Disclaimer: You've got to be kidding me. You need to go to a Special Ed Drill-Learning Facility stat if you don't know the drill by now.

A/N: Don't get too excited, I have a feeling it's going to be a pretty long time before the next chapter is up. I pretty much had this chapter all worked out, the outline had practically all the dialogue, and I really wanted to get this up. I think it's going to answer a lot of questions. Not much action, but it explains a lot. Action will return in Chapter 7 (you'll see why it's not in Chapter 6. If I ever get there.)

Thanks for reading! Reviews are my bestest friends.

Not Denying Emotion

by Ex Astra

Collins listened quietly as Mimi recounted her story. She was distraught and sobbing, speaking in broken sentences. Collins understood, though. He understood all too well.

Mark had been silent ever since they had to rip him out of Roger's… He remained unmoving, with an angry face and dark eyes.

Mimi's tears started to level off when she finally started to ask the question that had been burning in her mind. "I thought… I thought AIDS couldn't be…"

"Sudden?"

Mimi nodded slowly.

Collins took a deep breath before explaining. "Well, it might not have been AIDS. Or not only AIDS. AIDS left him… more susceptible to… other things. There, um… There were recent studies talking about something like this. Rare cases where HIV/AIDS and aneurysms came hand in hand. No one knows if one caused the other, or…

"It would make sense… An aneurysm is… sudden…"

The tears had started up again, and they fell freely from Mimi's eyes. "How do you…"

"You work at MIT and NYU as long as I have, you begin to pick up a few things. Whether you want to or not." He looked at Mark during the last line, though it seemed like he was trying to get a completely different message to Mark.

Collins brought his attention back to Mimi. "He probably felt… Very little pain."

Mimi's eyes widened.

She felt a little chill go through him. His slow motion through her hair stopped.

Collins didn't notice the sudden fear in Mimi's eyes. He was focusing on Mark again. "Mark?"

Mark didn't even look at him.

Mimi expected this. He hadn't said anything since he hung up the phone. That deafening silence… Mimi crushed it before it could return and haunt her some more. She responded for him, "He was downstairs. He came up long after I had…"

Collins nodded. He looked back at Mark patiently. "Mark?"

Mark finally spoke up, in an eerily calm voice:

"His arm was cold."

Neither Collins or Mimi knew what to say to that. Collins was trying to find words, but Mark interrupted him as he spoke again, "We need to get an undertaker."

Collins knew how to respond this time. "Mark, don't worry about that right now."

"No! No he needs… He needs an undertaker… And, and services."

"Mark, I'll take care of all that."

"No, you can't… You need… We need money. They want money for, for… I don't have money…"

"It's nothing a little A-N-G-E-L can't handle."

Mark misunderstood Collins' meaning. "But Angel can't pay, either! Angel's…"

"Mark, stop. Just stop." Collins replied somewhat forcefully. This was hurting him enough… "Listen. It'll get taken care of. Let me deal with it. If I need to, I can get Joanne to help."

"Oh God, Joanne! Maureen! Someone has to…"

"Stop it!" Mimi, who had been quiet this whole time, finally spoke up. "Stop and listen to Collins. He's trying to help you! Just, just stop worrying about everyone else and worry about yourself for once!"

He didn't want you to worry.

Mark glared at her, his eyes fierce. "Fine."

"Look Mark, I'm…"

"Forget it, Mimi. Just forget it."

Just worry about yourself.