The next morning, Maureen refused to go to the hospital.
"Come on, Maureen," Mark said.
"I'm not going."
"Maureen, come on. He needs us."
"He needs his drugs. Least that's what he told me."
"Because he was in withdrawals. Roger's gonna need our support. Yours most of all," Mark said.
She pouted, knowing he was right. Collins slipped on his jacket and handed Maureen hers. "You don't have to go in and see him."
"I don't?"
"Not if you don't want to. We'll tell him you're in the waiting room. That way he'll at least know you're there."
Maureen looked to Mark. "You won't try and make me talk to him, will you?"
"Maureen, even if I wanted to, have I ever succeeded in making you do anything?"
She laughed and took her jacket. "Never. That's why we're so good together."
Collins went to the nurses' station with Mark. "We're friends of Roger Davis."
"I'm his next-of-kin," Mark said.
"Okay, the doctor should be in shortly. He can fully inform you as to Mr. Davis's condition."
"How was his night?" Collins asked.
The nurse frowned. "A bit rough….do you know about the drugs?"
"I found out last night," Mark said.
"Well, Mr. Davis had a rough night from the withdrawals. He's all right though. He's resting now but you can go in and see him if you'd like."
"Thank you," Mark said.
"You go ahead, Mark. I'll be there in a second."
Mark looked confused but headed down the hall towards Roger's room. Collins turned to the nurse.
"You got a rehab center here?"
"Pardon?"
"Look, you and me both know there's no way that a few days in the hospital is gonna help an addiction."
The nurse frowned but nodded.
"So you got one or not?"
"Well, not here. But I can give you some information on local facilities that might be able to help."
"I'd really appreciate that."
"No problem," she said. The nurse sat at the desk for a minute, shuffling through papers and files. She handed a thin stack of papers to Collins with a polite smile.
"Thanks," Collins said.
The nurse nodded and went back to her work. Collins took the stack and headed to the waiting room. Maureen looked up from a magazine.
"That was fast," she said.
"Didn't go in yet. I was talkin' to the nurse."
"About what? Is he okay?"
"Yeah, he's okay. I asked her about rehab places."
"Roger'll never go for it."
"Roger ain't gonna have a choice about it. Could you just do me a favor and hang onto these out here? I think you and me and Mark should look over this stuff before we talk to Rog about it."
Maureen nodded and took the stack from it, setting the papers carefully under her purse
on an end table.
