"Ugh…my lungs…" Angel coughed, thrusting forward.
"You okay, chica?"
Angel cracked open an eye to see Mimi perched at the end of the bed.
"I've been better, darling. What happened anyway?"
"You passed out," she replied. "Outside the Life."
Angel groaned. "Nice way to make a scene, huh? Is anyone else here?"
By asking if anyone else was there, Angel was really asking after Collins.
"He's here, but they won't let him in."
"Why?"
"Because the two of you aren't related, not in their homophobic book anyway."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I'm your sister, silly!" Mimi leaned up to kiss Angel's forehead. "I'm your wonderful, beautiful sister whom you love ever so much."
Angel grinned. "Of course, Mimi."
"In fact, you love your little sister so much that you're willing to let her rummage through your things for an outfit to wear tomorrow night."
Angel furrowed her brow. "Why do you need an outfit?"
"I've got a date, silly!" Mimi chirped.
"A date? I thought you were fighting with Roger…I haven't been out that long, have I?"
"Of course not, Ang! Roger and I are still fighting; or, as much as you can fight silently."
"Then who is your date with?" Angel massaged her temples. She was suffering from far too great a headache to deal with this today.
"The cute nurse in the next room," Mimi giggled. "He's taking me dancing, and you have better shoes."
"Yeah, yeah, take whatever you want. I probably won't be needing it for a while."
"Come on, Angel, be optimistic! Besides, you're fine, and you'll be out anytime now. And you're right, you won't be needing it for a while because you've already got yourself a man and don't have to woo him with shoes."
"You've got a man too."
"I don't hear you," Mimi chimed in a singsong voice. "But speaking of your man, what are we going to do about that? You have to be related, and I don't think we can pull brothers off."
Angel tapped her nails against one of the cords, her mind calculating. "He could be my brother-in-law!"
Mimi looked confused. "But you don't have any siblings."
The bedded one waited for her dear friend to catch up.
"Oh! That's a great idea, Angel! I'll be right back, I have to go get engaged!" Mimi skipped out of the room, happier then Angel had seen her the past few days.
The room was small, gray, and smelly. Angel wrinkled her nose; she'd have to request that someone bring air freshener, and, if at all possible, a can of paint. Colors would help her get better quicker, that she was sure.
Getting better (at any pace) was really all that mattered now, though. She'd known that this relapse in health was long coming, and though it had finally arrived, Angel couldn't accept it. She was going to get up and walk out of this hospital, not rot away in a lumpy bed with stringy, starched sheets.
0--0
"All clean! You're a lifesaver, Pookie." Maureen pecked Joanne's cheek as she threw away an egg-soaked paper towel.
"All I did was clean up an egg…"
"And I couldn't have done it without you. What do you say we head home? Mark and Roger will call us if they hear anything. Won't you?"
A chorus of "yeah" and "sure thing" proved that both boys (both still in their rooms) had been listening to their conversation.
"See? Lets go!" Maureen grabbed her hand and dragged Joanne out of the apartment before she could protest.
"What's with the sudden rush home?" Joanne asked, walking alongside Maureen, who was quite peppy.
"I like it there. Besides, we have to baby proof it!"
Baby proof? The baby was months away, and Joanne hadn't even known for sure if they were keeping it. She expressed those thoughts.
"Of course we're keeping it! And the sooner we baby proof the apartment, the sooner we learn to work around it." Maureen kept dragging Joanne along.
"Umm…okay…"
Maureen hummed as she worked at child proofing their residence. A five-minute stop at the store had provided them with all the equipment that they needed.
"So once it's born you can adopt it. Mark will always be the father, of course, but you can be Mommy Joanne."
"Then what are you?"
"Mommy Maureen! Mark will be Daddy, and we'll have lots of aunts and uncles…"
"You're taking this well now."
Maureen beamed at her. "That's because I've seen the light. Now I know what we're going to do. No more crying, no more moping…we have to get out and raise this baby! You with me?"
Joanne was a little taken aback. "Well, of course."
"Goodie. Now where do you suppose this goes?"
Joanne moved to help Maureen put the cabinet locks on. This was going to be a long nine months…
0--0
"Collins! Collins, Collins, Collins!" Mimi came racing around the corner, gripping his arms for support as she spun to a stop. "We're engaged."
Whatever she meant, Mimi seemed quite happy about it.
"Uh…what?"
"What do you mean 'what'? We're engaged silly!" She gave him a nice big wink.
"…Right…"
Mimi yanked him down by the collar. "If we're engaged then you're related to Angel. Got it?"
Oh…
"How's your brother?"
Mimi smiled. "He's awake now, and talking too! He wanted to see you, if it's all right."
"I'd love to see him too."
Mimi slipped a ring from her finger onto Collins. "For show," she whispered. She twined their fingers and walked beside him into Angel's room. They tried to walk into Angel's room, that is, because a nurse stopped them before they could make their entrance.
"Where are the two of you going?" She was an elderly lady, and short, and had to look at them over her glasses.
"To visit my fiancée's brother. Why, is there something wrong with that?"
"Of course not. Proceed." Her look was suspicious, but she let them pass. As soon as they got into the room Collins embraced Angel.
"You worried me," he teased accusingly. "Where do you get off fainting without telling me?"
"I'm sorry. I'll warn you next time I decide to bash my brains out on the pavement."
There was a low chuckle and the sound of a kiss, which was Mimi's cue to leave. "I'll see you two later. Right now I've got an outfit to pick out."
"Wait, Mimi! Do you have a key?"
"Do I look like I need a key?" she smirked and sauntered out of the room. Collins looked at Angel suspiciously.
"Do I want to know?"
"No, honey, you really don't."
0--0
"Allison?"
No answer.
"Ali?"
Silence.
Benny stole out of bed, careful not to stub his toe against the nightstand. The room was dark and his careful footsteps seemed to incriminate him. But this time he wasn't sneaking out to go see another woman, this time he was sneaking out for a drink.
The Range Rover was loud on the best of days, but at 4:00 AM it seemed to roar with such an intensity as to wake the whole city. Benny shushed it, as if that would do anything, and drove down the street. The only bars open this time of night were sleazy, but Benny wasn't interested in anything but getting wicked drunk.
His stamina was tested when, on his eighth shot of straight vodka, a dainty hand was placed on his shoulder. It belonged to a cute little Asian girl, who asked if he wanted company. Benny beamed and excitedly patted the stool next to him.
"What's your name, dear?"
"Benny," he slurred.
"Benny? Short for Benjamin, perhaps?" she purred. Benny was powerless to do anything but nod.
"I'm married."
"That's fine." She ran a manicured finger up and down his arm. "I don't want anything serious."
"And I have AIDS," he confided, his judgment seriously impaired by this point.
"Oh…well, if that's the case, then I think I see my boyfriend calling. Goodnight Benjamin."
She was quick to hurry off to the next drunken man.
"Well…that sucked." He took another shot.
0FIN0
You should all listen to Anna Nalick music, because it got me out of a writing rut. I recommend it so much that I'll send it to you if you want. I'm serious—I've been sitting in my room playing the songs over and over all day.
I've been spending too much time writing for video games with sexy, sophisticated pirates. I gave Mimi some sophisticated lines that didn't fit at all. That's what happens when you're juggling a billion fandoms, fanfics, and videos at once!
Kisses to those who deserve it, you know who you all are.
I hope to get the next chapter up soon. VBS ends tonight, and my puppies are a little less needy now. If anyone wants one…well, I can't exactly mail them so nevermind. XD
