Disclaimer: All characters belong to the late GREAT Jonathan Larson.
The Hospital (~~~ A Title!!!)
"Paging Dr. Morris. Dr. Morris please report to room 508."
"Who is here for Mark Cohen?"
A young looking doctor walks out from the double doors. Maureen jumps to her feet.
"I am. How is he? Is he okay?"
"You got him here just in time. We pumped his stomach and he's going to be okay. We want to keep him over night for observation but you can take him home tomorrow."
Maureen lets out the breath she was holding.
"Thank you so much."
"There is one more thing. We recommend therapy to all suicide patients. If you talk to the women at the front desk she can give you a list of doctors to contact."
Maureen looks down at her feet.
"He can't afford therapy." She says almost inaudibly.
"What was that?"
The doctor looks annoyed. She shoots him a glare.
"I said, he can't afford therapy."
"And how exactly is he affording this humble visit?"
"Don't worry your little white coat off doc, it's covered."
The doctor rolls his eyes and walks away.
"Ugh, Asshole!"
Maureen sits back down and starts fidgeting with her hands nervously. She gets back up and walks to the payphone. She places coins into it and dials.
"Hello?"
"Hi Muff- Alison, is Benny home?"
"If this is that Mimi girl-"
"It's not. You don't have to worry about her calling Benny anymore." It's all she can do from not breaking into tears. "Is he home?"
"Pity, what happened? Couldn't pay the dealer?"
Maureen clenches her fists and grinds her teeth. 'You have to do this.'
"Can I talk to Benny" pause on the other end. "Please?"
"Who is this?" Her voice is getting more and more suspicious.
"This is Maureen."
"Oh. The drama queen"
Despite her attempt to contain herself, the sarcasm seeps through.
"Yeah, that's me babe. Listen this is really important, is Benny there or not?"
"No, he's not. Call his cell, do you have the number?"
"Trust me, if I could have avoided this little chat, I would have. What is it?"
Maureen hears Alison sigh on the other end of the phone and can't help but roll her eyes.
"971-2948"
Maureen scribbles it on her hand. "Thank you."
She doesn't wait for Muffys response, she places the phone back on the receiver and smacks her pockets looking for more change.
"Shit"
She walks up to the main desk.
"Excuse me, Miss? I'm really sorry but I need to make a call and I don't have anymore change. Do you have 50 cents I by any chance?"
The woman looks at Maureen over her glasses and is silent for a few seconds. "Do you have a dollar bill?"
Maureen frantically searches her pockets, she finds a dollar bill stuck between two old receipts. "Yes, right here."
The woman points behind Maureen to a Snapple machine.
"See that machine over there?" Maureen follows her gaze. "Go over there, put your little dollar in the machine, press change return and poof change. It's a wonderful concept."
Maureen hears the mocking in the women's voice but chooses to ignore it.
"Thank you so much."
She turns around and mutters "bitch" under her breath while walking to the machine. She gets her change and walks back over to the payphone, now occupied by a teen girl. Maureen hears the girl talking on the phone.
"So did he call you yet? Oh honey, don't worry I know he will. Remember that it took Nick three weeks to call me but he did! So what are we doing this weekend?"
Maureen couldn't take it anymore, as much as the girl sounded like her (well, a once heterosexual her) she needed the phone! She tapped the girl on the shoulder and when the girl turned around, put on her snootiest smile.
"Yeah, hi, umm I'm sure what you're doing this weekend is important but, you see, my friend is lying on a hospital bed close to death and I have a few phone calls to make."
The girl shot Maureen an evil glare. "I'll have to call you back. There's a woman behind me who is being" she puts down the phone a little and emphasizes "EXTREMELY rude, bye Hun."
The girl slams down the phone and with one last glare, she walks away. Maureen grabs the phone, puts in more change and starts dialing. She listens to it ring.
"Hello?"
"Benny, hi, it's Maureen."
"Maureen? As in 'I'm a lesbian and I hate your guts' Maureen?"
"The one and only."
"Well then wha-" He stops mid-sentence in a moment of realization. "What happened? It's not Collins is it? Please tell me it's not Collins."
"Benny, hold on, how did you know something was wrong?"
"We have a problem filled 'family', well more yours then mine, and you hate me so why else would you be calling? I may be a sell out but I can put two and two together. Now, please, is it Collins?"
"No, Collins is fine."
He sighs. "Good. Then who? Roger, Mim-"
"Mark."
"Mark?!" he is obviously surprised "oh wow, is okay? What happened?"
Maureen pauses for a minute. "Do you really want me to tell you on the phone or would you rather in person?"
"You're right, I'll be right there. You're at the same hospital as always right?"
"Yeah, oh and Benny-"
"Don't worry, I have my checkbook.."
For the first time since she found Mark, Maureen smiles "Thanks."
The Hospital (~~~ A Title!!!)
"Paging Dr. Morris. Dr. Morris please report to room 508."
"Who is here for Mark Cohen?"
A young looking doctor walks out from the double doors. Maureen jumps to her feet.
"I am. How is he? Is he okay?"
"You got him here just in time. We pumped his stomach and he's going to be okay. We want to keep him over night for observation but you can take him home tomorrow."
Maureen lets out the breath she was holding.
"Thank you so much."
"There is one more thing. We recommend therapy to all suicide patients. If you talk to the women at the front desk she can give you a list of doctors to contact."
Maureen looks down at her feet.
"He can't afford therapy." She says almost inaudibly.
"What was that?"
The doctor looks annoyed. She shoots him a glare.
"I said, he can't afford therapy."
"And how exactly is he affording this humble visit?"
"Don't worry your little white coat off doc, it's covered."
The doctor rolls his eyes and walks away.
"Ugh, Asshole!"
Maureen sits back down and starts fidgeting with her hands nervously. She gets back up and walks to the payphone. She places coins into it and dials.
"Hello?"
"Hi Muff- Alison, is Benny home?"
"If this is that Mimi girl-"
"It's not. You don't have to worry about her calling Benny anymore." It's all she can do from not breaking into tears. "Is he home?"
"Pity, what happened? Couldn't pay the dealer?"
Maureen clenches her fists and grinds her teeth. 'You have to do this.'
"Can I talk to Benny" pause on the other end. "Please?"
"Who is this?" Her voice is getting more and more suspicious.
"This is Maureen."
"Oh. The drama queen"
Despite her attempt to contain herself, the sarcasm seeps through.
"Yeah, that's me babe. Listen this is really important, is Benny there or not?"
"No, he's not. Call his cell, do you have the number?"
"Trust me, if I could have avoided this little chat, I would have. What is it?"
Maureen hears Alison sigh on the other end of the phone and can't help but roll her eyes.
"971-2948"
Maureen scribbles it on her hand. "Thank you."
She doesn't wait for Muffys response, she places the phone back on the receiver and smacks her pockets looking for more change.
"Shit"
She walks up to the main desk.
"Excuse me, Miss? I'm really sorry but I need to make a call and I don't have anymore change. Do you have 50 cents I by any chance?"
The woman looks at Maureen over her glasses and is silent for a few seconds. "Do you have a dollar bill?"
Maureen frantically searches her pockets, she finds a dollar bill stuck between two old receipts. "Yes, right here."
The woman points behind Maureen to a Snapple machine.
"See that machine over there?" Maureen follows her gaze. "Go over there, put your little dollar in the machine, press change return and poof change. It's a wonderful concept."
Maureen hears the mocking in the women's voice but chooses to ignore it.
"Thank you so much."
She turns around and mutters "bitch" under her breath while walking to the machine. She gets her change and walks back over to the payphone, now occupied by a teen girl. Maureen hears the girl talking on the phone.
"So did he call you yet? Oh honey, don't worry I know he will. Remember that it took Nick three weeks to call me but he did! So what are we doing this weekend?"
Maureen couldn't take it anymore, as much as the girl sounded like her (well, a once heterosexual her) she needed the phone! She tapped the girl on the shoulder and when the girl turned around, put on her snootiest smile.
"Yeah, hi, umm I'm sure what you're doing this weekend is important but, you see, my friend is lying on a hospital bed close to death and I have a few phone calls to make."
The girl shot Maureen an evil glare. "I'll have to call you back. There's a woman behind me who is being" she puts down the phone a little and emphasizes "EXTREMELY rude, bye Hun."
The girl slams down the phone and with one last glare, she walks away. Maureen grabs the phone, puts in more change and starts dialing. She listens to it ring.
"Hello?"
"Benny, hi, it's Maureen."
"Maureen? As in 'I'm a lesbian and I hate your guts' Maureen?"
"The one and only."
"Well then wha-" He stops mid-sentence in a moment of realization. "What happened? It's not Collins is it? Please tell me it's not Collins."
"Benny, hold on, how did you know something was wrong?"
"We have a problem filled 'family', well more yours then mine, and you hate me so why else would you be calling? I may be a sell out but I can put two and two together. Now, please, is it Collins?"
"No, Collins is fine."
He sighs. "Good. Then who? Roger, Mim-"
"Mark."
"Mark?!" he is obviously surprised "oh wow, is okay? What happened?"
Maureen pauses for a minute. "Do you really want me to tell you on the phone or would you rather in person?"
"You're right, I'll be right there. You're at the same hospital as always right?"
"Yeah, oh and Benny-"
"Don't worry, I have my checkbook.."
For the first time since she found Mark, Maureen smiles "Thanks."
