Chapter 4:
Joanne slid open to door to the loft. Maureen held her hand for support. Everyone else was already gathered at the loft.
"Hey you guys," Maureen said as cheerfully as she could. Collins got up and gave her and Joanne each a hug.
"I haven't heard from either of you in ages, how've you been?" Mimi asked from where she was sitting on the table. Roger was standing in front of her, and she had her legs around his waist.
"Okay," Joanne replied simply.
"You don't look so hot," Mark pointed out. Maureen and Joanne took a seat on the couch together. "Did you go see a doctor?"
"Yeah, I, uh, I have kidney failure." The loft was dead silent. Mimi got up and wrapped her arms around Joanne to comfort her.
"Oh honey, when did you find out?" she asked.
"About two weeks ago." Maureen leaned against Collins who was sitting on the other side of her.
"We wanted to see if I was a match," she explained. "I'm not." Collins rubbed Maureen's upper arm.
"Now I have to start dialysis next week; until I can get a kidney." Mimi let go of Joanne.
"You let us know if you need anything, okay?" Mark asked. Joanne nodded. She grabbed a napkin off the coffee table and wiped her teary eyes. Her friends were wonderful.
On the way home, Maureen and Joanne stopped at the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions for Joanne from Dr. Connors. While Joanne got her new medications, Maureen grabbed a chocolate bar.
"Do you want something to eat?" she asked Joanne. Joanne shook her head.
"No, I'm good." Joanne paid for the part of her medications not covered by health insurance. "Come on, let's go." Maureen paid for the chocolate bar and left with Joanne.
At home, Joanne took her medicine and sat down at the table to pay the bills while Maureen went to go shower. Joanne started to feel groggy and struggled to focus on what she was working on. Maureen skipped out of the bathroom with her hair tied back in two thick braids.
"Hi Pookie!" she chirped. Maureen stopped when she saw how wiped Joanne looked. "What's wrong baby?"
"I'm exhausted." Maureen kissed Joanne's cheek softly.
"Then go to bed." Joanne shook her head.
"I can't. I still have to do the dishes and fold the laundry." Maureen wrapped her arms around Joanne and gave her another kiss.
"You go to bed; I'll take care of everything else out here." Joanne got to her feet.
"Thanks, Honeybear. Night." Joanne gave Maureen a goodnight kiss and went straight to bed.
After Maureen did the dirty dishes piled high in the sink, she dragged the heavy basket of laundry across the floor from where she had put it after going downstairs to do the laundry in front of the television. She flipped on the television to keep herself entertained while she worked. As Maureen folded the laundry, she felt her eyes get heavy. How Joanne worked all day and came home and did this everyday was a mystery to her. It was obvious that things would have to change…and soon.