"Hi, Isabella," Collins finally said, breaking the silence.
"Hi," said Isabella, eyeing Roger. He stood with his hands shoved into his pockets, his head bent down.
"Aren't you curious to see if she's alright or not?" she demanded.
Roger looked up at her guiltily. "I didn't mean for it to happen," he said, softly.
Isabella sighed. "I KNOW you didn't mean to hurt her, but why the hell didn't you stay to make sure she was okay? She was out for about fifteen minutes after we heard you leave, and finally Daisha went in there and found her."
"I'm sorry," Roger said, weakly, his voice nearly a whisper.
"Let's finish this later," Collins interrupted them. He turned to Isabella. "You said you need an icepack?"
"Yes. And Mark said you used to be a doctor?"
"Not a REAL doctor," Collins admitted. "But sort of . . . I was a candy- stripper."
"Sort of?" Isabella smirked, and Collins shrugged sheepishly.
"What's going on?" Frankie asked as she entered the room, Pepper trailing behind her.
"Nothing to worry about, baby," Collins said, putting his arm around her. "We just have a sick patient to attend to."
"Is everything alright?" she asked, frowning.
"Hopefully, but we won't know until we get up there," Isabella reminded him, tugging at his shirt.
"Okay, sorry. I'll be back in a second, Franny." It was his new nickname for her. "You and Pepper stay here, okay?"
"Alright." She picked up the dog and shook his paw, trying to make him wave. "Say bye-bye to Daddy, Pepper."
Collins laughed. He made a quick detour in the kitchen to grab an icepack from the freezer.
"You coming?" he asked Roger, as he and Isabella and Daisha got ready to leave.
"I guess so," he said, quietly.
"Let's go," Daisha whined, and the three of them followed her upstairs.
***
When they entered the apartment, they found Mark sitting beside Mimi on the couch. Mimi was lying down, her eyes closed.
"How is she?" Isabella asked, settling beside Mark.
"Okay, I think. Physically, at least." He raised his eyebrows when he saw Roger there. "Well, she's going to be THRILLED to see you," he mumbled.
"Mimi? You awake?" Isabella asked, gently, nudging Mimi.
Mimi opened her eyes slowly. A weak smile came across her face. "Hey."
"Hey, sweetie. How's your head?"
Mimi shrugged, still lying down.
"Well, we got an icepack for your head, and we brought Collins here too. He's- sort of a doctor," Isabella told her, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
Mimi smiled. "Thanks, Iz."
"That's not all she brought," Daisha muttered, as Roger came into the room.
Mimi saw him, and said nothing.
"Mimi," he said, softly.
Mimi turned to Isabella, ignoring Roger. "Can I have that icepack?" she asked. "My head's killing me."
"Sure," Isabella said, as Collins handed it to her. She handed it to Mimi.
"Thanks."
"No problem." Isabella looked at Roger, and saw the pained look on his face. "Ummm . . . you two wanna be alone?"
Roger nodded. Mimi only shrugged.
"Alright. Just holler if you need anything, Hon," she said, bending down to kiss Mimi on the forehead. She stood to her feet, and one by one, the others left the room.
Roger watched them go, and then sat down beside Mimi on the couch, cautiously.
"Hey," he said, awkwardly.
Mimi glared at him.
"I'm sorry about what happened," he said, softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It wasn't just me hitting my head that hurt me, Roger," she said, quietly.
Roger sighed. "I know. Whenever someone brings up April, I always get a little . . . you know . . ."
"Crazy?" she interrupted him.
"Yes," he admitted.
They were both silent for a moment.
"Did you really know April?" he asked.
Mimi nodded. "She came to Life Support. Only once."
"Were those things you said about her true?"
Slowly, Mimi nodded.
Roger sighed. "Why the hell do I fuck everyone's lives up? She wasn't like that when I first met her. April had her whole life ahead of her. She was young. I ruined all of that." To his annoyance, he realized that his throat felt as if it had a lump in it, and his mouth felt all dried and cracked like it would if he was about to start crying.
"You didn't ruin anything for her," Mimi whispered to him. "If anything, you made things better for her."
Roger looked at her. "What do you mean?"
Mimi leaned back on her elbows and struggled to sit up, despite her throbbing head.
"She told us about how the year had been going so far," she began, fiddling with a loose piece of thread on one of the pillows. "She said her parents never gave her any privacy, and they were always looking over her shoulder. So finally she got a place of her own here. She told us then she met someone, and she moved in with him, but after a while he started to hit her, and pretty soon they broke up. She moved back to her old place, and later he trashed the place, taking a lot of valuable things."
Rogers fists clenched in anger, hearing this.
"She said that she was pretty much suicidal, and she said that she'd kill herself if she only had the guts." She looked up at Roger. "And then she said she met someone knew. Someone much more charming than her previous boyfriend, and more handsome. He wasn't as aggressive, and on their first couple of dates they went to clubs so she could see him play with his band, and pretty soon she moved in with him and his roommate."
"Me," Roger said, surprised.
Mimi nodded. "She told us she felt like you had saved her. That she was meant to find you. She was willing to kill herself, Roger, but then she met you and everything started to work itself out."
"But that didn't stop her from doing it, did it?" Roger asked, softly.
"About a week after that meeting, the Life Support leader, Paul, told us she's committed suicide."
It nearly killed her to see the pained expression on Roger's face.
"But WHY?" he moaned, feeling his eyes begin to tear.
"A month earlier she'd found out that her previous boyfriend had given her AIDS. And she then realized that she must have given it to you too."
"It's my fault," he moaned, feeling a tear starting to leak from the corner of his eyelid. He didn't bother to wipe it away. "I should have noticed something was wrong- I could have done something about it. I could have SAVED her, damn it!"
"You couldn't have done anything," Mimi whispered. "It was you, Roger, you who SAVED her. She only had a short time to live, and in that short time you made her the happiest she ever was."
"She said that?" he whispered.
Mimi nodded, feeling teary herself from seeing Roger like this.
"I shouldn't have pushed you before," she said, softly. "I should have known it was a testy topic for you."
Roger shook his head. "Don't apologize, Meems. I'd kept all my feelings bottled up inside for too long until I was almost bubbling over- and I DID. And I hurt you," he looked at her, apologetically.
"Could you forgive me?" he asked, his eyes, pleading.
"Of course I will," Mimi said, softly. "I'm sorry too."
Roger nodded, afraid if he said anything he would start to sob. He was embarrassed enough to be seen in tears in front of Mimi.
"How's your head?" he finally asked, lamely.
Mimi gave him a wobbly smile. "Honestly, it hurts like hell."
Roger let out a slow sheepish chuckle, and a few sobs escaped as well, and then he couldn't hold them back any longer. He turned away from her, ashamed.
"You can cry," Mimi whispered, wrapping her arms around him.
"I don't want what happened to April to happen to you," he choked out.
Mimi hugged him tightly. "It won't," she said, firmly.
"I won't let it," Roger promised her. "I promise, I won't let it."
Mimi sniffed, and nodded.
Roger lowered his head into her lap, and let go.
Mimi ran her fingers through his tousled hair, and then bent down so her cheek rested on the top of his head. She closed her eyes, wishing she could block out the sound of Roger crying. It was a foreign sound to her.
"I love you, Roger," she whispered.
Roger lifted his head up and embraced her, hugging tightly.
They both sat, entwined together for what seemed like an eternity.
Maybe it was.
a/n: Yeah, that was short and sappy- Roger bawling like a little baby (AWWW!) I had to show you guys the warm fuzzy side of him, you know, like the cream filling in a hostess cupcake? Think of Roger as a cupcake. This is NOT THE END! More to come!
"Hi," said Isabella, eyeing Roger. He stood with his hands shoved into his pockets, his head bent down.
"Aren't you curious to see if she's alright or not?" she demanded.
Roger looked up at her guiltily. "I didn't mean for it to happen," he said, softly.
Isabella sighed. "I KNOW you didn't mean to hurt her, but why the hell didn't you stay to make sure she was okay? She was out for about fifteen minutes after we heard you leave, and finally Daisha went in there and found her."
"I'm sorry," Roger said, weakly, his voice nearly a whisper.
"Let's finish this later," Collins interrupted them. He turned to Isabella. "You said you need an icepack?"
"Yes. And Mark said you used to be a doctor?"
"Not a REAL doctor," Collins admitted. "But sort of . . . I was a candy- stripper."
"Sort of?" Isabella smirked, and Collins shrugged sheepishly.
"What's going on?" Frankie asked as she entered the room, Pepper trailing behind her.
"Nothing to worry about, baby," Collins said, putting his arm around her. "We just have a sick patient to attend to."
"Is everything alright?" she asked, frowning.
"Hopefully, but we won't know until we get up there," Isabella reminded him, tugging at his shirt.
"Okay, sorry. I'll be back in a second, Franny." It was his new nickname for her. "You and Pepper stay here, okay?"
"Alright." She picked up the dog and shook his paw, trying to make him wave. "Say bye-bye to Daddy, Pepper."
Collins laughed. He made a quick detour in the kitchen to grab an icepack from the freezer.
"You coming?" he asked Roger, as he and Isabella and Daisha got ready to leave.
"I guess so," he said, quietly.
"Let's go," Daisha whined, and the three of them followed her upstairs.
***
When they entered the apartment, they found Mark sitting beside Mimi on the couch. Mimi was lying down, her eyes closed.
"How is she?" Isabella asked, settling beside Mark.
"Okay, I think. Physically, at least." He raised his eyebrows when he saw Roger there. "Well, she's going to be THRILLED to see you," he mumbled.
"Mimi? You awake?" Isabella asked, gently, nudging Mimi.
Mimi opened her eyes slowly. A weak smile came across her face. "Hey."
"Hey, sweetie. How's your head?"
Mimi shrugged, still lying down.
"Well, we got an icepack for your head, and we brought Collins here too. He's- sort of a doctor," Isabella told her, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
Mimi smiled. "Thanks, Iz."
"That's not all she brought," Daisha muttered, as Roger came into the room.
Mimi saw him, and said nothing.
"Mimi," he said, softly.
Mimi turned to Isabella, ignoring Roger. "Can I have that icepack?" she asked. "My head's killing me."
"Sure," Isabella said, as Collins handed it to her. She handed it to Mimi.
"Thanks."
"No problem." Isabella looked at Roger, and saw the pained look on his face. "Ummm . . . you two wanna be alone?"
Roger nodded. Mimi only shrugged.
"Alright. Just holler if you need anything, Hon," she said, bending down to kiss Mimi on the forehead. She stood to her feet, and one by one, the others left the room.
Roger watched them go, and then sat down beside Mimi on the couch, cautiously.
"Hey," he said, awkwardly.
Mimi glared at him.
"I'm sorry about what happened," he said, softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It wasn't just me hitting my head that hurt me, Roger," she said, quietly.
Roger sighed. "I know. Whenever someone brings up April, I always get a little . . . you know . . ."
"Crazy?" she interrupted him.
"Yes," he admitted.
They were both silent for a moment.
"Did you really know April?" he asked.
Mimi nodded. "She came to Life Support. Only once."
"Were those things you said about her true?"
Slowly, Mimi nodded.
Roger sighed. "Why the hell do I fuck everyone's lives up? She wasn't like that when I first met her. April had her whole life ahead of her. She was young. I ruined all of that." To his annoyance, he realized that his throat felt as if it had a lump in it, and his mouth felt all dried and cracked like it would if he was about to start crying.
"You didn't ruin anything for her," Mimi whispered to him. "If anything, you made things better for her."
Roger looked at her. "What do you mean?"
Mimi leaned back on her elbows and struggled to sit up, despite her throbbing head.
"She told us about how the year had been going so far," she began, fiddling with a loose piece of thread on one of the pillows. "She said her parents never gave her any privacy, and they were always looking over her shoulder. So finally she got a place of her own here. She told us then she met someone, and she moved in with him, but after a while he started to hit her, and pretty soon they broke up. She moved back to her old place, and later he trashed the place, taking a lot of valuable things."
Rogers fists clenched in anger, hearing this.
"She said that she was pretty much suicidal, and she said that she'd kill herself if she only had the guts." She looked up at Roger. "And then she said she met someone knew. Someone much more charming than her previous boyfriend, and more handsome. He wasn't as aggressive, and on their first couple of dates they went to clubs so she could see him play with his band, and pretty soon she moved in with him and his roommate."
"Me," Roger said, surprised.
Mimi nodded. "She told us she felt like you had saved her. That she was meant to find you. She was willing to kill herself, Roger, but then she met you and everything started to work itself out."
"But that didn't stop her from doing it, did it?" Roger asked, softly.
"About a week after that meeting, the Life Support leader, Paul, told us she's committed suicide."
It nearly killed her to see the pained expression on Roger's face.
"But WHY?" he moaned, feeling his eyes begin to tear.
"A month earlier she'd found out that her previous boyfriend had given her AIDS. And she then realized that she must have given it to you too."
"It's my fault," he moaned, feeling a tear starting to leak from the corner of his eyelid. He didn't bother to wipe it away. "I should have noticed something was wrong- I could have done something about it. I could have SAVED her, damn it!"
"You couldn't have done anything," Mimi whispered. "It was you, Roger, you who SAVED her. She only had a short time to live, and in that short time you made her the happiest she ever was."
"She said that?" he whispered.
Mimi nodded, feeling teary herself from seeing Roger like this.
"I shouldn't have pushed you before," she said, softly. "I should have known it was a testy topic for you."
Roger shook his head. "Don't apologize, Meems. I'd kept all my feelings bottled up inside for too long until I was almost bubbling over- and I DID. And I hurt you," he looked at her, apologetically.
"Could you forgive me?" he asked, his eyes, pleading.
"Of course I will," Mimi said, softly. "I'm sorry too."
Roger nodded, afraid if he said anything he would start to sob. He was embarrassed enough to be seen in tears in front of Mimi.
"How's your head?" he finally asked, lamely.
Mimi gave him a wobbly smile. "Honestly, it hurts like hell."
Roger let out a slow sheepish chuckle, and a few sobs escaped as well, and then he couldn't hold them back any longer. He turned away from her, ashamed.
"You can cry," Mimi whispered, wrapping her arms around him.
"I don't want what happened to April to happen to you," he choked out.
Mimi hugged him tightly. "It won't," she said, firmly.
"I won't let it," Roger promised her. "I promise, I won't let it."
Mimi sniffed, and nodded.
Roger lowered his head into her lap, and let go.
Mimi ran her fingers through his tousled hair, and then bent down so her cheek rested on the top of his head. She closed her eyes, wishing she could block out the sound of Roger crying. It was a foreign sound to her.
"I love you, Roger," she whispered.
Roger lifted his head up and embraced her, hugging tightly.
They both sat, entwined together for what seemed like an eternity.
Maybe it was.
a/n: Yeah, that was short and sappy- Roger bawling like a little baby (AWWW!) I had to show you guys the warm fuzzy side of him, you know, like the cream filling in a hostess cupcake? Think of Roger as a cupcake. This is NOT THE END! More to come!