Note: I don't RENT or Lori who was a creation of a friend of mine and I love her….both of them haha. This is actually a little thing I wrote ages ago and forgot that I wrote it. So here it is not my best but hey I like the idea.
"Collins you are full of all types of shit!" Maureen called out covering her mouth with her hands. She leaned back in her chair and let laughter completely take over her body, "No really you're full of shit." Shaking her head she looked back at her friend who was currently in a hospital bed.
Collins grinned weakly, "I only speak the truth Mo you should know that by now." There were tubes pushed into the man's skin and machines beeping steadily. He was on constant watch nurses would come in and out to check his vitals every half hour.
"Yeah sure, darlin', whatever you say." Maureen said holding up her hands and then readjusting the way she was sitting. "My butt feel asleep."
"I'm just in mourning for your ass. It's pretty. I've seen it often." Collins said with a slow nod, "Nice tattoo too."
"You told me it was stupid when I got it." Maureen pointed out titling her head to the side.
Collins just smiled rubbing his face that was covered with lesions, "I got used to it."
"Lord, you make it sound like you have a close personal relationship with my ass." Maureen said chuckling while picking out dirt from her fingernails.
"We have a history." Collins said before coughing gently. Maureen looked over at Collins concerned but he waved it off. She didn't look completely at ease but looked at the door with a sigh. Collins watched her for a moment and felt a pang of guilt go through him. It wasn't fair that Maureen was on AIDS duty. There was more fun things to be had at the hospital…for once. He cleared his throat, "Hey Maureen, you can go. I can amuse myself. There is always tv." Collins pointed to the television that sparked anytime someone tried to turn it on.
Maureen rolled her eyes, "Like you would even watch it if it was working. All that damn nonsense of yours says no tv or impressions of real life."
Collins let out a few more coughs but smiled through them, "So you do listen to me when I talk about my actual reality theory?" Maureen shrugged not wanting to admit that she did.
"Really Mo get out of here. You have to go calm down Mark and Joanne. You know they're running in a panic. And I bet Lori is the one telling them to chill out. So you should take over so she can worry about having the baby and not her husband and her cousin."
Maureen refused to look up from her nails, "They have Roger and Mimi to watch them and keep an eye on Lori. I think they can handle it. And Joanne will give me the play by play later I'm sure…." She paused for a moment and then looked up at Collins, "Are you trying to kick me out?"
Collins shook his head slowly feeling suddenly drowsy, "No girl. You're welcome to stay."
Maureen went back to her nails, "So what do you think….boy or girl?"
Collins thought for a moment, "Boy. Just got a feeling." With that Joanne slipped inside knocking beforehand. Maureen jumped up and bit her lip, "So?"
Joanne was grinning deeply and wiping away a few happy tears, "It's a boy. Lori's fine. And Roger is taking care of Mark." She giggled.
"Oh that's great!" Collins said loudly perhaps to loud as it caused a fit of coughs. The women went over to him but he waved them away gaining control over his pneumonia-infected lungs.
"I'm fine. You two go. Go celebrate. Tell Mark and Lori I said congrats." Maureen nodded and leaned over to kiss his forehead. "I still think you're full of shit no one could ever be that drunk. Even you. Love ya, babe." Maureen whispered to him before taking Joanne's hand and skipping out of the room.
Collins smiled and closed his eyes falling asleep immediately. The past few days he slept more than he had stayed awake. But he didn't mind much. He would dream about Angel and the new bohemian that was on the way. The dreams would be filled with happiness although in truth, he would never get to watch the boy grow up. It was reality and Collins had always embraced reality. Even when Angel died…it was the way things were. He had wept and asked why but he accepted that there would be no answers for him. At least until he joined her…which would be soon. Too soon.
Mark knocked on Collins door. When not hearing an answer he pushed the door gently and saw his friend was sleeping. Just as he was about to leave Collins called out, "I just woke up, Cohen. Get your white ass over here." With a great amount of effort Collins pulled himself up from bed.
Mark smiled and turned around revealing a small bundle in his arms, "You better watch your language around my son you know." Collins' eyes lit up, something they hadn't done in ages.
"So this is your son?" Collins whispered and Mark nodded coming closer to the bed and leaning down so his friend could get a good look.
"Aw Mark he's beautiful." Collins said amazed by the small human life before him. The baby was so delicate and more precious than any material on earth. A pure innocent life not yet tainted by disease or prejudice or pain. Just a basic building block of a person. A whole life ahead. Not just hours or days. Whole years and decades to explore every nook and cranny of the agonizing yet magnificent world.
"He's beautiful." Collins repeated.
Mark looked down at him, "Yeah, luckily he doesn't look a bit like me."
"I doubt that babies come out of the womb wearing a scarf and glasses, Mark. But look he's got your nose. Poor kid." Collins said giving the baby a sympathetic glance. Mark laughed lightly making sure not to wake his son.
"Lori ok?" Collins asked, between being Mark's wife and Joanne's cousin the woman had enough on her hands as it was. Then she had the challenge of bringing a baby into the world. Mark smiled and looked down at the baby, "She's fine. Perfect actually. Just so happy to finally see this little guy."
Collins realized he didn't know his name so he asked in his round about way, "So what horrific name have you guys chosen to give him which will cause him to hate you for the rest of your lives?"
Mark looked up at Collins a sense of pride in his eyes, "His name is Thomas. Thomas Cohen." Collins stared at Mark for a moment and raised his eyebrow. Mark smiled deeply it was even visible in his eyes and nodded slowly to confirm Collins' thoughts.
Immediately, Collins started to tear up and cleared his throat before saying, "Yeah…he's gonna hate you. That's a horrible name." Mark let out a quiet laugh while trying to hold back his own tears which we starting to form, "Yeah well…I'll just tell him that one of my best friends made it through for years with it. So he should be able to as well." Mark breathed in and chuckled, "Then he'll slam the door in my face and say that he hates me."
Collins wiped his face, "Probably…Mark…" He couldn't talk anymore his throat closing up from all of the emotion. The truth was upon them. Collins had days to live and he wouldn't see Mark's children grow up. Watch Maureen and Joanne adopt their own. Watch Mimi and Roger spoil the hell out of all of them. If there was one regret in Collins' whole life it was that he wouldn't be able to watch over them as long as he wished he could.
Mark finally let his tears fall, "I'll show him the films. Introduce him to Angel. And introduce him to…"
"His namesake?" Collins asked finally being able to speak.
Mark nodded, "He'll be the first one. You'll be the first he meets."