Joanne glanced at the bedroom door. It was closed, a sign that Maureen was still asleep…for the time being. Joanne picked up the phone and dialed the number to the loft.
"Hello?" Collins asked after a few rings. Good, someone had decided to pick up the phone for once.
"Hi Collins, its Joanne."
"Hey Jo, how are you feeling?" Joanne balanced the phone between her ear and her shoulder and grabbed her medicine bottles.
"Okay, I was actually wondering if you could do me a favor."
"Sure, what do you need?"
"Maureen's been really different lately. She never goes out to do something for herself anymore. Could you please teak her to a Life Support meeting to talk to somebody?"
"Yeah, we're going to one this evening. We'll be by around five thirty to pick Mo up."
"Thanks Collins, you're a lifesaver." Joanne said goodbye to Collins and hung up the phone. She hoped that this little trip to Life Support would help Maureen out some.
Maureen finally stumbled out of the bedroom around nine fifteen. She had permanent circles under her eyes from her lack of sleep. She bent over and gave Joanne a sweet good morning kiss.
"Come here, baby," Joanne muttered as she pulled Maureen down onto her lap. Maureen snaked her arms around her neck, and Joanne rubbed her back. "Collins will be here around five thirty." Maureen sat up.
"Why?"
"You're going to go to Life Support with him." Joanne played with Maureen's hair, which had yet to be brushed.
"No, I can't! I have to be here to take care of you. What if-" Joanne put her two fingers over Maureen's lips.
"Mo, Honeybear, I'm twenty-eight years old; I think I can take care of myself."
"But you're sick!" Maureen blurt out without really thinking.
"I'll be fine," Joanne insisted. "I really think that this will be good for you." Maureen shook her head.
"I can't."
"You can, and you will! Collins will be here around five thirty, and you're going." Maureen closed her mouth. As much as she didn't want to go, she didn't want to argue with Joanne even more.
At exactly five thirty, Collins and Mark arrived at Maureen and Joanne's apartment. Maureen was still trying to talk her way out of going.
"What if you need something?" she asked for what seemed like the millionth time.
"Roger and Mimi will be home," Mark assured.
"Come on, Mo, let's go," Collins said. Joanne gave Maureen a goodbye kiss.
"Love you, see you in a few hours," she said. Maureen reluctantly grabbed her purse and left with Collins and Mark.
Maureen wasn't happy to be at Life Support, and that was evident. She sat in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Is there something you want to talk about?" Paul asked Maureen. Maureen looked up.
"Huh?"
"Is there something you want to talk about?" Paul repeated. Maureen shook her head.
"No, I'm good." Collins nudged Maureen with his foot. Maureen let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, okay, fine. My girlfriend's sick." Mark focused his camera on Maureen. She was starting to open up.
"Sick with what?"
"She has kidney failure, okay?" Maureen exclaimed. "She's sick, and it's my entire fault!"
"How is it your fault?" Paul asked calmly.
"I'm not a match to her, so she has to go through dialysis three times a week."
"You can't help that you're not a match. Are you doing anything else to help your girlfriend?" Maureen nodded.
"Yeah, uh, I'm taking care of her as much as possible at home."
"Are you helping because you feel bad about not being a match or because she's your girlfriend?" Maureen shrugged.
"I don't know." Maureen closed back up inside herself. She didn't like being here; nobody understood her and what she was going through.
On the subway ride home, the three Bohemians were silent. Maureen curled up against Collins and closed her eyes. Collins rubbed her upper arm. Mark simply stared at the discolored carpet in front of him. Maureen's breakdown at Life Support had inspired him. It was high time that he stepped up to help Joanne.
When Maureen got home from Life Support, Joanne had just finished doing the dirty dished piled up in the sink. Maureen put her purse on the table and sat on the edge of the table.
"How was the meeting?" Joanne asked. Maureen grunted. Joanne went over and wrapped her arms around Maureen. "What's wrong baby?"
"I'm scared," Maureen confessed. "I'm scared for you. If, if you don't get better, I don't know what I'll do." Joanne brushed Maureen's hair out of her face. "Aren't you scared?"
"Of course I am. I'm twenty-eight and dying. I've been trying to look at all the good things that have happened. I met the love of my life and some of the most amazing friends a woman could ask for."
"It's not fair though! You're only twenty-eight!"
"Angel was twenty-three," Joanne pointed out. Maureen fell silent. Joanne continued to play with her hair. "Maureen, we both need to be strong. If I don't get better, I need to know that you can get along fine without me." Maureen shook her head. Her face was red and blotchy.
"I don't want to; I want to be with you." Joanne held Maureen close and stroked her hair.
"I know, I know, Honeybear." Joanne held Maureen until they both finally managed to calm down.
Maureen and Joanne were curled up on the couch together when there was a knock on the front door. Joanne got it. Maureen's powerful grip over her had loosened some since their talk two weeks earlier.
"Hey Mark," Joanne said brightly. Maureen stretched out across the couch before standing up.
"Hey Maureen." Maureen gave Mark a hug. "How are you guys?"
"Pretty good," Joanne replied. "What can we do for you?" Maureen snaked her arms around Joanne's waist from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder.
"I stopped by your doctor's office about two weeks ago to get tested."
"Tested for what?" Maureen asked.
"To see if I was a match to Joanne. Here are the results; I haven't looked at them yet, I wanted to be with you guys." Mark handed Joanne the piece of paper. With shaking hands, she unfolded it. Her whole life depended on what was written on this single piece of paper.