Note: Thanks for the reviews as always my dears. I really am flattered by your comments! And I'm happy you liked the whole Mrs. Collins is a junkie thing cause it kinda just clicked for me when I thought of that. Thanks for your support as always. And for Phantom91 for finding my stupid mistakes again (shakes head at self) Enjoy!
"There is way too much estrogen in the room for me to handle." Dawson said trying to make Angel smile. He succeeded. A soft smile spread on Angel's face. But that also could be due to the fact that Mimi was currently painting her nails a bright blue color. Her favorite. When Maureen showed up to the hospital she was prepared with a bag of goodies. Pretty much things to keep everyone busy. And if anyone needed to be kept busy…it was Angel.
"No one's holding you down, boy." Joanne said with a smirk, "If you wanna go, go." She glanced through the window of the room knowing that it wasn't possible anyway. Mark was currently talking to the police. Angel would have to be questioned as well, but the police agreed that it would be better for them to wait…at least until they heard about Collins.
The nurse had taken Maureen and Lori a few hours ago. They were presumably still with her, donating all they could to save Collins. To make Angel whole again. Although she was improving there was still a worn quality to her. She refused to sleep, worried that she would fall asleep the moment that Collins would come out of surgery. No one tried to argue with her.
"Naw." Dawson said putting his legs up on the bed, "I like the ladies." He raised his eyebrows at them.
Mimi laughed, "Sorry hun, all of us are taken…cept Joanne. And then she's not into your type."
Joanne nodded flipping through a magazine, "The penis is a turn off."
Angel smiled a bit wider. She knew it was their goal now. To keep her smiling and ignore their own fears. And they were doing pretty well…but no amount of smiles would cure the pain she was feeling. The yearning to see Collins safe and healthy. It completely overtook her. Angel was always sure that she loved Collins, but now she knew the pain that came with the pleasure. The fact that their love was eternal, but they themselves were mortal. And if this wasn't the day…one day…one of them would have to watch the other die.
Joanne shook her head at a magazine article, "You know they fabricate these things? The most embarrassing stories. They get the messages but they are so short and not so embarrassing that the editors play with them."
"No way!" Mimi said, "They're my favorite part!" She sighed looking like her childhood had been viciously ripped away from her, "So Dawson…what's your most embarrassing story? I bet Angel knows a few."
Angel smirked but didn't say anything looking at her brother.
Dawson cleared his throat and put his feet down, "Well it looks like my time with you ladies is over." He went to the door despite the giggles coming from Mimi. "And no it's not because I'm a chicken."
Joanne smiled, "Then what is your most embarrassing moment?"
"That my dear lady is for you to wonder about…" Dawson said hanging out of the doorway.
"And for Angel to tell us later." Mimi commented finishing up Angel's nails.
"Probably." Dawson shrugged, "Love ya, Ang." He popped out of the room.
Mimi shook her head plopping the nail polish back in Maureen's bag.
Angel's eyes moved from her brother over to the painting that lay on the night table. She knew there was no way to mend it, but it was still impossible for her to let go. After all Collins went through to get it. And after all her father went through to create it. She went into her dream world again. Imagined her birth parents along Peter and Sybil trying to comfort her. Her birth father saying that he would gladly paint Angel another picture that would be even better. But Angel would shake her head and say that she was attached to this one. Her birth mother would simply offer her a shoulder to cry on…and Angel would use it. And when Collins would come out of surgery fine and dandy she would introduce them. Angel's father would say that he was worried but Collins seemed too gentlemanly to refuse. Angel's mother would comment on Collins' gentle eyes and decide it was a match made in heaven. She would buy wedding books and point out ideas for their future commitment ceremony.
But it was all a daydream.
"Angel-chica?" Mimi asked trying to meet her friend's eyes, "You ok?…alright I suppose that's a stupid question."
"Muy estúpido." Angel replied with a weak wink.
Maureen and Lori now made themselves known knocking on the door gently, and not so gently in Maureen's case.
"I better go so those two can get in here." Joanne decided. She went to Angel's bedside and kissed her cheek, "Hang in there." She said. Maureen came in the room gazing at Joanne. The drama queen had to wonder why it was always after they broke up she remembered just how beautiful Joanne was. Joanne slipped out of the room nodding to Lori as she came in.
"Hi." She said sitting where Joanne was, "How you feeling?"
Angel shrugged, "Worried." Maureen and Lori exchanged a look.
"Well…we were dismissed a minute ago..." Maureen said smiling at the new color on Angel's fingernails, "Collins is coming out of surgery right now. They're fixing up his room."
Angel sat up in her bed smudging her nail polish, "How is he?"
Maureen gulped, "Oh we don't know…but..."
"He's alive, Angel." Lori whispered loud enough so Angel could hear, "He's survived the surgery."
Angel's shoulders shook gently until Mimi embraced her. It was enough. Some hope that he would be all right. She cried into Mimi's shoulders out of relief. But Mimi was pretty sure that she heard her best friend whisper, "I want to wake up from this nightmare. Please I've had enough."
Mark sat in the waiting room with only Angel's father as company. The meeting with the police officers had been short lived since Mark could only tell them his side of the story. And although he was there to find Angel and Collins…he didn't know much about who did it other than Sid and Tommy Boil. When the police officers left, Angel's father, Peter, sat next to him and talked to him politely. He stayed in the hospital while Sybil went home to watch the children and explain what happened. Mark heard her asking Peter how she was going to explain this to them. Explain hatred for someone they loved.
The filmmaker and Peter quieted their small talk when Roger came into the Emergency Room. His hands deep into his pockets and his eyes on the ground.
"Where…where's Collins' mother?" Mark asked wondering what happened. Did she refuse to come? Maybe she decided that her husband was right and that her son was… "wrong". But Mark pushed that out of his mind, he didn't want to believe it.
Roger came over to them and ran one of his hands through his hair, "She's not coming."
Peter frowned, "But Roger…she needs to be here…for insurance information and-"
"She's not coming." Roger repeated without any emotion before heading towards the bathroom. Mark followed after him while Peter went to the nurses desk to find out some legalities on Collins' situation.
"Roger!" Mark called after his friend although the rocker wouldn't stop until he reached a sink in the bathroom. He turned on the cold water and cupped his hands under the spout to throw water on his face, "Roger what happened?" Mark asked wondering why Roger was acting so…shaken all of a sudden.
Roger looked at his reflection a moment before saying, "She's an addict."
"She's a…what?" Mark said hearing it but not believing it.
"She's a junkie, Mark." Roger said harshly with annoyance in his voice, "She takes drugs."
"But…" Mark came closer to Roger kneading his hands, "Collins would have told us…"
"Not if he didn't know." Roger said quietly all of the anger apparently slipping from him, "If he knew…he would have done something."
Mark nodded following his thought process, "Or he would have told us…he never really held back with ragging on his parents not that he didn't have a good reason…" Mark leaned against the tiled wall and sighed, "What are we gonna do?"
Dawson burst into the bathroom before Roger could speak, "Collins' doctor is here." He replied, the two teens rushed out of the bathroom to see a man waiting for them in a white lab coat. His nametag read "Dr. Carlos Friyda". Angel's father was already standing by waiting for the three boys.
"You two are the friends of Tom?" The doctor asked them looking tired from the hour or two of surgery. "Are Tom's parents-"
"They're not…here." Roger said making it clear in his tone that they were all Collins had for the moment.
Dr. Friyda nodded, "Then I suppose…I can discuss his condition with you."
"Wait…" Mark started to say, "Can you…can we go into my friend's room…Collins is his boyfriend…and I know he's…"
"Nervous?" The doctor helped along, "Of course." Mark and Peter led the way to Angel's room while Roger trailed behind.
Angel and the girls popped their heads up from magazines. Joanne had eventually came back breaking the three-person rule. She had thought that when the doctor came in she would have to explain herself but Dr. Friyda didn't seem to mind. There were other more important things at hand.
Maureen took Joanne's hand in her own without even thinking. Her ex thought about pulling away, but she squeezed Maureen's hand instead. Lori went to Mark's side and they hugged quickly turning to the doctor. Mimi eyed Roger but stayed close to Angel who looked petrified. All of the what if's were running into her head. What if he said that Collins was gone? What if he said that he did all he could but….
"Please tell me." Angel said cutting off her train of thought, "I can't wait any longer." Peter and Dawson watched her carefully from the door.
The doctor nodded and took a deep breath before saying, "Tom lost a lot of blood…more than we would have liked. But through the help of you two young ladies…he might pull through."
"Might?" Joanne asked the question that they all were thinking.
Dr. Friyda looked at the clipboard as if he was making sure, "Yes. There is still a possibility that his body will not be able to withstand the stress. He is still unconscious at the moment…we will know better when he waked up how well his chances are."
"When will he wake up?" Angel asked without an ounce of emotion in her voice.
"It could be two days…it could be two weeks. Or perhaps…not at all." The doctor frowned knowing that that was what no one wanted to hear, after all the waiting…simply to wait even longer to possibly hear more bad news.
They all sat in silence. Some said silent prayers. Others cursed the stars. Angel was the only one, however, completely focused on her Collins.
"Can I see him?" She asked with a grace that no one should have as they are told their lover might die.
The doctor paused, "It would be better if you…yes. You can. I think I can arrange something. Wheel him to room 451. But only three of you please." He told them heading off.
Peter frowned watching the doctor leave, he turned to Angel, "Maybe it would be better if you waited until you were a bit stronger." Angel shook her head and pushed herself off her hospital bed with her good arm.
"I'm going to see him." She said firmly. Roger pulled over a wheel chair and helped her get into it. Peter opened the door for them and nodded to all of the rest of the group who stayed in Angel's room despite their own wishes to see Collins.
Roger pushed Angel into the room. The nurses told her to be prepared. That he wouldn't look like himself. Angel immediately had thought of his face. The way it crinkled up when he laughed. The way he raised his eyebrow at a dirty joke. The way all of his muscles relaxed when they kissed.
Just as the nurses had promised Collins looked different. He was hooked up to many machines keeping track of his progress or lack there of. But unlike Angel he had no small bruises or breaks. Only a sole cut in his belly which Angel knew was hiding under his hospital gown. Although his appearance was different that wasn't the thing that scared her. It was the fact that he was alone.
"Roger…help me." Angel ordered, although from her tone of voice it was clear that she would pull herself from the wheelchair with or without Roger's help, despite her injuries. Roger grabbed Angel by the underarm and helped her onto Collins' bed. Then Angel lay down next to Collins on the bed making sure to avoid disturbing the tubes. She wrapped her good arm around his body and gazed at him, "I'm not gonna leave you now. Cause look what happens when I leave you. Look what happens." She watched his lips part slightly for air.
"You know…" Angel whispered caressing his face with her fingers, "I get so excited when you come around. Even if you're on the phone. I feel the need to touch up my make-up…just in case. Cause I always wanna look amazing for you…not that…not that you would mind me in sweat pants…I know you would love me all the same. Baby, you would probably love me in a paper bag…or nothing. You would especially love me in nothing." She blushed a bit at the comment remembering her father was in the room, but he kept quiet.
Angel continued after kissing his cheek gently, "You have to wake up…not right away. I understand you're tired and that you've been through so much. I don't want you straining your sweet self. So take a few more winks. But don't keep me too long…it's not that I'm impatient…" She smiled slightly, "I suppose I am…but you…I'd wait for…forever. I'd rather not though…so don't test me." She said pointing her finger at him.
"Do please wake up though…" Angel started tears forming in her eyes, "Cause there's so much we haven't done. Like….go to the beach together. I know you mentioned something about hating the feeling of sand between your feet…but you'd come around. And we haven't…we haven't gone skiing. I would make you carry me up the hill and you wouldn't even protest. Until maybe later when you would complain of a back ache and I'd hit you for insinuating I was fat. And…we haven't celebrated our birthdays. Or Valentines. Or Chirstmas…I love Christmas. The lights especially. And remember we have to slow dance in our sock when we're in our fifties. And…we have to live our lives together." Angel said her breath hitching, "Deal with those horrible days when we deal with the jerks of the world. And the good days when we revel in the good people of the world. Have our own life together. Get as close as we can to marriage…and adopt our own…" Angel blinked back tears and rubbed them from Collins' face where they landed.
"See all that you have to wake up for? But like I said…I don't want you to hurt yourself. So take a rest…but then come back to me." She snuggled her head into the pillow and watched him, "I have to sleep now…I'm pretty tired. Maybe…maybe we'll meet in our dreams. And…I'll tell you everything I've just said…cause I meant every word. Maybe we'll meet then." Angel closed her eyes letting out the last of her tears as she fell asleep almost instantly.
Roger watched the two of them batting his eyelashes with the beeps of the machinery.
Post: Next Chapter: Mark, Roger, and Maureen go back to school. Angel gets some news.