Note: Over 200 reviews! Yay! Thanks guys! And thanks for all the votes on the mini-poll. Helped me decide where the stories going...This is a pretty emotional chapter, hope you guys enjoy it!
Benny returned to the waiting room. Roger glared at him, but didn't say anything. He took a deep breath and crossed the room to Roger.
"Roger—"
"Fuck off, Benny."
"Roger, would you—"
"I have nothing to say to you."
Benny looked to Mark and Maureen. Maureen stared back at him, eyes void of any emotion. Mark wouldn't look at him.
"I'm sorry."
"Go to hell."
"Roger, I'm trying—"
"You should've been trying when you were supposed to be watching my kid!"
"What do you want me to say, Roger?"
"Nothing! I don't want you to say one fucking thing."
Benny sighed and nodded slowly. "Fine."
--line break--line break--
Joanne paused at the payphone and slipped in a few quarters. She dialed her boss's home number and waited for the answer.
"Hello?"
"Jane, hi. It's Joanne."
"Oh, hi, Joanne. How are you?"
"Uh, okay, I guess. I'm going to need to take off tomorrow, though."
"Can I ask why?"
"A friend of mine…his daughter was hit by a car a few hours ago. We're at the hospital now but we don't know anything yet."
"Oh Lord…"
"You can count it as vacation time or a sick day or whatever, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be there tomorrow."
"Well thank you for letting me know. I'll pray for her."
"Thanks, Jane."
Joanne hung up and continued to the cafeteria.
--line break--line break--
Roger was pacing when she returned. His back was to her. She set the coffees down and touched his arm. He jumped. Joanne gave a sympathetic smile and motioned to the coffee.
"Here," she said, picking up a cup.
"Thanks."
She picked up two more of the cups and brought them to Maureen and Mark.
"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Mark said.
Joanne shrugged. "I was down there anyway."
"Thanks."
Maureen gave a small smile as she took a cup. "Thanks, Jo."
Benny sat on the other side of the room, glaring at Roger. Joanne frowned and leaned down to whisper to Mark and Maureen. "There some reason that guy's staring at Roger like that?"
"That's Benny," Mark said softly.
Joanne nodded. So that was Benny. She shook her head, fighting the urge to smack him upside that bald head. If anything happened to Maria because that son of a bitch was irresponsible…Joanne sighed and went back to Roger.
"How you holding up?"
He shrugged. "Okay, I guess. That's Benny," he said, his eyes swinging briefly towards Benny.
"Mark told me."
They sat in silence for a minute. Roger took a sip of his coffee. "Thanks for coming."
"Don't worry about it. I just want to make sure she's okay. And that you're okay."
"I just…I don't know what the hell happened…"
She patted his hand. "It's going to be okay, Roger."
"If I had just taken her with me to the store…"
"Don't do that. You had no way of knowing this would happen."
"If I was a good father, I would've--"
"Roger, look at me."
He turned his head, eyes locking on hers.
"You are a good father. You've done everything right with Maria. This isn't…this isn't your fault. It was entirely out of your control."
He sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor. "You think so?"
"Wouldn't say it if I didn't."
--line break--line break--
Mimi walked slowly back up to the waiting room. She ignored Ben in the corner. What caught her eye instead was Roger. Roger and some woman. Her heart sank. She blinked back tears and turned to leave. She was halfway down the hallway when she heard a woman's voice behind her.
"Mimi?"
She turned and saw a dark-haired woman coming towards her. Not the woman Roger was with.
"Do I know you?"
She shook her head. "Lucky guess. I'm friends with Roger. I'm Mark's wife."
"Mark…oh! Mark from the camera shop…hi."
"I'm Maureen."
"Well, nice to meet you, Maureen." Mimi turned to leave again and was surprised to feel the woman's hand on her arm.
"Did you know they knew each other?"
"What?"
"Roger and Benny."
"No."
"Did Roger know you were seeing other guys?"
She nodded. "That's why things never got too serious between us."
Maureen bit her lip, nodding. "Are you and Benny still together?"
"No. I was breaking up with him when…when…"
Maureen nodded. "Does Roger know that?"
"He won't even talk to me," she said, shaking her head.
"So you're just going to leave?"
"What the hell else am I supposed to do?"
"Wait and make sure Maria's okay."
"What for?"
"If you can't figure that out…"
Mimi glared at her. Maureen glared right back.
"Look, Roger and Maria are a package deal. You want him, you have to understand that she's part of the territory. A big part of the territory."
"Who is she?"
"Maria?"
"No. That woman in the waiting room with him."
"Joanne."
"Is she, um…are they…"
"Not at the moment."
Mimi sighed and headed back to the waiting room. Maureen followed behind, hoping this wouldn't turn into a screaming match.
--line break--line break--
Roger looked up in surprise when Mimi came in. Joanne stared at her, confused.
"Mimi?"
"Joanne?"
Roger's eyes shifted between the two women. "You guys know each other?"
"Sort of…we went to college together. Took a few classes together before I finished," Joanne said.
"Roger, we need to talk."
"No, we don't."
"Yes, we do."
Joanne touched his arm. "Roger, just talk to her. You don't even have to leave the room," she whispered to him.
He nodded and stood up, following Mimi to the unoccupied corner of the waiting room. "What?"
"I was there to break up with him."
"What?"
"Ben. That's why I was there. I wasn't screwing around with him. I made my decision and I chose you. I went there to break it off with him."
Roger stared at her a minute and shook his head. "I don't care."
"What?"
"Look, I'm not trying to be an ass, but I don't care. Right now my priority is my daughter."
"I'm choosing you!"
He stood silently and backed up when she reached for him.
"Would you please just say something?"
"Like what?"
"Like that we can be together now."
"Mimi, I'm not doing this right now."
"No day but today."
"What?"
"No day but today. Friend of mine told me that. Told me that we shouldn't worry about what's happened in the past or what's happening in the future, just think about today."
"And today you want me?"
Mimi nodded, smiling.
Roger sighed and shook his head. "You really don't get it, do you?"
"What?"
"I have to think about the past. The past gave me my daughter. I have to think about my future because it's not just mine, it's hers too. I can't live in whatever happy little 'only today' world you're in."
"I love you."
"Mr. Davis?"
Roger ignored Mimi's words and went to the doctor. "Yeah? Yeah, that's me."
"I'm Dr. Maguire. You're Maria's father?"
"Yes. How is she?"
"She's stable. We had to put pins in her arm. She broke her leg as well and needed several stitches on her torso and one side of her face."
"Can I see her?"
"She's in recovery so for a few minutes. She's not fully conscious yet so she probably won't respond to you."
"Just give me a minute to tell them."
The doctor nodded. Roger went to Mark, Maureen, and Joanne. "She's okay. Stable. Arm and leg broken, stitches all over the place."
"The surgery went okay?" Joanne asked.
Roger nodded. "Pins in her arm and she's still heavily sedated. In recovery. I'm going to go see her for a few minutes now."
They all nodded and watched him follow the doctor down the hall.
Maureen stared at Benny and Mimi, both of them looking desperate for answers. "She's stable," she said, not getting up or offering further details.
Benny picked up his coat, nodded to them, and left. Mimi sat alone on the other side of the waiting room. Maureen sighed and went over to her.
"She's got a broken arm and leg and needed a lot of stitches."
"I told him I love him."
"What?"
"Roger. I told Roger I love him."
"When?"
"Just before the doctor came in."
"And what did he say?"
"Nothing. The doctor came in before he had a chance to say anything."
Maureen sighed. "Mimi…is that why you're upset?"
She nodded.
Maureen stood up and went back to Mark and Joanne.
"She okay?" Joanne asked.
"She's fine," Maureen muttered.
--line break--line break--
Roger followed the doctor to the recovery room. Maria lay on the bed, her arm and leg in casts. One side of her face was bruised and stitched. He blinked back tears and went to her bedside, holding on of her little hands in his. Leaning down, he kissed her hand and took a deep breath.
"Hi, honey," he whispered. "I just want you to know Daddy's here, okay? I'm here. I love you so much, Mar."
He brushed the hair back from her forehead and leaned down to kiss her good cheek.
"I'll be back soon, baby. I love you," he said quietly.
The doctor smiled and led him back to the waiting room. "She should be coming around in the next half hour or so. We'll get her moved up to a room in the children's ward and then let you go see her."
"Thank you. For everything."
Note: Don't worry, see? Maria's gonna be okay! Please review! :)