1Chapter 9
Roger ran the 15 or so blocks to the hospital with Mimi in his arms the entire time, entering the lobby to questioning stares.
He cantered up to the front desk, and began sputtering words at the young receptionist. "Roger Davis .. Mimi .. Marima Marquez .. we're here to .. Sanders called .. her mom .. I'm the boyfriend .. please. Please."
"Calm down Mr. Davis. Ms. Sanders told me I would be expecting you both, but not .." she looked at Mimi, unconscious in his arms, "like that. THAT could be a problem." She called down a long hallway as Roger followed along, unwavering under the weight of his girlfriend. "Nurse, could I get a few ammonia capsules and a cup of water and a clean washcloth down outside room ..", she checked her clipboard, "211? This way Mr. Davis."
"Roger, I play guitar", he added mindlessly. It didn't occur to him that they were dealing with two dying people, and not conversing at a cocktail party.
The reached the end of a long, cold corridor in the ICU. The white tiled floor, white painted walls, hard benches, and empty hall was anything but welcoming. "Mrs. Marquez is in this room. We can put Mimi next door so that it will easier on you both. Dr. McIntyre will see Mimi shortly, just to check up on her. Please don't worry yourself. You can wait in here. I'll help you get her into this bed."
Roger didn't speak. For a reason unknown to even him, he was nervous. 'She's just passed out from shock, stop worrying yourself, Roger. The lady said everything's fine.'
He sat on an unpadded blue chair next to Mimi bed. It was too quiet. Roger always hated quiet because quiet gave him time to think about his terrible life. He had sat in silence for weeks after April died.
'This is just like when April died. NO. Don't think that! Mimi's NOT going to die. She's fine! Why am I even thinking this? We're not even in the hospital for her.'
"Mr. Davis?" A warm voice made its way to Roger, interrupting his thoughts. "I'm Dr. McIntyre." The man extended him his hand and shook Roger's. "I am going to have to ask you a few questions, just as precaution, especially because I think I know the answer to my first. Is Miss Marquez HIV-positive?"
"Yes."
"Has she been sick lately, any symptoms, even those of the common cold?"
"I don't think so, just throwing up sometimes."
"You see, Mr. Davis, in people with HIV, an illness as small as .."
"Not to interrupt, doctor, but I've got it too."
"Oh I see, Well I'm very sorry." He paused awkwardly. "You say she didn't appear to be sick? Well I feel that it would be best if we keep Miss Marquez overnight to perform some tests. You are welcome to stay in this room, as she is not in critical condition."
Roger's head was spinning. They had to do some tests? What did Dr. McIntyre think was wrong with Mimi? NOTHING was wrong with her. She was fine and she was not going to leave him like April did.
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Roger woke up rather later in the morning. He looked over at the large LCD display clock. 9:43.
"BOO!"
Roger jumped out of his chair. "MIMI!" He had obviously been asleep when she regained consciousness, and it seemed that he had forgotten they were in a hospital at all. Roger hopped onto Mimi's bed and sat by her left side. As he reached over to brush some hair from her face, Roger noticed how many tubes and monitors and wires were connected to Mimi. It scared him.
"There's nothing wrong with me, you know that, right baby? These hospitals, they're just in it for the money." Mimi joked with him. She didn't seem like she belonged in a hospital at all.
A few minutes later, Dr. McIntyre knocked on the door, and Roger reclaimed his uncomfortable blue seat.
"Mr. Davis, as you are not immediate family, I need to ask you to leave the room briefly while I speak to Miss Marquez alone. Please understand, I will relay all the information to you as soon as I am finished."
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A few minutes later, a head poked out of the doorway. "You may come back in, Mr. Davis."
Roger once again seated himself in the blue chair, meeting Mimi's eyes. He gaze well-hid emotion. He couldn't possibly have guessed what he was about to hear.
"The test results came back from last night. What we found in Marima is that she is anemic. This is not a serious condition, daily iron supplements and a healthy diet will take care of that. However, anemia and HIV combined will make her immune system very sensitive. All of the other tests we took came back negative except for one, which is a very good sign. We don't have any serious conditions here."
Roger looked at Mimi. One of the tests DID come back positive. Her gaze still hid any clues that Roger could guess from.
"I hope that I am not wrong in assuming, since you are the boyfriend and from what Miss Marquez has told me, that this news will not come as a complete shock to you. You are going to be a father in about 7 months. Congratulations."
Roger stared at the ceiling, pretending not to have heard the doctor. He must have remained silent for quite some time, because Mimi was growing impatient.
"Roger! Did you hear him?" She sounded neither annoyed nor worried, her voice hid any emotion at all.
Roger knew that it was pointless to pretend he hadn't heard Mimi as well. This was a very uncomfortable situation. "Doctor, would you mind if .. we .."
"Have a minute alone? Of course, Roger. Take your time. If you need me for anything I'll be at the end of the hallway to your right."
Roger got up from his seat after Dr. McIntyre had left the room and relocated onto Mimi's bed. He reached for her hand and held it gingerly, avoiding the IV and all of its tubes and needles. "Mimi. HOW did this happen. He's really serious, isn't he?"
Mimi looked at Roger incredulously. "How did it happen? Which answer would you like? The bird and the bees, or the one with us in it?"
"I didn't mean that, and you know it."
"I know. I'm just as surprised as you. I should've known as soon as I started throwing up in the morning. I got really bad morning sickness last .. time."
Mimi instantly regretted bringing up her last pregnancy; it was best to be evasive of the subject at all costs, to avoid a fidgety and uncomfortable Roger.
"Right. That time. Anyways. What now? Isn't this going to like screw up your life? What about your job, and Benny, and your mom, what will they say? And is this going to destroy your body? You're really thin, and won't the baby have HIV? It could die. This sucks."
Mimi was warmed inside at Roger's selflessness. He had not said anything about the baby messing up HIS life, or HIS dreams. He was worried about Mimi as much as Mimi was worried about herself.
"It does, but every time I think that, I feel guilty thinking that our child is going to mess up our lives, because it won't. We'll manage. Really." She didn't believe it, but things could end up in their favor. "Do you want to go get Dr. McIntrye so we can talk about this a little more? I would, but .."
"Yeah. Those." Roger gestured to all the machines that Mimi was hooked up to, and left, down the hallway to the right.
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"So is it going to have HIV?" Roger asked the doctor bluntly.
"Actually, Mr. Davis, recent studies have shown that if we can give Mimi antiretroviral treatment over the next few months, deliver by caesarean section, and she doesn't breast feed, the chances of your baby having HIV lowered to below 1 percent. Those are GREAT odds, guys. Mimi, all you need to do if follow with us during the treatment and EAT BALANCED MEALS. I know we spoke earlier, but I need you to eat. No throwing up either. Eat good food and keep it in your, can you do that for me and for your baby?"
Mimi looked at Roger and then back at the doctor. "Of course, I'll do my best."
"Any other questions? If not, I can discharge you later this afternoon."
Roger extended his hand in sincere thanks. "Thank you so much, for everything, I'll keep on her and get some food in the house."
Dr. McIntyre left, and as soon as the door was shut, Mimi began rattling off. "I know this is going to be hard, Roger, but we can do it! And the baby isn't going to have HIV! I'm sorry that this is happening to you, but I'm excited. Last time I was 16, and not ready at all to be a mom. Now I'm 20, and I have you, and Mark, and Maureen, and Joanne, and Collins. We can do this .. Together."
Roger felt happier than anything else in the world. Even if this was unplanned, things were going to be great.
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It was the morning of the 3rd day since Mimi was discharged, when she woke up to Roger singing.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, you're pregnant and anemic, happy birthday to you! Good MORNING! Look who's 20!"