Finding Sleep
Chapter 14
Disclaimer: I own nothing save for Dr. Orellana or Miss Corra.
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Harry could not have been happier to be walking back down the hallway that led to Marv's room in the hospital two hours after he nearly blew his and Marv's cover. He walked through the door, intending to see Marv quickly before he went to clean up the police car when Dr. Orellana stepped out of the room and blocked him from doing so.
Harry grunted as he nearly collided with the tall dark haired doctor. "Hey! Watch—" He stopped in mind sentence when he realized it was Dr. Orellana he was speaking to. "Oh!" He paused as he took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Hey! So, did ya run the tests on Marv, then? How is he? Can I go—"
Dr. Orellana put up a hand to silence Harry, who looked up at him with a frown. "Nice to see you too, Harry" he smiled. Yet his smile was short lived as he frowned and became more serious. "Yes, I checked over Marv. We ran another x-ray on him. It seems that the surgery was quite successful and his skull will be healing in no time. The swelling is gone and he should be just fine."
Harry nodded. He didn't like the doctor's tone. He made it sound as though there was more. "Okay, that's great! What else? You said something about the visual cortex."
Dr. Orellana took in a deep breath. "I did, yes. When we ran the x-rays we looked over that as well. It turns out the visual cortex is being strained."
"Strained?" echoed Harry in confusion.
"Yes. Because of the initial impact Marv took when he fell, it appears it causes the visual cortex to be strained. Now, we didn't know he was having problems with the cortex until after the surgery. It never showed up on the first x-rays, which leads me to believe that it was caused in the surgery. There was strain before, but the surgery caused more of a strain which led to his eyesight problems" explained the doctor. He crossed his arms over his chest as though he was prepared for Harry's coming outburst.
"Wait—He didn't have a problem with his eyesight before the surgery?" clarified Harry as he tried to figure out what Dr. Orellana had just told him.
"No."
"So, you're tellin' me, that this whole problem with his eyesight is because of what ya guys did in the operatin' room?" asked Harry, his words getting more harsh with every word he spoke.
Dr. Orellana looked between guilty and unsure. "Yes, I'm afraid so…"
"I don't believe this!" roared Harry. "You guys call yourselves professionals?"
Now Dr. Orellana just looked flat out insulted. "Mr. Murphy-Harry! You need to realize that we had no idea that this would happen!"
"That's not the point! The point is, Marv is having problems with his eyesight because you!" he argued back just as angrily.
Dr. Orellana took in a deep breath, trying to figure out the best way to calm Harry down before the shorter man made any more of a fuss. "I understand you are upset, Harry, but you must understand, there was no way we could have known. The surgery went smoothly without any complications—"He saw that Harry was going to protest against this and quickly spoke over him. "Yes! The visual cortex was damaged in the process, but it was inevitable! It would have happened no matter what! Harry, you need to be grateful that nothing more went wrong. Brain surgery is a very delicate procedure and for him to walk out of it without anything more than a strained visual cortex is a wonderful accomplishment!"
The doctor's words seemed to calm Harry down for his glare lessened till it was a small glare and deep frown. He couldn't deny that much; it was a miracle nothing worse had happened to Marv. Yet now there was only one question left on his mind: "So, is it fixable; the strain on the visual cortex?"
Dr. Orellana nodded." He's under sedation right now."
Harry's widened is disbelief and anger. "Wait, you mean you already gave him surgery again? Why didn't ya tell me you were gonna do that?"
"It wasn't surgery!" Dr. Orellana assured him.
"Then why do ya put him under sedation?" demanded the shorter bandit.
"Because he was in a lot of pain!" answered Dr. Orellana with a sigh.
"Pain?" whispered Harry, concern filling his grey eyes.
"Yes. The muscles and tissues around the visual cortex are tensed up, which we believe is the reason the cortex is strained to begin with. In order to relax those muscles we had to put a heating pad on it and Marv said he was in a lot of pain because of it. The muscles are very sensitive right now and there are a lot of nerves in your neck which is causing the pain." explained the doctor.
"Can I see him now? How long has he been out?" insisted Harry, trying to steal a glance behind the doctor and into Marv's room.
"We gave him a sedative about a half hour after you left. Since you've been gone for nearly five or so hours the sedation is wearing off. We didn't give him anything strong like we did for the surgery. He's awake now if you would like to see him. He woke up about twenty minutes ago" replied Dr. Orellana.
Harry felt a wave of relief wash over him as he smiled up at the taller man. "….Thank you. I'm sorry I snapped."
Dr. Orellana smiled down at him. "IT's fine. I've dealt with angry friends and family members many times before. One time a woman threw a purse at me when she heard the news of her husband. It wasn't even bad news!" He chuckled before walking down the hallway.
Harry watched him go for a moment, grateful that Marv had managed to get such a good doctor. He then stepped into the room and found Marv lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. He could see that there was still a heating pad underneath Marv's neck from where he lay on the pillow. Harry walked up, noting that the bag full of money was still where he had left it, and grabbed Marv's hand.
"Hey, Marvin. How're ya feelin'?" he asked softly, moving his hand to run it through Marv's curls, only to remember they were no longer there. He was so used to doing it and now it would be a hard habit to break. He couldn't imagine how hard it must be Marv.
If Marv noticed the hand gesture he didn't say anything about it; instead he just gave Harry a tired smile and sighed. "I'm okay, I guess. Tired, but it seems like I'm always tired." He continued to stare up at the ceiling. "You know, Harry, if you stare up at the ceiling long enough and cross your eyes a little bit, those dots up there form the shape of a giraffe."
Harry gave him an incredulous look before looking up at the ceiling for a moment. There were tiny little dots covering the ceiling, though Harry couldn't begin to fathom how Marv managed to make out a giraffe in them. Looking back down at Marv, he changed the subject. "So, you're feeling okay? How's your neck?"
"Hot. But that's only because I have a heating pad of it" was the reply.
Harry nodded. "Dr. Orellana explained to me why ya have to have that on. We're gonna get this all sorted out, Marv. I promise."
"I'm not worried about it, Harry. I know you'll take care of everything while I'm in here. And once I'm better we'll be all set!" beamed Marv with positivity practically bubbling off him.
Harry really wished he could share in with that optimism, but Logan's words about the police on a desperate search for that police car; he had a tough time doing so. He cleared his throat. Marv knew that had been staying at the Plaza Hotel with the aid of a stolen credit card. He didn't bother hiding that from Marv, because he knew the lanky man's first question would have been, 'Where did they get the money to stay at such a classy place?'
Though he didn't think Marv had realized that they currently had no place to say and certainly knew Marv was unaware that the police were looking for them and the police car they had taken. While the short tempered man wanted nothing more than to sit next to Marv and be there with every moment; he knew he had to go take care of the car.
"Yeah…..Wish I could share in your optimism there Marv…" mumbled Harry, hoping Marv wouldn't hear it.
But he did hear it. "What do you mean by that?"
Harry shook his head. "It's nothin'. Don't worry about it."
Marv stared at him for a moment before it finally seemed to click. "Oh, this has something to do with that thing I'm not supposed to ask about even though I DO wanna know about it. I get it."
"Good, cause I haven't a clue what ya just said" replied Harry with a slight chuckle. Marv chuckled along with him. The shorter man reached a hand over to run a hand over the bandages that were still on his head. He wished Marv would be able to take them off soon. It was unnerving to see Marv bandaged up like that and it only reminded him of that they had been through.
Harry had been putting on the ointment Miss Corra had given him for his burns religiously after learning on soothing it felt on his head. Save for the bruises and scratches that still covered them, which thankfully had yet to be mentioned by either doctor or nurse, the two of them would soon be healed and ready to go again.
"Harry…" whispered Marv. Harry came out of his thoughts just in time to see Marv lean in close to kiss him. The kiss was soft and sweet but ended quickly. When they parted, they looked each other in the eye. "I really wish you would stop worrying all the time. Everything is going to be fine! I'm feeling much better now and I should be able to leave soon—Miss Coral even said something about me being able to leave this evening! We'll be fine!"
Harry stared at Marv upon hearing the news that he may be released later that day. That was certainly news to him. He wondered why Miss Corra hadn't mentioned anything to him. He also noted that Marv had once again mispronounced Miss Cora's name. At the rate he was going, the doctor and nurse would never believe Marv to be well enough to leave; despite the fact that it was Marv's natural state to be confused and oblivious.
"She said you might be released tonight?" inquired Harry.
Marv nodded. "Yeah, she said that a little while ago. You mean she didn't tell you?"
Harry shook his head. "No. She didn't." He paused a moment before saying. "Ah, well. No big deal. I know now." He glanced at the clock on the wall and remembered what Logan had said about the police. He took in a deep breath before saying, "Hey, listen, Marv. I have to leave for a little bit and take care of a few things, especially if you might be getting' out of here later tonight. I won't be long though, I promise."
Marv nodded, though he looked a bit disappointed. "Alright, but don't be too long Harry." He shifted downwards on the bed and made himself more comfortable. "I think I may take a nap anyways. I'm still a bit sleepy."
Harry nodded, liking the idea. "You do that, Marv. I'll see you in a bit." They leaned in towards each other and shared a kiss before Harry walked out the door after glancing to make sure the bag of money was safe. Marv was asleep within the first three minutes of his absence.
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It had taken longer and more effort than Harry had anticipated cleaning out the police car. It didn't help in the least that it was snowing and frigid cold outside. He pulled his coat closer to himself as he looked a job well done.
Looking over the police car he felt a swell of pride in himself. It had not been an easy task getting the syrupy substance out of the seat cushions; nor had it been an easy task to pick up all the tiny pigeon feathers than had fallen off them in the process. The short man could not fathom what they had been covered in after they had fallen off the side of the building and been plastered with various buckets filled with paints, paint thinners, and Harry could only guess what else. A part of him didn't want to know.
He had gone to the local drug store that was on the corner of the block and bought as many cleaning products for cars he could find. He was careful to get any and all fingerprints off, going so far as to wear plastic gloves so that he wouldn't make fresh new ones in the process of cleaning. He didn't want to give the police any more of a lead than he had to. By cleaning out the police car he would leave them with a lot less evidence.
He was aware that even had he kept the car a mess they wouldn't have been able to find them on that alone; but it would have proved all the more that Marv and him had been the ones who had stolen the money from Duncan's Toy Chest. Thankfully, on that dreadful Christmas Eve, Harry had snatched the photos they had been so desperate to get back from the brat of a kid named McCalister. The photos were safely hidden in the money bag, along with the cassette tape the kid has used to record Marv spilling the beans about their plan. Yet Harry was not a man who liked to take chances when it came to the police. He knew there were all kinds of new technology being invented each day that could make it easier to find suspects and that was the last thing Harry wanted to have happen to them.
Harry took in a deep breath that froze his lungs and let it out, a puff of white forming before him. He had cleaned every inch of the cars inside, making sure not to forget any details. It had taken over an hour to do so, but he knew it was worth it. Now all he had to do was get rid of it; and he had a pretty good idea on how to do so.
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A half hour later, Harry Lyme found himself in the presence of an elderly man who looked to be the size of a toothpick. Not only was the man shorter than Harry but he was skinnier than Marv. This had not been the exact way he had expected his plan to do when he had taken the police car to the nearest parking garage.
Harry had considered trading the car with some type of black market dealer yet Harry currently didn't want to have anything to do with the black market since it was far too risky and in a new city he couldn't be sure who was trustworthy. One never knew when they were really talking to an undercover cop trying to bust some drug dealers. Not only that, but Harry promised himself not to get himself wound up in criminal situations anymore. He had also considered taking it to a junk yard somewhere but the nearest one around was about an hour away. Harry didn't wish to pay for that much cab fare.
So, his next best idea was to simply drop it off and leave it at some parking garage, where he knew hundreds of people came in and out of each day. He had considered the idea of cameras, which was why he was currently wearing a new woolen hat and was keeping his head down.
This was how he found himself in the presence of the tiny old man who was wore a blue uniform and was in charge of the parking garage. Harry raised his eyebrows as he waited for the man to peel off the ticket stub that proved his admittance to the garage.
"Now….when do you think….you'll be back….to pick up the car?" asked the man, his voice slow placed.
"I should be back in a few days" Harry lied to him.
The elderly man pulled off his hat and scratched his head, which revealed a small tangle of white wispy hair. He placed it back on his head and glanced back over at the police car. "That looks…just like a police car…" he commented. "When you….first showed up….I could have sworn I was going to be…arrested…"
Harry grinned down at him, his gold tooth showing. "Yes, but as I told you—"
The elderly man raised a hand and smiled, looking as though he was about to start burst out laughing. "Oh, I know! You…told me the story…..I haven't laughed that hard….in so long…I'm sure glad….I don't have friends like that…..I don't think….my heart would handle…such reckless friends…"
Harry continued to smile down at him. He had fooled the elderly man into thinking that the car was not actually a police car and that it had simply been painted to look like that. The lights on top had been the final touch the joke his old buddies at work had played on him. Harry felt bad for lying and he knew there was probably an easier way to get rid of the car, but he knew this was the least risky.
He had lucked out when he learned the old man was going blind, because one look at the inside of the car would have given him away. To both Harry's thrill and guilt, the man was gullible and naive and easily believed Harry's lie. He honestly wondered if the old man had been like Marv when he was younger, because he could see a similarity between their personalities. They were friendly, gullible, naïve, innocent, and most of all, kind-hearted.
"Here you go…..Bring this ticket….back with you….when you come to pick up your car" said the man.
Harry nodded. "I will" he lied once more. He took the ticket and stuffed it into his pocket.
The elderly man smiled. "You have…..a good day sir! I'll look forward….to another funny story from…you."
Harry nodded and walked away from the garage booth as quickly as he could, hearing the man walk back into his office as the door slammed behind him. Harry couldn't get out of the parking garage fast enough. He made sure to keep his head down, unsure of where there were any cameras, if any. He was just thankful that the car was finally gone and he would no longer have to worry about it. By the time the police tracked the car down, he and Marv would be gone. The parking garage was a half hour away from the hospital and if Harry planned things right, it would be even further away from their future home.
He walked away from the parking garage and down the sidewalk, feeling the chill in the air bite into him. As he walked he started looking for a bus stop so that he could take it back to the hospital. He hoped Marv was still asleep when he got back for he didn't want Marv to know how long he had been gone; that and he didn't like the idea of Marv waking up by himself.
As he continued to walk down the sidewalk, he came upon a bridge. The street wasn't too busy; just an occasional car that would go by. He glanced down the side of the bridge and saw it was a river underneath. He stopped and looked down, being able to faintly see his reflection far below in the icy water. Near the edges of the water was turning to ice because it was so cold and as Harry stared down at his reflection, it started to snow heavily.
In just the past week a great deal of things had happened to him and Marv. He didn't feel like the same person anymore; which was probably because he didn't act the same anymore. Marv had had every right to be surprised when he woke up to surgery to see the 'new Harry'. There was a time when he wouldn't have thought twice about hitting Marv or yelling at him; yet now it was nearly impossible for him to do so. No matter how much Marv got on his nerves.
There was a time when he would have robbed a store just for the thrill of it, but now he was so cautious of his every move he wouldn't dream of doing something like that. As he wondered about his sudden change in personality, his hand brushed the small gun that was still tucked away in his coat pocket. He remembered Marv's reaction to the gun and when he had had threatened the boy with it. Looking back now he wondered what had ever possessed him to even buy it. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time since they were on the run and needed to protect themselves. But now, after nearly using it on two police officers in the hospital cafeteria and a young boy, he saw that the gun was nothing but trouble and that he couldn't be trusted with it.
Harry glanced around him, making sure no one was around. He pulled out the gun and stared at it in his hands. One simple bullet could end it all and he knew that very well. Not only could it easily end a life, but it could easily ruin a relationship. Having a gun gave a person a sense of power; a sense of superiority. All the more reason Harry shouldn't have it; he clearly wasn't able to handle either of them. It turned him into a person he didn't want to be.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the gun over the side of the bridge. He watched it fall and land in the water with a small splash and plop. He stared at the place the gun landed for a minute, watching the little bubbles come up and the ripples of the water even out.
It was gone; he didn't have to worry about it anymore.
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Shortly after disposing of the gun, Harry had managed to find a bus stop and had ridden it back to the hospital. As he walked into Marv's room, his eyes widened as he realized the bed was empty. Marv was nowhere in sight.
"Marv?" he called out, frantically looking around the room and up and down the hallway. He quickly grabbed the bag of money that was still sitting underneath his chair. "Marv?"
He was about to head out of the room and find Miss Corra or some other nurse when he heard the flush of a toilet. He had forgotten the possibility that Marv was in the restroom. He placed the bag of money down on his chair, no longer feeling the need to bolt out of the room trying to find Marv.
He waited a moment before the door opened and out came Marv.
The first thing Harry noticed was that Marv was no longer in his hospital gown; he was now fully clothed save for his coat. Marv's eyes landed on him and he gave the shorter man a goofy smile. "Hi, Harry! I was wondering when you'd get back! Miss Coral and Dr. Orlana said I could go home today!"
It took a moment for Harry to comprehend what Marv had just told him, his mind still on the fact that Marv still hadn't gotten either of their names right. "They did? They're releasin' ya? But what about your neck? And your head?"
"Dr. Orlana said there isn't anything more they can do about my neck and the visual cortez thingy…. And my head—"he reached up to run a hand over his head. "Oh—I forgot to take these bandages off!" He laughed at his own mistake.
Before Marv could start taking them off, Harry batted his hand away and started doing it himself. He reached up as far as he could and tried taking them off. Seeing that Harry was struggling to do so, Marv leaned down a bit. "You're too damn tall for your own good, Marvin" grumbled Harry. Marv chuckled, having heard Harry say that to him many times before. Harry gently unwrapped the bandages and rolled them up in a ball in his hands. "Turn around. I wanna see if ya have a scar."
Marv did so and Harry could see a red incision line where they had opened Marv up and put then sewed him back up. The stitches were already gone and there was no longer blood on the bandages since they had been changed twice a day. "Is there a scar?" he heard Marv ask.
Harry grabbed his shoulder and had him turn around, standing up right again. "Yeah, course there is. They opened your head up. Of course there's gonna be a scar!" Harry then looked up at the tall man he considered his lover and smiled, suddenly having the greatest urge to hug him and never let him go. Yet before he was able to show such uncharacteristic affection, Miss Corra walked into the room, followed by Dr. Orellana.
Harry took a step away from Marv and looked at the two expectantly. "Hey" he greeted. Marv gave them both a small wave and shy smile.
"Ah, it's good to see you up and about, Marv" smiled the doctor. "I'm sure you heard, Harry. Marv is being released today. We have reason to believe he will be just fine. We will give you some heating pads and some pain medication for your neck. The visual cortex shouldn't be giving you too many more problems now that we are loosening up the muscles, tendons, and tissues back there. However, if it continues to give you problems, don't hesitate to come back. We'll figure it out." He paused a moment before continuing. "As for your head, you haven't been having any pain there, have you Marv?"
Marv shook his head. "No. I'm a little dizzy sometimes, but you said that's normal."
Dr. Orellana nodded. "Yes, that will happen. It should fade away in a few days. The stitches are out and you're healing quite nicely. I find no reason to keep you here any longer. And I'm sure you're thrilled about this, aren't you, harry? You've been living here non-stop since Marv was brought in. I'll bet you'll be glad to sleep in your own bed tonight." Dr. Orellana smiled down at Harry.
Harry forced a smile on his face. Yes, he was glad Marv was getting out of the hospital, but at the same time, he was worried, because he had yet to find them a proper place to stay. They would probably end up staying at a hotel until they found an apartment to rent.
"Yes. Thank you for everything. I can't tell ya how much we appreciate all you've done" said Harry gratefully.
Miss Corra and Dr. Orellana both smiled. "This is what we do, Harry. We're here to help people" the doctor told them. "I chose this career for this very reason. For the satisfaction that I'm saving lives and helping people."
Harry turned to Miss Corra. "And thank YOU especially, for helping me get that job over at the Performin' Arts Center."
Miss Corra smiled. "Don't mention it. I'm glad I could help. I hope the two of you have a great New Year's."
"Thanks! You too!" beamed Marv.
"Can we leave now?" asked Harry, grabbing the bag of money.
Dr. Orellana nodded. "If you are ready. I just have to have you two step out here to the desk so that I can sign you out and verify that you are able to leave."
Without another word the four of them walked out of the room and into the hallway where Dr. Orellana led the way to the front desk where he spoke quietly and professionally to the woman behind the desk. Harry could see the woman quickly pulling out a file from the cabinet and handing them over. Harry could only guess that they were Marv's records for his stay. Dr. Orellana quickly looked through them and pulled out a paper. He grabbed a pen from the woman behind the desk and signed it.
He handed the paper over to Harry after a moment. "Here you are. This just states Marv's stay and his records on everything happened during his stay and why. This is also a copy of your bill. Everything you need to know is stated on this." He paused and looked up at Marv proudly, as though he were looking at his own son. "And I wish you the best of luck, Marv!" he shook Marv's hand. "If there are any questions or concerns, you can find me. My information is also on that form. I hope the two of you have a wonderful day."
Marv nodded and grabbed hold of Harry's hand. The taller man practically flinched when he did so, remembering that Harry didn't like public affection like that, but he was surprised when Harry grabbed his hand back and squeezed it gently. He didn't say anything though for they were still waving their goodbyes.
Harry smiled and thanked Miss Corra one last time for all the help she had been to them. It was awfully nice of her to have helped Harry out like that. If it wasn't for her, he would not have managed to find his new job at the Performing Arts Center.
As the two of them walked out the doors, they could hear Miss Corra calling them back. Both bandits looked back to see Miss Corra running to them the best she could, though it was clear she was freezing since she didn't have a jacket on. The frigid cold air was whipping around them furiously. "Harry! I almost forgot! Here is a list Logan gave me of the days there are All Calls and shows for work. There is also his number if you have any questions!" She shoved a piece of paper into Harry's hand.
Harry looked down at it to see a list of the All Calls and Logan's number. He looked up at her, dumbfound. "Oh, thanks. Thank ya so much" was all he could manage to say. He saw her shivering and said, "Now get back inside before ya get sick yourself!"
She smiled and said farewell to them one last time before she went back inside.
Marv glanced down at Harry once they were walking once more down the street. "So, Harry, where are we off to?"
"Well, we don't have a place to stay yet, so I'm thinkin' we're gonna find ourselves a nice hotel and stay there for a few nights" he replied, glancing down at the paper in his hands. He looked over the times that he would be able to work. "And then tomorrow you and I are going to work." The two of them continued walking down the sidewalk as snow fell slowly around them.
"Work?" echoed Marv. "But I don't have a job."
"Ya will soon, Marv."
"What kind of job?"
"A nice one."
"Does it have good pay?"
"Minimum wage."
"Is that good?"
"Yes, Marv, that's good."
"How good?"
"Stop askin' stupid questions."
"How good is it though?"
"Would ya just shut up about it?"
There was silence for a few minutes before Marv spoke up again. "How many hours will I work?" Harry just grumbled, knowing this was one of those times he wondered why he put up with Marv.
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The two of them ended up finding a nice hotel that was about four blocks away from the hotel. It was a Hilton Hotel. It may not have been the Plaza but neither of them was complaining. The two of them walked into the hotel room, stepping through the front doors. On the right side of the room there was a fountain that spilled water out on the ivory marble. Marv's brown eyes immediately were drawn to it.
Harry on the other hand walked over to the other side of the room where the front desk was located. He walked up the man behind the counter and smiled. "Hello."
"Hello" greeted the man. He looked young, possibly in his late twenties. He wore a suit and tie. "May I help you sir?"
"Yes, my friend and I would like to reserve a -" He glanced behind him to see Marv sitting on the side of the fountain and dipping his hand into the water. "—Room…." He rolled his eyes at Marv's childish antics. "Marv! Get over here!" he hissed.
Marv whipped his head around to see what Harry was angry about and it finally occurred to him what he was doing. He pulled his hand out of the water, got up, and quick scampered over to Harry, who was glaring up at him. Marv went red in the cheeks. "Sorry. I was trying to pet the goldfish in the fountain…."
Harry took in a deep breath to calm himself down before turning back to the man behind the desk. "Sorry about him. Like I was sayin'- we would like to reserve a room; a one bedroom."
Marv goofily smiled, remembering how Harry had said they had stayed in a one bedroom at the Plaza too. It warmed his up to know Harry was willing to do it again; at a time he would actually remember. He knew Harry had said that some bad things had happened to them during those few days he didn't remember, but he still wished to know what had happened. He still felt like he was missing a part of his life; no matter how short a time lapse it was.
"Your name, please, sir?" said the man, ready to type in the information into the computer.
"This is under Murphy. Harold Murphy" replied Harry; glancing up to see Marv's mischievous smile. Harry raised a finger to his lips to know he needed to be quiet about the truth and Marv nodded. Harry had been sure to tell Marv that they were currently pretending their names were Murphy and Rinehart.
"And how long will you be staying with us?" was the next question.
Harry grimaced; he wasn't entirely sure how long they would be staying, he just knew they had nowhere else to do. "We will probably be staying here for about five days. If we decide to stay longer we shall let you know."
The man nodded. "That is fine, so long as someone does come along wishing for a room. If that is the case, we may have to find you another room."
Harry nodded. "That's not a problem."
"And how would you like to pay for this?"
"Cash." Harry pulled the zipper of the bag open, making sure to be discreet about it, since there was a lot of money stuffed inside it. He also made sure it was out of the way of cameras, though in a place like the Hilton, one could never been too sure how many cameras there were or where they were located. Marv looked down at the bag and his eyes widened. Harry had not told him exactly how much money they had on them and now he wanted to know all the more what had happened to them.
As Harry paid for the room, Marv stared off into space, his mind deep in thought he remembered something. He remembered using ramming open a large glass box and lifting the lid. He remembered seeing the box filled to the brim with money. He could hear himself giving a cry of happiness before saying to himself, "Happy Hanukah, Marv!"
Marv blinked as the memory ended and he heard his name being called.
"MARV!" shouted Harry.
Marv turned his chocolate eyes to Harry and gave him a weak smile. "Sorry, Harry. I was thinking…"
Harry made a face. "Well, that's a rare event" he remarked. Marv ignored the quip and continued to think about the memory. He felt Harry grab his arm and faintly heard him as he spoke, "Come on. As I was tryin' to tell ya, I'm done payin' for the room. We can go up to our room now and relax."
Marv smiled at this as he was dragged along, only able to imagine what might be in store for them once they were in their room.
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Marv woke up to the smell of something musky. He turned his nose towards the pillow and tried to ignore it. It wasn't a bad smell; in fact, it was a bit familiar. But all Marv wanted to do was sleep. He tried forcing himself deeper into sleep, yet it refused to come to him. He groaned after several minutes of sleep relentlessly escaping him.
Once Harry and Marv had had gotten into their rooms, they did little else. Both of them were more tired than they thought possible, seeing as how neither of them had really done anything for the past week. Yet for Harry, it was first time he had managed to sleep in a bed since they were staying at the Plaza. Though Marv thought the hospital bed he had been staying in recently was nothing compared to the bed he was in now.
The two of them had watched television the whole night until they grew sleepy. They had ordered pizza so that they wouldn't have to go anywhere. Once the pizza had been eaten and washed down with pop and beer, the two of them dozed off; comfortable in each other's embrace. Marv had expected them to do stuff now that they were together and Harry was supposedly being more affectionate to him, but sleep had claimed both of them before any thoughts of sexual activity could arise.
Marv groaned again, this time moving his arms and legs and stretching. He wasn't able to stretch far though before hitting something next to him. Marv opened his eyes to see that it was Harry, who was sleepily looking at him. "Mornin'" he said sleepily.
"Mornin'"
Harry stretched as well and looked about them. There was sun peeking through the curtains to their room, proving that it was sometime in the day. "That was a good night's rest, eh, Marv?" Marv nodded against the white pillow and he frowned when he remembered resting his head on fluffier ones once, though not able to figure out when. He ignored the thought and watched as Harry sat up. "I think that's the first time we've really slept the night through since the Plaza."
Marv nodded. "Yeah, I didn't like that hospital bed."
"At least you didn't have to sleep on a chair" Harry pointed out before giving Marv a quick kiss. He then hopped off the side of the bed and stood up. "Now, accordin' to the list Miss Corra gave me, there is an All Call today."
"A what?"
"An All Call" repeated Harry as he pulled off his shirt. They had fallen asleep in their clothes. "I told ya about 'em! It's where ya work and prepare the stage for an upcomin' show."
Marv nodded, faintly recalling Harry explaining that to him. Marv sat up and began to do the same thing, copying Harry.
"Yeah, so, if ya don't mind, I'd like to go to that today. I would also like for ya to come with me. I want ya to meet my new friends and see where it is I work at. Maybe ya could even get a job there workin' with me" Harry told him, pulling off his socks.
"YOU have friends?"
"Shut up, Marv! Yes! I am capable of havin' friends!" snapped Harry, though there was no anger in his voice.
"How many friends do you have?"
"Well, there's Logan. Miss Corra's nephew. He's the one trainin' me. Then there's Alice. She's real nice. And lastly, Erin. She's a bit shy, but a nice girl."
"How old are these women?" Marv couldn't help but ask.
Harry rolled his eyes, knowing the real reason for the question. "Nothing' like that Marv! Alice is married and Erin is still in college! Far too young for me!"
"Oh, okay…" mumbled Marv, not saying anymore on the matter. He knew he shouldn't be jealous, but he couldn't help it. He didn't know anything about Harry's job or what he's been doing there since he's been in the hospital and it made one suspicious, though he knew better than to say anything to Harry about it.
"I'm gonna hop into the shower" Harry called back to him as he entered the bathroom.
Marv sat on the bed for a moment, staring at the floor and picking at the bed sheets when a light bulb went off in his head as his eyes widened brightly. He looked at the bathroom door excitedly. "May I join you?"
Harry didn't answer right away. "…..Why not?" He heard a laugh from Harry as Marv darted happily to bathroom after him.
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Marv had to keep himself from gaping when they stepped off the bus and stood before the Performing Arts Center. It truly was a magnificent building. It was new and modern and seemed to contrast greatly with the other buildings around it. The glass front of it was breathtaking and the circular structure of it was amazing.
"You work here?" breathed Marv in awe as they walked around the back and to the crew member's door near the loading dock.
"Sure, do!" boasted Harry, feeling pride swell with in him. After years of working as a lowly plumber who rarely got jobs, this was quite a step up and he knew it. He had only worked there a few times, but he knew it was a job he was going to be keeping for a while.
"Wow! It's so professional-looking!" marveled the taller bandit.
Harry nodded. "That it is, Marv. And if you're lucky, you'll be getting' a job here too."
Harry led him into the loading dock and through the door near the swipe in machine. He hoped David would be giving him his card soon for he wanted to start clocking in like everyone else. He pointed it out to Marv, who stared at it with interest. "What is it, a phone?"
Harry sighed. "No! It's not a phone! It's where you swipe your card and clock in! I just told ya that!"
"It looks like a phone…"
"It's NOT a phone!" Harry was yelling at him as Logan walked up to them.
"Harry! Hey! I was wondering if you were gonna show up. With you not at the hospital anymore I don't know how to reach ya" he greeted. Harry smiled up at him, despite his previous annoyance with Marv. He moved out of the way so Marv could walk up and say hello. "This is my friend and partner, Marv."
Marv blinked at the word 'partner'. He had not expected Harry to be so truthful and forward about that. He shook Logan's hand. "Nice to meet you, kid."
"Likewise" smiled Logan. They walked out onto the stage. "David is late, as usual, so we're all just chillin' till he gets here." Harry nodded, glancing up at Marv to see the taller man gazing around the stage in wonder. He remembered his first reaction to the stage and it was pretty much the same as Marv's. He knew the feeling quite well. He watched as Marv kept looking upwards and nearly tripped over himself in the process. Marv stumbled after moving his head back too far. Harry took a deep breath and prayed he would be given the patience of a saint for the next few hours.
"Hi!" came the airy voice of Erin. Harry smiled at her, showing his gold tooth.
"Hey, there. How are you?"
"I'm good. Yourself?" she answered.
"Just fine." He turned to Marv. "This is my friend and partner Marv."
Marv tore his eyes away from the line sets high above and looked down to see Erin standing before them. He clumsily offered her a hand. "Oh! Hi, there! I'm Marv! You're….Erin?"
Erin shook his hand. "Yeah, that's me. Nice to meet you."
Her words went unheard though, for Marv was back to staring up at the line sets again. Harry leaned in and said, "Forgive him. It's his first time in a theater." Erin giggled and nodded. Harry looked around them, seeing several familiar faces and several new ones. He could see Jane and Jack, who he had worked with before; along with several others. There was one face he wasn't seeing though. He turned to Logan. "Where's Alice? Is she not here today?"
"Yeah, she's here. But she's waiting for her husband to come back. He left his house keys with her and he needs them to get back inside the house, apparently. He likes to come in and talk to the guys, so he could be anywhere. That's why she's off looking for him" explained Logan. Harry nodded.
He grabbed hold of Marv's hand, trying to get his attention. "Marv? Would ya stop starin' at the ceilin'?"
"How do those things stay up there?" asked Marv abruptly.
"They hang by wires."
"Woah….Those are some string wires…" muttered Marv as she started to bite his nails. He finally stopped looking up and was looking around the stage now with wide curious eyes.
Both Harry and Marv were standing there, both in their own thoughts, when a voice came from behind them. "There you are!" came the voice of Alice.
Before Marv or Harry could turn around or comprehend what was happening, Alice had made her way up from behind Marv and wrapped her arms around his neck, his back facing her. She gently twirled him around to face her, her lips immediately meeting Marv's. The kiss was soft and passionate and Marv could only stand there and take it, his eyes wide, for he was completely stunned by her actions.
Just as Marv was starting to kiss back, Harry, who had seen the whole thing, pushed the two of them apart. Alice and Marv stumbled away from each other, both shocked. "Hey, hey, hey! What's the big idea?" demanded Harry angrily, glaring daggers at Alice.
Alice, who had yet to look at Marv, stared at Harry incredulously. "What? I'm not doing anything, Harry! I'm just giving my husband a kiss! What's wrong with that—" She stopped speaking the moment her eyes landed on Marv and she finally realized her mistake. Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with both hands. "Oh my—you're not Ricky!"
Marv laughed and smiled goofily, his face all red. He swayed a bit, still stunned. "No…..but I sure can pretend to be!" he laughed a bit more. Harry elbowed him in the stomach. "Ow!"
"Oh my God….I'm SO SO sorry! I could have sworn you were Ricky! You—" She looked over Marv for a moment before continuing. "You look….so much like my husband! Same hair, same build, same height…You even have similar faces…I'm sorry, I just assumed you were him!"
"Yeah, well you assumed wrong" huffed Harry as he crossed his arms.
Alice saw the look of hostility in Harry's eyes and she felt all the more nervous and guilty. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it! It's a simple mistake—"
"A mistake you're welcome to make again anytime!" snickered Marv, which earned him a sneer from Harry.
Alice focused on Harry, who was clearly the one she needed to worry about. "I mean it, Harry. I really am sorry. Why are you so upset anyways? Are you two together or something?"
"As a matter of fact, we are! We're partners! So, just back off! You're a nice lady, Alice, and I like to consider ya a friend, but I won't tolerate that anymore!" he warned her upfront. There was no point in beating around the bush. Harry was the type of guy who spoke his mind and that was certainly what he was doing now.
"Oh, I promise, Harry! I did it only because I thought he was Ricky! Honest! I hadn't even met him before so I had no idea of knowing!" she defended herself. She crossed her arms nervously around her green shirt. Harry knew she had a point; she had never met him before and therefore couldn't have meant anything by it.
"Alright, well, we'll just forget it happened" sighed Harry, managing to give her a small smile to know he wasn't mad at her anymore. She sighed with relief, moving to stand next to Erin.
"I won't forget it" giggled Marv. Harry glared over at Harry, yet before he could say anything, Logan spoke up.
"I never would have guessed you guys to be gay." He looked to Marv. "I mean, I know I just met you, but you Harry, I've pictured you as more of a ladies man."
Harry smiled, showing his gold tooth. "Hey, I AM a ladies man! It just so happens the lady I ended up likin' the most, is a guy!"
Marv nodded proudly for a moment until his words sunk in. He turned to Harry. "Hey! You calling me a girl?" Harry didn't reply, just laughed at him. Marv frowned and said, "Well, in my defense, I'm not gay. I'm bi. I like women too." He flashed a grin over to Alice, who just smiled and shook her head.
Harry frowned at his words, hating the feeling of jealousy that kept washing over him. He needed to calm down; he knew Marv wasn't the type of guy to cheat. He knew Marv was the most loyal guy a lover could ask for, but the idea of Marv flirting with anyone made his blood boil. It was then he realized, this must have been the same feeling Marv would always feel back before he made his promise and always flirted with every woman he saw.
Marv was still unaware of Harry's change. He was still unaware that things were different between them now. Marv still believed that Harry was going to flirt with every woman he saw and this made Harry's heart ache. The loss of memory was truly getting annoying, for Harry had hoped that they were beyond all this.
Harry grabbed hold of Marv's sleeve and tugged him away from the group, muttering something about them needing to talk for a moment. He glanced back at his friends and could see Alice was still a bit shaken up. She truly did look sorry for what she had done. But he was done being mad at her; there was something more important to be dealt with now.
"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Marv, seeing Harry's unsettlement. "What? Are you mad cause I was flirting just now? It's not like you flirt all the time too!"
Harry sighed and looked down at the stage. He had been right; Marv did still think he flirted with everyone. "Marv, remember how I told ya I changed?"
Marv shrugged. "Yeah."
"I really meant it. I don't flirt with anyone now. It really pissed me off when I saw Alice kissin' ya" he told him, staring into Marv's eyes.
Marv considered this for a moment. There was a time when Harry wouldn't have cared less if a woman kissed him. He would have made some remark about it being a miracle he even got a woman to kiss him to begin with. Now suddenly Harry was pissed off about it? Clearly something had changed. "It's okay, Harry. I was only teasing. I mean, Alison is pretty—"
"Alice" Harry corrected him.
"-She's pretty and all, but Harry….I'm only interested in you. But you're the one who's always going off flirting and ignoring me! I'm sure you were all over Miss Coral—"
"Miss Cora!" corrected Harry again.
"Whatever!" shouted Marv in frustration. He didn't care if everyone was looking at them. "You were flirting with her, I'm sure of it!"
"I was not!" argued Harry, hating the fact that he was being accused for something he hadn't done. "Marv! I didn't flirt with her! I was too busy being worried about you!"
"Yes, you were! I-" Marv paused, thinking back to their time in the hospital and remembering that not once did Harry flirt with her in his presence and he was sure by Harry's anger that he hadn't when they had been alone either. "Oh…you didn't flirt with her…"
Harry nodded; glad Marv was finally seeing things clearly. "No, I didn't. Because I've been worried about you." He stepped closer to Marv and said softly, "I love ya, Marvin…."
Marv smiled at his words, his face going red. "Love you too, Harry."
The shorter man gave his hand a squeeze before turning back to the group. It was at this moment David appeared and stepped before the stage.
"Alright, everyone! Come on! Let's get this over with!" he called everyone over. Logan, Erin, and Alice walked up next to Harry and Marv, who had already been near David.
Alice walked up behind Harry and whispered, "I really am sorry, Harry."
Harry turned back to her with a smile, "Don't worry about it." He turned back to David.
They all listened as David gave out his orders and when everyone left to go do as they were told, Harry and Marv stayed in place. David saw this and raised an eyebrow at them. "You're not doing as I told you…" he mumbled.
"We will" assured Harry. "But first, David, I want you to meet Marv." He gestured to Marv, who shook David's hand.
"You don't work for me" commented David, looking Marv up and down.
"Uhh….no. I don't…" stuttered Marv, clearly intimidated as he took back his hand.
"No, he doesn't, but he would like to" offered Harry, stepping in.
David suddenly looked at Marv in a whole new light. "Oh! I see! Well, that's good! I'm always looking for people!"
"Yeah, he and I are partners and he just got out of the hospital. We both need jobs—well, I don't anymore—but Marv does, so I figured he could work here too with me and the others" explained Harry.
David nodded slowly. "Okay. Do you have any theater experience?" he asked Marv.
Marv silently shook his head as Harry said sarcastically, "He doesn't have a whole lot of life experience either…"
David laughed. "Well, sure. I mean, I'm not gonna have to worry he's gonna fall of the stage or anything, will I? Or worse, the cat walks?"
Harry thought about it for a moment, easily able to see Marv doing either. They both watched as Marv looked up at the ceiling. "It might happen." David gave him a look of surprise. "But that's what I'm here for! I'll be here! We've worked together for years! I know what he's like! So long as he works near me, he'll be fine!"
David nodded. "Alright, you're hired" he said to Marv. "But don't make me regret it!"
Marv beamed, completely oblivious that they had been insulting him the whole time for be had been staring at the line sets high above them. "Thanks! Thanks so much! Don't you worry! I'll be a great worker!" Marv went to walk around the other side of Harry only to fall off the stage a few steps later. David and Harry looked down at him skeptically as he called up to them, "I'm alright!"
David gave him a sigh of reluctance. "Perhaps I spoke too soon. I'm gonna need a drink after this…." The stage manager then walked off without another word. Harry watched him go a moment before jumping off the stage to check on Marv.
He leaned down for Marv was sitting on the floor and shaking his head. "You hear that, Marv? You're hired!" he smiled and kissed Marv on the forehead.
Marv looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah! It's great!"
Harry offered Marv a hand and as Marv got to his feet he said, "Come on, we've got work to do."
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Author's Note: You're welcome, Aline. XD LOL