"Nope, not here," said Mimi as she and Roger entered Collins' small, one bedroom apartment.
She looked around the room. This was not at all how she had wanted to spend the night. This was supposed to be her night. Mimi had spent over a week in bed, and this was the night they had all set aside to go out, have fun, and spend time together. But, of course, Collins had to run off and worry everyone. Mimi had sympathy for the man, but couldn't this have waited until tomorrow?
"Maybe we should ask the neighbors if anyone has seen him," Roger said, in a way that made it obvious that he knew it wouldn't work.
"I guess," Mimi said with a sigh.
They walked down the hall to the next door and knocked.
An old man with a long, grey beard answered. "Yes?"
"Your neighbor," said Roger pointing to Collins' door, "Have you seen him?"
He looked at the door and back to Roger and Mimi. "You mean the black queer who works at NYU?"
Roger and Mimi rolled their eyes and scowled. "Yeah, him."
"He left about three hours ago. I don't know where he went."
"Thanks." They stood there for a few moments, until Roger noticed that the man was staring at Mimi. He scowled again and slammed the door himself.
"Well, he was helpful," said Mimi sarcastically. "What now?"
Roger thought a moment, and then said, "Let's go home."
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Benny was still heading down Avenue B when he ran into Mark, heading in the opposite direction.
"Mark!" he shouted. "I've been looking for you."
Mark was about to push past him when he stopped and saw the sincerity on his face.
He sighed. "What do you want Benny? What are you doing here?"
"Muffy kicked me out," he said, with a hint of a smile.
Mark looked at him. "I thought she moved you away."
"She did, but not far enough. I've been sleeping with this girl from Soho, and she walked in on us when we were, ah... you know."
Mark could not help but laugh in the face of his old landlord. "You never could keep it in your pants, Benny."
Benny laughed. There was a silence between the two.
"So, you said you wanted to ask me something," said Mark, already knowing where this was going.
"I do. I'm homeless. I've got nowhere to turn. You guys are the only ones who can help me out."
Mark grinned. "Oh, how the tables have turned. Just a few months ago, Benjamin Coffin III was hitting us up for rent money, and now he's on his knees begging for another chance.
Benny rolled his eyes. "Come on, Mark, you think I don't feel bad about this?"
Mark couldn't resist. He pulled his camera out of his large shoulder bag and pointed it at him. "Zoom in on Benny, who was just thrown out of his house by Allison Grey, after sleeping around and getting caught. Although two months ago he was our landlord, he now has nowhere to turn but to the people he once screwed over."
Benny made a face and put his hand over the lens. "Hey, watch it," said Mark, turning his camera off and stuffing it back in his bag. He caught the desperate look on Benny's face and sighed loudly. "I'll pass it on to the others and see what they think."
Benny smiled. "Thanks Mark. Here's my number." He handed him a business hard. Mark took it and shoved it in his pocket.
"Yeah, whatever," he pushed by him and walked on. He stopped and turned around. "Hey, you haven't seen Collins around, have you?"
"Yeah, actually," he said. "He was headed into your building, I stopped him and we talked."
Mark's eyes went wide. He turned in the other direction and sprinted up the sidewalk.
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"Oh my God! Are you okay?"
Collins managed to open his bleary, bloodshot eyes and look up.
Bent over him was a young man, stubble on his cheeks, with a baseball cap over his curly brown hair. The man reached for Collins, who was hunched over on the sidewalk.
"Ohh…" he moaned. The pavement around him was red. "Stay back, don't touch me."
"I was trying to help," the man said, annoyed.
"I know. It's just – don't touch me when I'm bleeding."
"I'm gonna have to touch you if we're going to the hospital."
"I have HIV, okay? So just call an ambulance," he coughed, spitting blood onto the concrete.
The guy smiled. "We don't have a problem, then." He helped Collins onto his feet and hailed a cab.
Collins smiled. They got into the cab and gave the driver their destination. "I don't believe I got your name, good sir."
"I'm Tony," he said. "And you?"
"Collins, Tom Collins. You're a lifesaver, Tony."
"And you, Collins, are a very lucky man."
AN: Yes, this story does take place over the course of one night. Similar to Act I of the musical.