In the Silence

Summary: None of them knew. Mark couldn't blame them of course, he's been deaf since the accident when he was four, he's gotten pretty well at knowing what someone's saying despite not being able to hear them. But then again, there are moments when he just doesn't know what the hell's going on and he can't see any of their mouths to see what they're saying, or when he can see but just can't understand them...maybe he wasn't that good at it but he's made it this far.

Character(s): Mark C, Roger D, Tom Collins, Maureen J, Joanne J, Mimi M, Angel D. S, Benny C. the third, other characters will be mentioned.

Warning(s):Deafness, being oblivious, slurs, idiots, cursing, HIV, AIDS, blood, getting drunk, illegal activities, randomness, bit of OC-ness, ALIVE ANGEL EVERYBODY, panic attacks, anxiety, crying, throwing up, getting sick, accidents, mentions of past abuse, past character death, MAYBE future character death, more warnings to be added later.

ALL SIGNING IS IN ENGLISH TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU GUYS TO READ.

"Talking"

"In another language"

Signing

None of them knew. Mark couldn't blame them of course, he's been deaf since the accident when he was four, he's gotten pretty well at knowing what someone's saying despite not being able to hear them. But then again, there are moments when he just doesn't know what the hell's going on and he can't see any of their mouths to see what they're saying, or when he can see but just can't understand them...maybe he wasn't that good at it but he's made it this far.

Now if only he could make it through this Christmas without any incidents.

Already missing the warmth of his covers, Mark hurried to the coffee pot and poured himself some while sighing as the heat engulfed the mug thus warming his cold hands.

"Stupid fucking weather..." Mark muttered darkly, glaring out the windows at the still heavily falling snow. It was already December 23 and not only did he have to go into work in about fifteen minutes, but everyone had planned on coming over to hangout for a bit before heading out to the Life Café.

Mark knew there was a chance of them coming over before he finished work, but then again Collins and Angel were going to a Life Support meeting today and Roger would be heading down to Mimi's apartment while Maureen and Joanne spent the day together. So there was a chance none of them would actually be meeting at the loft.

Mark yelped the moment someone clapped him on the shoulder, almost making him drop his mug. Spinning around he saw Roger standing a few feet away with his hands raised warily.

"Whoa man, you okay?"

Blinking and realizing what just happened, Mark felt an embarrassed flush raise up in his cheeks.

"Sorry. I wasn't paying much attention and you startled me." Mark shrugged awkwardly.

"Right," Roger said shaking his head, "Anyway, I'm heading down to Mimi's. Wanna come?"

"What and watch you two make out all day?" Mark snorted, "No thanks. Besides I have work today."

"What? Seriously? Don't they like give you Christmas break or something?"

"Usually employees are supposed to be the ones to request off, but I'm Jewish remember? Don't really do the whole celebrating Christmas thing." Mark said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wait." Roger looked shocked, "You don't celebrate Christmas?!"

"Uh, no?" Mark tilted his head, "Roger you've known I'm Jewish for years. I've never celebrated Christmas before."

"I thought that was just because we didn't have the money!"

"Okaaaay well," Mark turned away from Roger and wrapped his scarf around his neck and grabbed his camera and lifted his bike over his shoulder before heading out, "I'm off to work, have fun making out with your girlfriend!" Since he had his back to Roger and couldn't see his mouth, Mark had no idea if Roger responded or not.

It didn't really matter though, he doubted Roger actually wanted him to come anyway.

Walking down the stairs and waving goodbye to Mimi who had just opened her apartment door, Mark set his bike down on the sidewalk and made sure his camera was hooked on nice and tight before turning it on and then peddling off through the street towards Buzzline.

He could still remember the look on Alexi's face when she was reading his resume and saw the part where he was inclined to write down his deafness. He remembers how her head snapped over to look at him and how she opened her mouth then shut it repeatedly as though she wanted to say something but didn't. He remembers how Alexi almost let Joanne in on this little secret of his and how she desperately wanted to say something only to not know how to do so. He remembers the odd looks Joanne kept sending him even after the went back out to Maureen and headed back to the loft. He remembers heading back into Buzzline for his first day of work and getting called into Alexi's office, he remembers how she wrote down everything she said and kept apologizing. He remembers how it took a week of working together for Alexi to stop treating him like some damned invalid and to get her to stop writing every little thing down, though he admits it did help him quite a bit, now things were finally normal between them. They could even be called friends now.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Mark looked to the side as he rode down the street about a block now away from Buzzline just in time to see a car speeding his way. With no time to move out of the way, Mark barely managed to turn his bike fast enough to avoid getting hit head on. Instead the car smashed into the back of his bike, causing it to spin widely before flinging him off onto the concrete and smacking his head hard enough that he must've blacked out for a few minutes because next thing he knew he was laying on his back with a crowd of people leaning over him.

It seemed the moment he opened his eyes everyone tried speaking to him all at once, he was much to dizzy to bother trying to read all of their lips.

So instead of trying to read their lips he called out to them insisting he was fine, the car and it's driver were no where in sight, and despite how dizzy and suddenly nauseous he felt Mark scrambled to his feet and over to his bike hoping to god it was salvageable. And that when he was unconscious nobody tried to steal his camera.

Thankfully the damage wasn't to bad, he wouldn't be able to ride it the rest of the way to work plus he'd definitely need a new tire for sure, and his camera was still there...still filming everything. He'd have to get rid of that film before any of the others saw it, knowing them they'd probably freak out over nothing.

Sighing, Mark stood his bike up and was about to start walking off towards Buzzline when a hand suddenly shot out and grabbed his wrist. Startled Mark looked to see who was grabbing him and was surprised to see Gordon from the Life Support meeting standing next to him looking panicked.

"Gordon? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Mark asked in concern.

"Me?!" Gordon's eyes widened, "I wasn't the one who just got hit by a car!"

"What?" Mark said confused before realization dawned on him, "Oh. Oh! I'm fine! Really."

"You're bleeding." Gordon gestured helplessly towards his own forehead, and Mark slowly brought his own hand up to his forehead and was shocked to see blood on his fingers. Mark also understood way Gordon didn't try to stop the bleeding himself, everyone at the Life Support meeting and even his own friends were afraid to get near anyone who was god-forbid bleeding in fear of infecting them with their 'contaminated' blood.

"...It's okay," Mark said slowly, "Head wounds bleed a lot even from the tiniest scrap. I really am fine Gordon."

Gordon didn't look convinced.

"Look if it makes you feel any better I'll stop by the clinic and get checked after work okay?"

Gordon still didn't look to happy but eventually nodded before saying, "Fine. But I'm walking you to your job and then I'm coming with you to the clinic."

"You don't need-"

"Mark I'm going whether you want me to or not." Gordon said glaring at Mark.

Mark sighed and started walking towards Buzzline with Gordon right by his side. It was a slow process getting to Buzzline, Mark had to keep stopping due to dizziness and he was having trouble reading Gordon's lips so the trip was made in silence, on Mark's part at least.

Not even stepping a foot into the office Mark suddenly found himself crowded around for the second time that day, but this time instead of complete strangers, it was his co-workers.

"Mark!" Alexi came running towards him, "Oh my god, what the hell happened to you?!"

Opening his mouth to answer, Mark stopped himself just in time as Gordon had already began to answer Alexi's question.

"He got hit by a car on his way to work and he was refusing to go to the hospital."

Mark felt the need just then to speak up, "I said I'd go after work, even though I said I'm fine."

Alexi whirled on him like a cheetah attacking it's prey, "Are you kidding me?! You wouldn't have lost your job for not coming in! Go! Now! You know what? Fuck it. I'm driving you."

Just as fast as Alexi appeared, she was gone again. Presuming to go get her car keys.

Mark groaned loudly, or he hoped so, and mock-glared at Gordon, "Now look at what you've done. You've unleashed the mother hen." Ever since she stopped acting so oddly about his deafness, Alexi had become strangely protective of Mark.

"Shut it Mark, no complaining." Alexi said before raising a brow at Gordon, "Well? Are you coming with us?"

"Ah. Uh, yeah. Sorry."

Despite feeling a bit embarrassed about doing so, Mark told Alexi to take him to free clinic about three blocks away. It took the entire ride there for Mark to convince Gordon to let Alexi drop him off at the schools he'd make it in time for the Life support meeting, it took equally as long to convince Gordon not to tell anyone about what happened with the promise of telling him what the Doctor had to say.

"Thank fuck." Mark muttered sliding down in the backseat of Alexi's car. Mark looked up at Alexi when she turned in her seat to get his attention, she must've said something but he wasn't looking at her to know what she said.

Mark are you alright?

Smiling Mark signed back at her, I'm fine, just didn't want Gordon worrying or telling anyone.

Why?

They'd worry over nothing.

It might not be nothing.

Optimistic much?

Sorry.

It's fine Alexi. I know what you meant.

Biting her lip but not signing anything back Alexi turned back around and drove the rest of the way to the clinic.

"Hey what was up with Mark today?" Mimi suddenly asked as she ran her fingers through Roger's hair. They were laying on the small couch in her apartment and had been for the entire day.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Mimi sat up, "I said hi to him earlier and he said hi back and all but he seemed distracted? I dunno, it just seemed like something was up."

"The hell if I know?" Roger scowled, "I invited him to hang out with us but he said he had to get to work and left even though I was still talking to him!"

"Maybe...maybe he had something due at Buzzline and didn't get to finish it in time?"

Roger shrugged and that was at the talking that evening consisted of until it was time to go meet everyone either at the loft or at Life Café.

"Didn't we say we'd all meet up at the loft?" Mimi said as she followed her boyfriend down the steps.

"Well probably, but we'd all just end up meeting at the Life Café anyway so lets just go there. Besides, everyone's coming over tomorrow for Christmas Eve, and getting drunk off our asses into Christmas." Roger smirked and put his arm around Mimi as they stepped out into the cold.

"Yeah," Mimi laughed.

Life Café hadn't changed at all since they were last there, the only difference was the place was now covered in holiday decorations.

"Told you." Roger whispered into Mimi's ear as they sat their group of friends all sitting together in the back corner of the joint.

Giggling Mimi shoved Roger away and rushed forward to give each of her friends a hug. Roger kept smiling as he walked up to the ground but it slowly faded as he noticed one thing.

Mark wasn't here.

Almost as though reading his mind, Collins looked over at Roger and shrugged, "I don't know man, I haven't seen him all day."

"Is Mark not coming?" Joanne asked.

"He knows we're meeting up tonight. He's the one who reminded me yesterday!" Roger said.

"Maybe he's just running late?" Mimi suggested.

"He better get here, I have an idea for a new protest and need to talk to him about the equipment!" Maureen huffed.

"Relax hon," Joanne said wrapping her arm around Maureen's waist.

"Oh he's probably filming all the decorations!" Angel smiled, "He'll be here."

And so they waited.

They ordered food.

Ate all of it then ordered some for Mark, and waited some more.

It wasn't until the owner kicked them out due to it being closing time that they realized Mark wasn't going to show.

The walk from the café back to the loft was in silence. Nobody had anything to say, walking up to Mark and Roger's apartment all of them wondered why Mark never showed up.

Flinging open the apartment door Roger was barely in the loft for a minute before making a beeline straight to Mark's bedroom.

The others watched in silence from the living room as Roger walked back out of Mark's room confused before walking to the bathroom and then even to his own room before coming back into the living room.

"What's up?" Collins asked flopping down onto the old worn-out couch and pulling a giggling Angel down into his lap.

"Mark's not here." Roger said confused.

"What?"

"He's not here?" Maureen repeated, "Then were the hell is he?"

Nobody answered because none of them knew where their friend was. All of them sat down with Collins and Angel on the couch with Maureen and Joanne sharing a armchair and Roger sharing the other one with Mimi. At some point all of them must've fallen asleep because next thing they all knew they were woken up by the door opening and closing loudly.

Angel, clearly the morning person, was the most awake and watched Mark stumble in and set down his bike before turning towards them causing Angel to gasp. Loudly.

"Oh my god!"

"What?" Collins jolted to awareness as Angel suddenly flung off the couch and flew towards the door, "Angel what're you- HOLY SHIT!"

The others were all fully awake now and staring at Collins oddly before following his gaze and seeing Mark standing there with a huge thing of gauze taped to his forehead, paler then normal, with splotches of blood on his clothes and swaying on the spot.

"Sweetie are you alright? What happened?!" Angel asked frantically grabbing Mark by his shoulders but quickly letting go when he winced and also as so not to touch any of the blood.

Mark squinted at Angel before slowly answering, "...m'fine...just tired."

"What the fuck Mark did you get mugged?!" Roger exclaimed loudly but frowned when Mark didn't answer him.

"Mark? Mark, Roger's talking to you." Mimi said from where she stood next to Angel.

"Wha?" Blinking at Mimi, Mark looked around until his gaze landed on Roger, "What'd you say?"

"Uh," Roger's brows knitted together, "I asked if you got mugged."

Slowly Mark shook his head no and pointed at his bike for them all to look at.

It looked the same until you got to the back half, the back tire was entirely deflated and the metal all twisted with a few wires hanging out of place.

"I got hit by a car." Mark yawned and walked past all of them with a slight limp. It wasn't until Mark's bedroom door had already shut that any of them realized what he just told them.

"OH MY GOD!" Maureen screeched.

Collins, Mimi and Angel all couldn't take their eyes off of the damage done to Mark's bike, in their minds they could only imagine what happened.

"He got hit by a car?" Joanne whispered in horror, her eyes wide.

Roger ignored all of them and ran towards Mark's room and flung the door open just to see Mark still in his blood covered clothes passed out on top of his blankets. Frustrated that he couldn't get any answers or check if his friend was alright, Roger slowly shut Mark's door and walked back over to the others.

There's the first chapter~!

And yep! Marks Deaf! And has been since a traumatic accident from when he was younger which will be addressed in future chapters.

Reviews lead to updates d-(^_^)z