Disclaimer: I don't own RENT or any of the character in this story.
Midnight
Roger, Mark, and Collins made their way up the stairs to their loft after a long night of Mark filming aimlessly, and Roger and Collins begging him to let them go home.
"Just a few more minutes," he would ask, not really paying attention to their responses. The street lights, empty benches, and cold concrete were far more interesting.
"Boy, if you don't let us go home..." Collins warned in his tone which Mark could easily tell wasn't serious.
"Seriously, Mark. It's freezing out here," Roger complained, bundling his coat tight around himself. Mark sighed and acquiesced.
"Fine," he said, pulling his camera away from his face and switching it off. "You happy?" he asked. Both of the other men just rolled their eyes and each grabbed one of his shoulders, dragging him in the direction of the loft.
They were finally inside. Although, it was still cold in the unheated building, but at least the harsh November winds couldn't get them through the walls. They climbed up the stairs and pulled open the door to the loft.
When they walked in the room was eerily quiet. The air was thick with an indescribable smell. Something was different. Wrong. They could all feel it.
"April?" Roger called tentatively. He thought she'd be here. She hadn't mentioned anything about going out. He received no answer.
The men shrugged to each other and pulled off their coats and scarves, placing them on their rightful hooks on the wall.
"I'm gonna make some coffee," Collins said, rubbing his hands together to try to warm them. Roger made his way to the bedroom, hoping to find April there. Mark went to the bathroom, realizing he'd had to pee for the last two hours.
The sight when he walked into the bathroom was one he couldn't have in any way prepared himself for. Without meaning to, he reeled back, a loud gasp escaping him.
"What's going on?" Collins asked, running over to where Mark was standing with his skin fading to a paler white than usual. Collins peeked at the scene in the bathroom. His hand flew to his mouth, unable to muster any response.
Roger came out of the bedroom and saw both men standing at the doorway to the bathroom, shocked, dazed, confused, terrified.
"Are you guys okay?" he asked, racing over to the bathroom. Both men snapped out of their reveries and turned to him.
"No!" Mark yelled, pushing Roger back, "don't go in," he pleaded. Roger fought against him.
"What the hell?" he questioned, fighting against Mark's hold, only to be caught by Collins.
"Roger, don't!" he said, trying to hold the man back from the sight in the bathroom. Roger was panicked. He didn't know what it was they were keeping him from, but knew he had to find out. He fought against Collins and burst past him, flying into the bathroom.
"Oh god!" he cried, rushing to the tub. April. His April, was almost completely submerged in murky red water. A knife lay on the floor near the tub. Her eyes were closed tightly, a small frown formed on her thin, red lips.
Roger reached out to her, screaming her name, trying desperately to wake her. Without thinking he climbed into the tub, pulling at her, shaking her, grabbing her, praying she would just wake up. He pulled her to him, holding her lifeless form tightly to his chest. In all of the fuss, Mark and Collins could see clearly the long red lines running up her wrists.
She had killed herself.
How could she kill herself?
Why would she kill herself?
The questions kept resonating through their heads as they watched Roger in despair, clinging to the lifeless form of his girlfriend. They waited a moment before moving in.
"Roger," Mark said softly. Roger didn't respond. "Roger," he said more forcefully. Roger looked up at him, his eyes red, frightened, pained. "Get out of the tub," he commanded. Roger just looked at him. He couldn't say anything. He couldn't find words.
Without saying anything, he set April's form down gently in the tub, standing, stepping out, dripping bloody water all over the floor. Collins walked over to the tub and reached into the water, pulling the plug, watching as April's body was slowly uncovered as the water drained. She was naked, pale, boney. She was dead. Collins grabbed a towel and wrapped her figure up in it, lifting her effortlessly out of the tub, walking out of the room with her, and laying her on the couch. He didn't know what else to do.
Mark and Roger remained in the bathroom. Mark walked over to Roger and helped him pull off his blood-soaked shirt and pants before wrapping him up in a towel as well. Roger just let it happen. He couldn't fight. He couldn't think. His mind was a daze of incoherent emotions, questions, and confusion. He pulled the towel tightly around him and fell back against the wall, sliding down so he was seated.
Mark watch helplessly, he didn't know what to do or say to his friend. He was also shocked and despaired. He didn't know what to think.
Collins sat on the table, taking in April's pale face and limp body wrapped up in a towel. He couldn't wrap his head around the situation. He didn't understand. He was wet with bloody water, but couldn't move to change. He could only watch her.
Mark leaned against the frame of the bathroom door, looking between the two scenes: Roger lifelessly balled on the floor, unable to think or move; Collins staring blankly at April's dead body. He didn't know what to do next. He didn't know what to say. Nothing could have prepared him for this situation.
As he shifted his gaze to Roger, something caught his eye. A note on the bathroom mirror. How had they missed it before?
He walked forward and pulled it off the mirror, taking in each clumsily scrawled letter; turning the brief, powerful phrase over and over in his head until he could barely think straight.
"What's it say?" he heard. He looked down at Roger who was looking up at him, his eyes blank.
"We've got AIDS," he said softly. He looked back at the note, and then back to Roger. "It say's we've got AIDS.". Roger swallowed hard, reaching his hand up for the note. Mark slid down against the door frame and sat on the floor. He passed Roger the note, but couldn't watch him as he read it.
"AIDS," Roger said out loud. He didn't know what else to say.
They stayed there like that for the next several hours, all of them unable to move, unable to think. Collins stayed seated on the table, watching intently the motionless body of April. Mark and Roger stayed on the floor of the bathroom, the note laying between them as a constant reminder of the reason for the whole situation.
It was midnight when Collins called to have April's body removed. It was midnight when Roger and Mark finally left the bathroom. It was midnight when each man crawled into their respective beds and stared in silence at the ceiling, praying for something to change.
They knew they would have to deal with this soon. The next day, most likely. But for that night, just that night, all they could do was pray.
A/N: You know, just in case there weren't already enough takes on the guys finding April, here's mine. Let me know what you think.