2.
I will one day have a baby girl named Clarissa Angelique. :)
Disclaimer: ALL HAIL JONATHAN LARSON! XD
"She looks like Mimi, thank God."
Roger punched Mark on the shoulder.
"Just kidding!" Mark laughed, raising his hands.
Roger laughed. "I said the same thing, Mark."
"I'm going to spoil you so much," Maureen cooed, in a voice that was reserved only for babies, and Joanne.
"And I won't allow it," Joanne added, rubbing the baby's head.
"You got a name for her, man?" Collins asked, his face twisted into one of his foolish grins.
"Clarissa Angelique," Roger beamed.
Collins understood the significance of the name and put a hand on Roger's shoulder happily. His eyes were glistening very dangerously.
"What nickname?"
Roger shrugged. "I haven't really thought of it yet."
"Maybe Crissa, Clar, Angie or Geli – but with an I."
"Wow, you really didn't put much thought in that," Joanne said sarcastically.
"A dog named Gelly and now a baby girl named Geli," Collins laughed.
The rest looked at each other with uh-oh looks. But Collins was just happy, and no sadness could be seen in his face.
"We have to take her now, Mr. Davis," a nurse broke the moment.
Roger nodded and everyone said: Awww.
"I love you," Roger whispered to his daughter, before handing her to the nurse.
They all watched her bring Clarissa Angelique inside the nursery. Roger wiped away his brimming tears and sighed in relief.
"I'm never going to regret that I didn't use a condom," he said.
The others laughed.
"Mr. Davis? Can I have a word?" the doctor broke through.
"Sure."
Away from the rejoicing godfathers and godmothers, the doctor led Roger to the front of the room which Mimi was staying in. Roger knew it couldn't be good, whenever doctors dragged you aside to talk, it was never good news.
"You have to be back in one month to know if Clarissa has the HIV," the doctor informed, handing Roger a paper with instructions.
"But you also need to come by weekly so we can monitor her and give her the necessary medications to help prevent it as much as possible."
Roger just nodded.
"How's my wife?" he asked uncertainly, knowing that part of this conversation was going to be about Mimi's HIV status.
"We did a check up on her," the doctor began. "We wanted to know if she'd…"
"Gotten worse," Roger finished for him.
The doctor nodded.
"And?"
"Well…"
"Tell me."
"Well she's… okay, considering that she's just undergone a very long labor."
Roger was getting impatient. He grabbed the doctor by the collar of his white gown. "Give me the not so good news which you're obviously putting off."
"She's uh…"
"Spit it out!" Roger yelled.
The doctor pulled away from the angry father and wiped his glasses.
"Well?" Roger growled menacingly.
"Stage four."
Roger's expression immediately changed. "Isn't that…"
He gulped, trying to swallow back some tears. "The last stage?"
"One would call it that… yes," the doctor chose his words carefully.
"But she was so healthy… she's…"
"I think she hasn't been telling you, Mr. Davis," the doctor sighed.
"The obvious signs are there… abrupt loss of weight, diarrhea, pneumonia…"
"Mimi has pneumonia?" Roger's eyes pierced through the doctor's very soul.
"Yes, for a couple of weeks now and diarrhea too."
Roger slapped his head in frustration. He had been so oblivious to the signs! It was Mimi who kept on coughing and shaking it off like it was just dust at the loft. It was Mimi who'd taken so long in the bathroom and who used up all the Lysol cans.
"Tests show signs of early tuberculosis also, Mr. Davis. I'm terribly sorry," the doctor apologized sadly.
"Can't you do anything?"
"Were trying our best. There's just not much you can do for her at this stage," the doctor showed mild sympathy.
He tried to shut his mouth when he was about to say that all HIV positive patients are led to an untimely death.
"Is she going to die?" Roger asked bitterly, letting his tears slide down.
The doctor didn't answer and Roger didn't let him. He walked inside his wife's room and shut the door softly behind him. Mimi was lying there, looking so peaceful. How could an angel like her die at this time? She was so young…
"Hey Roggy," Mimi smiled.
"Hey," Roger wiped away his tears and sat down on Mimi's bed.
"So what'd he tell you?" Mimi's eyes closed every now and then.
"Who?" Roger lied.
"The doctor silly," Mimi laughed meekly.
"He said that you were very strong in the delivery room," Roger lied again.
"Do you expect me to believe that?"
"Yes."
"Okay, if you think I shouldn't know, then I trust you with that decision," Mimi shrugged.
Roger suddenly got angry. "How can you accept that you might die soon?"
"HOW CAN YOU LEAVE ME AND OUR DAUGHTER ALONE?"
Mimi shook her head and laid her hand on Roger's to calm him.
"I won't."
"You can't promise that, Mimi!" Roger whined.
"And no matter what I do, I'm going to die soon too!" Roger wept. "We'll leave Clarissa Angelique all ALONE."
"Roger, do you honestly still believe that when one dies, one leaves forever?" Mimi laughed a little at Roger's cluelessness.
"People die, love doesn't."
Roger sobbed into Mimi's blanket. She ran her fingers through his blonde locks.
"Forget, regret, or life is yours to miss." Mimi sang.
"I love you, and I will never die because of that," Mimi said, lifting Roger's face.
"I love you too, baby."
They kissed and Mimi went back to sleep.
I know that was senti, you don't have to nag at me and call me a blockhead for making it all drama-y. But please, if you want to, call me anything you want… just not pookie. XD
Poll: a good nickname for me would be:
a. Sad slob who lives through her fantasies
b. Pookie
c. A blockhead
I think I'd like to call myself a blockhead. XD I love Charlie Brown and he's a blockhead. (shrug) Oh no, last chappie is coming! Huhuhu. :(