Maureen backed away from the hospital bed with her hands over her mouth. The nurses and Dr. Grant (who came rushing into the room) were running around looking at all the machines.
"Will someone please tell me what the hell his going on?" demanded Maureen. There was another beep. Dr. Grant went over to Maureen to talk to her. "What's going on Doctor?" she pleaded.
"She triggered the breathing tube," Dr. Grant replied simply. Maureen waited for more, so he went on. "That means that she took a breath on her own without the machine." Maureen let out a sigh of relief.
"So Joanne's
getting better?"
"It's definitely a step in the right
direction. We're going to have to take her to do some tests to
measure her brain activity and such."
"Sure, of course. I want to know what you find out. You promise you'll tell me what you find out?"
"Of course, Ms. Jefferson." The nurses carefully put Joanne on another be, and wheeled her out of the room.
The second Maureen was alone; she grabbed the phone next to the bed, and quickly dialed the number for the loft. She was in such a rushed that she messed up the familiar number three times before successfully hearing Mark's voice.
"Hello," he said.
"Marky? It's Maureen."
"Hey Mo, what's wrong?"
"Nothing! Get down here right now though. Joanne's breathing on her own! Dr. Grant said that it's a good sign. Hurry up and get down here!"
"Mimi and Collins are on their way from Life Support. Once they get back, we'll drag Roger's lazy butt out of the loft, and be there. Congrat Mo."
"Thanks Marky! So
I'll see you soon?"
"Yeah, bye."
"Bye."
By the time Mark, Roger, Mimi, and Collins arrived at the hospital, Joanne was back form her tests. Collins gave Maureen a hug, and handed her a large paper bag.
"What's this?" she asked as she looked inside.
"That," replied Roger. "Is your entertainment source. Your CD player, CDs, some magazines, and those trashy romance books you women seem so captivated by. We figured that you could use something to do."
"Thanks you guys." Maureen gave everyone another hug.
"No problem. How's Joanne doing?" Mimi asked. Maureen saw Abby walk over to the nurses' station with a bag of food and a cup. She stopped to talk to one of the nurses.
"Dr. Grant was just in here about twenty minutes ago. She's breathing on her own, so they took out the breathing tube. Her brain activity is the same though; it's like she's asleep. They don't know when she'll wake up though."
Mark asked, "She will though…right?" Maureen shrugged.
"They don't know." Something caught Maureen's attention. Abby was holding up a sign that read, "Congrats! Food," with an arrow pointing at the nurses' station.
Mark saw Maureen looking at Abby, but didn't say anything until everyone was leaving. He waited until he and Maureen were alone to talk to her.
"Who was that girl you were staring at right after we got here?" he demanded sternly.
"Girl I was staring at…" repeated Maureen before stopping to think. "Oh, you mean Abby. She's a nurse that works here. She buys me dinner once a week, because the food here sucks."
"Abby.
What's the story with Abby?"
"What do you mean? I already
told you. What else do you…oh my God! You think I'm seeing
someone while the woman I love is lying in a coma! What is your
problem?"
"What am I supposed to think, Mo? When a person like you looks at another woman, what conclusion do you think I come to?"
"You mean, when a whore like me looks at another woman?" Tears slid down Maureen's cheeks. Mark reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but she back away. "Don't touch me!"
"Come on, Mo, you're putting words in my mouth. All I'm doing is telling you what I saw, and you're being a diva again."
"A diva? This is the same fight Joanne and I got into before all of this happened, and I wasn't doing anything last time either. Everybody is judging me by how I used to be. What if I'm trying to change, Mark? Did you even think about that? The woman I love is lying in a coma, and you're accusing me of seeing someone else."
"Maureen, please calm down," Mark said simply as he closed the door to the room, so the whole hospital wouldn't hear the yelling.
"Calm down? You honestly expect me to calm down? I think you're jealous, Mark." Mark forced a laugh.
"Jealous? Jealous of what?"
"Of Joanne. You still aren't over the fact that I dumped you for Joanne, and how long has it been? Go hide behind your camera or something, and leave me the hell alone!"
"Fine, whatever; call me when you've calmed down some," Mark said before leaving Maureen alone.
The second Mark was gone; Maureen crumpled in her seat, and began to sob uncontrollably. How could Mark be so cruel? She was deeply upset about Joanne, and he was accusing her of having an affair! Why didn't anyone think that she could change? Right before Maureen fell asleep in her chair; she promised herself that she would change.
A few days after the fight, Mimi and Mark stopped in to visit on their way home from Life Support. Maureen stared straight ahead with her arms crossed over her chest. She refused to even look at her friends. After several long minutes of awkward silence, Mark sighed.
"Listen, Mimi, I'll meet you in the cafeteria. I'm obviously not wanted here," he said. Mimi watched open-mouthed as Mark left. She looked at Maureen who appeared to be on the verge of tears.
"Maureen, why are you doing this to Mark? It's tearing him up to have you mad at him," asked Mimi.
"So suddenly this is my fault?" Mimi crouched down in front of Maureen.
"I never said that; please don't put words in my mouth, Mo. I'm simply trying to understand what happened between two of my friends."
"Did Mark tell you what he called me?"
"He told me what you said he called you, but he really didn't call you anything. Why would Mark call you something like that in the first place?"
"Okay, maybe he didn't call me that, but I know that he was thinking it. I could tell by how he looked. It hurts that he thinks of me like that. Haven't I been through enough?" she cried. Mimi gave Maureen a comforting hug. Maureen began to cry.
"It's okay honey. You've been through more than enough. I've been called the same thing, and I know how much it hurts."
"But it wasn't a friend, was it?"
"It was painful, because it was true. I was basically a whore, but you're not. I'll talk to Mark, but you need to calm down. Do you think the doctor could give you an anti-depressant or something?"
"I'm not depressed," Maureen replied quickly. "I'm just really stressed." Mimi gave her one final hug before getting up.
"If you say so sweetie. I better go. It's my turn to make dinner, and I have no clue what to make. I'll stop by tomorrow, without Mark." Maureen smiled appreciatively. "I hate to see you two fighting like this. I'll see you tomorrow chica."
"Bye Mimi."
Mimi sighed as she walked out the door. Joanne being in the hospital was taking it's toll on everyone. Collins understood all too well what it's like to watch helplessly as your lovers lies in a hospital bed. roger and Mimi bother understood that one of them would have to watch as the other slowly died. Mimi was going to talk to Roger as soon as her head stopped spinning. Mark still loved Maureen and hated to see her so depressed. He secretly longed that she would come crawling back to him in search of some support, and everyone knew it. Mark took a long drink of his coffee. He had to make amends with Maureen for jumping to conclusions…but how?