Rooms

[Locked to Neil D]
[During this, after some thinking.]

Look, I know your girlfriend's gonna tell you I saw her and I did, in Marvel. But, I didn't touch her, huh? I wouldn't do that. I yelled. But I didn't touch her. I grabbed her bag and I yelled and she ran.

She's trying to run away again, to another door, or something, Lou said. Posted about it. You gotta call her, ask her to come back, huh? Tell her you want her with you. Whatever you gotta do. Cause Sam'll wanna go and I can't do that. She shouldn't do it either. I'm finally getting Sam to [...] It don't matter. Just talk to your girlfriend, so she leaves me and mine alone, and so me and Lou don't gotta chase her. You don't wanna do it for me, do it cause it's better for Sam, huh?

[Locked to Neil D]

Houston, girl, we have a problem. Check this shit out: [he inserts a screenshot of this post.]

Bitches be running. (Which I say with the utmost respect.)

(I'm in the turban.)

[After this.]

Neil?

I'm beginning to think that 5am yoga might be a little too early for me.

[Public] Locked to the Donovans, Sam A, and Cris M after talking to Ella

Anyone want to adopt a 6-year-old for the summer?

Discounting that, a baby-sitter? Mama has to work and the little one prefers tearing his room apart, it seems.

[After his conversation with Sam, Neil closed his home and focused on getting to the hospital. His head was spinning, words and words, Neil and Louis and Mere, snippets of this and that, images of what must have happened in the bar flashing through his mind. Every time he felt like he was close to making progress, to taking that step toward action, something else happened. Silent Hill. The double date. Dreams. And now, this. Apologies, apologies, apologies, and he just wanted this all to stop. He wanted everyone to be able to sort out their lives without tearing each other apart.

Before, this would be the point where threw up his hands and had a drink. But Neil refused to be that man, he refused to give up. To give in. Still... it was tempting.

He arrived at the hospital and went straight to the ER, telling the nurse at the desk there that he was here for Meredith, Meredith Janssen. She told him to have a seat and disappeared through a set of doors, but Neil didn't sit. He stood. He waited.]

[After this disaster, and she doesn't actually know how long she was out for.]

[Locked to Neil D]
Meredith?

[Call to Cris M]
[A little later, once she gets to a door. Ring.]

[Public]

[As Ella M]

That hotel has the worst goddamn timing, like it plans around apocalypses.

[Group lock: Neil D, Marta F, Luke H, Dylan M, Max M, Joey A, Shane A]

Alive?

[A note left for Neil on the kitchen counter, where she knows he'll see it. The handwriting's normal, nothing out of the ordinary to tell that anything's amiss.]

I joined a book club here in town and we're meeting this afternoon. There was talk of grabbing something to eat afterwards, so I might be home late.

Love you.

Mere

[Locked to Louis D]
Requisite holla. Please return this holla in 48-hours.

Thank you, Management

[Locked to Neil D]
How was the party, party girl?

[Locked to Aubrey R]
Hey, stranger. Ha ha. How'd it go?

[Locked to Sam A]
May I holla?

Who: Louis, Neil, Sam
What: I have no effing clue
Where: Lake Mead, Ocean's Eleven
When: Fuzzily nowish
Warnings/Rating: Language, at least. Louis might pull out his catty. IDK.

She felt like shit, yeah? She'd known she would. Even with the new meds running through her veins, she knew she would crash hard. The emotions of the dreams, the fight with Lou, the shit with Mere, getting drunk with Cris, the sex, the shitty end to the evening, all of it. She'd known it would slam into her like a ton of bricks, and she hadn't been wrong.

Sam left Marvel wanting nothing but meds and her bed, and the door opened to let her into the bedroom of the tiny hut she called home. Crowded and small, and Rodin slammed his paw against the floor as soon as he saw her. "Yeah, I know, baby." She crouched, and she scratched his ears. She knew, yeah? She was dangerously close to seizing out right there, all the crowded stuff in the tiny space trails of light, and shit in the corners that wasn't really there. She knew, but she wanted to check on Lou first, yeah? That was more important, because she'd messed up hard. She knew he couldn't deal with stress. She'd hidden being sick, and she'd hidden the park incident with Meredith, and she'd done it because she knew Lou needed quiet. Neil needed quiet too, and now that was all a mess.

She showered quick, and she changed into loose boxers and a white tank-top. Hair wet and bare feet, she left the hut and made the tiny walk toward the closed-in room that she called a boathouse. No makeup, and the circles beneath her eyes were stunning mauve against alabaster skin. She looked fragile, like something small taken down off a shelf too many times and threatening to fall apart. The little corgi at her heels, she stopped in the small gap between house and boathouse, and she looked out at the lake. It was serenity, yeah? Sunny and gorgeous, the water still and bright, and she was going to make this better, she was.

She was going to smile through this, dammit, even if it killed her.

[After this.]

[call to meredith j.]

[Ring, ring, ring until she picks up.]

To the man in the room that kept getting smaller...

I'm sorry. That was inappropriate of me and I'm truly sorry.

[ETA Locked to Sam A, Neil D, and Cris M]

Let's just get this all out on the table so we can reiterate how horrible I am.

Sam. I nearly slept with Cris. But apparently I make him want to crawl out of his skin. Just thought you should know that.

Neil. See above. I'll be out if and when you want to talk to me again. You know how to get hold of me. If, after that, you don't want to...

Anyways.

Love,
Meredith
(aka the woman who left her husband and kid and goes into dreams uninvited.)

[She makes no further responses to the post and has, in fact, left her journal/phone at the Venetian penthouse, laying on the counter.]

[From the bar, while he waits for Sam.]

[Locked to Louis D]
You get outta that basement, then this, huh? You need some luck, asere.

[Locked to Penny R]
That was messed up.

[Locked to Luke H]
Hey, [...] you and your people make it through the night good?

[Locked to Neil D]
You and me gotta talk. I'm gonna call you tomorrow or something, and you're gonna pick up, or I'm gonna come find you.

[Locked to Cris M]
I got doctor stuff today, but want to meet up after for a few minutes? If you're not busy or whatever.

[Locked to Neil D]
Don't even try it, yeah?

[Donovan Lock]

Do me a favor and check in?

[Sam A]

How'd you fare, love?

[Cris M]

Good time or bad time?

[Locked to each separately. After this.]

It's over. It's done with, finally.

[Public]

I am not ready for this talk of kindergarten graduation. Not at all.

[Donovan Lock]

How are two of my favourite brothers doing?

[Locked to Neil D]

Sorry, baby. I didn't mean to make shit worse. Don't bother telling me I didn't, yeah?

[A delivery comes to Neil's office just before lunch, Meredith knowing that's where he'd be. It's a meal from one of his favourite places near the office to eat along with a folded note in Meredith's handwriting.]

I'm sorry for how I behaved. I thought you might like a nice lunch today, so I hope you enjoy this.

I love you.

Mere