Author's Note: This sort of explains what happened with Mark back in the hospital two chapters before...it was a little confusing, and I meant to explain it in Chapter nine, but I wanted to get in the dream, and....well...just read.
The chapter's kinda pointless, I really just needed something to take up space to the next chapter....
Mark sighed, and leaned his head back on the couch, letting his eyes drift closed. Collins was still in the hospital. He was having some more tests done. Two ribs had been broken, and his arm muscles were torn in several places.
Maureen was next to him, nursing her broken leg with the air of someone looking for attention. With a groan, he turned to her and smiled as her cat-like eyes met his with burning frustration.
"My leg hurts."
"Well, don't forget, we're here because Collins' hurt, not you."
Maureen pouted, then smiled faintly, sitting back up. "Today would be there three year anniversary, wouldn't it?"
"Yep."
"Poor Tom..." Maureen murmured between half-parted red lips. None of them had dared call Collins Tom to his face. He had tended to let Angel place reserve on that name, using it as somewhat of a pet name when they had still been together. Now, the usage of that name brought tears to his eyes, even if the teacher had refused to let them know.
Still, Maureen's old habits died hard. She was used to special priveleges from her former roommates. And using first names was one of them.
"Why'd you freak out yesterday Marky?"
Blabbing out whatever was on her mind was another habit.
Mark paled, and avoided her gaze. "No reason."
"People don't go balistic like you did for no reason Mark."
"It's just-" The filmmaker stopped, and thought for a moment. It was weird. As soon as they started talking. Angel saving Collins. Angel and Mimi's incident. Collins' accident. "I'm not sure. I just got upset. I mean, all this talk of Angel coming and saving Collins' life, it doesn't seem possible. I know we all miss him, but wouldn't talking about it just make Collins upset?" Mark attempted to steer the conversation away from his strange behavior.
It worked.
Maureen nodded, and sighed. "I guess so. But, then again, Collins might feel, I dunno, fulfilled in knowing that Angel was there to take care of him..."
"Maybe..." Mark mused, trying to sort out his own thoughts slowly. But before he could manage to say something, a nurse came out of the room.
"You can go in and see Collins now. He should be ready for release by next week."
"Next week?"
"Yes, next week."
Mark slowly walked into the room with Maureen, and smiled as his eyes met Collins liquid brown ones.
"Hey."
"Hey..."
The silence was awkward. They all knew that Collins was often moody, with mixed emotions of the 24th of December. Surprisingly, it was Collins who broke the silence.
"Three years..." The bass voice was slow, and flooded with feeling as he spoke it. "Angel..."
"Are you feeling-yanno-sad?" Maureen ventured, placing a hand on Collins'.
"Sort of. It's hard, being without him, but I'm sure he wouldn't want me to just give up...like I did before." Tom was silent, slowly musing at his loss, until reality appeared back in his eyes. "So how's Joanne doing? I haven't seen her in a while?"
"She's fine."
"She's a bitch."
"Fighting again?"
Mark laughed. "How could you tell?"
"Oh, no reason. So, how's that 'mystery film' of your's going?"
The filmmaker smiled, and exchanged a look with Maureen. "Almost done." Then changed the subject abruptly. "So, they say you'll be out of here by next week."
Collins was silent.
"Collins?"
Silence.
"Collins, are you okay?"
The fog that had settled over Tom's eyes cleared out, and he jumped as though someone had struck him. "Mark?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"I'm sorry, I guess I just spaced out there for a moment. Um...could you do me a favor?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"There should be a dozen roses and a dozen daises waiting at the Pennyton Flower Shop under my name. Would you pick them up and take them over to Angel's grave for me today? I'd go myself, but no matter how much money I bribe them, the doctors won't let me out to visit."
"Sure." Mark nodded, and stood up. "I'll go right now. You coming Maureen?"
"Nah, I think I'm gonna go find Joanne. She's probably getting lonely right about now."
"So much for 'happy single.'"
"Fuck you." Maureen said with a laugh, then kissed Collins' cheek. "You take care."
"Um-hm...you too. Tell Joanne I said hi."
"She'll be in later, I'm sure."
Both Mark and Maureen walked out of the room, leaving Collins laying on the bed behind them.
/Off to Angel's gravestone.../ Mark thought to himself, and slowly left the room.
The chapter's kinda pointless, I really just needed something to take up space to the next chapter....
Mark sighed, and leaned his head back on the couch, letting his eyes drift closed. Collins was still in the hospital. He was having some more tests done. Two ribs had been broken, and his arm muscles were torn in several places.
Maureen was next to him, nursing her broken leg with the air of someone looking for attention. With a groan, he turned to her and smiled as her cat-like eyes met his with burning frustration.
"My leg hurts."
"Well, don't forget, we're here because Collins' hurt, not you."
Maureen pouted, then smiled faintly, sitting back up. "Today would be there three year anniversary, wouldn't it?"
"Yep."
"Poor Tom..." Maureen murmured between half-parted red lips. None of them had dared call Collins Tom to his face. He had tended to let Angel place reserve on that name, using it as somewhat of a pet name when they had still been together. Now, the usage of that name brought tears to his eyes, even if the teacher had refused to let them know.
Still, Maureen's old habits died hard. She was used to special priveleges from her former roommates. And using first names was one of them.
"Why'd you freak out yesterday Marky?"
Blabbing out whatever was on her mind was another habit.
Mark paled, and avoided her gaze. "No reason."
"People don't go balistic like you did for no reason Mark."
"It's just-" The filmmaker stopped, and thought for a moment. It was weird. As soon as they started talking. Angel saving Collins. Angel and Mimi's incident. Collins' accident. "I'm not sure. I just got upset. I mean, all this talk of Angel coming and saving Collins' life, it doesn't seem possible. I know we all miss him, but wouldn't talking about it just make Collins upset?" Mark attempted to steer the conversation away from his strange behavior.
It worked.
Maureen nodded, and sighed. "I guess so. But, then again, Collins might feel, I dunno, fulfilled in knowing that Angel was there to take care of him..."
"Maybe..." Mark mused, trying to sort out his own thoughts slowly. But before he could manage to say something, a nurse came out of the room.
"You can go in and see Collins now. He should be ready for release by next week."
"Next week?"
"Yes, next week."
Mark slowly walked into the room with Maureen, and smiled as his eyes met Collins liquid brown ones.
"Hey."
"Hey..."
The silence was awkward. They all knew that Collins was often moody, with mixed emotions of the 24th of December. Surprisingly, it was Collins who broke the silence.
"Three years..." The bass voice was slow, and flooded with feeling as he spoke it. "Angel..."
"Are you feeling-yanno-sad?" Maureen ventured, placing a hand on Collins'.
"Sort of. It's hard, being without him, but I'm sure he wouldn't want me to just give up...like I did before." Tom was silent, slowly musing at his loss, until reality appeared back in his eyes. "So how's Joanne doing? I haven't seen her in a while?"
"She's fine."
"She's a bitch."
"Fighting again?"
Mark laughed. "How could you tell?"
"Oh, no reason. So, how's that 'mystery film' of your's going?"
The filmmaker smiled, and exchanged a look with Maureen. "Almost done." Then changed the subject abruptly. "So, they say you'll be out of here by next week."
Collins was silent.
"Collins?"
Silence.
"Collins, are you okay?"
The fog that had settled over Tom's eyes cleared out, and he jumped as though someone had struck him. "Mark?"
"Yeah, it's me."
"I'm sorry, I guess I just spaced out there for a moment. Um...could you do me a favor?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"There should be a dozen roses and a dozen daises waiting at the Pennyton Flower Shop under my name. Would you pick them up and take them over to Angel's grave for me today? I'd go myself, but no matter how much money I bribe them, the doctors won't let me out to visit."
"Sure." Mark nodded, and stood up. "I'll go right now. You coming Maureen?"
"Nah, I think I'm gonna go find Joanne. She's probably getting lonely right about now."
"So much for 'happy single.'"
"Fuck you." Maureen said with a laugh, then kissed Collins' cheek. "You take care."
"Um-hm...you too. Tell Joanne I said hi."
"She'll be in later, I'm sure."
Both Mark and Maureen walked out of the room, leaving Collins laying on the bed behind them.
/Off to Angel's gravestone.../ Mark thought to himself, and slowly left the room.