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bohemian_mark"Hey, I was thinking, we should go out to the Life Cafe tonight, get something to eat."
"I dunno. I'm not exactly hungry. Think I'll just stay here"
"You've been staying inside for the past week. Come on, man, you have to get out sometime."
"I'll get out eventually. You go."
"No. You're coming with me whether you like it or not. Now, do I have to pull your ass off of that couch?"
"No, Roger. I'll come."
"That's good, Mark. You really need it."
---
There's only us, there's only this, forget regret, or life is yours to miss
Life Support never changes, it seems to Mark. If it's not the exact people he remembers, it's someone else. However, it's the same problems, perhaps with a different angle. Today, though, for once, Mark wasn't sitting back and supportively listening. He actually spoke up, telling of his AIDS scare, and actually for once explaining his feelings. The rest of the group was surprised, but as always supportive. He recieved no less than ten offers of ears or shoulders if he needed them.
Right before he left, however, Paul pulled him aside. "You're channelling Roger, you know that, right?"
Mark just blinked at Paul. Yes, he knew that on some level, but he hadn't really thought about it. Before he could say anything, however, Paul shook his head.
"Mark, seriously. You of all people shouldn't do that."
Blinking, Mark finally found his tongue. "What do you mean by that?"
"There has been, in all my years of running Life Support, one person with the best attitude toward being sick. She realized she didn't have much time left and she used that time, not only for herself, but to help others." Paul just looked at Mark, raising an eyebrow. "And she, of all people would kick your ass into next week if she knew how you were acting."
"Angel." Mark sighed. "I know. I really do."
"Then do something about it, Mark. You've changed the worlds of a lot of people around here. If you don't have much time left, use it to the best that you can."
Finally, Mark cracked what might have been his first smile in about two weeks. "It's what Angel would have done."
---
He'd known what he had to do, that he had to finish it. Sure, it took him a week and a half, but considering he'd been working on it off and on for four months, that was rather speedy.
Taking a deep breath, he put it in an envelope, found the address, added a letter that he hoped didn't make him sound like an idiot, and sent it off. He pulled out some other paper and started scribbling again. If that didn't work, he needed a plan B. Mark certainly wasn't going to let this be the end.
"I dunno. I'm not exactly hungry. Think I'll just stay here"
"You've been staying inside for the past week. Come on, man, you have to get out sometime."
"I'll get out eventually. You go."
"No. You're coming with me whether you like it or not. Now, do I have to pull your ass off of that couch?"
"No, Roger. I'll come."
"That's good, Mark. You really need it."
---
There's only us, there's only this, forget regret, or life is yours to miss
Life Support never changes, it seems to Mark. If it's not the exact people he remembers, it's someone else. However, it's the same problems, perhaps with a different angle. Today, though, for once, Mark wasn't sitting back and supportively listening. He actually spoke up, telling of his AIDS scare, and actually for once explaining his feelings. The rest of the group was surprised, but as always supportive. He recieved no less than ten offers of ears or shoulders if he needed them.
Right before he left, however, Paul pulled him aside. "You're channelling Roger, you know that, right?"
Mark just blinked at Paul. Yes, he knew that on some level, but he hadn't really thought about it. Before he could say anything, however, Paul shook his head.
"Mark, seriously. You of all people shouldn't do that."
Blinking, Mark finally found his tongue. "What do you mean by that?"
"There has been, in all my years of running Life Support, one person with the best attitude toward being sick. She realized she didn't have much time left and she used that time, not only for herself, but to help others." Paul just looked at Mark, raising an eyebrow. "And she, of all people would kick your ass into next week if she knew how you were acting."
"Angel." Mark sighed. "I know. I really do."
"Then do something about it, Mark. You've changed the worlds of a lot of people around here. If you don't have much time left, use it to the best that you can."
Finally, Mark cracked what might have been his first smile in about two weeks. "It's what Angel would have done."
---
He'd known what he had to do, that he had to finish it. Sure, it took him a week and a half, but considering he'd been working on it off and on for four months, that was rather speedy.
Taking a deep breath, he put it in an envelope, found the address, added a letter that he hoped didn't make him sound like an idiot, and sent it off. He pulled out some other paper and started scribbling again. If that didn't work, he needed a plan B. Mark certainly wasn't going to let this be the end.
