The Hidden Explanation

For two days Marco was waited on hand and foot, if he got out of bed for any other reason than to visit the bathroom, Chet questioned why. It was the second day when Chet sat down and apologized for not responding to the physic message he had received.

The apology did as much for Chet as anything. Once he listened to himself telling Marco how sorry he was for not rushing over to his apartment when he woke up with a start and couldn't figure out why, he realized how lame his feelings of guilt really were. Marco still offered a forgiveness of sorts in the form of a good laugh and a slap on the shoulder. Chet still brought him dinner in bed.

While Marco rested he also received visits from his mother and sister, both of whom brought lots of food and thanked Chet for letting Marco stay with him. Mike and Johnny also visited, each with the information Marco needed to check out the empty apartments in their buildings written on small pieces of paper. On the third day Marco noticed that he didn't hurt as much, it was easier to breath and he spent longer than before in the shower. He also dressed in something other than his pajamas and sat at the table with Chet to eat lunch. Moving with actual comfort Marco managed to climb in his truck which had been parked in Chet's car port and drove to the two addresses that had been given him.

"You're the friend Mike Stoker told me about?" The manager greeted Marco when he knocked on the door to inquire about the available apartment. He was allowed to see the place which was a two bedroom and so much nicer than he thought he could ever get. he wasn't surprised when the rent required was twice what he could afford on his income. Nor was he surprised by the sneer in the manager's face when he told him the price to move in.

His next stop was Johnny's apartment building. Afraid of the response he would get there Marco was careful not to walk by Johnny's apartment on his way to the manager's apartment. His knock on the manager's door was first answered by a women who looked at Marco while he explained that he had been told of an apartment for rent, because he hoped it would make a difference he did tell them that he was a friend and coworker of another of their tenants, John Gage.

"Just a minute I'll get my husband," the woman told him and the door was shut. Marco was left standing in front of the door for what he felt was an unreasonable length of time and then he noticed the drapes being pulled back to get a good look at him before the door was opened once again. It was no surprise what so ever when he heard the woman's husband say:

"I'm sorry but the last available apartment we had just rented yesterday, the people should be moving in this weekend."

Marco was on his way back to his truck still loaded with what was left of his belongings when Johnny pulled in to the parking lot. Happy to see his friend Johnny quickly parked in another of the visitor's parking spaces and hurried to Marco's side.

"Hey, you're up and about." Johnny shook hands with his crewmate. "Looks like you've just come from the manager's apartment, did you like the place? Do you need some help getting moved in?"

"I guess I lay around at Chet's place too long, they rented the apartment out yesterday."

-0-

The next day they were all back on shift, everyone was sorry to see Marco's truck in the parking lot still filled with his belongings and covered with a tarp, but they were happy to see Marco in the locker room pulling on his uniform. After roll call and completing chores the team gathered in the day room for a cup of coffee and found Marco sitting at the table going over the apartments section of the classifieds. Everyone started looking over his shoulder and pointing out an add here and there that they thought he should consider.

"That one requires references," Marco commented about several, someone who turns their landlord in for fire code violations is not the kind of person they want to rent to. "That's really bigger than I need," he responded to the next add that was pointed out to him.

"Don't worry, Chet, if I don't find anything these next days off I'll move back in with my mother." Marco was responding to the frustrated look on Chet's face.

"No, that's okay, there's no hurry, Marco, you can stay with me as long as you need to." Chet spoke quickly, "let's just work on getting you a place you'll feel good about staying in for a while."

When they were off shift, Marco started out with the classified section of the paper in his hands and telling Chet not to worry if he didn't show up before late.

Johnny went home and after pulling into his parking stall sat in his truck for a while and explored some troubling thoughts. He then walked around his apartment complex and took in the three apartments that were vacant and noticed no sign of anyone moving in. He did however notice the new couple moving out. Tony Martin had just gotten married five months ago. His wife was a beautiful Polynesian woman who was somewhat shy and bashful but Johnny had been able to tell the first moment he saw them that they were madly in love with each other.

"Looks like you're moving out," Johnny commented as he took a heavy looking box from the woman and set it on the dolly they had placed at the bottom of the steps into their apartment. "Are we in need of a bigger apartment now?" John speculated with a smile on his face, "something with a place for a nursery?"

"NO, no, not yet," Tony gave Johnny a frustrated and slightly annoyed look, "they chose not to renew our lease here, I guess it's for the best; I managed to find a place closer to work. There's a nice big park next to it. It's really nice."

"Is there any other openings there?" Johnny asked with Marco in mind, a nice big park would be great to have next door for when he wanted to have a picnic with all of his relatives.

"Sorry, it's a duplex and the owner lives in the other side."

Johnny pitched in and helped the couple load their belongings into a rented truck but as he helped them stuff things inside he also took a good long look at the other people in his apartment complex. For the first time he really paid attention to the people living around him. He then focused in on what he remembered Mike mumbling after Marco had told him how much they wanted for the apartment in his building.

"I better start looking for a place to live if that's what they're going to raise my rent too when my lease is up."

As Johnny thought he was pretty sure Mike's rent wasn't going to be raised, and on the outside chance that it was it would not be raised anywhere near the amount Marco had been told.

-0-

When Marco pulled up in front of Chet's place he parked where he could see his truck from Chet's apartment. Chet watched out the window and could tell by the look on his friends face that he hadn't found any place to live and also noticed that his truck was empty. Marco had talked about renting a storage unit to put his stuff in so that he didn't look so desperate when he visited places to rent.

Chet knew he had unloaded the stuff from his truck by himself and after what Johnny had told him he was sure his friend felt lower than a snake's belly.

"No luck, huh," Chet greeted as he pulled the door open for his friend and welcomed him in.

"No." Marco hung his head, "I don't want to be a burden to you any longer; I'll just get my clothes and go to my mother's place until I can find a place."

"If you're going to be able to back me up on the hose you need to be well rested when you show up at the station and you can't do that sleeping on your mother's sofa." Chet was well prepared for his friend's eventual arrival. "Now I don't want to hear about you leaving until you find a place that is suitable for someone of your gainful employment and high standing in the community." Chet led his friend into the kitchen. "I've warmed up some of those Enchiladas your mom brought over. I bet you're starving, did you even eat any lunch?"

Marco was enticed into the kitchen by the smell of his mother's cooking and as soon as he stepped through the door the news paper he was holding in his hand was snatched by another friend hiding out of sight.

Johnny stood there looking at the paper he had just grabbed from Marco's hands and wasn't in the least surprised by the number of crossed out ads on the page. Notes of 'too much', 'just rented' littered the page, Johnny noticed one marked, 'wrong color,' and wondered if the landlord had actually had the gall to say that to Marco's face or if Marco just wrote in what he knew was the real reason he wouldn't be allowed to rent there.

There was one ad that wasn't crossed out but rather had a question mark placed next to it. John looked the ad over carefully and recognized the place.

"Marco, you don't want to live there, we get two or three calls a month to that apartment building. Drug overdoses, gang fights, beaten wives, abused kids, you don't want to live there."

Marco hung his head, it was true he didn't want to live there but he wasn't wanted anywhere he wanted to live. "I can't stay here forever. What will Chet's neighbors think?"

"Who cares what they think," Chet responded as he pulled a chair away from the table for his friend while Johnny placed a hand in the middle of his back and guided him to sit down. Chet placed warmed comfort food in front of him and a fork in his hand and everyone ate their fill.

Being fed did wonders for Marco's mood, when the food was finished Chet moved the dishes to the sink and then sat back down at the table where Johnny placed another classified section out on the table for Marco to look at. This wasn't the section of rentals but of houses for sale.