3. You'll be My Queen, and I'll Be Your Moat (Collins)

Mark and Roger's phone started to ring. Ring. We screen, we Bohemians, and I was not about to break tradition. Ring. Ring. Ring. I waited for the answering machine to pick up. Ring. "Pick up, damn it," I said to myself. Finally, it kicked in.

"Speeeaaak!" their voices screamed through the tape. Beep.

"Hello," he sounded almost shocked at Roger and Mark's message. "My name is Raoul Vasquez, and I'm calling from the hospital in regards to Miss Schunard's visit," he messenger on the other end announced. At the sound of Angel's name, I got up from the couch and ran to answer the phone.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hello is this mister Collins?" the man inquired.

"Yeah it is; who are you?"

"My name is Doctor Raoul Vasquez, and if I remember correctly, you are Angel's, Angel's-," he struggled for the word.

"Lover?"

"Yes, Lover. Um, she came by the hospital and-."

"She actually went?"

"She did, Mr. Collins; I do have a bit of unfortunate news for you, assuming that she hasn't told you."

"Angel ain't told me nothing, doctor."

"I was afraid so; we ran blood work on her and… her T-cells were dangerously low. We asked that she be admitted into ICU, but she declined and rushed out." Low T-cells? Angel? ICU? That can't be possible, I thought. She was feeling fine this morning. "Please, Mr. Collins, I would greatly appreciate it if you would speak to her, and convince her that being admitted is what's best for her. If she even catches the slightest cold, she will die." I threw the phone across the room, shattering it to pieces. "God damn it Angel!" I screamed into the freezing loft.

"Collins? Is that you?" Mark called into the kitchen. He kept walking into the room, and I tried my best to compose myself, but it was hard considering I was on the ground sobbing into my hands. He must have seen the phone on the floor, because he commented, "Well I guess we can't make any calls. I guess Joanne can buy us another phone." He laughed his old soft loving laugh. "What's wrong Collins?"

"Oh, nothing, man. I'm fine" I sucked up my sobs and headed out the

door of the loft. "I'll see you later, boy."

"Yeah, I'll see you later," he replied softly in his normal tone.