Mark had rushed to the hospital as fast as he could. He hated leaving Amy like that, but she understood his urgency.
Mark, Joanne, Maureen, Roger and Mimi were all speaking to the doctor, Angelina in her carrier sleeping soundly and peacefully at Joanne's feet.
"I think the injury finally got to him in the last few minutes. He started calling out that he saw angels."
Everyone's eyes widened.
"We did everything we could…I'm sorry," the doctor said in a very solemn tone.
Mimi put her head on Roger's chest and began to cry. Maureen and Joanne gripped hands tightly, and Mark stared at the floor. This was all happening way too fast.
The funeral was beautiful.
Everyone spoke about Collins, each sharing their own personal memories of him. Amy had come too, to offer moral support. Mark decided that this would be an okay time to introduce her to his friends.
Joanne and Mimi were thrilled that Mark had found a girlfriend, but Roger and Maureen merely poked fun and teased him. Amy took it in good nature, and Mark apologized over and over for his friends' comments while she just laughed.
They buried Collins next to Angel. It was a bit expensive, but everyone chipped in to make it happen.
Maybe they could finally find peace.
It was April. Everyone was still down about Collins' death. Not much else was on their mind.
"This frickin' sucks," Roger said as he stormed into the apartment, "This shouldn't have happened."
"I know. But there was nothing we could do," Mimi said solemnly, lying down on the couch with a thud.
Their gaze met, and they smiled sadly at each other.
"I know something that could take our mind off things."
A few hours later, Roger and Mimi came into the apartment, holding onto each other and stumbling. Both were giggling, and Mimi jumped onto the couch as Roger went to the refrigerator.
"That was awesome," Mimi said, her speech slurred.
"Totally."
"Are you shure we should have done that?" The drunken girl asked, rolling off the couch and onto the floor.
"Hey. Alcohol's much better than heroine. For one," he said, pulling OJ out of the fridge and drinking it, "You can't get HIV. And two…"
He was unable to finish because he fell onto the couch with Mimi, and they both ended up laughing and snuggling on the couch.
That was the last thing either of them remembered.
The next morning, Mimi found herself in bed with Roger. She drowsily got up without waking him, and as soon as she stood, she felt like she was going to puke. Mimi ran to the bathroom, and did just that.
As soon as her stomach was empty, the headache started. It was unbearable, one worse than Mimi had ever had before. She decided that the best thing to do was go back to sleep, and did just that.
Mimi and Roger eventually woke up several hours later, with a touch of hangover still affecting them.
"God…what did we do last night?" Roger asked.
"Well, we got drunk, obviously," Mimi said, picking up the orange juice carton that Roger had carelessly left on the floor.
"Yeah, but I've got this nagging feeling that we did something else. Something we shouldn't have."
Mimi stared at him. "You don't think we killed anyone, did we?"
Roger stared back. "Of course not. I think. It's just that I feel that something's not good."
"God, I hate that."
"Me too."
"…My head hurts."
The next few weeks were pretty awkward. Collins was gone. Joanne and Maureen had Angelina to take care of. And Mimi was constantly sick in the mornings.
"You don't think the disease has finally gotten to her, do you?" Roger asked Mark one morning.
"I don't know. But if it has, I don't think I can deal with another death," Mark replied as they watched Mimi come out of the bathroom groggily.
Mimi was worried about her predicament, too. She had a feeling what it was, but was afraid to find out. It would break every promise that she and Roger had made to each other.
She had to find out, though. And so, one afternoon, she tested.
It was positive.
She was pregnant.
As she looked at the readout in the bathroom, she slid down the wall to the floor in shock. The first words out of her mouth were:
"Roger's gonna kill me."