CHAPTER ELEVEN
(chapter title – The Truth Comes Out)
"Tiffany, what do you mean by that?" Maureen asked.
"My sister goes to school with him – she says that he always goes to other peoples houses and threatens Sara." Tiffany answered her seriously.
"Are you absolutely sure, Tiffany?" Joanne inquired. Tiffany nodded.
"I can't believe that boy!" Maureen shouted. Mark went to comfort Sara while Joanne stood up and went to calm Maureen down. Roger was just shocked – he'd never believe that Scott would do a thing like that.
"I'm gonna kill that little punk." Roger growled.
"Roger, calm down!" Mark told his life partner.
"DON'T FUCKING TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Roger shouted. The girls were starting to get scared. Mark offered to drive them all home – except Tiffany – he wanted her there to tell them what exactly happened with Scott and why he was threatening Sara.
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Sara was up in her room with a huge sign on the door that read 'Parental Supervision Required'. She refused to come out or speak to anyone. She even refused to eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich – her favorite food in the world. She did drink the chocolate milk and eat half the carrot.
"Sara's still refusing to see or talk to anyone." Mark informed Roger later that evening. Tiffany's dad had come and got her half an hour ago. Sara didn't even come out of her room to say goodbye to her friend.
"Why would that bastard call our daughter and threaten her?" Roger asked angrily. His green eyes were welling up with tears as he collapsed on the couch next to Mark. Mark had tears in his eyes as he moved closer to Roger and put his head in his lap.
"We didn't take the threats seriously enough. We should've listened." Mark had tears streaming down his cheeks. Roger looked up at him and lifted his chin so that he could look into the smaller man's eyes. Tears were in his eyes. Tears were in Roger's eyes. The two of them cried and held each other, occasionally whispering loving words and comforting messages to each other.
Meanwhile, up in Sara's room, she was sprawled on her stomach on her bed. The TV was turned to an episode of The Golden Girls. It was the only show that would cheer Sara up if she was feeling like shit. Not today. She didn't laugh at the girls' sarcastic or funny remarks. She didn't even laugh when Rose shared one of her many St. Olaf stories.
Sighing, Sara turned off the TV and turned over on her back, hands behind her head, looking up at the ceiling. She wanted to do something about Scott, but she didn't know what. She was hoping that Maureen and Joanne would do something awful and terrible to him.
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Sara finally decided to make an appearance around one o'clock in the morning. Sneaking out of her room, she quietly made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen. She stifled a giggle as she passed Mark and Roger's room. Both men were snoring and mumbling in their sleep.
Sara decided to make herself some macaroni and cheese. As she waited for the water to boil, she turned the TV on low. She turned it to the show tunes station and listened to different songs as she made her macaroni and cheese.
As Sara put the ingredients away, she heard Mark and Roger's bedroom door open and close. Sara didn't care who it was – she was too engrossed in her favorite episode of the TV show Even Stevens.
"Sara? What are you doing up?" Mark croaked as he made his way down the stairs.
"Couldn't sleep." Sara responded, blowing on a forkful of macaroni and cheese and taking a small bite. Mark smiled and sat down next to her.
"Do you mind talking to me about what happened between you and Scott?" Mark asked as Sara turned off the TV and took another bite of her macaroni and cheese.
"Actually, Daddy, I'm gonna go to bed." Sara stood up and put her bowl in the sink and stretched.
"Sara…"
"What?"
"Just talk to me. I'm your Daddy. You can tell me anything, you know that Sar." Mark told her as she sat down next to him.
"I really think Scott was jealous because when I was a baby, I got all sorts of attention." Sara told Mark, which was the truth. Sara got the sense that Mark didn't believe her for some reason.
"I'm telling the truth, Daddy." Sara told him, her tone angry.
"Sara Elizabeth Cohen-Davis." Mark warned.
"What?"
"I don't believe you."
"I am telling the truth, Daddy! Just ask Dad or Aunts Maureen or Joanne. They'll tell you." Sara's eyes were welling up with tears. Mark just shook his head as Sara stood up and took the stairs two at a time to her room where she quietly slammed the door.
Once she was in her room, she took her guitar out of its case and sat down on her bed. She strummed a chord and sang 'You Are My Sunshine', tears streaming down her cheeks. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she put the guitar back in its case and walked over to her gerbils cage. She got out a black and white splotched one that she had named Mouser.
"Oh Mouser, Daddy doesn't believe me." Sara told the gerbil. Mouser just squeaked and climbed in Sara's hands. Kissing the gerbil on the head, Sara placed her back in the cage and turned off the lamp that she had hanging over the cage to keep her two gerbils – Mouser and a black one named Ink – warm.
Sara put on her Dad's latest CD – Model Prisoner on and climbed into bed. As soon as she was comfortable under the covers, she let out a sob and started crying. She couldn't believe that her Daddy of all people wouldn't believe her. That just hurt her – that meant that he didn't care about her.
Sitting up, Sara packed a few clothes, wrote a note for anyone who cared about where she was going and walked the four blocks to Jeffery's house. Sara shivered as she walked – it was four o'clock in the morning and she doubted that Jeffery would be up at this hour.
She had tears streaming down her cheeks as she reached Jeffery's door. She knocked with a trembling hand and waited for someone to answer.
After a moment, the porch light flickered on and the door opened.
"Sara, honey, what are you doing here?" Jeffery asked, motioning for Sara to come inside.
"I-I t-t-t-told m-m-my D-D-Daddy t-t-the t-t-t-truth a-a-a-about S-Sc-Scott a-a-a-and h-h-he d-d-didn't b-b-believe m-m-me." Sara sobbed. Jeffery hugged her tight as he closed the door.
"Baby, you're freezing!" Jeffery told her as he led her to the couch and put a big fluffy blanket over her. Otis and Princess – Jeffery's Pug and calico, came up to Sara. She smiled and petted them. She finally drifted off to sleep around five thirty as she petted Princess. Jeffery kissed Sara's forehead and went upstairs to his room. He was glad to have company again.
As she slept, Sara shivered violently. Princess yowled, jumped off the couch and scurried away. Otis started barking from his crate in the other room.
"Otis! No! Quiet!" Jeffery commanded hoarsely as he walked over to the couch.
"Shit." Jeffery muttered out loud. He sat down next to Sara and held her in his arms. He tried everything to get her warm – blankets, body heat and even a fire, but nothing worked. It had to be forty degrees on a cold October night. Sara was HIV positive, which meant phenomena and other deadly viruses that could enter her immune system and eventually kill her. Not to mention she was wearing a red tank top, plaid boxer shorts and sandals.
"Sara, sweetie, I have to call Mark and Roger." Jeffery told her, wrapping another blanket around her. She had three fuzzy and warm blankets on her already.
"N-n-no." Sara's teeth were chattering.
"Sweetie, its either them or the hospital." Jeffery said.
"H-Hospital." Sara shivered. Jeffery nodded sadly and dialed 911.
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The ambulance arrived five minutes later and took Sara to the hospital. Jeffery had called Maureen, Joanne, Mark and Roger to tell them what was going on. Jeffery was allowed to ride with Sara to Manhattan Hospital, even though he wasn't family. He had lied and said he was her brother – he treated her like she was his own sister.
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Sara was now in a hospital room in the Critical Ward. She would have to spend a week in the hospital and be tested for phenomena.
"How is she doing?" Roger asked as he and Mark entered the hospital waiting room.
"She's in critically stable condition." Jeffery answered sadly.
"Is she up for visitors?" Mark inquired. Jeffery shook his head sadly.
"The doctor – Dr. DeVaney – wants her to go through some tests tonight. She should be up for visitors tomorrow." Jeffery told the group, swallowing hard.
"If I didn't yell at her, none of this would've happened." Mark said, walking to a chair in the waiting room and sat down, elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. Roger went over to him and rubbed his back.
"Is there anything we can do, Rog?" Joanne asked, walking over to Roger and Mark; Maureen and Jeffery right behind her.
"Not at the moment, thanks Jo." Roger answered, putting an arm around Mark's shoulders and drew him close.
"Actually, could you go back to our place and pack some clothes, her stuffed unicorn and security blanket, and her toothbrush?" Mark asked. Joanne and Maureen nodded and walked out the door.
"What about me?" Jeffery wanted to know.
"No, Jeffery. You dialing 911 and getting her here was the best thing that you could do. Tomorrow, you can be the first visitor." Roger said, rubbing Mark's back in a circular motion. Jeffery nodded, hugged both Mark and Roger, and headed out the door.
"Roger Cohen-Davis, Sara requests that you stay with her." Dr. DeVaney – Sara's doctor, called from the doorway of the waiting room.
"Okay." Roger stood up and kissed Mark on the lips before heading to Sara's room.
"She's in room 28 B." Dr. DeVaney told Roger.
"Thanks." Roger walked to Sara's room and sat down in the hospital chair that was near her bed. She was hooked up to all sorts of beeping, whirring and buzzing machines and monitors. Roger took his daughter's hand in his and ran his thumb up and down her knuckle. Sara moaned a bit in her sleep, but didn't wake up.
"Edelweiss, edelweiss, every morning you greet me
Small and white,
Clean and bright,
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow
May you bloom and grow,
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, edelweiss, bless my home-land forever." Roger sang softly. Stifling a yawn, he let go of Sara's hand and adjusted his position in the hospital chair. He knew that in the end his daughter would be okay.
A/N: don't own the lyrics to Edelweiss. belongs to respected owner. nuff said.
