"All I need is one more fucking hit!" Roger yelled as he struggled to get past Mark. Collins was out to get some aspirin, and was due back at any moment. "One more hit!" It had been a week since Roger's last hit, and he wasn't taking it well. Mark didn't know how long he could hold Roger off; he was getting pretty desperate. "I thought you loved me!" Those five words hurt Mark more than anything, but he didn't let it show.
"I do love you, which is why I'm not letting you leave this loft!" he retorted. Roger couldn't take it anymore he needed a hit. Blinded by fury, and his need for smack, he shoved Mark with all his might. A dull thud echoed throughout the loft as Mark's head came in contact with the coffee table before he crumpled to the ground. When Roger saw that he wasn't getting up, he bolted for the door. He had to find The Man.
The sound of pounding footsteps caught Collins' attention. He saw Roger come running down the stairs with all his might. The rocker was so distracted that he ran right into Collins. Roger froze as Collins grabbed his arms.
"Where the hell are you going?" asked the anarchist. Roger immediately began to try and break free of Collins' powerful grip. "Boy, I asked you where you're going!" Groaning, the larger man began to force Roger upstairs. "Mark wouldn't let you out of the loft, so where is he?"
"I don't know," Roger lied. "Let me go, Collins, I have to go find Mark!" Collins tightened his grip on the rocker, causing him to cry out in pain. He had pinned Roger's arms behind his back like he was being arrested (A/N: Just think Law and Order!).
"Bull shit, like I'm really going to believe you."
"I'm telling you the truth! I don't know where the hell Mark is!"
"I'll make you a deal. If Mark really is gone, then I'll call Joanne and Maureen, and ask them to go look for him. If he's not gone, then you have some explaining to do." Roger almost broke free of Collins' grip, but not quite.
"Let me go, Collins! I need to go out! You can't keep me locked up in here forever! I need to find Mark!"
"Why do I have the feeling that you locked Mark in his room just to get a hit? Oh, because you most-likely did." Collins took a few seconds to slide open the loft door while keeping Roger under control. Lying face down on the floor with one arm pinned under him was Mark. "What did you do?" yelled Collins. "What the fuck did you do Roger?" He literally dragged Roger over to his bedroom, threw him inside, and jammed a chair under the doorknob; locking the rocker in.
After Collins took care of Roger, he turned his attention to Mark. He carefully picked the smaller man up, and laid him out on the couch. Mark groaned, and slowly opened his eyes.
"What happened?" he groaned. Collins handed him some aspirin, and a glass of water. Both men ignored Roger's cries for help, and banging on the door.
"Take there," ordered Collins. Mark popped the pills in his mouth, and drained the glass of water. Sighing, Collins sat down across from him. "How are you feeling?" Mark shrugged.
"My wrist really hurts," he replied. "Do we still have that brace thing from when I fell off my bike?" Collins got up, and dug around the medicine cabinet in the kitchen. He produced the tan brace, and tossed it on the couch. "Thanks man."
"No problem. Do you remember what happened?" As Mark put the brace on, he collected his thoughts.
"Roger wanted another hit, but I wouldn't let him. He even pulled out the 'I though you loved me' card. He shoved me, and that's all I remember."
"Let me out, Marky!" Roger yelled as he banged on the door. His voice was getting hoarse, and it was obvious that he was crying. It pained Mark to hear the man he loved plead for him, and simply turn away. Collins gently put his hand on Mark's leg.
"Tomorrow's Wednesday, Mark," he said. Even though he wasn't sure where this was going, Mark nodded. "You deserve a break. Why don't you go down to Life Support?" The filmmaker shook his head.
"No, no, I can't leave. I have to stay here to help Roger."
"Life Support will be good for you. You'll be able to see Paul, Sue, Pam, and Steve, and get some things off your chest. I'll be here with Roger. You should go." Mark chewed on his bottom lip, and reluctantly agreed to Collins' offer.
The following afternoon, Mark found himself walking up the stairs to the Community Center.
"Hello Mark," Paul said when Mark entered the meeting room. "Long time no see. How've you been lately?" Mark helped the other man set up the chairs as people began to show up.
"That's why I'm here. Things are getting crazy at the loft, so Collins sent me down here." Pam and Sue arrived, chatting and laughing. Steve arrived right after the two women.
"I'll let you speak first if you want." Everyone took his or her seats.
"It honestly doesn't matter to me."
After everyone took their seats, they said their names despite the fact that they all knew each other.
Paul said, "I believe that Mark wanted to start." Mark felt everyone's eyes on him. "Mark?" He sighed.
"Last week, Collins and I found out that Roger's been using since Mimi's death. He's been off smack for a wee, and things are getting crazy back at the loft. Yesterday, he accused me of not loving him before shoving me into the coffee table, knocking me out, and messing up my wrist." Mark fingered the brace.
"How are you
handling all of this, Mark?"
"Me?" Mark stopped to think.
How was he handling all of this? He couldn't remember the
last time someone had asked him something like that. "I'm
stressed. I've already seen Roger go through this already, and I
know how hard this'll be for him."
"Were you guys together
last time Roger went through withdrawal?" Mark shook his head.
"No, we were just
best friends then."
"Now you can provide Roger with a
different type of comfort than before. be there for him in his time
of need." Mark listened as everyone else went around the circle,
and talked about their lives.
After the meeting, Paul and Sue approached Mark as the filmmaker was pulling on his jacket.
Paul said, "We'd like to help out with Roger a little."
"Oh no, you don't have to do that. Roger's pretty violent right now; we're even keeping Maureen and Joanne away from the loft right now. It's took dangerous for people to be at our place at this point."
"It would be quick visits to bring you guys food a few times a week," Sue explained. Mark stopped to think. It would be good for Roger to have some real food in his system.
"Sure," he said slowly. "I'll have to double check with Collins, but that should be fine. Thanks, this should help out some." Mark talked to his friends for a little while before rushing home to Roger.
Several days later, Mark returned from the Food Emporium. He was getting some thing for Roger's upset stomach. The sound of Roger gagging and Collins trying to calm him down filled the loft. Mark tossed his jacket in his room, and went to get himself some water. A piece of paper on the kitchen table caught his attention. It was a letter from MIT (A/N: Which I've seen, it's really cool! They put a police car on the roof…twice! Sorry, back to the story!) asking Collins to return to teach class.
"I think I'm going to turn them down," Collins said as he came into the room, startling Mark.
"You should take it. We need the money for AZT, bills, and food. I'm not working, and Roger certainly isn't."
"I'm not leaving you alone with Roger. Just look at what he did to you the other day!"
"If things get out of hand, I'll either call you or even Benny if need be. We need the money, Collins." Collins took the piece of paper from Mark, and stuck it in his back pocket. He was going to take the job.
"Mark? Marky?" Roger moaned from the bathroom. "Is that you?" Mark grabbed his water and the medicine for Roger, and went into the bathroom.
"Yeah, I'm right here Rog," he replied in a soothing voice as he rubbed Roger's back. "Here, take these." He held up the pills.
"I can't, I can't
keep anything down."
"These will help, trust me." With
shaking hands, Roger took the pills from Mark. The filmmaker held
the glass of water to the rocker's chapped lips. "There you go,
feel better now?" Roger closed his eyes, and leaned against Mark.
He hated feeling like crap!
A/N: There's chapter 3. I have some more one-shots coming out, and a two-shot that's Roger after April's death. Review this until then!
Tina101