(no subject)
[just after this.]
Mark let Roger run on ahead in search of the girl who'd found his pills; he wanted to thank her himself, but he thought perhaps Roger's thanks were going to be a little exuberant for his to really mean much by comparison. Also, there was this funny tightness in his chest that was telling him he didn't much want to go talk to a stranger right now; in fact, he thought he just wanted to go sit somewhere by himself.
Leaving the compound at a slow pace, he walked around it to where a big rock hid him from view by the path, but he was still in the sun. Sitting down, he bent his knees and draped his arms over them, tipping his head back against the warm concrete and pretending it was somewhere in New York.
A tear rolled down his cheek, and then another. More were welling in the corners of his eyes, and he pushed both hands through his hair, looking down and willing them to stop. But all he could think about was Roger's face and the teasing second chance he'd just been given, the hope that would eventually run out just like the first bottle had. The tears kept coming, and Mark's shoulders shook silently with them, glad for a moment of just being able to let go.
[summary - mark is upset. polly comforts him and they indulge each other's paranoia a bit. archie comes by and also offers some comfort. they talk about books; archie is canon-punctured, sort of. richard is creepy, but mark thanks him profusely for finding roger's azt anyway.]
Mark let Roger run on ahead in search of the girl who'd found his pills; he wanted to thank her himself, but he thought perhaps Roger's thanks were going to be a little exuberant for his to really mean much by comparison. Also, there was this funny tightness in his chest that was telling him he didn't much want to go talk to a stranger right now; in fact, he thought he just wanted to go sit somewhere by himself.
Leaving the compound at a slow pace, he walked around it to where a big rock hid him from view by the path, but he was still in the sun. Sitting down, he bent his knees and draped his arms over them, tipping his head back against the warm concrete and pretending it was somewhere in New York.
A tear rolled down his cheek, and then another. More were welling in the corners of his eyes, and he pushed both hands through his hair, looking down and willing them to stop. But all he could think about was Roger's face and the teasing second chance he'd just been given, the hope that would eventually run out just like the first bottle had. The tears kept coming, and Mark's shoulders shook silently with them, glad for a moment of just being able to let go.
[summary - mark is upset. polly comforts him and they indulge each other's paranoia a bit. archie comes by and also offers some comfort. they talk about books; archie is canon-punctured, sort of. richard is creepy, but mark thanks him profusely for finding roger's azt anyway.]