Chapter 17
"Cass." Mark gently shook her. "Cass you gotta wake up."
"Go away Mark." She told him as she pulled a pillow over her head and rolled over towards Roger on the twin bed butted up against the double she and Mark had been sleeping in.
"Come on it's already after seven. You guys got to get up or we'll be late." He tried to pull the pillow from her but she held on to it tightly with her left hand.
"Go away Mark, I'm sleeping."
"Come on Cass, please." Mark said before turning his attention to Roger who had also pulled a pillow over his head. "You too loser, get up we got to get moving." He reached over and yanked the pillow off Roger's face.
Roger sat up. "How come she gets a please and I get called loser?"
"Fine, fine if it will get you up then I'm sorry. How about get up please," Mark paused, then threw the pillow at him. "Loser."
"Marky you're pushing your luck awfully early today."
Cass started laughing under the pillow. Roger took that opportunity and grabbed the pillow off her face. "Get up!" He laughed at her. "If I gotta be up this early so do you." He grabbed the sheet and pulled it back as he stood up on the bed and stepped over her.
"Give me a break you guys. It's too early for all this." Cass grabbed the pillow Mark had thrown at Roger and pulled it over her face again.
Mark looked at Roger and mouthed the words "I told you." Then he jerked his head at Cass as if to say do something to him.
"I said get up!" He barked at her. Roger realized he was being a major grump and not really meaning to be. He grabbed her foot. "Or else!" He started to tickle her foot.
Cass started to kick her foot to free it from his grip. "Cut it out Roger!" She started to laugh as he tickled her. "Seriously, cut it out. It still really hurts to laugh!"
"Are you gonna get up?" He asked her. "Or do I have Mark tickle the other one too?" Mark grabbed her other foot.
"Okay, okay, I'll get up. Why are you so evil in the morning?" She asked Roger as she climbed out of the bed and walked into the living room.
"Because I'm good at it." He yelled back at her before he followed her out of the room.
"Okay," Mark started, "I guess you need your wallet, or at least your credit card. Maybe your drivers license. Hey, where's the grocery list you guys wrote yesterday?"
"It's on the counter behind you. Did you make coffee?" Roger asked as he and Cass sat down on the barstools.
"No. We can get some on the way there. Get a bagel or something too."
"Why are we even bothering to go? This stupid thing is fine." Cass gestured towards her cast. "Where are my cigarettes?"
"We're going," Roger said as he handed her the box of cigarettes, "so that your arm doesn't fall off from gangrene or something nasty like that after getting it all wet. Besides you've got to get your stitches out and that thing cut off eventually."
"It's fine. I don't need to go to the doctor's. We can go in a few weeks and get it cut of then." She opened the cigarette box. "Damn. I need cigarettes. I only have two left."
"Fine, we'll get you cigarettes when we get coffee on the way." Mark told her. "Now will you guys go get dressed. We got to go soon." He walked into his office for the legal pad he had been writing on the other day.
Cass lit her cigarette and just sat there while Roger got dressed. He walked out of the bathroom in a sleeveless tee shirt and jeans with holes in both knees. "Okay, go get ready. We got to go soon."
"I don't have anything to wear."
"I thought Jen gave you a bunch of clothes." He said to her.
The door to Mark's make shift office was open part way and he could hear Cass and Roger by the bar. He had found the legal pad, but he was still sitting at the desk. Mark didn't want to go out there. He didn't want to listen to them either though.
Roger was on the verge of mean to her. Mark knew it was partially because that was just Roger. He was by no means a morning person. Mark had known for years not to take any of it personally when dealing with him in the morning.
But part of this was different. Part of it he knew was on purpose. They had talked about it last night. Mark knew Cass well enough to know how stubborn she could be. She was actually as stubborn if not more so than Roger. That was why Roger had to do this. That was why it was gonna take almost a fight between the two of them to get her out the door if she put up any kind of argument about going to the doctor's.
And it sounded like that was what was going to happen. Cass was being difficult. Roger was getting mean. Mark was hiding in his office. He hated making Roger do this. He told his so last night. But he knew Cass would try to get Mark to let her stay home if he went out there. Mark knew he had to let Roger argue it out with her. He had to piss her off enough to get her to go.
"She did, but they are short shorts and I still have bruises all up my things." Cass was getting defensive. "I don't want to go walking all over New York like that. It's bad enough I still sort of have a black eye."
"Well then wear your jeans." He yelled back at her.
"It's too hot for jeans!"
"Fine!" Roger yelled.
Mark could hear him open the door to the air-conditioned bedroom. A minute later he heard him come out and slam the door behind him.
"Here, wear my overalls you cut off. They go down to your knees. No one will see your thighs." Mark could hear the buckles hitting the counter top as Roger threw them down. "And here's one of Mark's shirts. It's big enough, it'll cover up the ones on your arms too. Now go get dressed!"
"I don't want to!"
"I don't care! You're going!"
"I'm not going!"
"Yes you are!"
"No I'm not!"
"Yes you are!"
"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my father!"
"You're right, I'm not your father! Instead I'm the one trying to help you instead of--" Roger stopped mid sentence. He closed his eyes. Fuck! He hated himself for those words as they left his mouth. He could tell by the look on her face she knew where he had been going. Where his mouth had been traveling too way faster than his brain could move. Damn you Mark for making my do this.
Roger tried to soften his tone just a little so he sounded firm but not angry with her. He wasn't angry with her at all. He was mad as hell at everything around her, but not at her. He hated himself for what he was saying and what he was doing but none of that was really directed at her. "Give it up Cass. You're going to the doctor's so you might as well just go get dressed."
"Fuck you Roger!" She yelled back at him as she crushed out the rest of her cigarette. "Mark?"
Oh shit Mark thought. Don't let her drag you into this, it will just make it harder. Mark picked up the phone receiver, leaned back in the chair and pushed the office door open.
"Hold on one second Tony." Mark said to the dial tone as he put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "Do you two mind?" Mark was trying to act annoyed. "I'm on the phone about the film someone wants to actually pay me money for. Cass just get dressed. You're going!" Mark slammed the door shut. Well, hopefully that was an academy award winning performance.
"You heard him." Roger continued. "He's on my side. Get dressed you're going!"
"I said I'm not going to the doctor. I'll go in a few weeks!" She still hadn't moved off the barstool.
"Cass, you better get up and get dressed, because whether you do or not, you're going to the doctor's! I don't care if I have to pick you up and carry you all the way there wearing Mark's boxers. You are going!"
Cass just glared at him. "No!"
"Fine! Mark, we're leaving! Now!" Roger yelled as he walked over and grabbed her. She tried to grab the counter with her left hand, but she couldn't get a grip in time. Roger tired to throw her over his shoulder but she started fighting with him.
"Roger put me down! You're hurting me! Ow, you're hurting my ribs! Put me down damn it!"
"Good, if they hurt enough then maybe you'll want to go to the doctor's then!" He had walked to the front door. "Mark let's go! Now!"
Mark walked out of the office just in time to see Roger let go with his left hand to open the door. Cass had been struggling against him and when he let go, her right arm, the one with the cast, flew up and caught Roger hard across the face near his eye.
"Ow! Fuck Cass cut it out!"
"Put me down then!"
"Fine!" He set her down hard, but as he did he put one arm on either side of her and he pinned her against the door. With Roger right in front of her like that, she could barely move, much less get away.
From across the room Mark saw the look of fear and panic cross over her face. At the same instant she started to freak out. "Let me go! Let me go!" She was screaming at Roger, but it wasn't in anger any more. It was with pure fear. Cass was pushing and fighting at Roger with all her might and then all of a sudden she just sort of slid down the door to the floor.
It was that quick. Faster than Roger could even react and move. Way faster than Mark could get from one side of the room to the other. She just sort of gave up fighting and slid to the floor and started crying. Hard.
Roger grabbed her just as Mark dropped to the floor in front of them. "Cass I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry!" Roger kept hugging her and she kept crying.
"Oh God Cass!" Mark grabbed her hand. "We're sorry. We didn't mean it! Please stop crying Cass. Please. We just wanted you to see a doctor. I'm sorry Cass. Please stop crying."
Roger sat down on the floor and pulled her onto his lap. "It's okay Cass. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry." He kept rocking her while he whispered that in her ear. They sat there like that for another five minutes. Mark holding her hand. Roger rocking her back and forth. Cass sitting in his lap. She never said anything. Her face was pressed against Roger's shoulder and buried in his neck. She kept making sobbing noises and tears were soaking into his shirt. Over and over he just kept whispering to her. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm so sorry Cass."
After her sobbing had almost stopped Roger leaned back from her and pushed her chin up so she was looking at him. "Cass I'm sorry. You know that right? I'd never hurt you. You know that too right? Tell me you know that." She nodded at him between sobs. "And I'm never gonna let anybody else hurt you again either. Okay? I promise. And I'm sorry I scared you. God I'm so sorry. I never meant to scare you. I didn't mean to yell at you either. I'm so sorry Cass. Are you okay?"
"We're both sorry Cass." Mark was surprised to hear his own voice. He figured it would never be able to get past the enormous lump that had formed in his throat. "We just wanted you to go to the doctor's. We never should have tried to force you. I'm sorry. Oh god. Just say something. Please. Just tell me you're okay."
Cass nodded her head and then put it back down on Roger's chest. "I never meant to scare you. I just wanted to make sure you were all right is all." Roger whispered in her ear again. "That's the only reason we were trying to make you go to the doctor's. Just to make sure you're okay is all. We, I never meant to scare you Cass. I'm so sorry. You know that right?"
Cass nodded again while her head was still against his shoulder and her face against his neck. "Okay." He whispered to her again. "As long as you know that." They sat there for a few more minutes with none of them speaking. Finally, without lifting her head, Cass spoke into Roger's shoulder.
"If I go to the doctor's," she said barely above a whisper, "what are we going to tell them?"
"Just what I said," he spoke into her ear again. "Just that you got mugged, while on vacation in Italy. And you got knocked into a pool at a party last weekend. That's all. Nothing else. I promise. Okay?" She nodded again, but still didn't look up. "That's the only reason we want you to go, is because you got that thing all wet. That's it. Okay?" She nodded again. "So you'll go to the doctor's?" After a moment or so she very slowly nodded her head.
"Okay, then we gotta go. Soon. You gotta get dressed first though. Okay?" Roger nodded at Mark who helped her up from the floor. When she was standing Mark put his hand out and pulled Roger up as well. Mark walked Cass to the bathroom, grabbing her clothes from the counter on the way.
Roger sat down on the barstool. He picked up the cigarette box, took the last one out and lit it just as Mark came over and sat down on the other stool. Mark opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when he looked at Roger. He could see where her cast had hit him in the face. The outside corner of his eye was dark and was already heading towards a black eye. "Are you okay?"
"No. Not really." He said as he took a drag on the cigarette. "That was one of the most miserable experiences of my life."
"Uh huh." Mark agreed. "But I was talking about your eye."
He hadn't even noticed his eye still hurt till then. "Yeah, I'll be fine." He took another drag on the cigarette and then handed it to Mark. Mark looked at it for a second, then took it from Roger and took a long drag. They just sat there, not saying anything else, just sharing a cigarette and waiting for Cass. After another minute she came out of the bathroom dressed in Roger's overalls, cut into shorts and rolled just above her knees with Mark's maroon tee shirt under them. Roger crushed out the cigarette and stood up. Trying to be gentle he asked her, "You ready?" Cass nodded. "Okay let's go then. We need to hurry up."
Mark stood up and grabbed Cass' hand and walked her to the door. "I took some of the money so we can grab a cab to the subway."
"Okay let's go then." Roger opened the door and Mark led Cass out. Roger was about to walk out the door when he looked at his watch to see how much time they had. Maybe we can get her some coffee and a bagel or something still. As he looked down at the time he was the little bell on his watch that shows the alarm is set. Fuck that shit he thought. Roger grabbed his keys and started out the door. In the hallway Mark and Cass were standing there, waiting for him. Looking at him. Looking to him. Oh fuck. He turned around, stepped back inside the apartment, opened the drawer, and gabbed his pills, shoving the bottle into his pocket before flinging the drawer shut. Roger stepped out into the hallway and yanked the door shut hard. He locked the door, and turned to Cass and Mark. "Okay, now let's go."
They climbed down the stairs in silence. As they reached the bottom, Mark turned to Cass. "I'll go try and get us a cab. It's quicker that way. For some reason it's always harder to get a cab when Roger's standing there." Mark smiled at her, but Roger could tell it was forced. Mark ran out the door and down the stoop
Roger put an arm around Cass' waist and pulled her close to him. As they reached the front door he felt Cass tense up. Roger stopped and looked at her. "It's gonna be okay Cass. I promise."
Cass leaned against his chest. "I know Roger."
"We gotta go." He whispered at her. "But I'll be right there. Mark too. We won't let anybody hurt you again I promise." Roger tightened his grip around her waist with his left hand and pulled the door open with his right. Mark had a cab waiting when they walked to the door.
A/N 10/4/02 More to come in a little over three weeks when I get back to my computer. Hope you like it so far and don't forget about me!
"Cass." Mark gently shook her. "Cass you gotta wake up."
"Go away Mark." She told him as she pulled a pillow over her head and rolled over towards Roger on the twin bed butted up against the double she and Mark had been sleeping in.
"Come on it's already after seven. You guys got to get up or we'll be late." He tried to pull the pillow from her but she held on to it tightly with her left hand.
"Go away Mark, I'm sleeping."
"Come on Cass, please." Mark said before turning his attention to Roger who had also pulled a pillow over his head. "You too loser, get up we got to get moving." He reached over and yanked the pillow off Roger's face.
Roger sat up. "How come she gets a please and I get called loser?"
"Fine, fine if it will get you up then I'm sorry. How about get up please," Mark paused, then threw the pillow at him. "Loser."
"Marky you're pushing your luck awfully early today."
Cass started laughing under the pillow. Roger took that opportunity and grabbed the pillow off her face. "Get up!" He laughed at her. "If I gotta be up this early so do you." He grabbed the sheet and pulled it back as he stood up on the bed and stepped over her.
"Give me a break you guys. It's too early for all this." Cass grabbed the pillow Mark had thrown at Roger and pulled it over her face again.
Mark looked at Roger and mouthed the words "I told you." Then he jerked his head at Cass as if to say do something to him.
"I said get up!" He barked at her. Roger realized he was being a major grump and not really meaning to be. He grabbed her foot. "Or else!" He started to tickle her foot.
Cass started to kick her foot to free it from his grip. "Cut it out Roger!" She started to laugh as he tickled her. "Seriously, cut it out. It still really hurts to laugh!"
"Are you gonna get up?" He asked her. "Or do I have Mark tickle the other one too?" Mark grabbed her other foot.
"Okay, okay, I'll get up. Why are you so evil in the morning?" She asked Roger as she climbed out of the bed and walked into the living room.
"Because I'm good at it." He yelled back at her before he followed her out of the room.
"Okay," Mark started, "I guess you need your wallet, or at least your credit card. Maybe your drivers license. Hey, where's the grocery list you guys wrote yesterday?"
"It's on the counter behind you. Did you make coffee?" Roger asked as he and Cass sat down on the barstools.
"No. We can get some on the way there. Get a bagel or something too."
"Why are we even bothering to go? This stupid thing is fine." Cass gestured towards her cast. "Where are my cigarettes?"
"We're going," Roger said as he handed her the box of cigarettes, "so that your arm doesn't fall off from gangrene or something nasty like that after getting it all wet. Besides you've got to get your stitches out and that thing cut off eventually."
"It's fine. I don't need to go to the doctor's. We can go in a few weeks and get it cut of then." She opened the cigarette box. "Damn. I need cigarettes. I only have two left."
"Fine, we'll get you cigarettes when we get coffee on the way." Mark told her. "Now will you guys go get dressed. We got to go soon." He walked into his office for the legal pad he had been writing on the other day.
Cass lit her cigarette and just sat there while Roger got dressed. He walked out of the bathroom in a sleeveless tee shirt and jeans with holes in both knees. "Okay, go get ready. We got to go soon."
"I don't have anything to wear."
"I thought Jen gave you a bunch of clothes." He said to her.
The door to Mark's make shift office was open part way and he could hear Cass and Roger by the bar. He had found the legal pad, but he was still sitting at the desk. Mark didn't want to go out there. He didn't want to listen to them either though.
Roger was on the verge of mean to her. Mark knew it was partially because that was just Roger. He was by no means a morning person. Mark had known for years not to take any of it personally when dealing with him in the morning.
But part of this was different. Part of it he knew was on purpose. They had talked about it last night. Mark knew Cass well enough to know how stubborn she could be. She was actually as stubborn if not more so than Roger. That was why Roger had to do this. That was why it was gonna take almost a fight between the two of them to get her out the door if she put up any kind of argument about going to the doctor's.
And it sounded like that was what was going to happen. Cass was being difficult. Roger was getting mean. Mark was hiding in his office. He hated making Roger do this. He told his so last night. But he knew Cass would try to get Mark to let her stay home if he went out there. Mark knew he had to let Roger argue it out with her. He had to piss her off enough to get her to go.
"She did, but they are short shorts and I still have bruises all up my things." Cass was getting defensive. "I don't want to go walking all over New York like that. It's bad enough I still sort of have a black eye."
"Well then wear your jeans." He yelled back at her.
"It's too hot for jeans!"
"Fine!" Roger yelled.
Mark could hear him open the door to the air-conditioned bedroom. A minute later he heard him come out and slam the door behind him.
"Here, wear my overalls you cut off. They go down to your knees. No one will see your thighs." Mark could hear the buckles hitting the counter top as Roger threw them down. "And here's one of Mark's shirts. It's big enough, it'll cover up the ones on your arms too. Now go get dressed!"
"I don't want to!"
"I don't care! You're going!"
"I'm not going!"
"Yes you are!"
"No I'm not!"
"Yes you are!"
"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my father!"
"You're right, I'm not your father! Instead I'm the one trying to help you instead of--" Roger stopped mid sentence. He closed his eyes. Fuck! He hated himself for those words as they left his mouth. He could tell by the look on her face she knew where he had been going. Where his mouth had been traveling too way faster than his brain could move. Damn you Mark for making my do this.
Roger tried to soften his tone just a little so he sounded firm but not angry with her. He wasn't angry with her at all. He was mad as hell at everything around her, but not at her. He hated himself for what he was saying and what he was doing but none of that was really directed at her. "Give it up Cass. You're going to the doctor's so you might as well just go get dressed."
"Fuck you Roger!" She yelled back at him as she crushed out the rest of her cigarette. "Mark?"
Oh shit Mark thought. Don't let her drag you into this, it will just make it harder. Mark picked up the phone receiver, leaned back in the chair and pushed the office door open.
"Hold on one second Tony." Mark said to the dial tone as he put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "Do you two mind?" Mark was trying to act annoyed. "I'm on the phone about the film someone wants to actually pay me money for. Cass just get dressed. You're going!" Mark slammed the door shut. Well, hopefully that was an academy award winning performance.
"You heard him." Roger continued. "He's on my side. Get dressed you're going!"
"I said I'm not going to the doctor. I'll go in a few weeks!" She still hadn't moved off the barstool.
"Cass, you better get up and get dressed, because whether you do or not, you're going to the doctor's! I don't care if I have to pick you up and carry you all the way there wearing Mark's boxers. You are going!"
Cass just glared at him. "No!"
"Fine! Mark, we're leaving! Now!" Roger yelled as he walked over and grabbed her. She tried to grab the counter with her left hand, but she couldn't get a grip in time. Roger tired to throw her over his shoulder but she started fighting with him.
"Roger put me down! You're hurting me! Ow, you're hurting my ribs! Put me down damn it!"
"Good, if they hurt enough then maybe you'll want to go to the doctor's then!" He had walked to the front door. "Mark let's go! Now!"
Mark walked out of the office just in time to see Roger let go with his left hand to open the door. Cass had been struggling against him and when he let go, her right arm, the one with the cast, flew up and caught Roger hard across the face near his eye.
"Ow! Fuck Cass cut it out!"
"Put me down then!"
"Fine!" He set her down hard, but as he did he put one arm on either side of her and he pinned her against the door. With Roger right in front of her like that, she could barely move, much less get away.
From across the room Mark saw the look of fear and panic cross over her face. At the same instant she started to freak out. "Let me go! Let me go!" She was screaming at Roger, but it wasn't in anger any more. It was with pure fear. Cass was pushing and fighting at Roger with all her might and then all of a sudden she just sort of slid down the door to the floor.
It was that quick. Faster than Roger could even react and move. Way faster than Mark could get from one side of the room to the other. She just sort of gave up fighting and slid to the floor and started crying. Hard.
Roger grabbed her just as Mark dropped to the floor in front of them. "Cass I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry!" Roger kept hugging her and she kept crying.
"Oh God Cass!" Mark grabbed her hand. "We're sorry. We didn't mean it! Please stop crying Cass. Please. We just wanted you to see a doctor. I'm sorry Cass. Please stop crying."
Roger sat down on the floor and pulled her onto his lap. "It's okay Cass. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry." He kept rocking her while he whispered that in her ear. They sat there like that for another five minutes. Mark holding her hand. Roger rocking her back and forth. Cass sitting in his lap. She never said anything. Her face was pressed against Roger's shoulder and buried in his neck. She kept making sobbing noises and tears were soaking into his shirt. Over and over he just kept whispering to her. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm so sorry Cass."
After her sobbing had almost stopped Roger leaned back from her and pushed her chin up so she was looking at him. "Cass I'm sorry. You know that right? I'd never hurt you. You know that too right? Tell me you know that." She nodded at him between sobs. "And I'm never gonna let anybody else hurt you again either. Okay? I promise. And I'm sorry I scared you. God I'm so sorry. I never meant to scare you. I didn't mean to yell at you either. I'm so sorry Cass. Are you okay?"
"We're both sorry Cass." Mark was surprised to hear his own voice. He figured it would never be able to get past the enormous lump that had formed in his throat. "We just wanted you to go to the doctor's. We never should have tried to force you. I'm sorry. Oh god. Just say something. Please. Just tell me you're okay."
Cass nodded her head and then put it back down on Roger's chest. "I never meant to scare you. I just wanted to make sure you were all right is all." Roger whispered in her ear again. "That's the only reason we were trying to make you go to the doctor's. Just to make sure you're okay is all. We, I never meant to scare you Cass. I'm so sorry. You know that right?"
Cass nodded again while her head was still against his shoulder and her face against his neck. "Okay." He whispered to her again. "As long as you know that." They sat there for a few more minutes with none of them speaking. Finally, without lifting her head, Cass spoke into Roger's shoulder.
"If I go to the doctor's," she said barely above a whisper, "what are we going to tell them?"
"Just what I said," he spoke into her ear again. "Just that you got mugged, while on vacation in Italy. And you got knocked into a pool at a party last weekend. That's all. Nothing else. I promise. Okay?" She nodded again, but still didn't look up. "That's the only reason we want you to go, is because you got that thing all wet. That's it. Okay?" She nodded again. "So you'll go to the doctor's?" After a moment or so she very slowly nodded her head.
"Okay, then we gotta go. Soon. You gotta get dressed first though. Okay?" Roger nodded at Mark who helped her up from the floor. When she was standing Mark put his hand out and pulled Roger up as well. Mark walked Cass to the bathroom, grabbing her clothes from the counter on the way.
Roger sat down on the barstool. He picked up the cigarette box, took the last one out and lit it just as Mark came over and sat down on the other stool. Mark opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when he looked at Roger. He could see where her cast had hit him in the face. The outside corner of his eye was dark and was already heading towards a black eye. "Are you okay?"
"No. Not really." He said as he took a drag on the cigarette. "That was one of the most miserable experiences of my life."
"Uh huh." Mark agreed. "But I was talking about your eye."
He hadn't even noticed his eye still hurt till then. "Yeah, I'll be fine." He took another drag on the cigarette and then handed it to Mark. Mark looked at it for a second, then took it from Roger and took a long drag. They just sat there, not saying anything else, just sharing a cigarette and waiting for Cass. After another minute she came out of the bathroom dressed in Roger's overalls, cut into shorts and rolled just above her knees with Mark's maroon tee shirt under them. Roger crushed out the cigarette and stood up. Trying to be gentle he asked her, "You ready?" Cass nodded. "Okay let's go then. We need to hurry up."
Mark stood up and grabbed Cass' hand and walked her to the door. "I took some of the money so we can grab a cab to the subway."
"Okay let's go then." Roger opened the door and Mark led Cass out. Roger was about to walk out the door when he looked at his watch to see how much time they had. Maybe we can get her some coffee and a bagel or something still. As he looked down at the time he was the little bell on his watch that shows the alarm is set. Fuck that shit he thought. Roger grabbed his keys and started out the door. In the hallway Mark and Cass were standing there, waiting for him. Looking at him. Looking to him. Oh fuck. He turned around, stepped back inside the apartment, opened the drawer, and gabbed his pills, shoving the bottle into his pocket before flinging the drawer shut. Roger stepped out into the hallway and yanked the door shut hard. He locked the door, and turned to Cass and Mark. "Okay, now let's go."
They climbed down the stairs in silence. As they reached the bottom, Mark turned to Cass. "I'll go try and get us a cab. It's quicker that way. For some reason it's always harder to get a cab when Roger's standing there." Mark smiled at her, but Roger could tell it was forced. Mark ran out the door and down the stoop
Roger put an arm around Cass' waist and pulled her close to him. As they reached the front door he felt Cass tense up. Roger stopped and looked at her. "It's gonna be okay Cass. I promise."
Cass leaned against his chest. "I know Roger."
"We gotta go." He whispered at her. "But I'll be right there. Mark too. We won't let anybody hurt you again I promise." Roger tightened his grip around her waist with his left hand and pulled the door open with his right. Mark had a cab waiting when they walked to the door.
A/N 10/4/02 More to come in a little over three weeks when I get back to my computer. Hope you like it so far and don't forget about me!