CHAPTER ELEVEN
(chapter title - We're All In This Together)
Roger arrived at the hospital around three thirty in the afternoon the next day. Today, Eileen was being released from the hospital - she had spent over a week in the hospital recovering from her surgery on her arm and her ribs. Making his way to Eileen's room, Roger stopped in the gift shop and bought a small horse stuffed animal.
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Eileen was fast asleep when Roger entered the room. He quietly sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep - her arm was still in a hanging sling. Roger placed a hand on Eileen's back and gently rubbed in between her shoulder blades. Eileen stirred a bit in her sleep, so Roger took that as his cue to stop.
"Hey Eileen." He whispered as she opened her eyes. She smiled and adjusted herself on the pillows.
"Hey uncle Roger. What are you doing here?" Eileen asked hoarsely.
"I signed your release papers and you're scheduled to leave here at four. I decided to stop by early and give you this." he handed her the horse stuffed animal he got in the gift shop. Eileen smiled at him and hugged the horse close to her.
"Thank you uncle Roger! He's so cute!" Eileen sat up a little straighter in bed as Roger handed her the horse.
"I figured since you left Rain at home, this guy'll keep you company." Roger told her, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. Eileen smiled and hugged the horse close to her.
"I'm gonna name him Cloud." Eileen said after a while. Roger smiled as a nurse came into the room, carrying Eileen's release papers.
"Okay, Ms. Collins, you're all set to go. If you have any problems, just call and ask for Dr. Appleby - he's been the one whose been taking such good care of you." the nurse said, flipping through the release papers. Roger got up from the side of the bed and stood aside so that the nurse could help Eileen get out of the bed and walking around the room. Eileen and the nurse went to the bathroom to get Eileen changed into regular clothes before she went on her way.
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At seven-oh-eight, John and Jules were driving Roger to the airport so that he could catch his plane back to New York and go back to recording his CD.
"I'm gonna miss you, uncle Roger." John was saying. Roger nodded and looked out the backseat window.
"Dad, you know I'll be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so there's no need to get sad." Jules said, brushing her hair out of her face.
"I know, sweetie, but I'm just worried about Hannah." Roger told her.
"We all are, dad. She'll turn up, don't worry." Jules whispered as John turned on the radio. Someone had requested the song We're All In This Together.
"Together, together, together everyone
Together, together, come on lets have some fun
Together, were there for each other every time
Together together come on lets do this right
Here and now its time for celebration
I finally figured it out (yeah yeah)
That all our dreams have no limitations
That's what its all about
Everyone is special in their own way
We make each other strong (each other strong)
Were not the same
Were different in a good way
Together's where we belong
We're all in this together
Once we know
That we are
We're all stars
And we see that
We're all in this together
And it shows
When we stand
Hand in hand
Make our dreams come true
Together, together, together everyone
Together, together, come on lets have some fun
Together, were there for each other every time
Together together come on lets do this right
We're all here
and speaking out with one voice
we're going to rock the house (rock the house)
the party's on now everybody make some noise
come on scream and shout
We've arrived because we stuck together
Champions one and all
We're all in this together
Once we know
That we are
We're all stars
And we see that
We're all in this together
And it shows
When we stand
Hand in hand
Make our dreams come
We're all in this together
When we reach
We can fly
Know inside
We can make it
We're all in this together
Once we see
There's a chance
That we have
And we take it
Wild cats sing along
Yeah, you really got it goin' on
Wild cats in the house
Everybody say it now
Wild cats everywhere
Wave your hands up in the air
That's the way we do it
Lets get to it
Time to show the world
We're all in this together
Once we know
That we are
We're all stars
And we see that
We're all in this together
And it shows
When we stand
Hand in hand
Make our dreams come
We're all in this together
When we reach
We can fly
Know inside
We can make it
We're all in this together
Once we see
There's a chance
That we have
And we take it
Wild cats everywhere
Wave your hands up in the air
That's the way we do it
Let's get to it
Come on everyone!" Jules, John and Roger sang.
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Meanwhile, in a coffee shop called Beaner's, a girl with forearm length reddish brown hair and brown eyes was sipping a Coke and flipping through a magazine when she hears people calling her name.
"What?" she snapped, turning around in her stool.
"Hannah! Thank God you're okay!" a boy with spiky brown hair ran up to her.
"Adam! How did you know I was here?" Hannah inquired.
"I was driving to the dorms when I saw you sitting here." he explained. "What are you doing here? Everyone's looking for you."
"No, they're not. No one knows I'm here." Hannah's eyes welled up with tears. Adam sighed and hugged her close.
"Let's just get you back to Jules' dorm. She and John drove Roger to the airport before dropping Eileen off at her dorm." Adam explained as he led Hannah to his car and opened the passenger door for her.
"Thanks." she briefly thanked him before climbing in the passenger's seat. Adam smiled at her as he turned on Roger's CD. The two of them sang all the songs on the CD all the way to the dorms.
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"Mommy, everything has to be perfect!" Caitlyn was saying. Destiny sighed as she squeezed a little more frosting on the chocolate cake.
"I know, sweetie. Daddy went to pick up Roger from the airport and Jason's taking a nap, so why don't you go play." Destiny told her daughter, concentrating on her lettering. The cake was a chocolate cake with white frosting. In red letters, the words "Happy 10th Birthday Caitlyn" paraded across the cake.
"Okay, mommy." Caitlyn hopped down from the kitchen stool and went to her room and got out her Barbie dolls and played with them until she heard the door open and close again.
"Hi daddy! Hi Roger!" Caitlyn greeted the two men as they entered the loft. Mark smiled and hugged his stepdaughter. He couldn't believe that she was turning ten today.
"Happy birthday Caitlyn." Roger said, hugging the young girl. Caitlyn smiled and hugged him back. Mark had wandered into the kitchen and snuck up behind Destiny, who was holding the red frosting tube in her hand. He wrapped his hands around her waist and drew her close. Destiny turned around and squirted some red frosting right in his face.
"What was that for?" Mark asked, taking off his glasses and wiping them with a dishtowel. Roger and Caitlyn were laughing at this.
"Oh goodness! I'm sorry, Mark!" Destiny kissed her husband's cheek and helped him clean his face of red frosting. Mark laughed and put his glasses back on.
"It's okay, honey. I'm sure you didn't mean to do that." Mark told her, kissing her forehead.
"Who all is coming to my party?" Caitlyn inquired, going to the couch and sitting down. Roger sat down next to her.
"Well, it's gonna be you, me, Jason, your dad, your mom, Joanne, Maureen and Sophia. Is that okay?" Roger asked. Caitlyn nodded and smiled.
"I got you something truly special, but you're gonna have to wait to see what it is until everyone gets here." Roger told her.
"Can I open one now?" Caitlyn asked, her tone pleading. Mark looked at Destiny.
"Okay, just one Caitlyn Elizabeth." Destiny said, handing her a box wrapped in pink paper.
"It's from Mark and me." Destiny told her. Caitlyn threw the paper all over the place until she got to the box. She opened the box with great difficulty, but finally got it open.
"What is it?" Caitlyn asked, taking the present out of the box. It was the movies Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Chicken Little and Hoot.
"Those were the first three movies we saw together as a family, remember, Caitlyn?" Mark inquired. Caitlyn nodded and hugged him. Mark smiled and hugged her back just as Joanne, Maureen and Sophia walked in the door. Maureen was carrying a present and Joanne was carrying the baby.
"Happy birthday Caitlyn." Maureen greeted her. Caitlyn smiled and hugged Maureen and Joanne.
"Thank you, sweetie. Where's your brother?" Joanne inquired as she hugged Roger, Mark and Destiny.
"He's in our room, sleeping." Destiny said, looking at Sophia.
"Do you mind if I put her in there with him?" Joanne asked. Destiny smiled and shook her head. Joanne smiled back and carefully put Sophia next to Jason in his bassinet. She watched the babies for a bit before going out with the grownups.
"So, Caitlyn, did you do anything fun for your birthday?" Joanne asked, sitting on the couch next to Caitlyn on one side and Roger on the other.
"Yeah - I went to dance class where everyone sang 'happy birthday' to me and Cassidy gave me a friendship bracelet that she made herself. Then I came home and daddy gave me these." she handed Joanne the movies that Mark had given her.
"Oh, these are nice movies. I saw Chronicles of Narnia and I really liked it and so will you." Joanne told her, handing her a box the shape of a DVD.
"What'd you get me?" Caitlyn inquired, making a grab for the movie.
"Caitlyn Elizabeth Cohen! Remember your manners!" Destiny barked from the kitchen. She was putting candles on the cake, with Mark's help.
"Sorry, mommy." Caitlyn turned back to Joanne. "I'm sorry about that, Joanne." she apologized.
"Aww. It's okay, girlfriend. You're growing up and there's so much to learn." Joanne told her, handing her the box again. Caitlyn smiled and opened her present - it was the movie High School Musical.
"Thank you Joanne and Maureen! I saw this movie on TV six times and I love it!" Caitlyn told them, hugging Joanne and Maureen. Just then there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it!" Roger announced, going to the door and opening it. Standing before him was Crystal. Today, she was wearing a shiny purple t-shirt and jeans. Her long hair was pulled back with a purple ribbon.
"Hey Crystal! Come on in!" Roger told her, putting a hand on her back and leading her inside.
"Happy birthday Caitlyn." Crystal said, handing Caitlyn a bag with different colored squiggles on it.
"Thank you Crystal." Caitlyn said, taking the bag from Crystal and putting it with her other presents.
"Hey you." Crystal kissed Roger on the cheek. Roger smiled and kissed her back.
"You two! This is a PG rated loft!" Mark teased. Roger laughed and put an arm around Crystal's shoulders. Now, the real party was about to begin now that Crystal was here with them.
A/N: Don't own the lyrics to We're All In This Together. 'nuff said
