Mimi was the first to wake up. It was rainy and just plain sad out. She figured it suited the mood she was in. Usually she showered with Roger, but it just seemed wrong today. She showered quickly and dressed quietly in her black dress and fancy shoes that were half a size too small and made her feet blister. Roger woke up when she moaned in pain while taking a step in the shoes-of-death. He gave her a sad smile and said nothing. She sat down on the bed next to him and touched his hair gently. He took her hand and kissed it, making her heart yearn for him. He dressed in his only suit and had Mimi tie his only tie. She put a single braid in her hair and went out to the kitchen were Mark and Collins were sitting, looking sober.
It was a difficult scene. Mimi felt her knees buckling and steadied herself on Roger's shoulder. He looked at her with such sadness, it broke every other heart in the room. They held hands for comfort.
"Ready?" Mimi said.
"Ready."
"Ready."
"Ready."
They left the building, and headed for the church.
The last funeral was Angel's, thought Collins.
The next funeral will be my mother's, thought Mimi.
Mimi doesn't look too good. Oh God, please let her have more time, thought Roger.
Everything's falling apart. I'll be alone soon, thought Mark.
Today was Mary's funeral. Mary from Life Support. Her HIV turned into AIDS and she'd caught pneumonia and died suddenly.
The church was 14 blocks away, but none of them felt like using public transportation. Walking just seemed right. Mimi's shoes made her feet bleed, so she held them in her hands and walked barefoot the entire time. Roger offered her his shoes but she just smiled and kept walking.
They met a lonely Maureen when they at last reached the church. Joanne had been away on business doing something with international law when Mary died and couldn't get home in time. Not like it really mattered that much. Joanne and Maureen had barely known her. They'd only visited Life Support once or twice. Lucky them.
Maureen used her eyes to ask, "Is everything better with you and Roger?" Mimi nodded. Then her eyes asked, "How are you feeling?" Mimi just stared, her eyes not answering. She then let go of Roger's hand and took Collins aside.
"You don't have to go in there, you know," she said. "It might be hard for you."
Collins bowed his head. "It's time I let go of my pain," he said. "Mary was a good woman. She was my friend. I need to be there. I'll be fine." She hugged him tightly and wished she'd known Mary better. "Thanks, Meems."
People started going into the church. A limo pulled up and out of it came the people who were undoubtedly Mary's family. They all had the same pretty blonde curls, except for one man. He must have been Mary's husband. A little girl, no more than seven or maybe eight, clung to him. She was beautiful. So beautiful, Mimi wanted to run up to her and hug her.
"Is that Mary's daughter?" She asked Collins.
"Yup. And do you wanna know the sad part?"
She turned to him. "Not really."
He told her anyway. "Mary didn't know that she and her husband had HIV, so they didn't start getting treatment until about a year ago. Nether did their daughter."
Mimi's heart sunk. "Oh, no."
"She's got advanced AIDS. Mary had said the doctors were only giving her a few months to live."
Her throat suddenly got very tight. "But…she's just a baby! She's just a little baby!" Roger ran to her when he heard her shout. Her legs felt like they stopped working. She collapsed sobbing and he barely caught her against his chest. "The poor little girl," she cried.
He looked at her cheerlessly, watching all her mascara run down in her pain. He hoisted her up and held her close, kissing her head and stroking her hair, whispering, "Shh. It's okay. It's okay." She couldn't stop sobbing. Roger told the gang that he was going to take her home. The funeral would just be too much for her. She went with him obediently, too weak to protest. They headed down the block and she remembered nothing more after that.
She heard a beep. Beep, beep, beep. It was annoying. She opened her eyes to find herself in a hospital. The beep was measuring her pulse. Roger's hand was holding hers, his head asleep on her stomach. He felt her move and woke up.
"Thank God," he breathed when he saw her eyes were open.
She heard the beep getting a little faster. She was getting nervous. "How long was I out?" She asked.
"A few hours."
"I don't get it," she said. "What happened to me, Roger?"
He stroked her hand. "You…fainted. The doctor said you were in shock."
"Shock." She repeated. "No," she said, and the beeps got faster. "It's the HIV! Oh God, do I have AIDS now?"
"No," he said. "Of course not."
But the beeping didn't stop. She knew he was lying. Or maybe he just didn't know yet.
"Roger?" she whispered.
"I'm here, Mimi."
"I'm scared."
There was nothing he could do to take her fear away, so he just kissed her hand and tried to be brave for the both of them. A doctor came in. He looked like someone who should be on a soap opera, with dark gelled hair and deep blue eyes. "Miss. Marquez, I'm glad to see you're up. I need to speak to you in private." He looked accusingly at Roger. "Mr. Davis?"
"I don't want him to leave," said Mimi. "Anything you have to say, it can be said in front of him."
The doctor looked at his chart. "Mr. Davis is your boyfriend, right?" They both nodded. "I'm going to have to insist that I speak to you alone." She sighed and nodded to Roger, giving him permission to leave. He kissed her again and walked very slowly out of the room.
"What is it?" she said. "Have you found out what's wrong with me?"
He nodded.