Chapter 27
AN- I don't think this story will go over 40 chapters, but I just don't know yet. I love writing it…and I hope you guys enjoy reading it! Since I haven't noted as disclaimer in a while, the only characters I own are Jesse and Gwen (and any others that aren't OC) All others belong to Jonathan Larson. )
The walk to the doctor's office seemed to take forever. Collins had an 'AIDS checkup' today; he didn't want to discuss any of it with Jesse over the phone. He didn't want to upset him. He walked briskly up the sidewalk, occasionally smiling at a pedestrian. After about a mile of walking he stopped in front of a quaint building, he sighed softly before entering. He strolled to the secretary and smiled charmingly.
"Hi, I'm here to see Dr. Jensen for my checkup." He said leaning on the counter.
The lady looked up and nodded. "Ah, Thomas Collins?" She asked, tapping away at the keyboard.
"Yeah…"
"Go right in." She flashed him a quick smile before returning to her computer.
"Thanks…" Tom walked into the office. Dr. Jensen was seated at his desk and signaled him to have a seat. Collins sat down, his expression serious.
"How are you today Mr. Collins?" He asked opening a file.
"I'll be better when I'm out of here." Collins grinned.
Dr. Jensen laughed. "Good response." He said, the grin fading on his face. "Well I called you here today because I needed to discuss some business with you."
Collins frowned. "How low are my T-Cells?" He asked automatically.
Jensen ignored him. "I'm sure you have everything in order for when you pass?" He asked.
Collins looked at him, disgusted. "You can't be serious."
The doctor nodded sadly. "I'm afraid I am. You're basically in the final stage of AIDS, simply put. You're T-Cells are dreadfully low…and I'm afraid that I can't see you living for more than a couple more months…half a year at most." He said, avoiding eye contact.
Collins was silent for a minute. "Oh…God…I…" He couldn't think of anything to say.
"And that's only if you get a new prescription. There are adverse side effects involved, but it will keep you're T-Cell levels from plummeting." He added reticently. "But it's up to you Tom. I can't force you to take the pills."
Collins nodded. "How much money will the medication cost?" He asked softly, looking at the doctor.
"With health insurance, it'll be fifty dollars for a month's dose."
"Wow…that's a little pricey…" Collins sighed. "I'll have to go without."
Dr. Jensen nodded. "I'm terribly sorry; I truly hate this part of my job. No amount of money can compensate for how many patients I have to tell that they only have a limited amount of time before they pass…" He said depressively.
"Don't worry doc…thanks." Tom got up and held out his hand to be shaken. Jensen stood up and shook his hand, making eye contact with him for the first time since the AIDS topic was brought up. "I have one more question…how long do I have to live without taking the drugs?"
"Three maybe four months." The doctor said in an undertone. "But if you can come up with the money, come back and see me and I'll be happy to give you a prescription."
"Thanks." Collins turned and left the office without another word. He stopped at the front desk. "I'll be back on Thursday with the ten dollars I owe for this visit."
"Alright, have a nice day sir." The secretary said curtly.
Collins walked outside. He'd been given a death sentence. There was no euphemism for it. In a couple months he'd be dead. He looked around, a couple of people looked at him oddly, but he ignored them. Then Jesse came to his mind. How would he be able to tell him? He knew he had to tell Jesse, there was no way around it. He had to get his plans straight for when he was gone. He looked at his watch. 4:30. He had to meet Jesse in a half hour, that's all the time he had to come up with how to tell him that he was going to die.
When he snapped back to attention, he walked slowly up the street, heading towards the Life Café. He picked up his pace when he was nearing 11th Street, then the restaurant came into view. When he reached the café, he stopped. He looked at the wooden door, the tarnished brass handle reflected the dimming sunlight of the day. He took a deep breath and opened the door. He immediately saw Jesse sitting solo in a booth. Here goes nothing…
