Sing Me Home (Rent, shortfic)
Fic: Sing Me Home
Author: aishuu
Fandom: Rent
Character(s): Roger/Mimi, Ensemble
Wordcount: 675
Rating: PG
Notes: Day 8 of 40 Days, theme: How you stay and how you go from ronsard
Summary: It's time for Mimi to die.
After the Christmas miracle, when Roger had called Mimi back from the brink through the power of his song, they'd all hoped that she would bounce back. They'd lost Angel that year, and losing another member of their patchwork family was too painful to think about.
But she was too weak, and life on the streets hadn't been kind to her. Joanne managed to get her into a hospital room, but the doctors told them there was nothing they could do except ease Mimi's pain.
The news was harsh, but not unexpected. They'd been through this before, and Maureen suffered from strong sense of deja vu as they took turns waiting by Mimi's bedside and making sure Roger didn't commit slow suicide by neglecting himself as he watched her fade. Mimi was in and out of consciousness as illness wracked her body, and by the third day she was hallucinating and not understanding English. She would whimper in Spanish, which either Joanne or Collins would have to translate.
Roger had never learned to speak Spanish, aside from a few phrases consisting primarily of swearwords. He was reduced to softly singing te amo, te amo over and over again, since there was nothing else he could say. Hopefully she understood, but he would never know if that was true.
Collins, not surprisingly, turned out to be their rock. He'd been down this path before, and while he cared about Mimi, nothing could compare to the connection he'd had with Angel. Somehow he'd managed to come to peace with what had happened, and his quiet presence kept Roger from bolting in terror, and saved Mark from going into rages about how unfair this all was.
It was a slow decline, and they watched as she died by inches. Each day she survived was considered a gift, and they would spend the time sharing stories or talking about insane plans like taking a trip to Santa Fe, or making dinner reservations at The Palm for 1999. It felt strange to be laughing, but Mimi wouldn't have wanted them to cry.
They gathered together on New Year's, Maureen's bright clothing at odds with the rest of the room, and their tired faces not feeling the joy that a new year should bring. This year had been horrible, but the next year would be worse, since they would be losing another good friend - and in Roger's case, lover - very soon. It was not an auspicious beginning to another year.
Mark was the only one brave enough to broach the topic. "Should someone let Benny know she's here?"
They all turned their eyes to Roger, since the decision was his. Joanne toyed with her cellphone, prepared to either put it away or make the call, depending on what Roger said.
Roger held out his hand to her. "I'll make the call," he said.
Mark didn't say anything as Roger punched the numbers of Benny's cellphone. An hour later, Benny stood on the room's threshold, looking at her wasted form of his former lover. "How long?"
"Hours," Mark replied from behind his camera. It wasn't running, but the safety of the lens was the only reason he could keep watching.
Roger didn't say anything, instead gesturing for Benny to come sit closer to the bed. In his own way, Benny had loved Mimi, and Roger wasn't going to fight him right now.
They waited together as the time ticked by on the room's ancient clock. As soon as the minute hand hit midnight, Maureen began to softly sing Auld Lang Syne. Moments later, Joanne and Collins joined in, and Mark and Benny began to hum along since they didn't know the words. Roger listened to the plaintive melody, and was surprised by the sudden smile that curved Mimi's lips.
Then she sighed slightly, and Roger knew she was gone. A week before a song had sang her back, and now another was singing her home. Roger lowered his head to hide his tears, since he knew Angel was waiting for her, and crying would just annoy them both.
Author: aishuu
Fandom: Rent
Character(s): Roger/Mimi, Ensemble
Wordcount: 675
Rating: PG
Notes: Day 8 of 40 Days, theme: How you stay and how you go from ronsard
Summary: It's time for Mimi to die.
After the Christmas miracle, when Roger had called Mimi back from the brink through the power of his song, they'd all hoped that she would bounce back. They'd lost Angel that year, and losing another member of their patchwork family was too painful to think about.
But she was too weak, and life on the streets hadn't been kind to her. Joanne managed to get her into a hospital room, but the doctors told them there was nothing they could do except ease Mimi's pain.
The news was harsh, but not unexpected. They'd been through this before, and Maureen suffered from strong sense of deja vu as they took turns waiting by Mimi's bedside and making sure Roger didn't commit slow suicide by neglecting himself as he watched her fade. Mimi was in and out of consciousness as illness wracked her body, and by the third day she was hallucinating and not understanding English. She would whimper in Spanish, which either Joanne or Collins would have to translate.
Roger had never learned to speak Spanish, aside from a few phrases consisting primarily of swearwords. He was reduced to softly singing te amo, te amo over and over again, since there was nothing else he could say. Hopefully she understood, but he would never know if that was true.
Collins, not surprisingly, turned out to be their rock. He'd been down this path before, and while he cared about Mimi, nothing could compare to the connection he'd had with Angel. Somehow he'd managed to come to peace with what had happened, and his quiet presence kept Roger from bolting in terror, and saved Mark from going into rages about how unfair this all was.
It was a slow decline, and they watched as she died by inches. Each day she survived was considered a gift, and they would spend the time sharing stories or talking about insane plans like taking a trip to Santa Fe, or making dinner reservations at The Palm for 1999. It felt strange to be laughing, but Mimi wouldn't have wanted them to cry.
They gathered together on New Year's, Maureen's bright clothing at odds with the rest of the room, and their tired faces not feeling the joy that a new year should bring. This year had been horrible, but the next year would be worse, since they would be losing another good friend - and in Roger's case, lover - very soon. It was not an auspicious beginning to another year.
Mark was the only one brave enough to broach the topic. "Should someone let Benny know she's here?"
They all turned their eyes to Roger, since the decision was his. Joanne toyed with her cellphone, prepared to either put it away or make the call, depending on what Roger said.
Roger held out his hand to her. "I'll make the call," he said.
Mark didn't say anything as Roger punched the numbers of Benny's cellphone. An hour later, Benny stood on the room's threshold, looking at her wasted form of his former lover. "How long?"
"Hours," Mark replied from behind his camera. It wasn't running, but the safety of the lens was the only reason he could keep watching.
Roger didn't say anything, instead gesturing for Benny to come sit closer to the bed. In his own way, Benny had loved Mimi, and Roger wasn't going to fight him right now.
They waited together as the time ticked by on the room's ancient clock. As soon as the minute hand hit midnight, Maureen began to softly sing Auld Lang Syne. Moments later, Joanne and Collins joined in, and Mark and Benny began to hum along since they didn't know the words. Roger listened to the plaintive melody, and was surprised by the sudden smile that curved Mimi's lips.
Then she sighed slightly, and Roger knew she was gone. A week before a song had sang her back, and now another was singing her home. Roger lowered his head to hide his tears, since he knew Angel was waiting for her, and crying would just annoy them both.