Coincidences Don't Happen ((1919))

[Meadowlark]

Doc nodded slightly, coming over to offer the other cat a paw up. "We shall try anyhow, nyet?"

[victoriousscarf]

Mac looked at the pro-offered paw, and couldn't help but cringe back just a little bit. Taking a deep breath, he reached out his own paw, his leg screaming at him as he stood, stumbling a bit into the other, and leaning too heavily on him.

[Meadowlark]

Doc narrowly avoided stumbling. Oh this was going to be a delight...."Well, it's not too far."

[victoriousscarf]

Mac glanced down at the smaller cat and bit back what was sure to be a bitter laugh. "Thank you," he said, trying to shift more of his weight to his good leg and off the other cat. This was certainly not how he thought about this going, having thought about the favor the other cat had done for him far too much.

[Meadowlark]

It was slow going but they managed to make it to, and up, the front steps of Doc's building. "Do I even want to ask how you managed to get yourself wounded?" He fumbled for his keys again, having dropped them back into his pocket when he was helping the other up. He growled in frustration as his leg started to ache. Damn it all.

[victoriousscarf]

Mac was eying the other again in the light from the street lamps outside of the alleyway. "Probably not," he said. "Other than that it was was a stupid and careless mistake." He wanted to reach out and take the keys but refrained.

[Meadowlark]

The smaller cat glanced at him, looking singularly unimpressed. He finally got the door unlocked and opened it. "We are going to have to get up the stairs, I'm afraid."

[victoriousscarf]

Mac's eyes widened when he saw the stairs he let out a bitter chuckle. "Oh, god, I thought it was goin' ta be somethin' hard," he said, eying them. "It might be easier to just crawl up them." He took a deep breath, looking over at the other. "I can use my good le' ta try and hop up each stair, but I'm either goin' ta have to use you pretty hard or the wall."

[Meadowlark]

Doc considered for a moment, but his own leg protesting, thanks to the damn cold, answered his indecision. "The wall would be the better plan."

[victoriousscarf]

Mac nodded, leaning his body off Cohen's and against the wall instead, his paws holding something of a death grip against the banister of the stairs. He glanced up the stairs and swallowed. "How many flights up?" he asked.

[Meadowlark]

"Dva" The Russian answered in his native language before thinking about it. "Sorry... two."

[victoriousscarf]

Mac swallowed heavily. "Well, it could be worse," he said, more to himself than the other. "Could've said three... or five." Taking a deep lungful of air, he started his slow progress up the stairs.

[Meadowlark]

Cohen waited a moment before starting up behind the red tabby, giving himself time to take stock of the others wounds as best he could--and figure out how he was supposed to treat them in his apartment.

[victoriousscarf]

Making it up the first flight, Mac had to stop, leaning against the wall to regain his breath before slowly dragging himself to the next flight. Over half way there, he told himself, if one counted the walk over to the building.

[Meadowlark]

The Russian Blue grimaced slightly at what this climb was likely doing to the other cat's wounds. Not for the first time in the last few months did he wish he still had an actual house, or at least a main floor apartment.