[A/N: Oh wow, it's been a while. Sowwie!]
Thousands of thoughts were pouring through Mimi's mind as she paced the hospital waiting room. Thoughts she never thought would cross her mind . . .
"Mimi! Just sit down and relax for a second. You're making everyone in this room nervous," Mark told her. She obeyed and found a nearby chair. She grabbed the nearest magazine and pretended to flip through it. "Mimi."
"What?"
"You're hands are shaking."
"Are not!" Mimi turned away as Mark put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just. . . I don't know what I'm feeling but I'm gonna fucking have a break down any second."
Mark took a deep breath and let it out. "Well . . ."
"No, Mark. There's nothing you can say that will change anything. It won't make a difference."
"What did he do to you two?"
"I told you on the phone." She brushed his hand off her arm.
"All I know is that he hurt you. Do you want to talk about it?"
Mimi resisted at first, but she knew that Mark had to know. She must have scared him to death when she called earlier that evening sobbing about Roger hitting her and something about Maureen needing to get to a hospital.
She shivered as she plunged into the story."Something was seriously wrong with him. Maybe he was drunk. I don't know . . .this just wasn't like Roger at all." Mark nodded and Mimi wondered how he could be so calm. "And he found out that Maureen didn't get an abortion. So he was screaming all this shit at her, and I was just trying to defend Maureen. . .that's all. . ."
"Is that when he hit you?"
Mimi nodded grimly. "Maureen freaked out and started yelling at Roger. . .and he slammed her into the wall. . .oh God, Mark, he must have hurt her so bad. He was crazy. This is all my fault . . .I can't believe I let this happen. . ." Mimi leaned against Mark and he put an arm around her.
"It's not your fault. It's Roger's fault." For the first time, Mimi heard pain in Mark's voice. Mark had always been able to cover his feelings, but not now. "Meems, we should really tell the police. This is crazy. Now Roger's out on the street, and who knows what he's going to do to innocent people! And what are the doctors going to think?"
"I can't . . .I can't call the cops on my own boyfriend. I don't know . . ."
"What did you tell the nurse?"
"I said that Mo fell down the stairs." Mimi attempted to appear engrossed in the pattern on the carpet to avoid taking this conversation any further.
Mark could no longer stay calm. "Mimi! What the fuck were you thinking?! Just a few hours ago you were going on about how much you hated Roger for what he did to you and Maureen, and now you're defending him?! What's wrong with you?" Mark said a bit too loudly which resulted in several rude looks from others in the room. Mimi couldn't remember the last time he had blown up at her.
"I don't know! Just give me time to figure this out!" Mimi pleaded, and Mark instantly felt sorry after hearing the hurt in her voice.
"Sorry," he muttered.
Mimi turned away and clenched her fists in frustration. "Why can't they fucking let me go see Maureen?"
Mark returned to his relaxed self. "I'm sure she's fine."
"That doesn't make me feel any better. I need to talk to her and tell her I'm sorry. Mark, I can't help thinking that I could have done something. I could have changed something . . .if I hadn't mouthed off at him then he never would have hit me and Maureen would never have gotten hurt . . ." Mark searched for something to say, but Mimi went on. "Mark, I should be there for her right now." Mimi marched over to the front desk.
"Excuse me."
The woman at the computer didn't look up. "EXCUSE ME!" The woman jumped.
"Yes?"
"I would like to see Maureen Johnson immediately."
"I'm sorry. We can't have visitors at the moment . . ." she attempted to explain. Mimi ignored her and went on.
"That's spelled J-O-H-N-S-O-N. So if you could please give me her room number -"
"We're sorry. No visitors are allowed at the present moment." The woman looked a bit flushed. "Please return to your seat so that we can keep this waiting room a stress-free environment."
Mimi lost it. "Stress-free? You call this stress-free?! You know what I call it? I call it-" Mark came up behind her and clapped a hand over her mouth before she said any more.
"Meems, let's go sit down, ok?" He glanced apologetically at the woman at the desk and guided Mimi back to her chair. "You're not going to help anything."
She sighed. "You know how Maureen hates hospitals. She's probably fucking scared to death. And she was actually looking forward to being a mother. What if Roger ruined that for her? What if she lost the baby? What if . . ." She trailed off as a doctor approached.
"Are you here for Maureen Johnson?"
Mark and Mimi nodded.
"You can see her now. Come with me." Mimi jumped up and followed him down the hallway and Mark trailed behind.
"Is the baby ok?" Mimi whispered, almost fearing the answer.
"We don't know yet. So far, things look fairly well," he answered and pointed them in the direction of Maureen's room before leaving.
Mimi approached the door. "Mark, are you coming?"
"No . . .I think I'll walk around for a while and try calling Collins again. You talk to her. I'll be there in a few minutes." He brought out his camera from his pocket. Mimi smiled inwardly at the familiar sign of Mark's camera. He always pulled it out when he wanted to hide from his emotions. Perfect timing.
Mimi nodded without protest and pushed open the door. Maureen was apparently asleep on the hospital bed. She had an IV attached to her and an assortment of other things that Mimi could not identify. She moved closer and pulled up a chair beside the bed. Maureen had an enormous bruised lump on her forehead and another on her upper arm. There was a bandage around her wrist. Tears stung Mimi's eyes when she saw all that Roger had done. Mimi felt her own bruise on her cheek that she had expertly covered with make up. A wave of guilt washed over her as she compared Maureen's injuries to her own.
We should be switched around, Mimi thought to herself. I should be in the hospital bed. Mo didn't deserve this.
Maureen opened her eyes, and Mimi quickly wiped her cheeks. "Mimi!" She tried to sit up and winced.
"Hey. So how do you feel?"
"Like shit." Maureen laughed sadly. "They said I have a slight concussion and I broke something . . .I don't remember what. It's impossible to tell. Everything hurts. Did they tell you anything? Is the baby ok?" Mimi noted the worry in her friend's voice. Not very long ago she was ready to take the life of her baby. Now she was terrified that she wouldn't be able to save it.
"They don't know yet."
Maureen nodded and ran a hand over her stomach. "Meems . . .I don't know what I'd do if . . ."she trailed off without needing to end her sentence. She paused. "Mimi?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you ok?"
Mimi almost smiled at Maureen's concern. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine." Her conscience told her differently.
Maureen didn't look very convinced. "I'll repeat the question. This time, look me in the eye and give me an honest answer. Are you ok?"
Mimi looked up and met her gaze. She thought about the events of the past evening, and couldn't help the tears from falling. "No," she whispered. "No . . .I'm far from ok."
She opened her mouth to say more, but an overly cheery nurse in a smock with pink balloons had just entered. She cleared her throat, although she already had the two women's teary eyes fixated upon her. Maureen swallowed expectantly.
"We have news that your child is going to be fine," the nurse grinned. Maureen nodded at her clown-like face. "Visiting hours will be over in a few minutes. We'll have to keep you over night for observations, but you can return to your home in the morning." Without waiting for a reply, she walked, or rather skipped, from the room.
"Oh thank God. . ." Tears of relief began pouring down Maureen's cheeks.
For a brief moment, all that had happened was forgotten. "Mo! I'm so happy for you!" Mimi squealed as she squeezed Maureen's hand.
"So I'm really going to have a baby now."
"Yeah."
They dissolved into silence. And in that silence, the previously forgotten memories of several hours ago came flooding back, bringing fear, hurt, and anger along with it. When would the tide recede?
[Ok, I promised that Roger's actions would be explained. . . but I didn't promise that it would be this chapter! Muahaha! Check back soon to find out.]
Thousands of thoughts were pouring through Mimi's mind as she paced the hospital waiting room. Thoughts she never thought would cross her mind . . .
"Mimi! Just sit down and relax for a second. You're making everyone in this room nervous," Mark told her. She obeyed and found a nearby chair. She grabbed the nearest magazine and pretended to flip through it. "Mimi."
"What?"
"You're hands are shaking."
"Are not!" Mimi turned away as Mark put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm just. . . I don't know what I'm feeling but I'm gonna fucking have a break down any second."
Mark took a deep breath and let it out. "Well . . ."
"No, Mark. There's nothing you can say that will change anything. It won't make a difference."
"What did he do to you two?"
"I told you on the phone." She brushed his hand off her arm.
"All I know is that he hurt you. Do you want to talk about it?"
Mimi resisted at first, but she knew that Mark had to know. She must have scared him to death when she called earlier that evening sobbing about Roger hitting her and something about Maureen needing to get to a hospital.
She shivered as she plunged into the story."Something was seriously wrong with him. Maybe he was drunk. I don't know . . .this just wasn't like Roger at all." Mark nodded and Mimi wondered how he could be so calm. "And he found out that Maureen didn't get an abortion. So he was screaming all this shit at her, and I was just trying to defend Maureen. . .that's all. . ."
"Is that when he hit you?"
Mimi nodded grimly. "Maureen freaked out and started yelling at Roger. . .and he slammed her into the wall. . .oh God, Mark, he must have hurt her so bad. He was crazy. This is all my fault . . .I can't believe I let this happen. . ." Mimi leaned against Mark and he put an arm around her.
"It's not your fault. It's Roger's fault." For the first time, Mimi heard pain in Mark's voice. Mark had always been able to cover his feelings, but not now. "Meems, we should really tell the police. This is crazy. Now Roger's out on the street, and who knows what he's going to do to innocent people! And what are the doctors going to think?"
"I can't . . .I can't call the cops on my own boyfriend. I don't know . . ."
"What did you tell the nurse?"
"I said that Mo fell down the stairs." Mimi attempted to appear engrossed in the pattern on the carpet to avoid taking this conversation any further.
Mark could no longer stay calm. "Mimi! What the fuck were you thinking?! Just a few hours ago you were going on about how much you hated Roger for what he did to you and Maureen, and now you're defending him?! What's wrong with you?" Mark said a bit too loudly which resulted in several rude looks from others in the room. Mimi couldn't remember the last time he had blown up at her.
"I don't know! Just give me time to figure this out!" Mimi pleaded, and Mark instantly felt sorry after hearing the hurt in her voice.
"Sorry," he muttered.
Mimi turned away and clenched her fists in frustration. "Why can't they fucking let me go see Maureen?"
Mark returned to his relaxed self. "I'm sure she's fine."
"That doesn't make me feel any better. I need to talk to her and tell her I'm sorry. Mark, I can't help thinking that I could have done something. I could have changed something . . .if I hadn't mouthed off at him then he never would have hit me and Maureen would never have gotten hurt . . ." Mark searched for something to say, but Mimi went on. "Mark, I should be there for her right now." Mimi marched over to the front desk.
"Excuse me."
The woman at the computer didn't look up. "EXCUSE ME!" The woman jumped.
"Yes?"
"I would like to see Maureen Johnson immediately."
"I'm sorry. We can't have visitors at the moment . . ." she attempted to explain. Mimi ignored her and went on.
"That's spelled J-O-H-N-S-O-N. So if you could please give me her room number -"
"We're sorry. No visitors are allowed at the present moment." The woman looked a bit flushed. "Please return to your seat so that we can keep this waiting room a stress-free environment."
Mimi lost it. "Stress-free? You call this stress-free?! You know what I call it? I call it-" Mark came up behind her and clapped a hand over her mouth before she said any more.
"Meems, let's go sit down, ok?" He glanced apologetically at the woman at the desk and guided Mimi back to her chair. "You're not going to help anything."
She sighed. "You know how Maureen hates hospitals. She's probably fucking scared to death. And she was actually looking forward to being a mother. What if Roger ruined that for her? What if she lost the baby? What if . . ." She trailed off as a doctor approached.
"Are you here for Maureen Johnson?"
Mark and Mimi nodded.
"You can see her now. Come with me." Mimi jumped up and followed him down the hallway and Mark trailed behind.
"Is the baby ok?" Mimi whispered, almost fearing the answer.
"We don't know yet. So far, things look fairly well," he answered and pointed them in the direction of Maureen's room before leaving.
Mimi approached the door. "Mark, are you coming?"
"No . . .I think I'll walk around for a while and try calling Collins again. You talk to her. I'll be there in a few minutes." He brought out his camera from his pocket. Mimi smiled inwardly at the familiar sign of Mark's camera. He always pulled it out when he wanted to hide from his emotions. Perfect timing.
Mimi nodded without protest and pushed open the door. Maureen was apparently asleep on the hospital bed. She had an IV attached to her and an assortment of other things that Mimi could not identify. She moved closer and pulled up a chair beside the bed. Maureen had an enormous bruised lump on her forehead and another on her upper arm. There was a bandage around her wrist. Tears stung Mimi's eyes when she saw all that Roger had done. Mimi felt her own bruise on her cheek that she had expertly covered with make up. A wave of guilt washed over her as she compared Maureen's injuries to her own.
We should be switched around, Mimi thought to herself. I should be in the hospital bed. Mo didn't deserve this.
Maureen opened her eyes, and Mimi quickly wiped her cheeks. "Mimi!" She tried to sit up and winced.
"Hey. So how do you feel?"
"Like shit." Maureen laughed sadly. "They said I have a slight concussion and I broke something . . .I don't remember what. It's impossible to tell. Everything hurts. Did they tell you anything? Is the baby ok?" Mimi noted the worry in her friend's voice. Not very long ago she was ready to take the life of her baby. Now she was terrified that she wouldn't be able to save it.
"They don't know yet."
Maureen nodded and ran a hand over her stomach. "Meems . . .I don't know what I'd do if . . ."she trailed off without needing to end her sentence. She paused. "Mimi?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you ok?"
Mimi almost smiled at Maureen's concern. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine." Her conscience told her differently.
Maureen didn't look very convinced. "I'll repeat the question. This time, look me in the eye and give me an honest answer. Are you ok?"
Mimi looked up and met her gaze. She thought about the events of the past evening, and couldn't help the tears from falling. "No," she whispered. "No . . .I'm far from ok."
She opened her mouth to say more, but an overly cheery nurse in a smock with pink balloons had just entered. She cleared her throat, although she already had the two women's teary eyes fixated upon her. Maureen swallowed expectantly.
"We have news that your child is going to be fine," the nurse grinned. Maureen nodded at her clown-like face. "Visiting hours will be over in a few minutes. We'll have to keep you over night for observations, but you can return to your home in the morning." Without waiting for a reply, she walked, or rather skipped, from the room.
"Oh thank God. . ." Tears of relief began pouring down Maureen's cheeks.
For a brief moment, all that had happened was forgotten. "Mo! I'm so happy for you!" Mimi squealed as she squeezed Maureen's hand.
"So I'm really going to have a baby now."
"Yeah."
They dissolved into silence. And in that silence, the previously forgotten memories of several hours ago came flooding back, bringing fear, hurt, and anger along with it. When would the tide recede?
[Ok, I promised that Roger's actions would be explained. . . but I didn't promise that it would be this chapter! Muahaha! Check back soon to find out.]