Mimi moaned with pleasure. Roger's lips moved farther down her body. Mimi tried with all her might to enjoy what Roger was doing to her. However, in the back of her mind she couldn't help but fear what he thought of her fat body.
Whenever Roger and Mimi had sex, it was rough. That was just how they were. This time though, Roger was extra careful. The usual fight for power was replaced with Roger being as gentle as possible. The unusually frail body of Mimi's really worried him.
The next morning, Roger woke up to see Mimi searching for something to wear. He crawled out of bed and pulled on a pair of boxers. When he saw Mimi, he was horrified. He could clearly see every single one of her ribs. Sure Mimi had always been skinny, you could see a few of her ribs if she bent the right way, but it had never been this bad. Roger went over and grabbed Mimi's arm roughly.
"Roger, what the hell are you doing?" Mimi demanded.
"I want to see something," Roger replied. He literally dragged Mimi out to the bathroom. She was only in a bra and jeans.
"Roger Davis you get your fucking hands off of me!" Mimi shrieked. Mark and Collins looked up from what they were doing and stood up. "You get your hands off me!" Roger rounded on Mimi. His face was as red as hers.
"I want to see something," he said through clenched teeth. Roger started dragging Mimi to the bathroom again. He stopped next to the scale. "Get on," he ordered. Mimi looked horrified.
"What?"
"You heard me, get on the God damn scale!"
"No!" Roger grabbed Mimi's upper arms and shook her slightly. He was now seething.
"Damn it woman, will you listen to me!? I'm just trying to help you!" Mimi pushed Roger away.
"Then let me go!" Caught up in the heat of the moment, Roger shoved Mimi back. Shocked, Mimi stumbled backwards.
"Roger!" Collins exclaimed from the doorway where he and Mark were standing. Mimi shoved past them. Blinded by tears, she stumbled over to the window and huddled on the window seat. "What's your problem man?" Collins asked.
"I, I don't know," Roger stammered. "I just, I mean…God I've fucked up."
"Don't tell us, tell your girlfriend," Mark said. Roger slipped between him and Collins to go talk to Mimi.
Mimi was huddled on the window seat shivering. She felt someone wrap a blanket around her frail body.
"Mimi," Roger started.
"Don't touch me," Mimi growled. Roger put his hand on her thin shoulders.
"Please Meems-"
"Roger Davis, I told you to get your hands off me! I don't want anything to do with you right now." Sighing, Roger left Mimi to do her own thing.
When Maureen and Joanne got to the loft, Mimi was still on the window seat with the blanket from Roger pulled tight around her.
"Hey Meems," Maureen chirped. She couldn't let Mimi know that she knew what she was doing to herself. Mimi looked up and smiled weakly. Her beeper went off.
"Mark, do you know where my AZT is?" she asked.
"Right here," Collins replied from the kitchen area. Mimi got up and trudged over to the kitchen. Everyone noticed how shaky she was. After she took her medicine, Mimi clung to the table. "You okay?" Collins asked. Mimi nodded.
"Yeah, I'm just a little dizzy and lightheaded," she replied weakly. She took a few steps and stopped. Her blanket fell to the ground.
"Mimi?" Joanne asked with a concerned tone. "Mimi?" Mimi's eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her knees gave out, and she crumpled to the ground. "Mimi!" Everyone leapt to their feet. Collins got to Mimi first. He carefully rolled Mimi over. He let out a breath of relief.
"She's breathing," he told everyone. Roger picked Mimi up. She barely weighed a thing.
"Get out of my way," Roger ordered. The Bohemians parted so he could put Mimi on the couch. "Someone get me a cool washcloth." Mark went to get Roger what he needed. "God Meems, what's happened to you?" Taking a deep breath, Joanne came forward.
"Roger, Maureen and I think we know what's wrong with Mimi." Roger looked up. "Here." Joanne handed Roger the piece of paper on anorexia. Roger shook his head.
"No, this isn't right," he insisted. "Mimi's too smart to be anorexic." Mark put a damp washcloth on Mimi's forehead.
"I'm sorry, Roger," Joanne said quietly. Roger stared at Mimi and shook his head.
"Lord Meems, what the hell are you doing to yourself?" he muttered.
Moaning, Mimi opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Roger hovering over her. His green eyes were focused directly on her. He seemed relieved that she was alright.
"What happened?" Mimi asked weakly.
"You passed out, sweetie," Maureen replied.
"Again?"
"Again? What do you mean again?" Roger demanded. Mimi closed her eyes. "Mimi, what do you mean?" Roger asked in a gentler tone as he stroked Mimi's cheek. "Talk to me, babe."
"Mimi, we're only trying to help," Collins said. Mimi shook her head.
"I don't want to talk about it," she muttered before rolling over to face the back of the couch.
"Mimi, please," Roger begged. Mimi pulled the blanket draped over her tighter around her. "We're just trying to help you out."
"I don't need any help!"
"Yes you do. Come on, let's get you to bed." Roger hoped that Mimi would talk once they were alone. He gently forced Mimi to roll over and picked her up. Mimi simply buried her face in his shoulder. She didn't have the energy to fight back or the guts to look at her friends.
Roger laid Mimi down on their bed and covered her up with another blanket. Mimi closed her eyes. Roger sat on the edge of the bed.
"You don't have to baby-sit me, you know," Mimi told him weakly.
"Are you sure?"
"You go back out with everyone else. I just want sleep." Roger kissed Mimi's forehead. Mimi reached up and stroked his cheek. Her hand was thin and bony.
"We'll talk after you get some rest. I love you."
"I love you too." Mimi closed her eyes. Roger sat by her side until she fell asleep to make sure that she'd be alright.
The rest of the Bohemians were all gathered in the other room. Collins was reading the paper on anorexia. When he was done, he sighed sadly.
"This sounds exactly like Mimi," he said as he put the paper on the coffee table. Maureen looked up from where she was curled up on the couch with Joanne. "But what I don't get is why."
"April was the same way," Maureen said quietly. Joanne rubbed her back soothingly. Roger came out of the bedroom. Maureen got up and gave him a hug. "Are you okay?" she asked. Roger nodded.
"I'm fine, Mo," he insisted. As a friendly gesture, Maureen kissed his cheek softly.
"Don't you worry; we'll all help you with Mimi." Roger pulled away from Maureen.
"She's, uh, sleeping right now. I, I can't believe it." Roger was on the verge of a breakdown. April's bulimia had been tough on him, and now this.
