Monique was worried. It had been months since it happened, but she knew Ron was still taking it hard. Sure, he went to school, played football and even went on some missions, but he wasn't the same. If anything, he had this dead look in his eyes. The last time Monique had really seen him smile was the day Kim had died. Since then, whenever he smiled it was obviously forced and never reached his eyes. His signature goofy grin had disappeared. In its place was a grim look as if he were heading to his own funeral. He worked hard in school, but never talked to anyone. Even the teachers pitied him and left him alone.
Anne Possible knew the signs of depression. After her daughter's death Ronald exhibited many of them. While he continued his decade long habit of joining the Possible family before school he barely made dents in his breakfasts. Her sons reported at lunchtime he sat by himself and picked at his lunch. After school he would often visit with her family, as always. The only difference was now he either watched Jim and Tim build things, occasionally giving suggestions, or he spent time up in Kimmie's room. A few weeks ago, curious as to what he did up there, she watched him climb up to the loft, curl up on his girlfriend's bed, clutch the pillow to his chest, and sit there catatonically for hours. When it came for him to leave he would smooth out the bedspread, replace the pillow, and climb back down the ladder. To say Ron was taking his best friend's death hard was the same as someone calling Mountain Everest "a small hill." It was as if he had lost his reason to live. And it might have been just that, she reflected. Kimberly was his world. With her gone…
Eugene Stoppable didn't know what to do. Ever since the… incident Ron had trouble sleeping. He and his wife often caught their son roaming the house at all hours of the night, restless. When he did sleep it was troubled and didn't last long. Every other dream seemed to be a nightmare. Mr. Stoppable would never have known that last part it hadn't been for all the screams emitting from Ronald's room at night. He took his son to specialists, hoping for a solution. They'd prescribe various drugs and sleep aids, but nothing worked. The circle's under Ron's eyes deepened and grew. He began to look like an empty corn husk of himself, his spirit gone.
Wade knew Kim's loss would affect Ron hard, but he had never expected it to be this bad. On missions Ron would either barely make an effort or he would give one hundred and fifty percent, pulverizing the bad guys until they were hardly recognizable. Villains went out of their way to go into hiding when it became clear the latter was far outnumbering the former. With almost all their colleagues in either prison or the hospital it became every man for himself as they abandoned the villainy ship. Hits on the site became scarce.
Ron Stoppable was in pain. Every minute of the day he hurt. He ached everywhere- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Life was a daze as he walked through, noticing things as if from far away. A large chunk of his soul was missing and his heart was bruised. Numbness was all he ever felt, now. The only other emotion he felt was sorrow, and that was only when he spent time in Kim's room. He would have given up months ago if it hadn't been for a mental chant of his, "It's for KP." Knowing she would not have wanted him to give up, he continued on.
Four months after Kim's death Wade sent Ron on a rescue mission. Everyone was saved but one. Ron Stoppable never made it back. When he was finally found he looked, oddly enough, at peace. A small smile graced his lips and it looked as if he was sleeping. Only the lack of pulse and the rigor mortis told the paramedics he wasn't. Looking over him, many shed tears. He was given upmost honors, just as Kim. He was buried alongside her grave. Because Ron had fallen before Kim's headstone was officially placed at her grave, a new one was made for both of them. The two families felt it was worth the extra expense. The shared headstone came to say:
Together in life, together in death
Team Possible