A/N: Alrighty…I don't have any comments so this author's note is pretty much useless…Oh yeah! This is from Markie's point of view but don't worry we do see Angel!

Mark was absentmindedly flipping through a Better Homes & Gardens magazine, not actually reading it, not even really looking at the pictures, he just needed something to do with his hands. His thoughts were scattered everywhere, on the young gender-confused Latino boy in hospital room number 75, on the big, dark skinned man who was slumped over in the seat beside him, on the impact that this sudden tragedy would have on his and his friend's lives. He couldn't believe that this could happen to Angel. It was Angel for chrissakes. Angel who always put peoples feelings before her own, Angel who helped him with his film whenever he needed it, Angel who would attend weddings of people she didn't even know just to congratulate them. What evil force let this happen to such a person. What kind of unfeeling s.o.b…He let his thoughts calm down. He was starting to feel slightly violent. He hadn't known Angel for more than five or six months but they'd formed a strong friendship. It wasn't like the one that he had with Roger or the kind that Angel had with Mimi. It was the kind where they just knew. Angel could always tell when Mark was bothered by something and then she'd do anything she could to comfort him or council him on it. Angel was always the strong one, she was his own personal life support. There was one time where he'd actually cried on her shoulder and she let him, stroking his hair and whispering soothing words into his ears. And once, there was a time where she'd cried on his shoulder. It had been just them, she wanted to see where he was in the film, so they were just hanging out and then he decided to pull out his camera and have a little interview. Angel loved that shit. She could be even more of a diva than Maureen sometimes. He had started off with some basic questions but then he threw caution to the wind and asked something that he'd always wondered.

((Flashback Time!))

"Hey Angel?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something personal?"

"Ask away, sugar"

"How did it happen?"

"How did what happen?"

"How did you get AIDS?"

"…"

Mark looked out from behind his camera and saw Angel staring at a spot on the wall. She looked…pained and Mark instantly regretted asking. "If you don't want to tell me that's fine. I was just-"

"It was three years ago." Angel was still staring at that spot on the wall but she was speaking now. Mark stopped talking and zoomed in on her face. "…I was dating this guy…Nathan. We had met at a friend's birthday party, I remember the first time I saw him. He was playing with my friend's border collie, throwing a Frisbee around and just having fun." She stopped for a moment. Then smiled. "He loved animals, he worked at a vet. As the janitor, which I always thought was kind of sweet. He hated cleaning but he loved those damn domestic animals that he'd make a living out of it just to be near them. We hit it off right away. He was so cute and I liked him so much…Now that I know real love with Collins I realize that I just had an extreme crush on Nate but at the time I thought I was gonna be with that boy forever. I was sure that he was the one." She paused again, giggling a bit. "I remember he used to say that someday we'd take a road trip down to Las Vegas and get married in one of those quickie chapels. He said that…that I was so beautiful and feminine that no one would be able to tell that I came with a few extra parts if I dressed up in drag. This was before I got into that..." She gestured to her black mini skirt then when back to staring wistfully off into space for a few seconds. Mark was listening to her intently, he never heard Angel talk about her past and he was very interested. He zoomed in even closer on her as the grin that was on her face slowly began to drip off. "We were together for about nine months. Living together, me, Nate, and a little Doberman puppy…That dog was evil. It would chew up my best shoes purposely. And every time I complained it was all 'He's just a puppy, he's learning, give him some time, blah, blah, blah.' After a while…Nathan became…distant, I guess. It was little things at first. No note in the morning telling me that he didn't wake me cause I looked to cute and that he'd be home by whatever time, then he stopped the public displays of affection. Even holding hands seemed to bother him. Then no displays of affection, public or private. We'd get into huge arguments over nothing. Then he just stopped coming home. When he did he always smelled like wine and sex. I figured I'd just live with it. I knew if I broke up with him, he'd get the apartment and I'd be out on my ass in the gutter. But then…oh I don't know…I just…snapped one night. He came home at around eleven at night, early for him. And as soon as I saw him I just…well it wasn't pretty. There was yelling and shouting, throwing things and…hitting." She whispered the last word. She was no longer staring at the spot on the wall, she was staring at her hands, which were folded, in her lap. Through the camera lens, Mark could see the tears threatening to spill over her eyelids. "So I took my things and left, kicking the dog on the way out, which I know is so mean but it was kinda satisfying, y'know?" she left out a bittersweet laugh. "I found out that he'd been cheating on me with skanky women the whole time. Not only that, he had been doing smack with them." She sighed. "Well a few months later I started feeling like shit. Like, really, really bad. So I went to a local clinic and…and…well the rest is history." She finally looked over at him and his camera. He got this heartbreakingly beautiful shot of her just staring into the camera, a single tear falling down her smooth cheek. "Mark?" she said, quietly. "Yes?"

"I'm going to tell you something that not even Mimi knows. Only one person does…My friend Carla."

"What is it?" he was curious. He didn't think Angel had any secrets.

"When I got my results back…I…I did something really stupid." Mark looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. "I…bought some heavy sleeping pills and…I-I…" she couldn't finish. She started sobbing. Mark put his camera down and rushed to her side, putting his arms around her, rocking her gently. After she'd calmed she asked him to keep this a secret for her. She didn't know what everyone else's reaction would be and she didn't want to find out. Mark did just that, never telling anyone of that moment that they'd shared. Even after Angel was gone it would remain untouched in his memory as the day when he and Angel really bonded. It was his.

((End Flashback!))

"Excuse me sir?"

Mark jumped what must have been at least three feet in the air. He turned to see a young nurse smiling at him. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I just came to tell you and your friends that you can see Mr. Schunard now." She smiled at him once again and walked away. Mark turned and saw Collins still slumped over and sleeping and Benny was looking at him. "It's okay to see him now?" he asked. Mark nodded slowly. He was still trying to come fully back to here and now and get out of his special memory. He kneeled down in front of Collins, he shook his shoulder lightly, not wanting to scare the anarchist. "Collins…Hey, c'mon man, wake up." He gave Collins' shoulder a jerk and Collins jolted awake. "Huh?" he looked around, eyes, wide, bloodshot. Mark stood up and offered Collins his hand. "We can go see her now." Collins suddenly looked afraid. He stared at Mark's hand as if he were holding a handgun at him. Mark shook his head lightly. "Hey, it'll be okay. She'll be just fine and you two'll make up and everything will go back to…normal." He didn't want to say that last bit because he knew it'd be a lie. There was an extremely high chance that Angel wouldn't be exactly the same. She'd still be Angel but…maybe not in her usual jacked-up-on-happy-pills state. Collins looked at him for a second before clambering to his feet. "Lets go," he said.

The group was rather subdued as they walked down hallways looking for room number 75. Finally Benny let out an "Aha!" and pointed at a door to their left.

"Do you want to go in first?" Mark asked Collins, excepting a yes. But Collins surprised him. "…No. No, you can go in first. I need to…" he didn't finish but Mark understood. This was something that you needed to prepare for. Mark nodded and grabbed Benny's arm. Benny looked slightly uneasy but went in all the same.

Mark went in first, Benny trailing behind him. Mark's stomach flipped at what he saw. Angel, her eyes closed, IVs attached to her arms, machines whirring and beeping around her. She looked deathly pale and you could see tear streaks on her face. She opened her eyes. He mouth opened slightly and then closed. She sat up, well she did the best she could but she fell back into her lying down position after a few seconds of struggling. Mark immediately went her side, helping her up.

"What are you doing her?" she asked, clutching at his arm. Her voice was not at all in its usual smooth, high-pitched tone. It was rough, a little deeper, and hoarse. "What do you mean what are we doing here?" Mark asked raising his eyebrow "Why wouldn't we be here, we brought you here."

Angel looked down. "Oh" she whispered. Mark leaned down and hugged her gently, and kissed her cheek. "You're gonna be okay, you know that right?" She nodded, laughing softly. "Yes, I know. Now that I've got some people with emotion in here with me, I feel all better." Mark smiled. Good. She still had a sense of humor, even if it was cynical. "Do you need anything?" He asked, like the gentleman that he was. Angel opened and closed her mouth several times before saying quietly. "Have you seen C-Collins anywhere?" Mark gave a slight smile, "He's right outside. Do you want to see him?" Angel nodded. Mark turned around and looked at Benny who was still standing by the door watching them. Mark motioned at him to open the door and get Collins. Benny nodded quickly before turning to the door. Mark looked back at Angel who had been staring at Benny. "What's he doing here?" She inquired not taking her eyes off of him.

"He…he found you." Mark answered not knowing how to. He didn't know how sensitive the drag queen was on the subject of her attack yet and didn't know how to talk to her about it. Just then, there was a rustling behind him and he turned to see Collins, face determinedly looking at the floor, his feet dragging slightly enter the room.

A/N: AAAHHH! I DID EXACTLY WHAT I PROMISED NOT TO DO! I'm sorry loyal readers…please forgive me. I couldn't help it. I was going to change it halfway through to Collins POV but then…I don't know, I like writing for Mark. I couldn't help myself! The next chapter will be posted asap! But…this chapter is okay right? I thought the flashback was a good touch…. (hides and cries in corner, afraid of angry readers and flames)