I DO NOT OWN RENT (MR. LARSON DOES, REST HIS SOUL). I ONLY OWN THE ADD ON CHARACTERS. HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THEM!
ITALICS ARE THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES
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Chapter Nine
With Maureen, Sunday, Roger, Mimi
Maureen drifted into thought as the four companions walk the two blocks toward the hospital. Since she didn't really know Roger or Mimi very well, Sunday felt alone. She had caused Maureen enough trouble and thought about leaving but then again she didn't want to loose Maureen as a friend (if they were in fact friends). So she decided to stay.
"Maureen."
"Umm Maureen."
Realizing she couldn't get her attention the young woman placed her hand on Maureen's shoulder ultimately startling her.
"What!"
"Sorry about that, you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine, just ready to get there."
What took only 10 minutes felt like 525,600 to Maureen. She never was one to wait for to much anything.
Maureen sighed dramatically "FINALLY!"
Roger glared at her "Ready to face your doom Johnson?"
The performance artist ignored Roger and ran into the hospital.
This time the hospital seemed very busy with nurses, doctors and patients going to and fro. In fact Maureen almost got her foot ran over by a wheelchair.
Sunday wanted to be helpful so she walked up the nurse's station "Hi, we're to here see an Angel…What's her full name Maureen?"
Maureen answers quickly "Angel Dumott Schunard."
"Eighth floor, room 207B."
The nurse watched Mimi and Roger walk behind and stopped them. "How many people are with you mam?"
Roger let go of Mimi a little pissed, he hated when others got in the way of him and his friends "It's only us four, no more no less."
"Well some of you are going to have to wait; there have already been quite a few people up there to see him."
Sunday looked at Maureen.
Him? Angel is a him?
Mimi was fed up; she wanted to see her best friend so she moved Roger out of the way and looked straight into the woman's face. She glanced at her name tag "Look, Gladys. Angel is my best friend and something has happened to her. I'd really appreciate it if you just SHUT THE HELL UP and let us go…RIGHT NOW."
Roger smiled at his girlfriend; he loved how feisty she could get.
The nurse, a little frightened let them go. "Go on."
Maureen ran up to her "Well done my dear well done." The dancer chuckled "I can get my stuff done."
The four followed the signs and the room with ease. Mimi ran from Roger and hurriedly opened the door "ANGEL CHICA!"
Angel's face brightened as soon as she saw the leopard print coat "MIMI CHICA!"
Mimi leaped on the bed and hugged her best friend tightly. She rubbed the street drummer's face "Te amo Angel. Mucho, mucho! Come te sientes?"
(Translation: I love you Angel. A lot a lot! How are you feeling?)
Angel smiled at her "Me siento bien, solo me duele la cabesa."
(Translation: I feel fine, my head just hurts.)
Mimi kissed Angel's head "Aww my baby."
"Estabas llorando?"
(Translation: Were you crying?)
Mimi looked down at Angel's chest "Si, me preocupe de ti."
(Translation: I was worried about you)
"Ya no te preocupes, voy a estar bien!"
(Translation: Don't worry anymore, I'll be fine okay!)
Mimi clapped her hands at this, "We're gonna party when you get out of here!"
The two bohemians began to squeal and laugh glad to be together again.
Just then Roger, Maureen and Sunday came in.
The room went quiet. Then all eyes shifted towards Maureen and Joanne who looked back. Poor Nurse Kingley was so confused so she decided to bow out gracefully. But she did know that something about to happen. She turned back to Angel breaking the silence "Well my dear Angel baby I better be going. I'm so glad that I was able to meet you and your friends. They love you. I wish you all the best in life my dear. Will you be alright?"
Angel gently kissed the woman's hand "Thank you so much again. And yes I'll be alright; my Tom will be with me. I'll never forget you."
"And I'll never forget you either." The older woman hugged Collins and Mark. "Take care of her, she's a special one that Angel."
Collins warmly replied "I'll guard her with my life."
The woman opened the door, smiled at Angel once more and walked out.
A strong silence fell over the room once again. Maureen and Joanne's eyes locked immediately. Sunday hid behind Maureen not knowing of what expect. Roger walked over to Angel's bed with a wicked grin on his face. Angel looked up at him "Who the hell is that?" Roger whispered back "Some girl Maureen picked up off the street."
"What!"
Maureen cautiously walked over to the lawyer who was so distraught at her very presence her breathing began to get shallow. Sunday stood back, helpless.
"Hi pookie."
"Hi Maureen." Joanne said still hurting from the afternoon's quarrel.
"Look Jo, I really wanted to apologize for this afternoon. It was wrong of me to say what I said."
"Yeah, I hear you Maureen. But do you ever think about what you say before you say it?"
Maureen put her head down in shame. Usually Maureen did just let things come out of her mouth, she needed to work on that.
"Maureen, the things you said today really hurt me. Out of all the times that you've gone off on me, this was the worst."
"I know Jo but let me explain-"
"No, it's my turn to tell you something now. I love you Maureen, I really do, and you mean the world to me. But I simply cannot sit have and let you strip me of every ounce of dignity that I have left. You told me to get out of your life, do you remember that?"
"Yes I do and I'm-"
"Did you mean it?"
"What?"
"Did you mean it?" Joanne was emotionally tired now.
A tear fell down Maureen's cheek "No Jo, I didn't mean that."
"Then why did you say it?"
"I, I don't know. I just don't know."
"Maureen I put all of my heart and soul into us. Even though I may seem like a cold bitch sometimes, I only have our best interests at heart. I never meant for you to be angry with me over that, I was only trying to protect the show that we both worked so hard on. There is a time and place for everything and I didn't feel like that was the place. But instead of understanding that, you went off on me like you always do. And to add insult to injury you brought another girl with you. Well I can't take this shit anymore!"
Angel looked up at Joanne "Jo please."
"If you really loved me you wouldn't treat me like the shit you step in!"
"I came to apologize okay! You know how sorry I am!"
"Maureen calm down please." Angel glanced up at them; he knew this was going to get bad.
"You're always sorry Maureen! You always expect me to just forgive you and for us to move on. Well I'm not letting you get away with this and I don't believe you anymore! What you say doesn't mean too much to me right about now! You always say one thing and do another! It's always you giving me an inch when I'm giving a mile!"
The two lovers were now inches apart from one another.
"You act as if you're the shit and that everyone should feel sorry for poor defenseless Joanne. Well fuck that! What about what you do to me!"
"WHAT!" Collins ran over to Joanne and began to hold her back.
Mimi panicked "Somebody stop them!"
Roger walked over to Maureen holding her back as well "No! They need to talk about this!"
Angel muttered rubbing his temples "Guys please."
"What the hell do I do to you but do whatever you want and take care of you!"
Angel began to hyperventilate, he hated arguing.
"Joanne if you love me so fucking much why can't you show it!"
"I can show it!"
"Oh yeah? How!"
"I don't need to prove anything to you Maureen! You should already know that I love you!"
Mimi yelled, crying "Maureen, Joanne please stop it!"
Sunday looked around and ran out of the room.
Joanne said bitterly "Better go chase after your new girlfriend, because I'm not yours anymore!"
Maureen's heart broke into a million pieces. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen; this was the first time that Joanne actually broke up with her. Usually it was the other way around.
"I HATE YOU!"
Joanne turned to look at her, anger fuming "YEAH, I FIGURED THAT OUT THIS AFTERNOON!"
"FUCK YOU JOANNE!"
"NOT ANYMORE!"
Maureen yanked herself out of Roger seemingly tight grip and slapped Joanne.
All hell officially broke loose.
Collins and Roger rushed to the women who were trying to tear one another apart, pulling them away from one another. Mimi jumped from off of the bed and hysterically yelled at them as they were fighting. Mark ran over to Mimi to get her out of the way so she wouldn't get hurt.
Watching the display Angel just sat there. He couldn't believe what was happening. Finally Angel tightly closed his eyes, shook his head wildly and began to scream "STOP IT! STOP IT! DEAR GOD IN HEAVEN ABOVE, JUST STOP IT!"
An uneasy still went over the room. No had ever heard Angel yell like that.
"JUST STOP IT EVERYONE! PLEASE JUST…STOP IT!"
The street drummer broke down.
Violently crying, Angel just continuously shook his head. Collins ran over to his lover, as did Roger to Mimi.
Angel tried to say in between sobs "I just can't take this any longer!"
Collins held Angel tightly, pissed off at everyone for making his Angel cry. Joanne's face was drenched with tears; she couldn't believe that she had helped to make her friend cry so badly. The lawyer grabbed her purse "Mark, give me my keys."
Mark walked over to the lawyer, handing her the car keys "Joanne, don't go please. We all need to talk. Don't walk away from us."
Joanne looked away, tears streaming down her cheeks like small waterfalls "Mark, if this is the trouble that I cause I don't need to be here."
Mark pleaded with her "You don't cause any trouble Joanne, we're your friends and we can work this out together. We're family."
The lawyer walked past Mark, threw the door open and left the room.
Mark ran after her "JOANNE! JOANNE PLEASE WAIT!"
His calls fell on deaf ears as the lawyer continued to walk down the halls slowly going out of sight.
Collins gently rocked his boyfriend, whispering into his ear "It's alright my Angel, its over. Shhhh my love. Don't cry, don't cry."
Mimi's small frame was almost completely entwined in Roger's huge leather jacket.
Maureen stood there speechless. Did she really slap Joanne? Where in the world did that come from?
She looked up and saw the trouble she had caused. She looked over to the weeping Angel "I'm so sorry Angel baby."
Angel lifted his face out of Collins' chest "Come here Maureen."
Maureen ran over to Angel like a child who fell and bumped her knees. The performance artist climbed on the bed and fell into Angel's arms that were out stretched to her. Collins sat behind his lover and rubbed Maureen's shoulders as she cried on him. The two bohemians hugged in a tight embrace, Maureen screaming into Angel's chest. She was so mad at herself, wanting to turn back the hands of time. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't make herself stop crying. Joanne had left her and she knew that it might be for good. Angel looked down at her with tears still coming from his eyes.
Between sobs Maureen screamed, muffled by Angel's arms "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Angel hugged her tighter and stroked her hair motherly "I know my baby, I know."