I'm moving fast, I know, I think I deservea hand. But maybe it's taking away from the quality of the story? Let me know! I actually am a little proud of this chapter, I feel like it was well written. Maybe the first part of the story seemed rushed, becuase this was one of the scenes that I particularly wanted to get to? Whatever, I'm rambling. Enjoy!
Ya, so Rent? totally not mine...


She knelt down next to him to flip him over and check his pulse and breathing.

Everything felt okay. She shook her hands and bit her lip, not knowing what to do. In a second, sherealized they were right outside of Roger and Mimi's apartment. Not knowing what else to do,she ran up to the door and banged on it with all of her might.

"Roger! Mimi! Come here quick! Please!"

Mimi opened the door in a matter of seconds. "Maureen? What's wrong?"

"It's Mark, he just passed out right in front of me, and I can't wake him up!" She felt like she was going to cry again. Just as things were starting to go right, God-damnit! Maybe this was a sign from Joanne again, trying to get rid of Mark. She was crying hysterically as Roger came to the door wearing only boxer shorts and high socks. Had Mark not been laying on the floor, barely breathing, she would have made fun of Roger for his attire.

Mimi wrapped Maureen in her arms as she allowed her to cry into her shoulder.

When Maureen looked up, she saw Roger kneeling over Mark. He raised a hand and slapped him hard across the face.

Maureen's hands went to her mouth, she was not sure how to take that. She was relieved however when Mark opened his eyes and smacked Roger back. "That fuckin' hurt!"

"I had to do it man…"

Maureen went over to Mark. "Honey? What happened?"

"I think you would know better than I Maureen…" Mark said slightly dazed, "ugh, I am going to be sick."

Maureen's eyes widened. "That fucking ham and eggs! I told you not to eat it!"

"Oh shit," Mark groaned, doubled over trying to get up as Maureensteadied him.

"Hah," Roger chuckled, "that's food poisoning man. Not too serious thoughsince it happened so quickly., but man are you going to have fun today! WOOT WOOT!"

"Are you sure it's not serious?" Maureen asked nervously.

"Yeah, definitely. If it happens a day and a half later, that's when you need to worry. All you have to worry about is throwing up, diarrhea, fever, exhaustion, pain-"

"Shut the fuck up Roger, and go put some clothes on," Mark growled as he tried to get up with the help of Maureen.

Roger mimicked him and walked back into his loft, mumbling something in a falsetto that sounded like, "thank you for saving my life Roger! Oh, you're welcome Mark!"

Mimi walked over and steadied Mark from the opposite side Maureen was on. "Guys, if you need anything, please, don't hesitate to call us. We'll be here all day."

"Thanks Mimi."

Maureen and Mark headed up the second flight of stairs towards their apartment when Maureen felt Mark's weight heavier upon her shoulder than before.

"Mo?"

"What is it?" she said nervously.

"Let me go, I can't stand up anymore."

"Okay," she said biting back tears, and helping ease him to the ground.

He leaned his back against their door as she moved closer to him.

"Oh, Marky," she said feeling his forehead, "you're burning up."

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead and cheeks.

She wiped at his forehead with a napkin in her pocket from the diner. "Come on pookie," she kissed his forehead, "can't you just make it fifteen more feet from here to the couch?"

He kept his eyes closed. "I'll try."

She stood up and pulled her key from her pocket with a shaking hand and unlocked the door. She slid open the door, and he nearly fell into the apartment seeing as he was using the door as a backrest.

She slid her arm through his to help him up. He held onto her tightly as she led him quickly to the couch, on which he plopped down. She stroked his cheek anddoubled backto the door to close it. Mark groaned from the couch, clutching his stomach and doubling over. Maureen could see the sweat pouring off of him from across the room.

She ran to the sink and soaked a towel in cold water. As she sat on the edge of the couch, she helped him slip out of his jacket and shirt, then forced him to lay back. She ran the wet rag over his face, neck and chest.

"Mmm, that feels good," he said weakly.

"Oh, pookie, I feel so terrible for you."

He grabbed her wrist, eyes still closed and gently stroked her palm with his thumb. "As long as you're here, it's not as bad." He groaned and sat up like a pregnant woman having a contraction. "Ugh… It's pretty bad though…"


Maureen woke up a few hours later, on the couch. She looked over to where Mark would have been resting next to her, but he was not there.

"Mark?" she called getting up to look for him, "where are you?"

Bedroom? Empty. Kitchen? Empty. She walked into the bathroom to greet a sight of Mark laying on the floor on his side. Suddenly memories of April came back to her and she began to panic.

"Mark!" she said louder and with more urgency.

"Mmm?" he answered, barely moving.

"Mark what the hell are you-" boy, she really was dumb wasn't she? She continued, "Marky were you sick?"

"Yeah, but I didn't want to have to keep coming back and forth, so I just decided to crash here. Plus, I really couldn't get up."

"Mark! You could have called for me! I would have at least brought you a pillow or a blanket!"

He smiled genuinely, "yeah, but I didn't want to wake you."

"Now you're being the dumb one Mark, I'm supposed to be taking care of you, you're sick!"

"Yeah, but you look so beautiful when you sleep."

She melted. How did he always manage to do this? Even now he's sick as a dog and still being a gentleman. "Thank you," was all she could say. How fucking retarded! Still kneeling next to him with her hand on his hip, she kissed his forehead to feel for his temperature. "Your fever is a little better than it was. I'm going to get you some water. I know it's going to be hard to keep it down, but you need to keep drinking water."

"Yeah, I-" but suddenly his face grew pale, "Ungh, need – toilet – now!" He pulled himself up to the toilet and became violently sick in it.

Ugh, she thought, disgusting. But she supposed it's more disgusting when you're the one throwing up.

"Okay, honey," she rubbed his back gently with her right hand whileholding onto his left arm with the other, "take it easy." When he finished, he collapsed against her. She took some toilet paper and wiped his mouth. She felt like a mother taking care of her child, but everyone was a child again when they were sick. She discarded the piece of toilet paper and flushed the toilet turning her attention to Mark. "Wait right here pookie, I'm going to get you some water." She moved to leave when he protested.

"Maureen?"

"Yes baby?"

"Hurry back," he said with urgency, again, like a child who was afraid of being away from its mother for too long. She felt like she was going to cry, awed with his dependency on her, but quickly slipped from the room to get a glass.

When she returned Mark was throwing up again.

"Oh Mark," she said sadly kneeling down behind him, "why did you eat that?" She asked the question more to herself, she knew it looked disgusting, why did she let him eat that revolting breakfast? He wiped his mouth and turned around to face her. He just looked at her with red eyes and dropped his head down as far as his chest would allow. She took his trembling body and wrapped him in her arms letting him rest his head on her chest, softly playing with his hair.

"Sing to me Maureen?"

"What?" she picked her head up off of his and looked at him like he was crazy, "why?"

"Because you have a beautiful voice."

"Well, thank you, but what would you like me to sing?"

"I don't know… anything you want."

"Well then, how about this?" She began to sing the words from her protest two years ago. He chuckled a little when he recognized the familiar melody. She sang it sweetly, completely opposite from when she performed it for the alphabet city two years ago.

Within a matter of minutes he completely conked out. "Poor thing…" she said slipping a small pillow underneath his head and moving gently so she wouldn't wake him.

She walked out of the bathroom into the kitchen. Quickly glancing at the clock, she gasped, "Jesus Christ! It's four o'clock already!" She looked around for something to do. "Well, I guess time flies when you're having… uh… never mind. Who the fuck am I talking to?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm turning into my mother…"

My mother… she thought. She remembered that she hadn't talked to her since she went there after Joanne died.

"Ugh! I can't think about this now!" She slammed her fist down on the kitchen counter as she erased her mother from her thoughts. She was more concerned about Mark right now. What if this food poisoning wasn't just a 24 hour thing? What if it caused some kind of internal damage? She couldn't continue to sit there and do nothing but rub his back and sing to him.

She thought about who to call. Someone obviously who'd been around quite a bit, maybe Collins? Yeah, but he was probably busy. Mimi and Roger? Eh, they were probably downstairs licking whipped cream off each other. Benny? Hmm…how about no. She picked up the phone and dialed the only person who she could really count on.

"Hello? Mom?"