A singular lack of gratitude

The escape was made and the three of them were now at Central Perk, but Ross was feeling drunk on adventure. While cooped up in hospital and then in the apartment, with very limited outings, he imagined a world where everything was going on, and he was missing out. Okay, he did have a broken leg, and a sense of adventure was somewhat unprecedented, but he was ready for it. And what was happening? He was here, at Central Perk, and nothing at all was happening. He watched one of the desultory daytime people walk across the room. That wasn't exciting it was...

'This is tame,' he said, startling the other two.

'What?' Joey said.

'What do you mean, tame?' Rachel said, feeling irked at the criticism. It had been no picnic getting him to Central Perk. She had had enough exertion for the time being. She had piously told herself that she would have put herself out more than Emily to get Ross out of the apartment – that was, until she'd done it herself.

'Well I have been here since I got back to New York,' Ross said. He had been brought down to the cafe a few times, and had enjoyed it very much - then. But now that he was fired up, he wanted something more. To come here when he was out without leave, as it were, was hardly pushing the envelope.

'Yes,' Joey said, not really getting what he was on about, 'but that wasn't at ten in the morning. You are doing something different.'

'It looked better at six in the evening,' Ross said.

'Well that's gratitude,' Rachel said with disgust. 'After all the effort we made to get you down here. It wasn't easy you know - I don't want to negotiate anything with that old lady on the stairs again - you could make an effort to be pleasant yourself.'

'Yeah,' Joey said. The old lady in question had hit him with her walking stick. 'We'll put you back in the apartment and tie you to your chair. Then you'll find it tame.'

'Yeah,' Rachel said evilly, 'And we'll call your mother.'

'You can't do that,' Ross said, but his nerves betrayed him. Emily and Monica were nothing as to his mother.

'Oh we can,' Rachel said, amused at his reaction.

'She's sick, she's got a cold, you can't do that.'

'But if you need her, she will come,' Rachel said.

'No…' Ross said faintly, 'Come on guys, you're joking right?' He wasn't sure whether that was a hint of a smile on Rachel's and Joey's faces, so he continued, 'Stop joking, really, that's enough. What I meant was, now that we've had time for coffee, I'd like to go and do something different. Go somewhere I haven't been since I got back.'

'We could catch a movie,' Rachel said.

'I've seen lots of TV,' Ross said. 'That'll be much the same.'

'I guess,' Rachel said.

'What about Coney Island?' Joey said brightly.

'Are you nuts?' Rachel exclaimed turning on Joey, 'Ross can't go there, he's got a broken leg!'

'I'd love to go to Coney Island,' Ross said. This was a lot more like it.

'Oh come on,' Rachel said, turning to him in disbelief. 'You don't even like those kinds of rides.'

'Some of them I do,' Ross said, trying to stand up, 'And I can learn to like the ones I didn't like.'

'What the hell happened to you in that accident?' Rachel demanded. 'Did you hit your head as well?'

'I'm just realising I should make the most of things,' Ross said. 'When you've survived a minivan you realise that you can survive anything.'

'You're not immortal, you know,' Rachel said. She wondered how long this mood would last.

'Call a cab,' instructed Ross, 'Let's go.'

'And to think we were feeling sorry for him,' Rachel said to Joey as they left Central Perk.

The note is not noticed

Monica and Emily had both had Ross at the backs of their minds while they were out, so they did their shopping as quickly as possible to return to the invalid.

'I hope he's all right,' Emily said, on the way back.

'I know,' Monica said. 'He can be a bit helpless on his own.'

'Maybe I shouldn't have gone shopping,' Emily fretted.

'He should have been able to manage,' Monica said, unconvincingly. 'You know, you have to train him not to be so dependent. He's got to learn to be independent.'

'I know. I just hope he's warm enough. I'm not sure if the heater was close enough to him.'

'He does have the blanket,' Monica said doubtfully.

'I'm not sure that it would be enough. Although, it hasn't been very cold.'

'The drafts in the apartment though…'

So they both arrived at the apartment, in their view, not a minute too soon. Monica and Emily put the shopping bags on the coffee table, on top of the note that Ross had left.

'Ross?' Emily called, and was surprised to see that he was not where he had been left.

'Bathroom?' Monica suggested.

'Ross?' Emily called, towards the bathroom. 'I wish he had waited.'

'You've got to go when you've go to go,' Monica said.

'I should have suggested he went before we went shopping. The bathroom tiles can be slippery,' Emily called his name again.

'Ross?' Monica called, louder. This was odd. They'd have expected some kind of answer. She knocked on the bathroom door. 'Are you all right in there?' Emily was at the door with her ear pressed against it.

'I can't hear a thing.'

'What should we do?' Monica said.

'If he's had a fall and hit his head, he could be unconscious. I hope he hasn't locked the door.' She opened it, to find the bathroom empty.

'Oh, Emily,' Monica said, with a laugh, 'You know what he's done? He must have gone to lie down for a nap.'

'Of course,' Emily said. 'We should keep our voices down. I'll just check to see if he's all right.' She tiptoed over to the bedroom door and peeped in. Turning to Monica, she said, 'He's not there. Where can he be?' Monica raced around the other areas of the apartment, checking behind furniture. Emily checked under the bed and in the wardrobe. She joined Monica in the kitchen.

'He's not here! He's missing!'