The streets are deserted now, he's stumbling down a side alley, blood pouring down the side of his face. He still has his phone in his hand after calling his mother and when it buzzes he looks at it numbly. He's expecting one of his siblings, or his mother telling him he can't come to her after all, but it's Gerri's name on the screen.
Stopping, leaning against the nearest wall, he answers hesitantly, trying to keep the tears out of his voice. "Uh, hello?"
"Roman? Where are you?"
"Uh, I'm…" He looks around, realising he has no idea. "Why do you wanna know?"
"I've been looking for you. I was worried."
He can't muster a sarcastic response. "Well, thanks, but I'm fine." He can't tell how bad his injuries are yet, he has an inkling he might need stitches.
"Are you at home?"
"No. I'm uh, going to my mom's. Caribbean catch-up."
"Oh, good." She sounds relieved, probably glad that she doesn't have to deal with him herself.
"Yeah. I'm going to her now." He needs to clean himself up and get some new clothes first, his mother never did like the sight of his blood.
"Okay. Good." There's clearly something else she wants to say. "Listen, Roman, there's a video. I wanted to tell you before you saw anything online…"
"A video?" he repeats.
"Of you. At the funeral. I don't know who recorded it…"
"Oh. Okay." He sinks down so he's sitting against the wall. "The libtards will be creaming their pants over that one. The poor little billionaire boy, weeping over his dead daddy."
"Just don't read any of that stuff, okay? Stay offline for a few days until it dies down."
"Can't we like, get it taken down?" He knows there's no we anymore.
"We could, but someone would just upload it again. Best to ignore it." She sounds brisk and businesslike now, which makes his face crumple.
"I'm sorry," he says. "For all the firings."
There's a short silence, then she sighs. "It's fine. I'm getting a huge payout, so…"
"Did you mean it?" he asks. "That you could have gotten me there?" He's not sure what there means, CEO, being a normal human being?
"Maybe," she says. "Maybe you'll get there anyway, if you and Kendall manage to keep the company."
"I fucked it with Mencken," he says, closing his eyes at the memory. "I fucked it with you, with Dad…"
"No, you didn't, Rome." He smiles a little at the nickname.
"I, uh, left Dad a message," he blurts out. "After I fired you. The first time."
"Yeah, I know. I heard it."
"How?"
"Frank played it to me. Don't worry, I deleted it."
"Do you think Dad heard it?" That's all he really cares about.
"I don't know," she says gently. "I mean, even if he did, it's still better than the time you sent him a photo of your dick, right?"
He chokes out a laugh at that.
"I had a fight with Baird the last time I talked to him, you know?" she says. "It was a fight about nothing. Next time I saw him he was in hospital and it was too late. I apologised to him but I don't know if he heard me."
He can't tell if that's true or if she's just saying it to make him feel better. Either way it makes tears start to course down his face. He needs to get off this call before he makes an even bigger fool of himself.
"Well, I'll see you around." He realises as he says it that he probably won't see her again. Why would he? She doesn't work for Waystar anymore and his dad isn't there for her to socialise with. It feels fitting that their relationship, or whatever it was, should end with a phone call.
"Yeah, you'd better get going. Chop chop."
He smiles through his tears. "Bye, mole woman."
"Take care, rockstar."
"Yeah. Bye. Bye."
