Disclaimer: I don't own RENT, duh.
Winds Of Change
Chapter 1: Observations
Mark lay staring at the ceiling above his bed. He and his ceiling were quite familiar with each other, really. He couldn't begin to count the hours he'd spent lying there, thinking, talking to himself. He had always preferred to walk and think, but for a large portion of the year in New York, it was too cold to keep his concentration. After tonight, it seemed that finally things were starting to come back together for the first time since Angel's death. At least for everyone besides him.
Sure, he had finished his movie, but now what the heck was he supposed to do with his life? His tribute to Angel was perfect and it made him finally feel like he could move on, but what was there to move on too. For the past year, he had been making the same film. Of course, he had originally intended it to be an exposé on the homeless and people with AIDS, but it hadn't turned out that way and he couldn't go back to that idea now. So, he had nothing. Meanwhile, Maureen and Joanne had each other, Roger and Mimi had each other, and he was lying in bed counting bumps on his ceiling. Well, there was still Collins, but he still seemed a bit too preoccupied with grief to be the best of company. Of course how much could Mark expect after Mimi's brief death and the video about Angel. Come to think of it, they were not really that much better off and in the end it was all the same, he was dreadfully alone.
After his film ended, they had all sat around smiling. For a moment, it all seemed perfect, like nothing was ever wrong and they would never be troubled again. But then Mimi had started coughing again, and they all realized that not everything was ok just yet. They were still sitting in an unheated room in the middle of winter in New York City, with a person with an immune deficiency who had just nearly died from drug withdrawal and cold exposure. They all looked around feeling awkward, each knowing what they had all just realized.
"SOUP," Mark said loudly jumping up and walking towards the area that was designated their kitchen. Immediately he felt embarrassed at how obviously he couldn't handle the tension. But still, soup was a good idea, at least it would warm Mimi up because obviously the ambulance wasn't coming if it hadn't showed up by now. What was with that anyway? God had the whole world just forgotten that they existed? How can you call 911 and not have an ambulance come?
Mark was still thinking about the ambulance when Mimi said "what kinds have you got?" her voice was raspy and it startled his thoughts back to soup. He realized he had been standing in front of the cabinet, staring at its closed doors. God he was such an idiot he thought, opening the cabinet and peering inside. As usual, it was nearly empty, but still there were a few cans of food. That was really all he and Roger lived off of.
"Well," he said, standing his toes to see to the back of the top shelf "you have a choice of vegetable or …uh...vegetable." Mark sighed, it's time to get some more food around here.
"That will be fine," Mimi replied, trying to sound cheerful, but she couldn't keep from coughing. Mark poured the soup into a pan and put it on the only working appliance in the apartment, the hot plate his parents had sent him for last Christmas. He got down a bowl and leaned against the counter to wait for the soup to warm up. He examined his friends sitting together, concerned eyes all turned towards Mimi, who was still shivering in Roger's arms. He was once again reminded that they were not really safe, and that any day now they could all get very sick. Sure, Mimi had made it through this time, but she didn't look so good.
Hearing the soup start to bubble, Mark picked the pan up off the hot plate and poured its contents into the bowl. Then retrieving a spoon from the drawer he walked over and handed the bowl to Mimi. It shook in her hands, and Roger steadied it, smiling weakly. Then for some reason he didn't even understand perhaps just habit, Mark walked over to his camera and loaded it with a new reel of film and put it down again. For some reason he needed it there, ready so he would never have to lose a moment.
After some time Mimi declared that she should go to bed. She put the empty bowl down and attempted to get down from the table, but immediately collapsed on the floor.
"Oh my god, are you ok?!" Roger immediately jumped down to help her, terrified, but she sat up and said "its nothing, I'm just a little weak." Roger sighed and helped her to her feet, holding her steady. "I'll take you downstairs," he said, walking her slowly towards the door.
The rest of them sat in silence for five minutes until Roger came back upstairs, disappeared momentarily in his room and then reappeared in loose flannel pants and a sweat shirt. "I'm going to spend the night downstairs in case Mimi gets worse. Collins, you can stay in my room if you don't want to sleep on the couch, and I'll see you guys in the morning."
"Good night lover boy." Maureen teased as Roger left. But he didn't look amused, Mark knew Mimi was not doing very well.
As soon as Roger left Maureen and Joanne gathered their coats and said goodnight, and Collins disappeared into Roger's bedroom with a wave.
And that left Mark where he was now, wondering what to do with himself.