AN: Okay, to those of you who might be scared, I just ask you to finish reading this chapter. That's my only request at the moment.
As Roger ran through the streets, he barely noticed how all sound had seemed to completely die, as if he had been dropped into a cone of silence. Even his vision had grown blurry around the edges, as it threatened to fail him, too. It was if time itself had stopped, and he was the only one who had escaped the clock's binding chains.
It couldn't be her! Oh, please, no, not again! He shouldn't have left her side. He should have kissed her longer before going after Emily. He should of...oh, God, please! Not again!
He had no idea how long he'd been running, but the second he saw the police barrier around the crime scene, all sound came rushing back so fast, it made his ears hurt. There was a large stitch in his side as well. But none of that mattered.
"Roger, wait!" Mark cried as he, Maureen and Emily finally managed to catch up. The musician, however, refused to listen to his best friend and strode forward. One of the cops moving around the scene took notice of Roger and moved into his path.
"I'm sorry, son, but I'm afraid you can't come in here."
"Out of my way!" Roger snarled, trying to push the cop out of the way, or at least get a glimpse of her, panic beginning to overtake him.
"Roger, please!" Mark begged. "We don't know anything yet!"
"LET ME SEE! GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
Roger and the cop were practically trying to outmuscle each other at this point. At that moment, two medics pushed a gurney out of the alleyway, the body lying atop it completely covered. The second he saw this, Roger's legs gave way.
"No," he whispered, the tears finally starting to flow. "Oh, please, no. This isn't happening."
"Roger," Mark's hand dropped onto his shoulder, only to be swatted away roughly.
"Don't touch me!" Roger growled.
"Roger, listen!" Mark repeated.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Roger." The last voice that called his name made Roger's heart stop instantly. Once again, his ears registered no sound. Slowly, he finally looked up, taking an eternity to turn around. The sight waiting for him resulted in his breath getting caught in his throat.
Mimi.
For the longest time, Roger remained on his knees, staring at his beautiful Latina dancer who was standing there, taking in everything. Her hair, her lips, those wonderful brown eyes that he adored, everything to convince himself that she was really there and that he wasn't just imagining it. Finally, the feeling in his legs returned. In one quick movement, he was on his feet, enclosing Mimi into his arms tightly.
"Mimi! Oh, baby!" he gasped. "Thank God! I was so scared! So scared!" Roger inhaled her scent deeply, as if he was determined to make this moment last for all time, the tears still falling from his cheeks and getting caught in her hair. Only this time, they were tears of sheer joy. "Mimi, I love you!"
"Mimi, do you know who that was?" Mark asked as Roger repeatedly continued to stroke her hair and kiss her forehead in relief.
"It's Madison," Mimi replied softly. "She'd just started working at the Cat Scratch when I left. The moment I saw it on the news, I had to come over to see who it was."
As the medics started to place Madison's body into the ambulance, the sheet that covered her got tangled up in the spoke of the gurney wheel. As a result, the cloth that covered the body was pulled halfway down, revealing that the girl's face and body were horribly slashed, with blood everywhere.
"Emily!" Maureen cried suddenly. "Are you okay?"
Looking over at Emily, the friends saw that she was staring at the gurney, her face deathly pale. She was shaking like crazy, and looked like she was about to be sick. Before anyone could do anything, Emily's eyes rolled back into her head, and she fainted on the spot.
"Emily!" Mark and Maureen quickly knelt down to check up on their friend.
"Step aside!" The cop who had stopped Roger earlier instructed, looking down at Emily in concern as he crouched down to check her pulse.
Shortly afterward, Mark, Roger, Mimi and Maureen were standing by in a hospital room, Emily still unconscious on the nearby cot. The cop, who had introduced himself as Officer Kurtz was also present. He had personally escorted them all down to the hospital and had insisted on waiting with them while they waited for the doctors. As they waited, he had calmly interviewed Mimi, on account of her knowing Madison, asking if she'd knew of anyone who might have wanted to do her harm.
As the interview concluded, Dr. Jordan entered the room.
"Mr. Cohen," Dr. Jordan began, recognizing the filmmaker from his house call a few months back. "Could you please tell me what happened to Miss Goodhall?" Mark quickly explained the story of what had happened at the crime scene.
"...And Emily, she was just standing there, looking like she was going to throw up, and then…" Mark's words trailed off when Dr. Jordan held up a hand, indicating silence.
"Thank you, Mr. Cohen," Dr. Jordan nodded. "There is no need to say anything more. Wait here." Dr. Jordan stepped out of the room and returned soon afterward, this time holding a glass bottle labeled 'ammonium carbonate'. After unscrewing the cap off the bottle, the doctor gently swept the mouth of the bottle under Emily's nose. Emily instantly inhaled and her eyes snapped open. Groaning, she slowly sat up, rubbing at her temple.
"Miss Goodhall," Dr. Jordan announced, turning towards the bohemians, "has a rather strong case of hemophobia, the fear of blood. Just the sight of it...well, I trust you all saw what happened." Emily made a small noise at this point, and Dr. Jordan gave her an understanding look. "I've told you before, Miss Goodhall, it's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. A lot of people are hemophobics.
"Now, you'll have to excuse me." Dr. Jordan continued,turning to leave the room with a grim expression now on his face. "I sadly an autopsy to go perform."
"Okay then, let's have it." Emily looked over at her friends once Dr. Jordan had left. "Go ahead and tell me that I'm pathetic, loosing it like that."
"Hey, it's okay, Emily," Mark assured. "Dr. Jordan' right. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Excuse me, everyone," Officer Kurtz interrupted, announcing his presence. "But I would like a private word with Miss Goodhall. Could you all step into the hall for a minute?"
"Why?" Roger asked suspiciously. "What could you possibly say to her that you can't say in front of us?"
"It's okay, guys," Emily spoke up, her gaze focused on Officer Kurtz. "Give us a minute, okay?"
Reluctantly, the Bohemians obeyed, but as soon as the door had closed behind them, they immediately started with Miss Goodhall. Could you all step into the hall for a minute?" The Bohemians obeyed, but as soon as the door had closed, they immediately started eavesdropping.
"Officer Kurtz, I heard the news broadcast," Emily's voice said. "Is it the Rat Fang Gang again?"
"At the present time, Miss Goodhall, we don't know anything," Officer Kurtz replied. "But it certainly looks like they've come back. That's why I think you'll understand why I'm asking you to…"
"Officer Kurtz!" Emily sounded panicked now. "I can't leave the city! The children at The Center need me! And I can't leave Penny, you know I can't! You can't just ask me to abandon them!"
"Miss Goodhall, if the Rat Fangs have indeed returned, you have to understand that you might not be safe for much longer. I can't offer you police protection twenty-four seven. We all have other things to see to."
"I'm staying," Emily insisted.
"Miss Goodhall, be reasonable!" Officer Kurtz repeated, this time sounding deeply concerned for the girl. "Zack wouldn't have wanted you to stay in the city. Not when you might no longer be safe."
"Zack wouldn't have run off to save his skin. He'd have stayed and continued to look after me, regardless of the danger he might have been in. So you must understand why I can't just go off to a place that's safe and leave those children behind, leave Penny behind. You can't tell me to agree to being taken off to a safe place outside the city, Officer Kurtz. Because not only would I spend the whole time worrying about Penny, for starters, but they also would find me, no matter where I go. If they decide to come after me, no city border will stop them. They'll track me down no matter where I go, or have you forgotten my mom and dad? There is no safe place from the Rat Fang Gang. I'm staying."
"You realize that if they find you…"
"That just means I'll be reunited with my family sooner rather then later." A long sigh from Officer Kurtz was heard.
"Lord be with you, Miss Goodhall."
Upon hearing Officer Kurtz heading for for the door, the eavesdropping bohemians all jumped back to keep from getting caught. When he entered the hallway, Officer Kurtz bid goodbye to the four friends before leaving the hospital.
"What was that about?" Maureen whispered.
"I don't know." Mark replied, glancing into the room where Emily was out of bed and getting her things together to leave. "But we can't ask her. Remember, we weren't supposed to have heard all that."
AN: And the plot thickens. Hope I didn't lose any readers after the scare last chapter. I can assure you all now, I'd never be so cold blooded to kill off Mimi like that. She's my favorite Rent girl. Next chapter will be up soon.