Ok, I'm back with a new chapter relativly quickly. I would have had it up sooner, but it wouldn't let me upload my srtory for four days for some reason. Oh well.

Thank you for all the reviews and I got many more hits than I expected! And, To Being An Us For Once, you were right. I didn't think you could tell from one chapter.

Now on with the story!

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Soon life in the loft fell back into somewhat of a routine. Roger and mark would eat breakfast together, Roger would go to his room, where he stayed for most of the day, and Mark would go film. Sometimes Mark would wonder what Roger did in his room all day, all he could do was hope that he was taking his AZT and wasn't doing anything that will put him into an even earlier grave.

One day Roger didn't come out for breakfast and Mark was worried. He knocked on his door continuously, but got no answer. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He tried calling Roger's name, but only got silence in return. Finally he was too worried and scared to care about Roger's privacy; he picked the lock and burst through the door to see Roger asleep in the sad excuse for a bed. Mark sighed in relief and left, closing the door behind him. He never saw emerald green eyes open or heard the other sigh of relief.

After a month Mark had had enough with Roger holding up in his room. Yes, he knew Roger took the loss of Mimi hard and that she was important to him, but a month of this was enough. So one day he decided to end it.

Mark knocked on the door, but like before, he got no answer. He called out to Roger, but got no response, so he picked the lock and gasped as he opened the door. Roger lay, unconscious, against the far wall with a puddle of blood starting to form under him. Mark was at his side in a heartbeat looking for a pulse, finding one he looked for the injury. It was a large slit going down the length of his left arm, and from the looks of it had only opened a few minutes prior.

Mark ran out of the room and returned a few seconds later with their small first-aid kit. He carefully cleaned and dressed the wound. Mark sighed in relief when it didn't bleed through the bandages. He left the room again and came back with a few old rags to attempt to clean the blood from the floor.

He was almost done when his hand hit something hard and cold. From under Roger's leg he pulled out a small switchblade that was covered in blood. Mark held back tears as he looked from the blade to Roger. He couldn't believe Roger would do this, that he cared so little about the rest of them to leave them the same way as April. He bit his lip to keep from crying as he finished cleaning up the blood. When he was done he threw out the blood soaked rags and hid the switchblade in his room.

Because Roger was too heavy for him to lift, Mark put a blanket over him and retreated to his room to fall into a restless sleep.

The next morning Mark went straight to Roger's room after waking up. He was relieved to see the song writer still asleep with no new injuries. He left the room to make a simple breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs. After calling Buzzline to tell he wouldn't be in for the next few days, he brought their breakfast into Roger's room.

He set the tray on the box next to the bed that served as a night stand went over to Roger. Mark shook his shoulder as he called to him.

"Roger. . . . wake up." He called softly. Roger groaned in response and Mark couldn't help smiling a little.

"Roger, come on. I have breakfast." Roger groaned again and mumbled something before opening his eyes a crack.

"That's it." He coaxed. Roger opened his eyes fully and looked into Mark's.

"Good morning." Mark said with fake brightness.

"Morning." Was the sleepy reply. Mark got up and came back with the tray of food. Roger thanked him and the ate in silence. When they were finished Mark set the tray aside and looked back at Roger, or more specifically his left arm.

"Why did you do it?" He suddenly asked.

Roger stiffened. "Do what?" He asked.

"You know what."

". . ."

"Why?" The film maker pressed.

"I didn't . . ."

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Ok, that's all for now. I'm already half done with the next chapter, so it should be up within a week. Please review!

Kag-Kitsune