Time waits for no one

You're a legend, Fred

Saturday, July 6th, 1985
1 week until Live Aid

I've been growing accustomed to the news. I can't keep living in denial. That's selfish of me... if Freddie accepted it, I had to too.

The guys are coming together to perform at Live Aid together... it'd be the first time they performed in a while.

"God, Brooklynn, you're huge!" Roger said, as he went in for a hug.

"Gee, Roger, thanks." I said, sarcastically.  He then began to laugh. "It's good to see you, Brooklynn."
He then said.

"It's good to see you too. It's good to see all of you, actually." I said, giving them all a hug.

I came to Queen's Live Aid rehearsals with Freddie. Ever since... the news I've been spending as much time with Freddie as possible. Not forcingly of course, just  the given opportunities.

"When are you due?" John asked.

"The 13th, but actually any time now. This is my 9th month." I explained.

"Aww, really?" He responded.

Freddie rubbed my tummy. "Yep. They want mommy to miss Live Aid." Freddie said.

I then scoffed. "Yeah right, as if." I said.

"Well Brooklynn, you're gonna have to at least be in the hospital, aren't you?" Brian asked.

I shrugged. "No, not until after I see Led Zeppelin, and Queen... Afterwards? I'm rushing there." I explained.

They all nodded, understanding.

"Shall we begin?" Freddie asked, and I watched them all get ready.

30 minutes in

I got some water bottles for them, and continued to watch. Freddie's voice sounded scratchy as he couldn't hit the notes like he normally would.

"What the hell we fighting for?"

I cringed a bit as he sang that line, and his voice almost gave out on him.

He then stopped singing. He looked frustrated.
"Maybe we should take take a break." Bri suggested.

"We just fucking started." Freddie said, clearly aggravated.

"It's alright, Freddie." I said, concerned. I then gave him a water bottle. "You all sound lovely." He said, taking it.

He drank the water. "Fred you don't have to be so hard on yourself." Roger told him.

I then looked down, knowing the reason why he was so determined.

"I sound like shit... My throat feels like a vulture's crotch." He said.

"We still have a week" Brian said.

"We'll get there." John added.

"Yeah." Freddie said.

"Wanna grab a beer, Bri?" Roger asked Brian. "Sure." He responded.

"Can I come?" John asked, and they agreed.

Freddie looked over at me "Before you leave..." he began. "Can I have a second? There's something I need to say." He said.

"Yeah what's up?" Brian asked him.

My eyes widened, and my heart dropped as I realized what he was about to do.

"I... I've got it." He then said. I looked down, and folded my arms over my tummy to the best of my ability.

"Got what?" Roger asked.

"AIDs" he began. "I wanted you to hear it first from me." He finished.

The look of shock mixed with guilt and sadness was written all over their faces.

"Freddie I'm so sorry-" Brian began, before being cut off by Freddie.

"Brian Stop. Don't." He said. "For right now... it's between us. Just us, so please... If any of you fuss about it, or frown about it, or worse of all... if you bore me with your sympathy, that's just seconds wasted." He began.

By then we were all shedding silent tears. He then continued.

"Seconds that could be used making music, which is all I wanna do with the time I have left.." he then looked away, before continuing again.

"I don't have time to be their victim... their AIDs poster boy, their cautionary retail, no I decide who I am... I'm going to be what I was born to be; A performer, who gives the people what they want."

He then pointed a finger to the sky. "Touch of the heavens." He then put his hand down. "Freddie fucking Mercury."

"You're a legend, Fred." Roger told him. I nodded in agreement.

"You're bloody right, I am... we're all legends" he said.
"But you're right, I am a legend." We all began to laugh.

"Now you give me a chance to get my bitchy vocals chords in order, and we'll go and punch a hole through the roof of that stadium." He said.

"Actually, Wembley doesn't have a roof." John said, which caused us all to laugh again.

"Alright... then we'll punch a hole in the sky." He said, before pulling us all in for a hug.

"Now even though you're all crying like 4 little girls, I still love you." He told us, which cause us to laugh, once again.

"Well Brooklynn is a little girl." Roger said. "I'm 36!" I shouted, and they started to laugh.

"We love you more Freddie... We really do." I told him, and they all chimed in with their "We love yous"

We then broke up the hug

"All right, enough of this... how about a drink?" John said.

"Yes!" They all agreed, and they looked at me, while I was pointing to my belly

"Well, a water for Brooklynn." He said, rubbing my belly, then I smiled at them all.