I hope everyone likes this one, enjoy. I found this chapter easier to write from Maureen's POV, so it is. Please R&R.

(Maureen's POV)

I was so scared on the ride to the hospital; Joanne and I didn't even speak the entire cab ride. We just sat in the back of the cab, our hands latching onto one another, sharing our worries and strengths together. Mimi hadn't really told Joanne anything but that Mark was in the hospital and to hurry. Part of me didn't want the cab ride to end. That would mean we were at the hospital and I didn't want to have to face the unknown within that place.

Eventually though the cab ride did end and I was walking into the last place I wanted to be at the moment. I was latching onto Joanne for dear life, I'm glad she's here with me. As the elevator doors opened, we both took a deep breath and walked onto the floor. It was so depressing within those walls. In the background, I could hear random monitors beeping, people sobbing, and patients screaming. Does anything ever good happen here, from my experiences no. We finally reached the waiting room where we found Mimi and Collins sitting in silence. Mimi's face was smeared with mascara, dead give away she'd been crying. Collins of course was being his usual supportive self, his arm around Mimi rubbing her shoulder.

"What's wrong with him?" that's about all I could muster up to ask.

Collins eyes slowly looked up to meet mine. His eyes looked so sad, almost as sad as they looked the day Angel had died. My heart dropped. "Well, they aren't sure. They've been running tests, they don't know anything yet, they won't until the morning. Roger and Eden are with him now."

Eden was this girl Mark had met in the park about two months ago, they've been inseparable since. I don't like her.

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Finally, Joanne and I got to go in and see Mark. One of Eden's friends was a nurse on the floor and she had allowed all of us to go in to see him. Good ole Eden and her connections to the rescue.

He actually didn't look to bad, for a guy in the hospital. I mean, he didn't look like he could run a marathon, but then again he never did beforehand. They had a couple of IVs hooked up to him, with some medication which I could hardly pronounce running in him. He smiled as we walked in, a forced smile, but a smile.

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No one could speak; everyone was at a loss for words, a first for us.

"Anyone thirsty? I saw a vending machine down the hall," of course Mimi was making sure everyone was ok. I think she was just wanting to break the silence, I'm personally glad she had spoken up.

Finally, Joanne responded, "Come on Mimi, we'll go get everyone something." They got up and walked out, of course not before giving their respective partners a comforting kiss goodbye.

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"Here you guys go." I turned around to see Mimi walking back into the room alone, an armful of drinks in tow.

"Where's Joanne?" I was kind of puzzled by her absence.

"Oh, she said she was going to the bathroom, she'd be right back."

Satisfied with her response, I returned my attention to Mark. He had fallen asleep, but no one could seem to be able to leave; we were all too worried. But still no one was talking. Eden was sitting on the bed, holding Mark's hand. Roger and Mimi occupied one seat, while I had the other one. Collins had found himself a comfortable spot on the empty bed in the room. By now, the silence had become deafening; wish Joanne would come back, I needed her here. Looking up at the clock I realized it had been like ten minutes since Mimi had come back, wonder what happened to Joanne?

"Hey, I'm going to try and go find Joanne. Which way to the bathroom?"

"Down the hall, take a left, it's on your right" the uptown snob on the bed muttered, without taking her eyes off of Mark. I just smiled and walked out, for Mark's sake.

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There she is who's that? She was standing at the end of the hall talking to some guy. He was wearing a suit and had no stethoscope; therefore I figured he's not a doctor. Upon watching them closer I realized she's flirting with him. Look at her, she's giggling, touching him and he's doing just the same. He can't seem to keep from touching her. Oh no Maureen Johnson is not standing for this, she's flirting with some guy while her girlfriend is sitting in a room, in pain, hurting, needing her.

About the time I was ready to storm down the hall, I noticed Eden standing behind me.

"So I see you found her" she smirked.

"Yeah, looks like I did." I just walked away, cause if not I may have hit her.

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By the time I reached Joanne, the strange man had left. "Hey Pookie. Who were you talking to?" I was trying to remain calm and not jump to any conclusions.

"Oh him? He's a guy I work with at the firm. He's new." Her eyes never met mine when she was talking.

"You looked awful friendly with him." I was getting a little aggravated; I knew she wasn't telling me something.

She wrapped her arms around me, "Oh honeybear, are you jealous? How cute." She flashed me one of those irresistible smiles of hers. I hated when she did that, it always made me melt and I usually forgot what I was mad about in the first place. But not this time that guy had his hands all over my girlfriend and I wanted some answers.

I guess she could tell that I was being serious because she loosened her grip and looked a little deeper into my eyes. "Maureen are you serious?"

"Joanne you two were clearly flirting earlier, I saw you. I was standing down the hall." She looked like she was a little kid who was just caught with her hand in the cookie jar, this worried me.

"I wasn't flirting Maureen." This came out quite blunt and harsh. "We were just talking. He's a friend, that's all. Even if I was flirting, not like you have much room to talk."

"Wait a minute" I quickly interrupted, "That's not even fair Joanne. You know that I haven't cheated on you." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Damn it I don't want to fight. I could tell she was getting heated, she had let go of me, stepping away.

"What were you doing spying on me anyway? Do you not trust me?"

"I wasn't spying. I was worried; you'd been gone for awhile. I was coming to check on you." Please lets not fight right now, I need you now. We must have been getting loud because Mimi was quickly beside Joanne, putting her arm around her and walking her back to Mark's room.

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After taking a few minutes to compose myself, I walked back down the hall. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and bumped into a nurse, Eden's nurse friend of course.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to," I tried to not look at her, I didn't want her to recognize me, I didn't want to have to deal with her now too.

"That's ok," she started to walk away, but then quickly turned back to me, "wait you're one of Eden's boyfriend's friends aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm Maureen." What the hell does it matter anyway?

"Oh so you're Maureen, Mark's ex. The girl who dumped him for another girl." She made that last comment with a little laughter in her voice.

I was so frustrated about Mark being in the hospital, Joanne and my fight, and her comment kind of put the icing on the cake.

I just kind of lashed out, "YES I'M A LESBIAN. I'M A GIRL AND I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND. HER NAME I S JOANNE. SHE'S THE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME. I LOVE HER. YES I LOVE HER."

I was intentionally saying all of this loud enough for Joanne to hear. Hopefully, this might make up for me questioning her earlier. Next thing I knew I felt someone's hands on my shoulder, yes it worked.

"Joanne?" as I spun around I noticed it wasn't Joanne but that it was Collins.

"Hey honey, let's go down to the cafeteria."

Why hadn't Joanne come out for, why was it Collins. However, I didn't resist too much though. I just followed him down stairs, I needed a break anyway.

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We went downstairs, sat and talked for awhile so that I could calm down, which I eventually did. Collins was always good at calming me down. He just always seemed to know exactly what to say and even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear, he always had a way of making it seem as nice as possible.

"Let's go back up ok Collins" I had calmed down and I wanted to see Mark and Joanne. He just shook his head and we returned back upstairs.

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When we walked back into Mark's room, we found that Roger and Mimi had left. Eden was again on the bed and Joanne was standing, her back to the door. I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. She jumped a little, but relaxed when she saw it was me. However, she didn't look like she was anywhere near wanting to talk to me. I rested my chin on her shoulder, laying my head over against hers. "I'm sorry Pookie," I whispered in her ear. It seemed like forever before she responded.

Without moving she mumbled, "It's been a long evening, let's just go home." She walked over a gently kissed Mark's forehead and hugged Eden goodbye; Eden and her actually got along. Then walked over to Collins, thanking him, I'm sure for his part in calming me down. She turned back around facing me, her eyes looked so tired. "Goodbye everyone. Call me tomorrow Eden when you hear anything"

"Of course Joanne, thank you."

And with that Joanne turned and walked out of the room. I too said my goodbyes and walked out. We left the hospital that evening together, not speaking or touching, but at least it was together.

So there it is. Reviews much appreciated.