Chapter 1:
"Pookie, I wasn't flirting with the waitress!" Maureen Johnson announced as she and her lover made their way back to their apartment after having lunch together.
"Okay, then what were you doing?" demanded Joanne Jefferson as she unlocked the door to their apartment.
"I was being friendly. You think that every time I look at another woman, I'm flirting with them."
"You know what? This isn't what I need right now." Joanne grabbed her briefcase off the coffee table. "I'm going down to the firm to get some work done on this big case I have. I'll be back later." Maureen watched open-mouthed as Joanne left.
"Pookie wait!" she called as she followed Joanne out the door. Joanne was already halfway down the stairs. "I love you," Maureen said quietly, almost to herself.
After Joanne left, Maureen stormed back into their apartment. She slammed the door behind her, and began to search for a beer. Once she found once, she flopped down on the couch, and began to channel surf. Mimi called, and the two friends chatted for a while. Maureen vented about Joanne, and Mimi assured her that everything would work out in the end. After hanging up with Mimi, Maureen picked up a magazine and began to read. She hated the silence that would normally engulf the apartment, so she kept the TV on.
Around 4:30, the telephone began to ring. Sighing, Maureen answered it. She figured that it was Joanne calling her from the store to ask her what she wanted for dinner or something.
"Hello," she said as she muted the TV.
"May I speak to a Ms. Maureen Johnson please?" a male voice on the other end asked politely.
"This is Maureen Johnson. If you're selling something, I'm not interested."
"I'm not selling anything. I'm calling about Ms. Joanne Jefferson."
"Joanne? What's
wrong with Joanne?"
"She was involved in a car accident."
The color drained from Maureen's face. "I'm Doctor Grant, and
I found your number in her wallet."
"Is, is Joanne alright?" Maureen was fully prepared for the worst at this point.
"She survived the crash." Maureen let out a breath of relief. "But she's now in a comatose state."
"A coma? Oh God, oh God." Maureen began to cry.
"Ms. Johnson, are you going to be able to come down to the hospital to see Ms. Jefferson?" Maureen nodded, but then remembered that she was on the phone.
"Yeah. I'm going
to get a ride, and I'll be right down. Where, uh, where is
she?"
"The ICU part of the hospital."
"ICU?"
"It
stands for Intensive Care-"
"I know what it
stands for!" snapped Maureen. "I'll be down there soon.
Bye."
"Bye."
Maureen stood up, and felt dizzy. She needed to get to the hospital, but Joanne had taken the car. Mark and Roger had that hunk of junk they insisted was a car. Yes, that would have to do. Maureen grabbed her purse, and began to run the ten blocks to the loft. Halfway there it began to rain, but she didn't even notice. She bound up the stairs to the loft, and banged impatiently on the metal door.
"Maureen?" Mimi asked when she answered the door.
A/N: There you go, chapter one. Please keep my chorus teacher Carolyn Gipe and the family of her best friend who recently died Leonard Cave in your prayers. They were in a car crash, and our school is now suffering the actions of a drunk driver. Also check out Off-Set (which I finished writing!)
Tina101