See if I Care!

Long Time No See

A/N: Hi! I've started working so updating on Friday mornings won't work anymore. Therefore I'm gonna update Thursday nights OR Friday nights, to give my beta her usual deadline when needed. She, TheCookieMonster, is going on holiday for a while so I've written ahead like crazy so she has been able to beta all the chapters (to chapter 10) which will be posted while she is away, so for the next few weeks, at least, there will be updates on Thursdays. Unless I forget. But I'll try not to.

So, back to the drama from last week!

PS: to those who thought it was a horrible cliffhanger: look up what cliffhanger MEANS. They are SUPPOSED to be evil like that. ;) 

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Chapter 8: Long Time No See

Mark reached his friend first, and pulled him close in a hug. Lance was rigid and barely seemed to notice him. Then O'Connor joined into the hug as well.

"Where is your mother?" Mark's father asked. "We'll take you there."

Lance mumbled the name of the hospital and, somehow, all of them left in two cars, even Jake's mother.

Mark kept holding Lance's hand, not caring that he bumped into everyone and everything as they hurried through the corridors, trying to find their way in the maze most hospitals were.

Jake kept close to his other side, doing his best to make sure they avoided the worst obstacles. They eventually found Lance's mother with a doctor in a private room. Jake told Mark this quietly, so he knew what was going on.

"What happened?" the brunet asked in a broken voice. "Mom, what…?"

Mark heard a woman sobbing and let Lance go so he could comfort her.

"Would you mind if I tell them, Mrs. Berg?" the doctor, Mark assumed, said. Joan Berg, who had never been a 'Mrs.' as far as Mark knew, must have indicated that it was alright, because he went on. "Your sister, her son and her boyfriend were involved in a car accident three hours ago-"

"Oh dear god, Tony? Is Tony alive?" Lance asked.

"Yes, he was in the back seat and only has a few scrapes, but I'm afraid both Francine and Darren were pronounced dead at the scene. The police are looking into the case and might want to ask you some questions… about their history concerning alcohol and narcotics."

"Oh, god…" Lance groaned again. "Was… was anyone else hurt?"

"Yes, but nothing serious."

"How do you even get in a car accident in New York City? The traffic is standing still half the time!"

"They weren't in the city, they were going to look at a house," Mark heard Lance's mother say. Her voice was slurry and hoarse.

"A house? Why? I told you I wouldn't-"

"Of course you would! For your sister and nephew and the new baby!"

"You told them that? You told them I'd take a loan for them? Are you crazy?"

"Please, please calm down. I know this is a hard time for all of you," the doctor said. "We have a councilor available if you would wish to speak to some-"

Several voices seemed to join the fray at once and Mark was barely paying attention. Had Lance's sister been pregnant? What about that loan? What was this, he had never heard about any of it before? Sure, it wasn't important right now, but still…