Comments | the_blank_slate: How do you measure a year in the life

make_creation in the_blank_slate

How do you measure a year in the life

Oct 12, 2008 16:59

Mark had known for years that it would eventually be Roger's time. Eventually the disease would take its toll. He'd been there when April had taken her own way out. When Roger had overdosed. He'd been there for Angel and he'd been there for Mimi on Christmas, and later when Angel wasn't waiting to tell her to turn around and listen to that boy's ( Read more... )

prior walter, dr. toshiko sato, angela montenegro, mark cohen

Comments 39

priorlives October 13 2008, 00:39:48 UTC

Prior wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings as he made his way to the compound until he was right up on Mark. He hadn't spotted his figure right away because Mark's name hadn't been the first to come to mind when he'd thought "smoker."

He started to smile in greeting, but one look made it clear that that wasn't appropriate.

"What's wrong?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

make_creation October 13 2008, 00:50:09 UTC

Mark offered a wan smile in greeting and exhaled, smoke exploding from his lips with the violence of breath and worry.

"Roger's in the clinic," he said simply. The four words Bill had said to him. The four words that enveloped the gravity of the situation. The four words that could prompt Mark to wear the label of 'smoker' for a few minutes in his life.

priorlives October 13 2008, 00:51:49 UTC

Prior's chest tightened. Somehow he knew that it was too much to ask for that the idiot had broken his arm or something.

"How bad is it?"

make_creation October 13 2008, 01:00:19 UTC

"Just a respiratory infection. This time," Mark said softly. "So...serious, but..."

Not serious enough that he couldn't step out for a few. If it had been truly serious, Mark wouldn't have left his side.

Thread 12

toshiko_san October 13 2008, 02:02:20 UTC

There were things that were never as simple as they seemed, and Tosh knew that. There was no just when it came to someone with HIV and illness. There never would be. The simplest thing could turn so much worse, but none of them needed reminding of that.

She had known Roger was ill, if only because of her work in the lab. She'd seen Mark there, and for the most part let him be, not wanting to intrude. But when she'd gone to bring him coffee, and he wasn't there, she decided to look for him.

Outside of the compound wasn't the first place she looked, or even the second or third. The coffee was lukewarm when she found him outside, holding it out to him, and ignoring the cigarette. It wasn't like she hadn't ever had a drunken one or two on a big night out. "I wasn't sure if you'd want this, but I thought it wouldn't go badly."

make_creation October 13 2008, 02:52:53 UTC

Mark took the cup and nodded his gratitude, but didn't say anything until after he'd taken a swallow of the tepid brew.

"Sorry I haven't been around," he said as he lowered the cup. "I figured you--I mean, I thought you'd...understand." He'd hoped, anyway. It was just one more common experience they shared, even though it was by far one of the worst.

toshiko_san October 13 2008, 03:13:27 UTC

Tosh leaned against the wall, slowly sinking down it until she sat next to him.

"Is it wrong of me to say that I wish I didn't?" Her words were soft and her coffee untouched, "but I do. And I'm here, if you do need me."

make_creation October 13 2008, 03:56:03 UTC

"It's not wrong. I always thought that the people who didn't get it were lucky. I mean, it'd be nice if they could be more tolerant...at least back home...but, yeah. So fortunate they just don't get it."

Thread 10

squint_artist October 13 2008, 10:14:08 UTC

Angela was in a good mood. She thought, at that moment, walking to the Compound from Adam and Coraline's house (soon to be her hut too), planning the work she would do, that life couldn't get any better.

And then she saw Mark. And he looked terrible. Not physically. He still looked like Mark, maybe a little tired, but there was something in the set of his shoulders, the lines on his face, the look in his eye that let Angela know something was very wrong.

"Hey," she said gently, walking over to stand beside him. "What's wrong?"

make_creation October 13 2008, 21:43:01 UTC

Mark looked up and would have liked to have smiled. He struggled with the simple movement, trying to force it, to act like his heart wasn't left behind in the clinic as he came out to detach for a minute.

"Angela. Hi," he said quietly, just the words sapping all effort. He sighed and looked toward the door. "Roger's in the clinic."

For those who knew, those words would be enough to explain everything.

squint_artist October 15 2008, 07:09:18 UTC

Her eyes snapped to his face. There was worry in her eyes, yes, but not just for Roger. She slipped her arm through his and moved closer, to be companion and friend instead of just listener.

"How bad?"

make_creation October 15 2008, 07:16:58 UTC

"Bad. Not really bad. Not, you know, break out the good suit bad," he replied, the black humor covering the overwhelming urge to puke as he thought about it.

"He stopped breathing. He's got some kind of allergic thing. Respiratory infection. He'll recover, House said, but it'll take time. He's, well, you know." Mark took a breath and looked at her and managed a wan smile with her there and close and connected. "He's too much of a cockjob to let this get him."

It might have been more believable if he hadn't sounded like his throat was going to close at any moment.

Thread 17