Post-Rent

A/N: Sorry that these chapters are so short, it's just that I started writing them at camp and I didn't have that much time to write a lot. Please forgive me. Chapter 4 will be longer.

-Aztec2Step

Chapter 2

"Roger...?" Mimi whispered. She was lying in bed, in her room in the Rehab. Roger had come to visit her after his brief talk with Mark that morning. As he sat next to her, she shook violently and shouted.

"Shh...it's okay, you're alright. I'm here. You're okay." He said as he held her. She cried out in pain as Roger held her head against his head. He held her for a good 20 minutes before she was calm enough to talk to.

"I'm sorry, Roger. This isn't my fault. I really wanted to be there for your birthday."

"It's alright. I'm just another year older. It's really nothing. Really." He smiled at her and she smiled back. He lifted her chin and kissed her tenderly. She pressed back for a second and as she let go, she smiled and his eyes softened. He ran his fingers through his hair. He was extremely stressed from visiting Mimi, his on and off gigs, and from his HIV, which was always on his mind now that Mimi was in Rehab. He was always thinking of her and her advancing HIV. Mimi always came first now. It used to be him, him, him. It was always about him before April...well, now that he thought about it, it was still about him when he was with April. But it was always Mimi after she had her Near-Death Experience. He was so worried about her health and everyday he asked himself why she didn't go with Angel. He looked to the Christmas Eve she came into his life. Why did she knock on my door? I'm sure there were plenty of other men in the building other than me...but then again...no, it was my fault she came to my door. I looked at her from the balcony when we had our mini-protest. Why did I look at her? Why? Why was that always the question? He stared out the window. What was next in this sad story he called his life? What would happen? Who would be claimed next by the unforgiving world? He stopped thinking about it and turned to her. She had fallen asleep. He kissed her cheek and left the room, still pondering whether or not he should talk to Mark about his thoughts. He walked down the stairs and out the door.

Chapter 3

Mimi dreamed about walking slowly through the white halls of the Rehabilitation facility, and as she turned a corner, at the end of the hall she saw Roger. She began to run towards him, her arms outstretched. But as she neared him, he suddenly disappeared and she began falling down a deep stairway. She awoke with a scream and found, after checking the room, that Roger wasn't there. She glanced at the clock on the table beside her bed. 2:09 am. Mimi groaned and laid her head back down on the pillow and fell asleep.