Chapter 9: My Best Friend

Roger's jaw dropped. "So you're saying..."

"I don't know. But look Roger. I don't blame you. I don't blame anyone really, except for myself," Mark smiled as he said this. "If I blamed you. Why would I have stayed around for so long?"

Roger let out a small laugh. "Even if you don't blame me, I still will. Look at you. You're in the hospital because of me. You've been taking AZT since you were seventeen. No one should have to deal with that."

"Roger, Look at me. I'm 23. I've lived 6 years with this disease. And so have you. We're fighting the odds. Our lives aren't over yet just because we have AIDS or are HIV positive. We can live just as long as anyone else and still die of different causes. So stop blaming yourself."

"I just...I...How can you not blame me?" Roger looked at the ground as if he was ashamed of himself. Mark had never really seen this side of the musician and it wasn't really striking his fancy.

The filmmaker reached out and lifted Roger's face to meet his gaze, "Because I learned that I had to live each day to the fullest. It made me appreciate everything so much more."

"But..."

"Roger, Whatever fear you have of living life, you need to get over it. You only get one chance to live it. Yeah. I remember it." Mark looked down at his lap. "I tried to tell you so many times. I'd open my mouth, get ready to force the words out and I could never do it. And all those times I slipped and you never even realized."

"I think I was lying to myself. I always caught those things, but nothing ever connected," Roger looked like he was about to start another sentence when a nurse walked in.

"Sir, visiting hours are over. We need you to leave," She said in a polite tone, inviting and comforting.

"I'm not leaving. He's my best friend," Roger said, grabbing for Mark's hand.

"I'm sorry sir, but those are the rules."

"Roger, I'll be fine. Just, don't come back tomorrow, I'll call when I'm ready to come home." Mark shook Roger's hand off.

"No, I'm coming back tomorrow. You can't stop me," Roger gave the younger man an odd look as if questioning the filmmaker's request.

"I can feel it in my bones. I'm going to be just fine."

"I'm coming back tomorrow, but I'll leave now. Just for you buddy."

Roger stood and walked to the door. He turned and looked back at his long time friend, his best friend. Mark had his eyes closed and looked all around peaceful. It had been a long time since he'd his friend look like that. Roger sighed, remembering all the nights they had been together. It had been too good to be true.

The musician closed the door and walked down the hallway. He stopped in the waiting room, noticing the same nurse was standing there. He walked up to her and pulled out paper and a pen.

While writing down the loft's phone number he said, "If anything about his condition changes, for better or worse, I want to be notified."

She smiled and nodded, taking the paper.

Roger looked down and then went to leave the building when an alarm rang from behind the nurse's station. He whipped around just in time to see an army of doctor's run down the hall. He chased after them, just to put his mind at ease and make sure they weren't going to Mark's room.

But he wasn't met with his request. It seemed as if Mark's room was the one overflowing with doctors. They were rushing in and out, carrying several things with them.

Roger's body went on autopilot, not being able for him to deal with the trauma that might occur. He ambled down the hall, not the most graceful moment people could have captured him in. Upon arriving to Mark's room, several doctors tried to barricade him from returning inside.

"Let me in! That's my best friend!"

"I'm sorry sir."

"Just let me in there!"

"Sir, I can't let you do that!"

A long flat noise came from inside.

Roger fell to the floor, "No."

The doctors heads fell. There was nothing they could do now. They left. Roger was greeted with the sight of one lone nurse, the one who had kicked him out, covering his best friend with a white sheet.

((A/N: -Ducks for cover.- Please no one kill me. I planned on this from the beginning really. I'm sorry for those who actually asked me not to kill him off. I really am. But, well. This is the end. And I thank you all from the bottom of my heart who have stuck with me through this story. It's actually been one of the first multichaptered stories I've finished. The first one being only 3 chapters long.

So I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. And if anyone noticed. I posted the first chapter on November 29, 2005.I was going to update onDecember 29, 2005 but the site wouldn't let me. So, happy latemonth anniversary of A Little White Lie and happy endings to it at the same time.

Hope everyone has had a happy holidays so far.

I bid you a fond farewell, and hopefully you'll still read the new stuff I come out with.))