Chapter 12

Everyone turned and looked at Roger. "What?" he demanded. "You think I should go in there? I am probably the last person who should go in there. We should just wait for Mo to get here, and then let her yell and wake Mimi up. Lord knows she's loud enough."

"Ha ha. You're so funny Roger." said a voice from the hospital entrance. "It's nice to see you can still crack jokes at a time like this. And for the last time, stop calling me Mo!" Maureen said scolding as she and Joanne made their way into the waiting room.

"Sorry." Roger said. "It's just I'm the wrong person to be going in there. Tell her Joanne." He said appealing to his other friend.

Joanne looked up at Roger. "Actually," she said thoughtfully. "You probably should be the one to go. Mimi would probably appreciate it. And even if she didn't, her anger at you being in there would probably be enough to wake her up." she reasoned.

Roger realized he was going to be outvoted on this matter so he sighed and went over to the doctor. "I'll go in." he said.

Dr. Bryson smiled. "You must be an ex-boyfriend." Roger glared at her. "Um, but that's not really relevant right now." she continued quickly. "She's right this way." He followed her down the hall and into a small room that was nicely furnished. It was painted a pale pink and the T.V. was tuned to a Spanish soap opera. The doctor shut the door and left Roger alone with the pale Mimi lying on the hospital bed. It hurt his heart to see her hooked up to so many machines and looking so frail.

He sat down in the chair next to her bed and cleared his throat loudly. "Hey Meems." he said somewhat timidly. "Uh, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for blowing up like that last night. I was just really upset." he stopped. Mimi still lay motionless on the bed. So he continued to talk to her.

"Your room is nice. It's pink. I don't really like it, but I know it's your favorite color so it's nice. And the telenovelas are on. I know how much you love those too." Suddenly tears flooded his deep green eyes. "Look Mimi, I don't want you to die. You can't die. Everyone will miss you so much. You know they're all outside waiting and hoping that you'll wake up and get better. So many people love you Mimi. I love you." He stopped and laughed to himself. "If this was one of those cheesy soap operas you would have woken up just as I told you I loved you. But I guess it doesn't work that way if the guy who says it is in love with another guy. Wish it did though. I-"

He had stopped looking at Mimi so he didn't realize her hand had moved until it was clutching his. He looked at her, his heart beating quickly.

"Roger," Mimi said softly. "You talk too much. Just sitting here listening to you almost put me in a coma." she giggled weakly.

"Oh Mimi." Roger exclaimed. "You're okay!"

"I'm lying in a hospital bed with tubes sticking out of everything but my ass. That's your definition of okay?" she said back. "Why are you in here Roger? I thought you didn't like me anymore."

"Didn't I just say I loved you?" Roger said exasperatedly.

"Oh you always say that."

Roger rolled his eyes. "Look, I was just minding my own business making sandwiches for me and my daughter, when I get the call that you have collapsed and are in the hospital. So I come dashing over here to see if you're okay. I give them your information and offer to let you use our Mark's and my insurance because your bum of a fiancé isn't even here. Then the doctor says someone has got to come in here and talk to you. And lo and behold, everyone volunteers me! So here I am trying to tell you that I care and all you can do is be a bitch!" he finished.

Mimi lowered her eyes. "You didn't tell them how old I really am did you?" she

asked with a small smile.

Roger sank down on the bed beside her. "Of course I did." he told her. "They might have needed the information to save you. I would do anything to save you." he told her quietly.

Mimi leaned over and kissed Roger firmly on the mouth. When she pulled back, he blinked at her astonished.

"That was completely lost on you wasn't it?" she asked him.

Roger nodded. "Sorry, but my heart belongs to Mark and only Mark now."

Mimi rolled her eyes. "Gay guys." she said sighing.

Roger smiled at her. "So are we cool then?"

"Si, we are." was the response. Roger looked into her deep brown eyes.

"Talk to me then. Tell me what's going on with you. Why are your white blood cells low? And what's up with this baby thing?" he asked her.

Mimi looked up at him and heaved a big sigh. "I want a child Roger. I'm sick of being sick and not being able to start a family. Darren doesn't want to have children because of my AIDS. So I started taking fertility medicine. The doctor who prescribed it said it was not to be taken with any other medication."

"So you quit taking your AZT?" Roger asked incredulously. "That's crazy!"

"No it isn't." Mimi said stubbornly. "I want a family. Even you and Mark have a child and you're both men!"

"That's because we got ours through the miracle of adoption Mimi. You could do that." Roger informed her.

"I guess." she said shrugging.

"Listen, I really should go out there and tell everyone that you're awake. They've all been worried sick, especially Sara. But this isn't over okay? When you get out of here, and you will, we are going to finish this conversation." Roger informed her getting up from the bed.

Mimi nodded and smiled grudgingly. "Alright. Just don't tell them I kissed you. It wouldn't be proper. And have some one bring me some food. Being unconscious makes me hungry."

"Yes Miss Marquez." Roger said sweeping her a bow. "You wish is my command." He laughed to himself as he made his way back up the hall and into the waiting room. As he entered, everyone looked up at him anxiously. He saw that Collins had arrived.

"So is she okay?" Collins asked worriedly.

Roger grinned. "Yeah, she just woke up so she should be okay now. Where's that doctor?" he asked then.

"I'm right here." Dr. Bryson said coming up to him. "Did I just hear you say that she was awake?"

"That's right, so go in there and run your tests. Find out what's wrong with my friend." Roger ordered.

Dr. Bryson nodded. "Yes but, wouldn't you all like to go in there and see Miss Marquez first? I know you were worried. We can wait until after that to treat her I think." They all agreed that they wanted to see Mimi so they got up and headed towards her room. Mark stopped and looked back at Roger.

"You okay?" he asked.

Roger smiled back at him. "Yeah. We had a nice little talk when she woke up and we're cool now." he said.

Mark nodded and followed everyone to Mimi's room. Mimi was laying there watching the television when they all burst in.

"Oh Mimi!" Sara exclaimed and ran over to hug her friend. "You're alive. I was so scared."

"Nombre de Dios Sara" Mimi said laughing. "I'm okay. You'd think I was dying the way you're carrying on."

"How can you be so sure you're not?" Maureen asked from where she was standing in the corner. "You haven't been taking care of yourself and it would serve you right."

"Maureen can it." Mark ordered. "That's not called for." Then he turned to Mimi. "She's partly right though, you haven't been taking care of yourself and that's dangerous. You are luck to be alive."

Mimi sighed and hung her head. "I know that Mark. Roger already lectured me enough about that. So could you not?" she sniffed as she tried to hold back her tears. "I know what I did was stupid, but I just didn't know what else to do." She quickly told the others what she had told Roger.

Maureen walked over and sat on the bed. "Meems, you could have talked to someone. You could have talked to me. I understand better than anyone about wanting to have a family but not being able to produce one."

Collins came over next. "She's right Mimi. Anyone in this room with the exception of Sara, can relate to wanting a family but not being able to have one. Granted it's for a different reason than yours but still. We need to be able to talk to each other, all of us." he said wisely.

Mimi looked over at Joanne. "Are you going to yell at me too Jo?" she asked softly.

Joanne shook her head. "No," she said. "You already know how stupid you were being and you don't need me to elaborate on that. All I have to say is that having a family isn't as easy as Mark and Roger make it look." Mark turned to stare at her. "Oh come on Mark. We all can see how easy it is for you two. I mean your kid is perfect. She likes the same thing you two like and she's sweet and quiet."

"But-" Mark protested.

"I'm not blaming you for anything Mark." Joanne continued. "I'm just saying that Mimi shouldn't rush into anything. Trying to trick Darren into accepting a child is no way to go about it."

"That's right." Sara spoke up. "Because there's no guarantee that he'll stay with you if you do get pregnant. He's not that nice of a guy."

Mimi looked at her shocked. "You don't like Darren?"

"No. I really don't." Sara responded gently.

"What about the rest of you?" Mimi asked them. "Do you like him?"

"You should know I don't." Mark said.

"I wasn't really all that taken with him myself." Joanne replied.

"He's rude and insulting and I think you could do so much better." Collins told her.

"He's an ass basically." Maureen said to sum it up.

Mimi sighed again. Then the doctor came in.

"Miss Marquez," she said. "we're ready to begin the tests whenever you are." Mimi looked at her friends.

"I'm ready." she said. Then she turned to the others. "Mark, I know you are Roger's one and only but could you tell him that I love him, and that I never stopped?"

Mark gave her a smile. "Of course." he said warmly.