The group had been waiting to hear news from the hospital for a couple of weeks now. He had slipped into a coma-like state and had been that way since the actual stabbing. Mark had not responded to anyone who tried to talk to him, not even his wife. So, the doctors had told them to wait. Night after night, the group waited in the sterile hospital room. The walls were white. The sheets were white. It had that antiseptic smell. The smell they could not get over.

The boys were worried. He was their rock. Throughout all of the bad times, the boys could always count on Mark. When the group appeared to be headed towards the shelf because of the fight they had with their previous member, Abdul, over rights to a song and lyrics. Mark was there. He helped them see that the differences would not be gotten over until they could come to an agreement. The hardest thing to do was to tell Abdul that he was no longer part of the group. The very first gig they sang at as the group “Dreaming” was his idea. Abdul knew this guy who was a bouncer at this club called “Jimmy Jam's.” Jimmy Jams was this club where the high school students went to hang out on the weekends and party. Some even did drugs there occasionally. One of their boys was arrested at the club the night prior to their first live show there. If it were not for Abdul, they would not have met Mark. If it were not for Abdul, they would not have done their first demo tape. If it were not for Abdul, the group would never have made it into the recording studio at all.

Abdul was the man with the vision. A short light-skinned black man with brown eyes and the longest eyelashes you ever saw. His voice was slow like molasses and had a southern accent with manners to match. His mother was a maid in the neighbor's house. She got paid an hourly wage of $7.50 plus food. The family gave her leftovers. The clothes Abdul wore when the guys first met him were Salvation Army. In fact, he even wore some of their old clothes (but the guys never told him. After the first CD started selling, he bought his mother her own home and started paying her money into a savings account. She stopped working for the neighbors and started going out to school at night. His mother earned herself a high school diploma and a bachelor's all in eight years. She was now the proud owner of her own business for maids, and she treated them with better respect than she was ever treated.

Abdul bought himself his own condominium along with a membership at a club he had been dying to go-to since high school. He also proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Marisol who accepted. They were married a year later. After the marriage things with the group got rocky. Marisol had problems with the music they were singing and the places they played. She did not like the lifestyle they were leading. Now, she was not the reason the group split but according to Abdul that was part of it.

Suddenly there was movement on the bed. Mark made a sudden movement, but he did not open his eyes. Louis called the nurse to come in. She quietly but quickly came into the room. She checked Mark's vital signs and sighed. She looked at the guys. All five had this hopeful look on their faces. She hated to disappoint them. She shook her head and walked out. As she entered the doorway, she paused and looked back at them. The shoulders of all five men were slumped and the faces were long. It appeared as if they were all holding the other one up in a standing position. Then she went out to the nurse's station.

Moesha was standing by the charts entering patient information into the computer. As Larose walked up, she glanced up and shook her head.

“The boys,” as they were affectionately called by all of the nurses, “thought he was waking up huh?” asked Moesha.

Responding, Larose says “Yeah. But nothing. They come in every day at visiting hours with hope and every day leaves with the knowledge that he has not gotten any better. The doctors say they must wait. Apparently, he was sick prior to getting stabbed and his body could not take the shock. But still, they look lost without him.”

“Do you think the boys will pull it together in time for the award show?” asks Moesha.

“I do not know Moesha; I do not know.” Answers Larose.

Waiting for a bit then looking around Larose informs her friend, “Well, girl, my shift is over, and I have me a date with the most delicious man I have seen and tasted in a long time. I do not want to be late for this one. So, I will go.”

“You know something Larose, you are the only woman I know who can debase a simple date faster than any other female I know. Why is that you wonder?” asks Moesha, shaking her head in exasperation at her friend.

“Because, girl, I am the only desperate woman you know.” She laughingly answers.

“That is true. You are desperate. Well, take your desperate ass out of my hospital so I can work. Bye girl.” Snapping up her chart and starting to walk away responds Moesha.

“Bye.” In reply says, Larose.