Sorry BohemianGirl06, another tearjerker. Hope you enjoy.
"Dammit Marty, I asked you not to come here for a few days." Roger yelled laying on the couch at Maureen and Joanne's. He had a slight head cold and thought it would be best if he didn't stay at the loft. He didn't want Marty to get sick.
"I just needed to see you and make sure you're alright, don't yell at me Roger." she yelled back frustrated and close to tears seeing him laying on the couch.
"I'm sorry Baby, I just don't want you getting sick." he said quietly. His voice was hoarse from coughing and his nose was congested.
"I know, but the only night I've ever spent without you in 10 years was the night before our wedding. I miss you."she told him across the room.
"I know. I miss you too. How's RJ doing?"he asked beginning to cough.
"He's OK. He misses his daddy though." she said as tears formed in her eyes.
"I miss him too. Tell him it'll be a few more days. Just hang in there Baby." he said as tears fell from his eyes too.
"OK. His teacher said he's been quiet lately. I told her the situation, but she thinks he should talk to someone. A counselour or something." she said beginning to sob.
"He's 5 years old. He still doesn't understand much, but he's seeing lot. I know it has to be hard on him. Maybe it's a good idea." he said hacking as Marty put her hands over her face crying. Every cough worred her. She wanted to go to him, but knew she couldn't.
"Roger, are you OK?" she aksed looking over at him crying.
I'm fine. It's post nasal drip. Please don't cry Baby. The doctor said it's just a head cold. It should be gone soon and there's no chance of it turning into PCP. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere yet." he said wanting to run to her and hold her in his arms.
"OK. We just miss you. I haven't gotten a decents night sleep in 3 days." she said wiping her face with her hands.
"I know. I miss you guys too. But you really should go Baby. I don't want you to get sick too." he said trying to smile at her.
"OK. I just needed to see you. Don't forget to call RJ later, OK? He relly needs to hear your voice. Just to make sure you're alright. I think he thinks there's something we're not telling him." she said looking over at him he could see that she was sad.
"Baby, I'm fine. My t-cels ar still high. Like I said it's just a head cold." he told her reassuringly.
"I know. I love you Roger, you know that, right?" she told him sa tears formed in her eyes again.
"Marty, I love you too. So much. But I'm fine Baby." he told her wanting so much to hold her.
"I know. I'll talk to you later. I love you so much Roger." she said wiping her eyes again.
"Tell RJ I'll call him after school. And tell him I love him. I lov eyou too, you know? You are my wirld." he said fighting his own tears.
"I know Honey. I'll talk to you later." she said leaving the apartment. As she left the elevator, she felt a pain in her chest. Roger kept telling her that it wasn't life threatening this time. But that's what scared her. Next time could kill him. She wasn't ready to lose him. Not yet. For 11 years they have been everything to each other. The thought of losing him paralyzed her. She stopping in the lobby of the aparment building and just cried. She dropped against the wall and slid to the floor. Her body shook as she buried her face in her knees and cried.
"Marty, sweetie. What are you doing here? I thought Roger asked you not to come by until he's better." she asked setting the shopping bag down next to her as she knelt in front of Marty.
"I needed to see him. To make sure he's OK. He is OK, right? There's nothing he's not telling me?" she asked looking up at her.
"Of course not honey. He would never lie to you. You know that. He has a slight head cold and his t-cells are still high. Marty he'll be home in a few days. I promise." she told her wrapping her arms around her comfortingly.
"I can't lose him Mo. I can't. I love him too much. I need him." she told her crying harder.
"I know honey. I know. You're not gonna lose him. Not yet. He's gonna be fine." Maureen told her rocking her back and forth.
"Mo, he's my life. I'm not ready yet. RJ's not ready yet. He's only 5. He still needs his father." she cried as Maureen kissed her head.
"Sweetie, you need to calm down. He's gonna be fine. It's not time yet." she told her stroking her hair.
"I'm sory Mo. I'm being dramatic." she said trying to regain her composure.
"That's OK. It was about time for another meltdown." she said attempting to lighten the mood.
"I need him Mo. 11 years is not long enough. Not with him. He's my everything, you know?" she told her wiping her face.
"I know Marty and you're his. You and RJ. He will be fine sweetie. I promise." she said lifting her chin up with her hand.
"I can't lose him Mo. I'm not ready. It's not enough time. We haven't had enough time." she cried again.
"I know honey. But it's not his time yet. Really. I promise. It's not his time. You know how damn stubborn he is. He's not going anywhere just yet." Maureen said bringing Marty's head to her shoulder.
"Yeah, he is a stubborn jackass, isn't he?" she told her laughing a bit.
"That he is." Maureen said laughing with her.
"Are you making sure he's taking his medicine? Getting plenty of fluids?" Marty asked looking up at her.
"Of course sweetie. He wants to get home to you just as much as you want him home. Plus you know what a baby he is when he's sick." she said laughing sweeping Marty's hair out of her face.
"Yeah I know. He whines worse than RJ does." she said laughing.
"Where is RJ anyway?" Maureen asked smiling at her.
"In school. He wanted to come by to see Roger, but Roger doesn't think it's a good idea. He's afraid RJ's gonna get sick and get me sick." she said wiping her face.
"Honey, Roger knows what he's doing. He's taking care of you guys. He doesn't want anything to happen to you. He's only doing it because he loves you." Maureen said caressing her face.
"He yelled at me when I walked in the door this morning. He never yelled at me before." she said as a tear fell from her eyes.
"Sweetie, he didn't mean it. He's just scared." Maureen said wiping Marty's face.
"I know. He asked me not to come and I came anyway. He keeps telling me he's fine, but I needed to see for myself. You know how he is." she said looking down at her rings.
"Yeah, I know. But sweetie, he loves you so much. He would never tell you that he's fine when he's not." Maureen told her caressing her head.
"I know, but you know how he doesn't like stressing me out. Remember after I was diagnosed and he used to hide in the alley to cry?" she said starting to laugh and cry at the same time.
"Well you put the fear of God into everyone about crying in your presence." Maureen said laughing.
"Yeah, I know I was wrong for doing that." Marty said wiping her eyes again.
"Oh sweetie, you were only doing what you had to to live a normal life with Roger. We understood. Do you remember that night? Mark and Collins called us before we left for the Life and warned me that you didn't want any tears in front of so we better get it out before we left the house, otherwise you'd be on the warpath. And then when I saw you, I couldn't help it. I just started thinking about you and Roger and it hurt so bad. You and Roger went inside and Mark and Collins took me aside and warned me that this is what you wanted and we were gonna celebrate life and that we should respect your wishes. Then I saw you and Roger all over each other kissing and just so absorbed in each other. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I mean, here you were. You had just gotten the worst news a person could get and your love was all you needed to survive it. It was inspirational really." she told her smiling down at her.
"Yeah, that was a stupid thing for me to do. I mean, we're a family. We shouldn't have been hiding our feelings for so long. I mean, I was crying in the bedroom alone and Roger was crying in the alley for years." she told her wiping the tears that had escaped her eyes.
"I know sweetie. But no one could blame you for wanting to live your life without being looked at like you were dying." Maureen said taking Marty's hand.
"You should take those up to Roger. He needs them. I have to go anyway. I have laundry to do. RJ wants to wear his green shirt like daddy's tomorrow." Marty said standing up.
"Why don't you let me bring these up to Roger and make sure he's all set and then we can go for coffee or something. Just you and me. We can talk." Maureen said standing up with her.
"No, Mo I'm fine. You should stay with Roger. I need you to take care of my man for me. Please Mo." Marty pleaded squeezing Maureens hand.
"Are you sure sweetie? I mean all he does is sleep and complain that there's nothing on TV." Maureen said laughing.
"Yeah I'm fine. Go, please Mo. Take care of him for me. Tell him I love him so much." she said pushing her hair behind her ears.
"I will sweetie. I'll take very good care of him so that he can go home to you and my Godson." Maureen said smiling at her.
"Thank you Mo. I love you." Marty said pulling Maureen into a hug.
"I love you too Marty." Maureen said smiling at her.
"Make sure he calls his son after school, OK?" Marty said looking at her.
"I will sweetie. Take care of yourself, OK." Maureen said rubbing Marty's upper arms.
"I will. Thanks Mo." Marty said leaving the building.
"Right." Maureen said quietly as she watched her best friend leave. It broke her heart to see her like that. She had never seen Marty crumble before. She heard about it from Roger, Collins and Mark after the rape but that was 11 years ago. She wasn't that scared girl anymore. She was a strong woman who held that family together. To see her so scared of losing Roger was hearbreaking. Maureen leaned down to pick up the bag and got in the elevator to keep her word to her best friend and take care of her husband for her so he could go home to her and their son.
"Hey Babygirl, where'd you go? I thougth you were just taking RJ to school. You're not having an affair on Roger while he's sick, are you?" Collins teased drinking his coffee on the couch.
"I went to see Roger." she said quietly as she took her jacket off.
"I thought he asked you not go over there." he asked getting up to go to her.
"I know Collins, I just had to see him." she yelled at him breaking down into tears.
"Oh Babygirl, I'm sorry." he said wrapping his arms around her and bringing her to the couch.
"I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something he wasn't telling me, you know?" she said crying as he held her comfortingly.
"And how did he look?" he asekd looking down at her.
"Like shit, but OK. I mean, he's congested and coughing up phlem, but he's OK. He should be home in a few days." she said looking up at him.
"So, did he yell at you?" he asked sweeping her hair out of her face.
"Of course. Jackass that he is." she said starting to laugh, but crying instead.
"He didn't mean it, you know?" he asked wiping her tears from her face.
"Yes he did. He loves me Collins. I understand that. I was just scared. I mean, I'm not ready." she told him crying more.
"None of us are ready, but luckily, now's not his time." he told her reassuringly.
"I'm sorry. I mean, look at me. I'm a mess. First Maureen and now you. I'm sorry if I'm overreacting. It's just a head cold, right?" she said wiping her face.
"Marty, we're family. We love you. Anytime you need to fall apart, I have two very strong shoulders right here for you. I know you're scared of losing Roger, but being the stubborn jackass he is, he'll probably outlive Mark, Maureen and Joanne because he refuses to leave you and RJ." he told her trying to make her laugh.
"You have no idea how I wish that were true." she said crying as he pulled her into an embrace.
"Yeah I do Babygirl. I really do." he said caressing her hair.