bed in the middle of the small private hospital room.

Marv was sitting up against fluffy white pillows, now fully out of his clothes and wearing a light green and white hospital gown. He was staring off into space as he ran his hands through his curls.

Or at least where his curls used to be.

Harry stepped quickly over to the bed. "Marv!" he stopped just before the bed, noting that Marv's eyes were red and puffy.

Marv blinked and looked up at Harry, finally putting his arms down and setting them in his lap. "Harry!" The younger man was quick to grab onto Harry's hand. "My hair! It's gone! They took away my hair!" His voice cracked a bit and the older man could tell Marv was trying his hardest not to cry again. It was true though; the doctors had shaved away his hair, leaving only a small amount of it left. "You just missed it! They just swept away all my hair that fell to the floor! I begged and begged for them not to do it! But they said they had to for the surgery! Harry! I have to have surgery! They have to open my head and take my brain out!"

Harry blinked at Marv's words. Only Marv would say a crazy thing like that. He sighed. "Marv, they're not takin' your brain out!"

"Then what the Hell are they doing? And why'd they have to shave off all my hair! I liked my hair!" ranted Marv anxiously.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to push back his own emotions and remember that he had to be there for Marv. He had to support him now, because he was all the support Marv had.

"Marv….I'm sorry to hear about your hair. But it'll grow back. Besides, they had to do it. And they're not takin' out your brain. They're just going to open you up in the back of the head and reduce the swelling. They have to set the bone back in place. When you got that bump, it cracked your skull and they have to go in and fix it, because otherwise it'll continue to press on your brain and you'll die."

Marv stopped running his hands over his head at Harry's words, turning a ghostly pale. "Die? I could die?"

"You're not going to die!" spat Harry harshly and determinedly. Marv flinched at his tone, staring at him with wide eyes. Harry took in a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Sorry. But you are NOT going to die. I'm sure of it." He then leaned over the side of the bed and kissed Marv on the cheek.

A hint of color came to Marv's pale cheeks. "Thanks, Harry. You're right. I've just been a little freaked out lately…"

Harry nodded. He could tell that Marv seemed a little more awake and aware of what was going on. He wondered if the doctor had given anything to have caused Marv's sudden awareness. He looked into Marv's chocolate eyes and could see that his one eye was still badly exploded. He couldn't imagine how terrified Marv had to be. He was surprised Marv wasn't in tears, though he could tell Marv had been crying at one point thanks to his eyes; more than likely when they were shaving off his hair.

Marv's voice brought Harry out of his musings. "Feel my head! But don't touch the back of it! That part hurts! But touch my head!" He grabbed Harry's hand and brought it to his head, leaning his head down so Harry could reach better. Before Harry knew what was happening, he was feeling the short prickly hairs that still remained on his lover's head. "It feels like the fuzzy stuff on peaches!"

"What?"

"The fuzzy stuff on peaches! That's what my head feels like now since my hair is so short!"

"You mean, peach fuzz?"

"Yeah, that stuff!"

Harry continued to run his hand back and forth over the top of Marv's head. He was right; it did feel like peach fuzz; though he would rather be running his hands through Marv's old curls. He glanced back and caught a glimpse of Marv's wound on the back of his head. He tried not to stare for Marv's sake, but he could now see the swelled bump on the back of his friend's head since it was no longer being covered by thick brown curls. It was centered on the back of his head, his skin an angry dark purple. Harry could see where there would have been a break in the skin had the fall been any worse, for there was a thin line of red in the middle.

Marv seemed to have caught on to Harry's staring for he purposefully turned to fully face him so that the back of his head was no longer in sight. Harry looked away apologetically. "Sorry, Marv. It's just, now I can actually see what's back there."

Marv shrugged. "Harry, I'm scared. What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong, Marv! These guys are professionals. They know what they are doing! They have done this before!" he reassured him.

Marv nodded, missing the bounce from his curls. He held on tighter to Harry's hand, not believing that any of this was actually taking place. It seemed like ages ago they were just leaving the hotel room after having spent the previous two nights in warmth and comfort and now suddenly they were in strange clothes, in a strange place, and waiting for Marv's surgery.

That hadn't been part of the plan.

Harry's plan had sounded so simple and ingenious at the time when he had mentioned robbing Duncan's Toy Chest. They would go in at midnight, no one would know they were robbing the place; they'd walk out of there like they owned the place and then go live the life of luxury.

Marv looked down into his lap. "I guess you took all that time washing my hair for nothing."

It took Harry a moment to realize what Mar v had said. He frowned sympathetically. "I had to. We couldn't walk in here with your hair like that! It was a mess!"

"I know, but had we known they were just going to shave it off-I just….would've rather had you be the one to cut my hair…."

Harry sighed. No, he hadn't been there when they had shaved off Marv's head. Instead he had been out in the lobby glaring out at the world and watching the nurses happily wish each other 'Merry Christmas' without a care in the world. This train of thought reminded Harry what day it still was.

"Oh, well…..Merry Christmas, Marv" he whispered softly.

Marv's eyes widened as he stared at Harry. "It's Christmas?"

"Well, yeah. Yesterday was Christmas Eve. We planned to rob the toy store Christmas Eve since we knew the money would still be there" Harry explained. "We robbed the joint at midnight. It's goin' on like….." he checked around for a clock. When he found one on the wall opposite of Marv he read it and said, "Five o'clock in the morning."

Marv stared ahead at the clock Harry had just read from and a sorrowful expression appeared on his face. "Santa Clause doesn't visit hospitals, does he?"

Harry opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He knew he had to answer this question correctly. Marv was staring at him and even though one of his pupils was exploded, there was still a look of trust in his eyes. Even after all that had happened, even after all this, Marv still believed in Harry like nothing had happened. His loyalty often worried Harry; he was so trusting.

Finally he answered and decided to answer truthfully. "No, Marv. He doesn't…."

Marv's shoulders sagged in disappointment. Harry had considered lying but he simply didn't have the heart to. "Just as well, "He heard Marv say. "I've been on the Naughty List ever since I can remember. Criminals don't get presents. They don't get anything. I just wish—"he stopped in mid-sentence as a wave of pain clouded his mind and thoughts. He whimpered and clutched his head, drawing his knees up to his chest and curling into a loose ball. "Harry, make the world stop spinning….please…."

Harry rubbed Marv's back in long soothing strokes, muttering words of comfort. Harry was not used to comforting people like this, but he knew he had to do it for Marv. Marv needed him; he needed to be reassured that everything was going to be alright.

"It's okay, Marvin. This will all go away soon" he told him.

After several painful minutes, the pain seemed to subside as Marv slowly unfurled from his position. He was panting by this time, clearly worn out from the pain. There were circles under Marv's eyes from the lack of sleep. Harry had expected Marv to be knocked out by now, but it would seem that sleep just refused to claim him. Just like sleep refused to claim Harry. Both of them wanted to sleep so badly and just make all this trouble go away. Anyways, Harry figured that finding sleep in a time like this was simply impossible; he would never be able to sleep properly knowing Marv was in so much pain.

"It doesn't feel like Christmas" Marv said abruptly.

Harry sighed. "No, it doesn't, does it?"

"You know….when we were in that toy store….That's when it felt like Christmas. Here, it doesn't…."

Harry recalled how excited and bright Marv's eyes had gotten the moment they had walked into that toy store. He had been so excited to be in the store, it had been hard for him to stay on task at times. He remembered seeing Marv playing with some of the toy soldiers that had been on display and suddenly Harry felt three times worse. Marv shouldn't be here in the hospital, he should be in a safe warm bed with the love of his life, waiting to open presents.

It wasn't fair.

Marv had done nothing wrong. This was all Harry's fault and he knew it. He was the one who had insisted they rob the toy store. He was the one who had insisted on robbing the McCalister house the previous year; causing them to land in jail in the first place. He had been the one who had planned the escape from prison instead of waiting for a chance to be paroled or let out on good behavior. Harry had made a lot of bad choices in his life and it was Marv who was paying for them.

Harry leaned over and gave Marv another kiss on the cheek. "Sorry, Marvin…"

Marv groaned and winced as another wave of pain came over him. Just as Harry was about to start rubbing his back again, Dr. Orellana walked back into the room. "Hello, Marv! Hello, Harry!" He turned his attention to Marv, watching the lanky man wince and curl up in pain. "I see the pain is still there." He turned to watch Miss Corra walk into the room with a needle set. She walked over to a small working table on the other side of Marv and began sterilizing the needle.

Marv took one look at it and he cringed with a moan. "Oh….not needles. I hate needles!"

Miss Corra turned around and gave him a warm smile. "I'm sorry dear. But you need this. This is an anesthetic for the pain. You'll be under sedation during the surgery."

Her words seemed to finally break through Marv's last nerve for the man began sobbing uncontrollably; his shoulders shaking. Harry immediately reacted. "Marv! Don't cry! You were doing so well! Don't give up now!" He held tightly to Marv's arm.

Marv stopped crying, soothed by Harry's words, yet his cheeks were still tear-stained as he looked wearily at Miss Corra, who was coming closer and closer with the needle. Harry was right; he had to be strong. Men like him didn't cry. He sniffled as Miss Corra rubbed a small cloth of anit-bacterial ointment on his arm where she would be placing the needle.

"Marv, just don't look at it" Harry advised him. He made Marv look at him and away from the needle. "Relax, Marv. I'm terrified of needles too! It's nothin' to be ashamed of!"

"Really, Harry? You're scared of needles too?"

"Course I am!" grinned Harry, showing Marv his gold tooth. Marv smiled, feeling less perturbed by the whole ordeal. "Just be grateful they're givin' it to ya in the arm and not the ass!" He said this last bit more quietly.

Marv's eyes widened, his goofy smile finally back on his lips. "They give it to you there?"

Harry nodded. "They sure do! So stop you're fussin'! You could have it so much worse!"

"Apparently!" laughed Marv. "I would hate to have a needle taken on the ass!"

"All done!" chirped Miss Corra happily.

Marv whirled his head around to look at the blonde nurse, a confused look on his face. "What? You haven't even done anything!"

Miss Corra smiled, dabbing the place she put the needle in with another anti-bacterial cloth. "Yes, I did. I gave you the needle. Your friend was right. It's nothing to be afraid of."

It then finally clicked in Marv's sow moving brain. He turned back to Harry, only this time more slowly since the last time had made him dizzy. "Harry! You distracted me!"

"I sure did" grinned Harry knowingly. "Since you were busy talkin' to me you didn't even fee it!"

"The anesthetic should be kicking in momentarily. Don't fight it, Mr. Rinehart. We'll need you unconscious. Once you are out we will be taking you to the operating room" explained Dr. Orellana from where he was still standing.

"Operating room?" echoed Marv, his eyes already starting to droop. "Sounds like something out of a science fiction movie…."

Harry watched sadly as Marv grew more and more tired. He grabbed into Marv's hand one last time and gave it a light squeeze. "Goodnight, Marvin. I'll see when the surgery is over…" He leaned over and gave Marv a kiss on the lips this time, not caring if Miss Corra and Dr. Orellana were watching.

"Alright, Harry. Bye-bye" slurred Marv as he leaned back into the pillows and slowly closing his eyes. The three of them stood and watched for several minutes as Marv fell deeper into the drug-induced sleep.

"Alright, Mr. Murphy, I'm afraid you'll have to leave. We're taking him into the operating room now" apprised Dr. Orellana.

Harry nodded, reluctantly letting go of Marv's hand. He let it go and placed it on top of Marv's chest. He looked to Dr. Orellana. "How long do you think the surgery will be?"

"A surgery this complex will take hours at the least. Every patient is different. It depends on how much swelling we find and how well the tissues respond to our efforts. I suggest you call it a night, Mr. Murphy. I suggest you go home and sleep. You may leave a number with us and we can call you.—" Dr. Orellana was cut off by Harry.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be in the lobby!" he declared. Harry took one finally look at Marv, still unsettled by the lack of curls, before turning to leave. As he walked out the door, Miss Corra grabbed his arm. Harry turned to look at her curiously.

"Why don't you go down into the cafeteria? If you can't sleep you might as well eat something" she suggested.

Hunger had been the last thing on Harry's mind and it wasn't until that moment did he realize that he was famished. The last time the two of them had eaten had been long before the robbery. He nodded and grinned at her. "That's a good idea. Thank you." Miss Corra nodded and went back into the room.

Walking down the empty hallways brought back the feeling of nostalgia. He was alone once again and while it had been great to see Marv it only reminded him of the fact that he would be in surgery and would possibly never heal from the brain damage.

Following the signs on the walls, Harry managed to find the elevators. He stopped before them and read the large sign that showed what floors all the departments were on. He found that the cafeteria was in the basement of hospital. He clicked the down button.

He stepped into the elevator once one of them opened and he pressed the button for the basement floor. Once the silver doors closed his sighed. Marv had been so disappointed when he had learned that it was Christmas Day. A pang of guilt tore through him as he knew Marv understood that he wouldn't be getting any presents. Once more it seemed unfair. Marv deserved so much better than that. Perhaps he would be able to find something for Marv in the gift shop once it opened. Assuming it was even open on Christmas.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal more hallways. Harry was already getting sick of the white walls of the hospital and he had a feeling he would be there for a long time. He walked out and started following more signs that eventually directed him to the cafeteria. Minutes later he found himself staring at a menu that stated the specials that were currently going on in the cafeteria. He ignored the sign and continued past.

Half of the cafeteria was unlit and shut down yet there was still a fairly sized area for those who were still willing to eat this early in the morning. He could see two workers prepping the al le carte line with breakfast foods such as cereal, apples, orange juice, pancakes, oatmeal, and much more.

Unlike in the lobby, there were more people in the cafeteria. A handful of visitors were inside eating, yet it was the two men sitting with their backs to him that caught Harry's attention. The two men were police officers who were apparently off duty. Harry adjusted his coat around his collar and pressed forward, doing his best to ignore their presence.

He walked up to the al le carte line and debated what he was hungry for. Yet his mind quickly turned to figuring out what Marv would get if he were there with him. Knowing Marv, the childish man would want a little bit of everything and would be unable to decide. Marv would probably end up going for the pancakes and would end up pouring enormous amounts of sticky syrup on top of them. Harry smiled faintly as he pictured Marv getting the pancakes. He debated whether or not he should get them himself yet opted instead for a container of yogurt. He wasn't sure if he would be able to stomach much food at the moment. He still ached from earlier that morning.

He grabbed the yogurt and went to the checkout, remembering to grab a plastic spoon in the process. "That'll be 75 cents" the woman behind the cash register told him. Without thinking Harry dug into his pocket and pulled out the first thing he could grab. It ended up being a five dollar bill. The woman gave him his change and he walked off without another thought about it.

His eyes then landed on the two policemen who were still sitting there eating. He sat at the table behind them, glaring into their backs. He listened to what they had to say to each other.

"Ugh, I hate being in helicopters" said one of them.

"Yeah, see, I don't mind them as much. They don't bother me. But that car crash was pretty nasty. They had choice but to bring those two drivers here" said the other one.

"Yeah….I guess so…" replied the first officer.

"Hey, did you hear? Duncan's Toy Chest ended up being robbed" said the second one.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Two amateurs tried robbing the place!"

"Wait, isn't that the case that Officer Stevens was on? The guy from the third precinct?"

"Yeah. They still don't know what happened. They found him out cold on the ground. The two robbers got away. There are no leads. But Stevens' police car is missing. So they're trying to find the location of the car."

From where he was sitting, Harry tensed. He knew they were talking about Marv and him. He felt relieved to know that they currently had no leads yet at the same time he also knew they were looking for the police car he had stolen. In the morning he would have to think of a way to get rid of it after cleaning off all their fingerprints. Harry continued listening as on the second officer started laughing.

"From what I heard, those two robbers were idiots!"

Harry sneered from his seat at the next table.

"How do you mean?" asked the first officer.

"First off, they were covered in God knows what? All kinds of nasty shit! When they were found on the scene they were being attacked by pigeons, had bird seed all over them. Just a bunch of clowns from what I heard."

"Bird seed?"

"Yeah! And a shit ton of other stuff!" He officer took a moment to laugh. "I even heard one of the screamed like a girl when a pigeon came flying out of his jacket." The first officer joined the laughter.

Anger boiled in Harry's veins as the two officers made fun of Marv. They had no idea what they had been through. They were laughing at them and how they had appeared when they had been caught. If only they knew who the real criminal had been. That nasty, evil-minded McCalister kid was the one who should be holed up in a hospital, wondering if he would live or not.

His yogurt completely forgotten, Harry reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the small gun that was still resting in it. How good it would feel to put them out of their misery. With two quick shots to the head the two of them would be gone and they would regret ever making fun of his Marvin. He listened to what they had to say.

"Yeah, Marshall had been on the scene when they were being arrested. Said the one guy started bawling like a baby before he left to go help with the car wreck. How pathetic! It's what he gets for tryin' to steal! Can't even be a man and own up to his mistakes!"

Harry's hand twitched from its place over the gun. He so badly wanted to do it; to get back at those bastards for making fun of them. They had no idea what they had been through nor what they were currently going through. Harry lifted the gun up slightly over the table, moving so that the woman at the al le carte wouldn't be able to see him. He glanced up around the walls and ceiling and saw that the only camera was behind him and therefore the gun was out of shot. His face couldn't be seen either. It would be so easy.

He moved his finger over the trigger, debating which officer he planned to shoot first. Just as he answered his own question and decided to shoot the second guy first, a voice brought him out of his plotting.

"Sir?"

Harry flinched and quickly moved the gun and placed it back into his pocket. He turned around to see the woman from behind the cash register. "What?" he huffed at her.

"I'm sorry, but I gave you the wrong change! I only gave you four dollars back when you should have gotten a quarter back too! My mistake!" she apologized fretfully. "It's just been one of those nights!" She laughed nervously before walking back to the cash register.

"Yeah…." Mumbled Harry as he watched her walk off. He looked back just in time to see the two officers stand and throw away their trash, leaving the cafeteria altogether. He sighed once they were gone and was trembling slightly as he realized what he had almost done. The weight of the gun suddenly felt three times heavier than ever before. Just like that he had let his temper take over and had been completely willing to risk it all just to have the satisfaction of killing off those two men who had nothing to do with their arrest or the situation they were in. Despite the fact they the two men were officers and the fact that Harry despised all policemen, they had done nothing wrong. Just two guys getting some food after a long shift, trying to make a few laughs. They had no idea Harry had been there listening, they had no idea the harm they had been causing.

Harry knew he would have to do something about the gun and his temper. He couldn't let himself slip like that again. One mistake like that and he would never be able to see Marv again. He would be caught before he could blink and it would all be over.

Harry pushed his yogurt container away; no longer have the stomach to eat anything. He had to think about Marv and what was currently best for him. He couldn't let his temper get the better of him like that.

He stood up, tossing the yogurt and spoon into the trash and walked out of the cafeteria.

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Author's Note: A slightly shorter chapter, but not by much. The reason for this is because if I keep on going, the chapter will never end. Plus, I need to decide what I want to have happen next. Sorry if this chapter was a bit boring, but it did focus on Harry and the turmoil he's going through. Poor Marv. Poor Harry. Both of them are going through some hard times. I tried my best to be as medically correct as possible. Hopefully I succeeded. Please review and let me know what you all think! -EricaX