Author's Notes: What can I say I'm on a roll. I like writing this story. Question has anyone else ever had a dream that they were friends with the actors in RENT. Not the characters, but the actors themselves. I did late night. It was weird. It inspired me to write a story about my funky dream. I'll post it after I finish this one. Anyways, RENT Jonathan's not mine. Poor me.
Lucky Star
Chapter 6
7 and ½ months
Mark and Lucky had rushed to the nearest hospital after getting dressed. The only thought that could run threw their head was they hoped they weren't too late. Neither could've handle not being able to say goodbye to their friend. Mark took Lucky's hand heading down the sterile white halls towards the room number Roger had left for them. Mark didn't bother knocking as he entered the room. Maureen and Joanna sat on the ledge of the window. Roger sat at Collin's foot of the bed. Next to Collins sat Benny holding his hand. Collins grinned at the two who had just entered.
"Pay up bitches." Collins said in a week raspy voice. "Told you it takes them less the 24 hours once they both learned the truth." The group each reached in their pockets handing Collins a dollar bill. "Hold that for me baby. Count and make sure it's all there. Roger's a cheap shit and I wouldn't put it past him to put in fake money." Collins said to Benny handing the money.
"You asshole." Lucky walked over and punched Collins' arm. "You fucken scared ten years off my life: and you!" Lucky turned punching Roger: "You could've called back and said he wasn't about to die yet." "Hey Cohen, come get you girl off me." Roger said. Lucky's temperature cooled as Mark's hand ran down her arms. "Shh, it's okay baby." He kissed her temple whispering to her. "I'll kill him when we get back to the loft." Mark gave Roger a death glare.
"You scared the crap out of us." Mark snapped at Roger. "I'm sorry!" Roger said sarcastically then continued: "But if you two hadn't been boinking then you wouldn't have to be worried."
Mark and Lucky flushed. "Can we never refer to sex as boinking again?" Lucky asked. "Can we never refer to you two and sex again?" Roger asked. "Deal." Mark said quickly. Lucky then turned her worried expression on Collins.
"Do they know what's wrong?" Lucky asked as she sat opposite on Benny on the bed. "Nah, we're just doing the waiting game here." Collins said kissing Benny's hand. "Don't you have a rehearsal to be at?" Collins asked looking at Lucky. "That can wait." Lucky started. "The hell it can. You're the only one making any money here. Go get your cute little ass outta here and go perform amazingly." Collins said in a mock serious voice. "I can't leave you." Lucky whispered.
"Yes you can." Mark walked up behind her kissing her neck. "I swear I won't go anywhere. I'll stay here till you get back. I promise he won't be alone. Go to work. Besides you need to take Roger with you, he needs to shower and take his AZT." Mark whispered in her ear. It was dirty trick but one Mark knew would work. Lucky couldn't do anything for Collins right now but she could do something for Roger. Lucky kissed Mark and took Roger's arm leading him out.
This is how they spent most of their days for the following seven weeks. Mark, Mimi and Benny would stay with Collins during the day. Sometimes laughing: sometimes with Mark or Benny reading to Collins when his hands grew too weak to hold a book: sometimes just sitting quietly. After rehearsal Lucky and Roger would come in. They always brought Benny something to eat. While Roger would catch Collins up on the rehearsal hi-jinks for the day Mark and Lucky would go down to the cafeteria and have a quiet dinner just the two of them.
"How'd rehearsal go today?" Mark asked quietly. "Good. But I thought Roger was going to come over the chairs when Austin stuck his tongue down my throat." Lucky laughed. "I'd be ready to, too." Mark muttered. "Mark." Lucky took his hand kissing it. "There's no reason to worry. I'm all yours." Lucky smiled. Mark looked at Lucky.
She was thinner then before if that was possible. Dark circles had formed under her eyes. "Lucky have you been eating?" Mark looked at her taunt face with worry. "Just tired hun, I promise. I don't seem to have any energy lately." Lucky gave him a tired smile. "Maybe I should stay tonight instead of you." Mark was worried about her.
She'd been burning her candle at both ends between work, the hospital, and all the other parts that went along with being an actress. "We open in two days Mark; I always look like death warmed over before a show. And I keep hoping that Collins will make a miraculous recovery. Other wise, I got permission from the writers of the play to record it." Lucky teased. "Just take it easy Lucky. It won't do us any good if you end up in here too." Mark said giving her a kiss as they emptied their treys and headed to the room.
"Oh, um, Roger needs to talk to you about room mate stuff he said." Lucky said as if she just remembered. "Okay. I love you Lucky. Call me if you need anything." Mark said. "Well would it be too much to ask for my music? I forgot it when I stopped by my loft before I came here and check my messages. My answering machine is going crazy it looks like." Lucky asked. "Of course hun, now go make Collins smile." Mark and Lucky kissed as they opened the door.
Roger looked up as they entered. "Rog you needed to talk to me?" Mark asked. "Yeah, you good here?" Roger asked Lucky as she took his place she nodded.
Out in the hall Roger pulled out a small pink date book. "Did you get it?" Mark asked. "Yeah, you weren't kidding when you said she wrote everything in it. She's even got blocking notes in it." Roger said flipping threw the book of Lucky's scribbles. Mark sighed, he knew it. There was no way that Lucky had been eating or sleeping, she flat out didn't have time.
She had moved her individual vocal practice to 7:30 just after Mark and Mimi relieved them. That, Mark knew, took an hour and a half. Then she had rehearsal from 9-4. After that was either her work out or any responsibilities she had to promote the show. Yesterday she'd had an interview with a Brooklyn Radio Station and tomorrow night she had an interview with Jay Leno.
Opening day she and the rest of the cast were suppose to perform at the Today Show. After she'd finished all that she had to come to the hospital to sit with Collins.
"She's killing herself." Mark muttered. "Tonight I'll call Joanna. I'll tell her to call Lucky to ask if she could stay with Collins instead of Lucky. It's not much but we really can't expect Jason to cancel a dress rehearsal for her." Mark finished looking at Roger. "I'll see if I can get Sara Anne to cancel Lu's individual tomorrow and I'll try to make sure our girl gets some sleep tonight." Roger said nodding.
Roger handed the date book to Mark and went back inside. Mark watched threw the window as Lucky was retelling a story to Collins. She seemed her normal bright and bubbly self till you looked at her eyes. They told how exhausted she was.
Mark entered Lucky's apartment throwing the keys on the counter where he'd seen Lucky throw them that night. It seemed like forever since the night Lucky and he made love. There just never seemed to be time for them to have any of that.
He walked threw the loft looking for the place where Lucky left her music. Mark hit play as he passed her answering machine:
Voice Mail 1:
"Lucky it's Jason, sweet we need to talk. Darla in costuming told me you drop another two inches. I'm worried about you. Kiki's suppose to be thin from heroin not dead, at least not yet. Call me when you get time."
There was a long beep before the second message played:
Voice Mail 2:
"Lucky it's Cas-sea, girl I'm worried about you. You've gotten too thin and you could barely make it threw yesterday's workout. I think we need to talk. Call me when you get home. I love you girlie."
Mark smiled; it wasn't just Roger and he who had noticed the changes in Lucky. Another beep was heard:
Voice Mail 3:
"LUCKY! ANSWER YOUR PHONE! It's Megan, you remember me, your ex-roommate from Manhattan! Are you dead? Anyways, L.A.'s great I love it here. Call me."
BEEEEEP!
Voice Mail 4:
"Lucky, it's your producer, deal signed, they love your voice and they loved the music. You're golden girl. You've got to be in New York in two months to cut the album. Oh yeah it's Ashton from Capital."
Was there anything his girl friend couldn't do? Mark grinned. She'd be happy to know they were going to let her record her first album in New York. Roger had helped her write a couple of the songs and she wanted him on the record with her. There was a beep and then silence. Mark went to hit delete when a voice came threw:
Voice Mail 5:
"Ms. Davis, Lucy? It's Samson Sharpe from Paramount Pictures in L.A. Hope the spring finds you well. After much consideration we've decided to offer you the part of Velma in our movie of Chicago. If you decide to do it you'll have to be in L.A. in two weeks. Our notes show that you'll be done with your current project by then. Hope to hear from you soon."
Mark stopped short and looked at the answering machine. L.A., she'd auditioned for a movie? When and why didn't she tell him? "Because she's just having fun with you: you never were really back together: Just a convenient hook-up on location." Mark subconscious spoke to him. Mark fist gripped. Austin and Sam had teased him and told him about Lucky's tendency to do on location hook ups just after they found out Mark and Lucky were together again.
Mark shoved the papers in Lucky's hand. "There. I gotta go." Mark said coldly. Lucky was startled at Mark's reaction to her. "Mark." She said standing. Lucky could feel Roger, Collins, and Benny's worried stares at her back. "MARK!" she followed him out the door. "MARK COHEN STOP!" Lucky yelled.
Mark stopped and waited for her to catch up. "What's going on? What was that all about?" Lucky asked. "Maybe that was about L.A." Mark snapped. "L.A.? What are you talking about?" Lucky asked surprised. "Look if you were just looking for a convenient hook up then you should've told me." Mark yelled. "Convenient hook up?" Lucky was confused. Where was all this coming from? "Stop lying Lucky. You're a good actress but not that good. I know all about it. Chicago, L.A., Sam and Austin let me in on your pattern. Thanks but not this time. I'm outta here." Mark yelled pushing her away from him as she went to grab his hand. Lucky hit the wall. She was shocked. Mark had never laid a hand on her.
Roger had heard the bang of Lucky hitting the wall as he ran out the door. He watched as his sister slid down the wall and started sobbing. Sliding on his knees he pulled her into his arms. "Baby Princess what happen?" Roger asked stroking her hair. "I don't know! He's so mad and I don't even know why. Something about L.A., Chicago, and Austin: he didn't make much sense. Then he accused me of a convenient hook-up." Roger sat there rocking her. "Shhh. It's going to be okay." Roger soothed her.
The next day found Roger sitting quietly in Collins room by himself. He'd sent Benny home for a shower and Lucky had been sedated last night by the doctors. She slept in a bed that was put in Collins room. They had all insisted on it. She wouldn't be calmed after several hours of crying. What the hell was going on with Mark, after they'd sedated Lucky; Roger had called Sara Anne saying Lucky wouldn't be at early morning rehearsal. He then called Jason to see if she could be late for the dress rehearsal. Jason had said they would have to go on with the dress rehearsal with a understudy in her place. Roger had called the loft seven or eight times trying to reach Mark knowing that if Mark was screening or out Roger would never know.
The nurse entered the room smiling at Roger.
"Hey sugar." The nurse smiled. "These are yours." The nurse said handing Roger a dose of AZT. "You're an angel Carmen thanks. I haven't had time to go home." Roger said taking it.
Over the last couple of months Carmen had become very close to the Bohemians. She was always giving Roger or Mimi doses of AZT when they had stayed over night. She never cringed at touching or bathing Collins like some of the other nurses. Carmen was always fussing over how cute Benny and Collins were.
"You guys look like you had a rough night." Carmen said checking pulse then placing the blood pressure cuff on her arm with out disturbing her.
"Is she okay?" Roger asked. "Her blood pressure is a little high for a pregnant woman but well just chalk that up to stress." Carmen said off handedly. "What? She's pregnant?" Roger asked standing up. "Yes according to Dr. Wright about six weeks. That's why she's been so tired lately. From the schedule she keeps and the baby she's depleted her resources. Dr. Wright was going to tell her she'd have to give something up or he'd put her on bed rest for the next 7 and ½ months." Carmen said. "Wow I'm gonna be an uncle. Mark, he doesn't know!" Roger said. "She doesn't even know. I figured you'd like to give her the happy news." Carmen said winking.
She then walked over to Collins shaking him. "Thomas: time for your bath: Thomas?" Carmen shook Collins harder. "Tom! Mr. Collins can you hear me?" Carmen shook him once more before calling a nurse at the nurse's station. "PAGE DR. WRIGHT!"
Author's Closing: Ohhh cliff hanger. :Horns holding up her halo: Don't you hate these? And here's the question, "What's the sex lesson that was taught in this chapter? It only take one time with out protection to create life." Have a good night. Remember: NO DAY BY TODAY!