The 4077th RENT
by
BohemianBabe 8504
(Disclaimer: None of the characters or lines taken from the songs from "RENT" are mine and I am in no way associated with any of the actors from MASH mentioned in this story. Enjoy!)
1. Welcome to Korea
The sound of a trumpet playing the "Reveille" woke Roger Davis. He rolled over to check the alarm clock on his bed side table except it wasn't there.
"Rise and shine!" a cheerfully voice said as a hand shook Roger's shoulder. Roger pulled the covers over his head.
"C'mon Mark, this isn't funny."
"You've got get up Davis, or you'll miss breakfast." Roger had heard that voice before. But where? Roger rolled out of bed got dressed and went outside.
"I must be seeing things." Roger said "If I didn't know better, I would say I was at the 4077th MASH."
"You are," a voice from beside Roger replied.
"B.J. Hunnincut," the man said as he extended his hand.
"Please to meet you." Roger said as he shook B.J.'s hand. Roger opened his mouth to say something then thought better of it.
In the mess tent Collins, Maureen, Joanne, Mark, Angel, Mimi, and Roger sat at a table together. "Can you believe were actually here?" Maureen asked excitedly.
"I know. MASH was my favorite TV show when I was a kid." Angel said. "Hey, me too." the rest of the group said in unison. At that moment B.J. and Hawkeye sat down at their table. Mimi let out a squeal. She always had a secret crush on Hawkeye . Roger threw her a questioning look.
" Beej told me that you're the new staff." Hawkeye said sitting down.
"Um...what exactly are we eating?" Collins asked.
"That is the chef's famous rubber, in the shape of bacon and eggs." Hawkeye said. Joanne screamed as Radar appeared beside her.
"Are you the new staff?" Radar asked.
"Yep." Roger said.
"Colonel Potter wants to see you all in his office after breakfast." Radar said then disappeared.
"You don't have to look as though you're in the principal's office Colonel Potter is very nice." Margaret Houlihan said. Margaret caught Mark's eye and smiled. Mark blushed. The rest of the group snickered.
"One thing Colonel Potter won't tell you is to never argue with Major Pain-in the-Neck here." Hawkeye said motioning towards Margaret.
"Peirce you take that back or I'll break your neck!" Margaret said. She took an envelope off of Colonel Potter's desk and began to hit Hawkeye over the head with it.
"Easy Major." Colonel Potter said from the doorway.
"Stand in a line, and step forward when I call your name."
"Lieutenant Marquez." Mimi stepped forward. "You'll be assisting Major Houlihan." he said the same thing to Maureen and Joanne. The three of them went and stood beside Margaret.
"Captain Collins." Collins stepped forward. "You'll be working with Hunnicut."
Collins joined B.J..
"Corporal Cohen." Mark stepped forward. "You'll help Radar." Mark stood beside Radar.
"Corporal Dumant-Shunard." Angel stepped forward. "You'll be assisting Corporal Klinger." Angel stood next to Klinger.
" Captain Davis." Roger stepped forward "You'll work with Captain Peirce." Roger joined Hawkeye. Suddenly a voice came over the PA system
"Now performing in the center compound incoming wounded."
2. We Begin
Collins looked around the Operating Room. How many casualties had they operated on? How long had they been in the Operating Room? Another man had just been put on the table. B.J. began to operate on the man's shoulder.
"Thank God I have a strong stomach." Collins thought.
"Clamp." Hawkeye commanded. Roger looked around confused. Collins held up a clamp. Roger handed a clamp to Hawkeye then glanced over at Mimi who looked as white as a sheet.
"I think I'm gonna throw up." Mimi thought . "Excuse me Major Winchester. May I step outside a moment?"
"Very well, Lieutenant but be quick about it!" Mimi went outside as fast as she could.
She took out her AZT pills, got a glass of water and said "AZT break." in her usually perky voice. She was just about to take the pill when she heard a voice behind her.
"You alright Lieutenant?" Mimi turned around to see Hawkeye with a worried look on his face.
"I'm-I'm fine. Mimi stammered.
"Are you sure?" Hawkeye placed a hand on Mimi's shoulder. When Mimi looked up. Hawkeye looked deep into Mimi's eyes.
"Really, I'm alright Captain Peirce."
"Call me Hawkeye."
"Hawkeye." Mimi mumbled blushing.
"Are you blushing?"
"No."
"How about you and me spend an hour or so in the supply room getting to know each other." Hawkeye whispered lightly brushing his lips against Mimi's ear. Mimi nodded absentmindedly. "See you at eight." Hawkeye smiled as he opened the door to the O.R.
"Excuse me Captain Davis did you take your you-know-what yet?" Mimi asked. "No."
Mimi gave him a stern look. "Alright I'll take it right now."
"Captain can you manage without me for two minutes?"Roger asked
"Sure." Hawkeye said. Roger went outside and took his AZT then he went back inside to help Hawkeye.
3. Some Life That We've Chosen
"Kimberson can't you let us have one box of Penicillin?" Radar asked into the receiver. "Yes I know. I know, you've got casualties too." Radar said being to lose his cool. Mark looked over at Radar who was now red in the face. "I'VE ALREADY CALLED THE 1140TH!" Radar screamed.
"Let me try." Mark said Radar handed the phone to Mark. "Kimberson we have casualties who will die if they don't get this Penicillin." "Radar, can we snag one of Major Winchester's bottles of wine?
"I guess so."
"You got your wine Kimberson." "Bye." "Radar the Penicillin is on its way."
"How did you do that?" Radar asked amazed.
"I've been a negotiator for a long time."
It was lunch and everyone was sitting together once again.
"What's the matter Mimi aren't you hungry?" Joanne asked
"After spending two hours in O.R. seeing bleeding body parts I've lost my appetite." Mimi said.
Roger was staring off into space.
"You okay Rog?"Mark asked
"Oh, yeah I was just was thinking about how perfectly we're matched up with the MASH characters. "I mean Collins paired up with B.J., Mark's helping-"
"I've got bad news." Angel said joining the others at the table.
"What's the matter?" Collins asked
"We won't be sleeping in the same tent." Angel said his lip trembling.
"Why don't we leave so you two can talk about it?" Mimi said getting up from the table and motioning the others to follow her.
"Angel why aren't you dressed like you normally are?"Maureen asked.
"I decided to dress like a guy today." Angel said. The group left.
"What am I going to do without you?" Angel asked. Collins pulled Angel closer to him.
"I'll cover you with a thousand sweet kisses now and whenever you miss me you can close your eyes and imagine I'm kissing you again. Angel smiled as Collins and his lips met.
"This is an outrage!" Margaret shouted.
"Margaret what's the matter?" Hawkeye asked
"These two men were kissing!"
"Now Margaret I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding." B.J. said sensibly. "Misunderstanding my foot, I saw them!"
"Why don't we talk awhile in my tent while B.J. and Hawkeye try to calm her down." Father Mulchany said leading Collins and Angel out of the Mess Tent.
"Father, if you think we should have a confession, we will, but you have to understand we can't change who we were destined to be." Angel said. Collins squeezed Angel's hand.
"I know that my sons. I won't condemn you. In fact one of my classmates in high school was a homosexual."
"Well what do you think we should do?" Collins asked
"I think if you pray very hard the next few nights God might make Major Houlihan a little more understanding. That would help all of us." Father Mulchany added with a smile.
Mimi took a deep breath before entering the supply room. "Hi." Hawkeye smiled.
"Hi." Mimi said quietly.
"You look nice." Hawkeye said Mimi was wearing a black tube top and a black mini skirt.
"Yeah well...." was all Mimi could say Mimi wasn't sure about who's head came forward first but they were kissing. The kiss seemed to last forever. When they pulled away all Mimi could do was stare at Hawkeye. "Hawkeye..." What could she say? 'We shouldn't be doing this because I'm dating Captain Davis.' That's what she should have said. "I better go." Mimi said in a hurry.
"Why what's the matter?" Hawkeye asked with the same look as he had that morning at the O. R.
"I think I drank too much champagne." "Thank you for a wonderful time Hawkeye. We should do this again when I'm...feeling better."
"Good night." Hawkeye said. Before she knew what she was doing Mimi was kissing Hawkeye again. She caught herself.
"Good night." Mimi said and left the supply room.
When Mimi came into the nurse's quarters she found Angel, Collins, Joanne, Maureen, Roger and Mark.
"Come on in Mimi and pull up a chair." Mark said Roger patted the seat of the chair next to him. Mimi sat down.
"What's goin' on?" Mimi asked.
"Well, after you guys left Angel was still upset so I kissed him to comfort him and Major Houlihan started giving us the third degree!" Collins said.
"How could she be so narrow minded?!" Maureen shouted. Too angry too cry. Joanne however was in tears. "Father Mulchaney was very understanding and said he actually knew someone who was gay when he was in high school." Angel said. They talked into the night. As Mimi lay in bed that night she thought about Hawkeye.
"What am I going to do?" Mimi thought, "We kissed. That was bad enough , but the worst thing about it is, I kissed him back."
The next day at lunch everyone was sitting with the members of MASH,they were assisting. As Roger looked around the mess tent he overheard bits and pieces of people's conversation. "You must miss your little girl." Collins said sympathetically.
"Yeah. the last time I saw her she was five months old and now she's one and a half."
"Hey, Angel you've got some great dresses. Can I borrow them sometime?" Klinger asked.
"Sure." Angel smiled.
"Radar, do you have any friends here?" Mark asked.
"Kinda."
"Who?"
"Captains Pierce and Hunnicut. I also made a new friend." Radar smiled.
"Really, who?"
"You, Mark. Do you have any friends here?"
"Well, You, Lieutenant, Marquez, Johnson, Jefferson, Corporal Schunard, Captains Collins, and Davis. I've known Roger since I was eight years old." Mark said,and smiled to himself thinking of his friendship with Roger.
That afternoon Mimi went to Rosie's Bar. "Hello Mimi."
"Hi Rosie."
"What can I get you?"
"Oh. Nothing I really just wanted to ask you a question."
"Yes?"
"Do you need any entertainment here?" Rosie gave Mimi a puzzled look.
" A dancer."
"Sure can you work on Thursdays?"
"Yeah. I'll be here at 11:00 on Thursday."
4. Without You
The gang was sitting together at lunch, when Mimi came into the Mess Tent.
"Good to have you back Lieutenant, how was Tokyo?" Colonel Potter asked. "Great." Mimi said sitting down at the table.
"Here." Mimi placed two oddly shaped packages in front of Mark and Roger. "I got them for you in Tokyo. Open yours first Roger." Roger tore open the brown paper. Roger stared at the guitar, speechless.
"I know it's not like the one you have back home but I thought you'd like it anyway." Roger smiled
"Thanks baby." Mimi sat on Roger's lap, and kissed him.
"No problem." she said.
"Aren't you gonna open yours Mark?" Roger asked. Mark blinked.
"Oh yeah. I guess I was zoning out there a minute." Mark open his package more slowly than Roger had. He wasn't sure what to make of this gift from his best friend's girlfriend. Mark sat staring at the video camera speechless.
"Oh, Mimi you didn't have to do this." "No problem Mark." Mimi sneezed, then coughed.
"You okay honey?" Angel asked. Mimi sniffled.
"I'm fine. I just have a cold."
"We better not take any chances." Joanne said giving Maureen a knowing look.
"Agreed." Maureen said.
"Come on, Mimi." Collins said pulling Mimi to her feet and leading her out of the Mess Tent.
"How is she?" Roger asked. He was standing outside with B.J. and Hawkeye.
"Her fever's spiking." Maureen said.
"Oh, no." Roger said.
"We're trying to lower her temperature by putting ice packs on her ." Maureen said.
"She needs to rest for a few weeks. Hopefully, her fever will be gone by then." Joanne said.
In three weeks Mimi was back to normal. She was talking with Colonel Potter when Mark came into the office . "Sir the 9450th needs Penicillin and they were wondering if we could give them a case or two."
"I don't see why not but who's going to drive it over?"
"Oh, I can't sir Radar's teaching me the filing system."
"I'll do it." Mimi said.
"Alright Lieutenant."
Mimi drove down the road toward the 9450th singing. "There's only us. There's only this. Forget regret or life is yours to miss. No other path no other way no day but today." She drove two more feet and was suddenly caught in gunfire. She screamed as a bullet flew into her stomach. Mimi got out of the jeep abandoning the Penicillin and headed back towards the 4077th.
Collins took a deep breath,after having a cup of coffee in the mess tent. He saw some one staggering in his direction. He squinted to see who it was. His eyes widened. It was Mimi! He ran to the nurses quarters to get Maureen and Joanne then to The Swamp to get B.J. and Hawkeye. Mimi was placed on a table in the O.R. and was already put under when Roger came in the O.R.
" Mimi! I need to do this operation please." Roger said
"Give her another unit of whole blood."Hawkeye said.
"We're out of B Negative." Maureen said "I'll start asking if one of the nurses can give blood." B.J. said heading for the door.
"Wait!" Angel said. "I'm B Negative. I'll give blood."
"It doesn't help maters, that she has a cold." Maureen said.
"Oh, God I forgot about that!" Roger breathed eyes wide with horror. Joanne put an arm on his shoulder.
"It'll be alright." she whispered.
"God, I can't lose her I just can't." Roger said close to tears.
"All set." B.J. said from the table next to Mimi. Angel smiled.
"Hang in there Mimi girl, you'll be alright." Angel whispered. Roger glanced over at Maureen who was the anesthetist. Suddenly Maureen's eyes widened.
"What is it?" Roger asked.
"Her pulse is weakening."
"No it can't ." Roger said "Sponge." Roger commanded. Collins immediately handed him the instrument. "Suction!"
"Pulse is gone doctor."
5. I Should Tell You
Maureen's words made the entire O.R. freeze. Even Maureen, seemed shocked that she actually said those words. "No! I won't let her die on me." Roger said.
"Your eyes as we said our goodbyes can't get them outta my mind and I find I can't hide from your eyes. Roger sang as he operated.
The ones that took me by surprise the night you came into my life. Where there's moonlight I see your eyes.
How'd I let you slip away when I'm longing so to hold you ...."
"Mimi, turn- turn around girlfriend and listen to that boy's song." Angel said from the table next to next to Mimi.
"Now I'd die for one more day 'cause there's something I should have told you. Yes there's something I should have told you. Why does distance make us wise? You were the song all along and before the dies
I should tell you
I should tell you
I have always loved you
You can see it in my eyes.
Maureen's eyes widened. "Pulse is back, and getting stronger." she said.
"Good." Roger said. "B.J. will you close for me?"
"Sure."
"Attention all personnel medical staff meeting in Colonel Potter's office at 1400 hours." The P.A. system announced.
"Well I'd like to start this meeting by saying, I'm glad you're better, Mimi."
"Thank you, sir."
"That bring up something I'd like to discuss. Why did Mimi get so sick because of a cold?"
The RENT gang looked at each other uncomfortably.
"Well, is there something going on that I, and the rest of the doctors here, don't know about?" Colonel Potter demanded.
"You see sir," Angel began. "Mimi and the rest of us with the exception of Mark have a disease called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Commonly called AIDS."
"Disease?!," Margaret exclaimed "is it contagious?"
"No. It can only be spread by blood transfusions or sexual contact." Joanne said calmly.
"It will become an epidemic in the U.S. in the 1980's, and even in the year 2002, a cure will not yet, be found." Angel said.
"Do people die from this?" B.J. asked.
"Yes." Roger said. "It will claim the lives of millions, worldwide."
"How awful." Margaret said. "Maybe if we can warn the CDC about this now the world might be able to get a handle on this thing before it gets too serious." Colonel Potter said.
"I hope so." Mimi said squeezing Roger's hand.
"We all do." Joanne said. The meeting went on for an hour then everyone went to sleep.
6. Last Night I Had A Dream
"Oh! What a crazy dream!" said Mark getting out of his sleeping bag and walking to the kitchen to make some coffee. After pouring himself some coffee ,and a bowl of Captain Crunch Mark sat in front of the TV on the floor,and starting channel surfing.
"Mark whatcha doin'" Joanne asked from the love seat, where Maureen sat up yawning. Slowly everyone woke up.
"I just wanted to see what the news was." Mark said.
"...and what could be a breakthrough in the fight against AIDS." the TV. said. Everyone stopped and stared at the TV.
"...Doctors say the may have found a cure for the disease thanks to some medical advisors that worked on the show MASH."
Everyone gaped at each other.
"Did you all have the same dream I did?" Mark asked.
"We were all in MASH." Angel said.
"Yeah. I remember." Collins said
"Me too." they all said in unison.
"That was weird." Mimi said.
"It couldn't have happened. Could it?" Roger asked. They all shrugged and went to the kitchen to have breakfast, take their AZT and talk about their strange dream.
Finis
Author's Note: Well that's it I'm done. I hope you liked it. Please R & R! Loved it? Hated it? Have suggestions? I'd LOVE feedback on this!