After completing a sales call, Jim meandered from his desk to the reception area, much like he had done for many years, to talk to his good friend, Pam Beasley. As was the usual, she was absentmindedly playing a game of freecell.
"Hey, Beasley?"
"Uh-huh?" Pam asked, looking up.
"My mom is coming down soon, and so I need to buy a sweater. Just so that she doesn't think I spend all of my non-office time in old jeans and a crappy t-shirt."
"But you do spend all of your non-office time in old jeans and a crappy t-shirt." she teased.
"Oh, can it Beasley. Can you help me pick out a sweater at the mall after work tonight?"
"Fine, but only because I know you'd fail miserably without me." she said sarcastically. She liked spending time with Jim.
"Awesome, thanks. I'll pick you up around 6:30?"
"Um, why don't you just meet me there? I don't know how Roy would-"
"I get it. It's fine, we can meet up." Jim said, his voice a tone more serious.
It was no secret that he and Roy didn't like each other. Jim hated Roy. He was lucky enough to end up with a girl like Pam, a sweet, loving, passionate girl like Pam, and he couldn't be bothered to even set a date for their wedding. He was, in short, an ass. Trying to push it from his mind, Jim focused on the night ahead of them. Jim didn't really need a sweater, but it was a great excuse to spend a little time with the girl of his dreams.
Pam arrived home that night to find Roy already on the couch, beer in hand as he watched a college football game.
"Roy?" Pam called out, testing the waters.
"Yeah?" he responded, not looking away from the TV.
"I'm going to the mall with some girls from work tonight. You know, Angela and Meredith."
"That's fine. Just make some dinner before you go. And bring back something sexy for yourself," he said, reaching behind her to smack her rear. Pam gasped, though at this point she wasn't surprised by the gesture.
"Roy, you know I hate that." She said calmly, though her teeth were gritted.
"Calm down, baby. Can't I touch the ass of my hot girlfriend?"
"I'm not your girlfriend, we're engaged." She muttered, returning to the kitchen to make dinner.
"Don't back talk me," Roy said, his voice now a low threat.
She sent out a quick text to Jim as she gathered all of the necessary ingredients for meatloaf. "Meet me outside of Macy's?" it read. As she was pouring all of the spices together, she received a confirmation text. She put the loaf in the oven and quickly changed from her office clothes to a loose-fitting blouse and jeans.
"The meatloaf will be ready when the timer goes off. Love you!" she called as she left the house, knowing he wouldn't respond.
Just as they'd planned, Jim was waiting for Pam outside of the Macy's that stood as the entire front portion of the local mall. He had changed into his usual old jeans and crappy t-shirt. Pam chuckled to herself.
"Hey, did I keep you waiting long?" Pam asked as she and Jim walked into the store.
"Nah. Did Roy give you shit?"
"I told him I was going out with Angela and Meredith."
"Oh, what a coincidence, they're coming too!" Jim said sarcastically.
"Oh, well now it's a party."
"Totally."
"How about this one?" Pam said, pulling a royal blue sweater off a rack.
"That color seems pretty dark."
"Oh, sorry, did you want a pink one?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I did."
"Duly noted."
They continued in this banter for an hour and a half, until they finally agreed on a cream-colored sweater in the clearance section. They checked out, and Jim turned to Pam.
"Thanks," he said.
"No problem!" She said, as her stomach let out a loud gurgle.
"Well someone's hungry. Let's go get some pretzels."
"Damnit," Pam said.
"What?" Jim inquired.
"Ugh, Roy requested I get something "sexy" for him to see when I get home. You can go if you want, I'll be fine."
"Pam, this mall is packed. You sure you'll be okay?" Jim asked, knowing Pam could get really nervous in crowds.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Really, go."
"Alright. Call me when you get home. It's supposed to start raining pretty soon, so drive careful."
"Will do."
It was nearly 9:30 by the time Pam got home from the mall. Jim was right, the roads were terrible. Pam looked towards the living room to find Roy in the exact same position she'd left him, sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand. The only difference was the meatloaf plate on the end table.
"There's my girl," he said, getting up to put his hands on her hips and kiss her neck, his breath stale with the smell of the alcohol. "Ready to show me what you bought?"
"Yeah, just have to call Jim and tell him I got in safe." she said absentmindedly.
"Jim?" Roy questioned.
"Fuck." Pam thought.
"You were with Halpert? You little slut!" Roy said, pushing Pam to the hardwood ground of their kitchen. Pam's hand instantly went to her head, which wasn't bleeding, but still hurt like hell."You were with Halpert and you bought lingerie? What the fuck, Pam?" he yelled, kicking her in the sides. "You lied to me. You lying, sluttly little bitch." he said, throwing his beer bottle to the floor. The glass splintered, and Pam felt some of it sink into her arms. "I'm going to the bar." He announced, angrily huffing out of their apartment, leaving Pam on the ground, sobbing in pain.
She realized that her phone had remained in her hand throughout this whole incident, and that she had somehow, through all of the rustling on the touchscreen phone, dialed Jim. She could hear him yelling into the phone.
"Pam? Pam, are you okay?!" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was nothing."
"Pam, I heard all of that. It wasn't nothing."
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it. It was just a little fight. Couples get in little fights.
"Pam, if you think I'm falling for that, you're seriously underestimating my intelligence. I'm already halfway to your apartment."
"Jim, I'm fine."
"Pam, I heard your sobbing and I heard the glass break. I'm coming to get you and there's nothing you can do about it."
"How much did you hear?" she asked softly.
"Enough."
"There's glass in my arm."
"Pull it out if you can. I'm almost there. Are you bleeding much?"
"Um… yeah." she said, looking down at her arms, which had large, red stains blotted all over them.
"Do you think you need to go to the hospital?"
"No."
"Do you think you don't need to go, or do you just not want to go?" Jim asked, his calm tone now a bit more urgent.
"I don't want to go."
"Alright. I'm coming up the stairs now. I'll take a look at them and we'll see."
"Okay."
Neither of them hung up until Jim entered the room. The first thing he saw was the glass. Brown pieces of glass scattered all around the floor in various sizes. The next was Pam, sprawled on the floor and helpless, still crying and still bleeding.
"Hey, hey, hey, He said, quickly and softly. "I'm here now. You're okay." He placed a hand on the small of Pam's back and guided her to a seated position. "Pam, I'm going to pull this glass out now, okay? It might hurt a bit, so squeeze my hand, but try not to move." He said, giving her his left hand as he laid her arm over his knee to pull the glass out. Pam squeezed his hand, but didn't move except for flinching. "You're doing great, Pam. Okay, this arm doesn't need stitches, but I need to do the other one. How's your head?"
"Hurts," she moaned.
"I know, I have some aspirin back at my place."
"Oh, Jim. You don't need to-"
"I'm going to. You're not staying here." He said, his tone making it clear that this wasn't up for discussion. "Okay, all the glass is out. Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?"
"Help me up."
He attempted to pull her up gently, but it was clear the pain in her ribs was too severe.
"I'm just going to carry you, okay?" he said, scooping her up and carrying her to the elevator, and then to his car, buckling her in.
"How long?" Jim asked, distraught.
It took a while before Pam could answer.
