Chapter 4

"Dinner with Josh"

Kim drove off from Middleton High closing the book on her junior year of high school and opening the book on her senior year, but it certainly didn't feel like it at all. Her confrontation with Bonnie was not only wrong, it was inappropriate. Kim was not a girl who would go for something so dirty as to get together with someone, especially Ron. Still, having an early dinner with a good friend like Josh was more than enough to take the pain off of her mind.

"Everything okay, Kim?" asked Josh as Kim walked into the restaurant. "Bonnie must have really torn you a new one."

"A very insensitive act on her part," answered Kim bitterly. "I mean, she doesn't realize of the gravity of the situation that we were all in, Josh. We were at the mercy of someone who had evil acts out of revenge. Not to mention Eric tried to undress me."

Once they sat down, Josh began to notice something that was very alarming to him. He noticed that Kim was wearing her blue dress from the night of Eric's rampage.

"Kim, I don't mean to be intrusive," remarked Josh. "But, isn't that the same dress you wore to Fantasia? I mean, you took a lot of bravery to wear it again after something like this."

"I wanted to wear this dress, Josh," replied Kim. "It represents more than just my first dates with you and Ron. It represents my inner beauty, my innocence, my desire to grow into a mature woman. Besides, it makes me look beautiful. Don't you agree?"

"Well, you certainly do, Kim, no matter what you wear," chuckled Josh. "Still, I'm just amazed you could get it cleaned and repaired so quickly. Did Bonnie make any cat calls about it?"

"No, she didn't, thank God for that," remarked Kim as they were served glasses of water. "I mean, I know Bonnie is my rival, but she didn't have to act the way she did, Josh."

A look of concern fell on Josh's face, almost as if to say to Kim that he too, was also the victim of Bonnie's catcalls and remarks. True, Josh was one of the most popular guys in school, but he was human after all and had a soft side like Kim did.

"Yes, she can certainly be like that sometimes," sighed Josh, a hint of frustration towards Bonnie deep in his face. "I mean, she was making fun of me for not being there for Tara when that guy you call Eric confronted us. I was bound and gagged in a closet for God's sake, Kim! What was I supposed to do? Magically break out of my bonds and save her?"

"Josh, it wasn't your fault," cried Kim, trying to calm him down. "There was nothing you can do. All Bonnie wanted was to make our respective dates become the talk of the class. She doesn't know the whole truth and I don't think she cares at all."

Josh knew that Kim had a point. When he and Kim were boyfriend and girlfriend, Bonnie always made the same jokes about them. Josh was not going to change who he was and neither was Kim. They were two very different people who had found the perfect soulmates to share with them.

"But, let's let Bonnie do her own thing," Josh said after he and Kim placed their dinner orders in. "We have to worry about Ron and Tara right now."

"Speaking of which," replied Kim, reaching into her purse and pulling out the kimmunicator. "Ron sent me a text saying that visiting hours are until 9:00 tonight. Were you thinking of swinging by the hospital and visiting Tara? I was going to swing by and visit Ron."

"Yeah," said Josh. "Why don't we go after we eat? Might as well visit now than wait until later."

Soon, Kim and Josh had their dinner of cheeseburgers and soon got in their cars, heading over to Middleton Hospital where Ron and Tara would spend the last night there as inpatients and soon would be outpatients.

Meanwhile, Eric was in the prison courtyard during the mandated exercise period, but he certainly didn't feel like exercising. All he could do was think about the impending meeting that he would have with Kim. This caught the attention of Dr. Drakken, who was not too far away.

"What are you thinking about, Synthrodrome?" sneered Dr. Drakken. "If you are thinking about escaping, then you are sadly mistaken. This cops won't let you walk out of here alive."

"I'm not thinking about escaping," answered Eric, trying to walk away from Dr. Drakken, but was unable to. "I'm thinking about what I did to Kim and her friends."

"Oh, please, I think you did splendidly," chuckled Dr. Drakken, gleefully placing his hand on Eric's shoulder. "I mean, you had Kim Possible at her mercy and nearly made the pathetic sweet little girl that she truly is. You should be happy for such an accomplishment."

"I was, but now I'm not," sighed Eric, his voice filled with remorse as he sat down on a large rock and buried his face in his hands. "Dr. Drakken, I wish now that things were different. I wish that I wasn't a synthrodrome."

This made Dr. Drakken very cross. Eric was a synthrodrome and there was no use in denying the fact that he was one. Dr. Drakken purchased Eric fair and square from the synthrodrome factory and made him do his bidding.

"Now listen here, pretty boy," he snapped, pulling Eric's collar towards his face. "I only gave you human traits because I needed you to weaken Kim Possible, not to fall in love with her. What you did was simply carry out my orders and nothing more."

"But, Dr. Drakken…" Eric started to say, but Dr. Drakken silenced him by placing two of his fingers on Eric's mouth.

"No buts!" interrupted Dr. Drakken hastily. "You work for me, Synthrodrome, so remember that! Understand?"

Eric could feel like Dr. Drakken was trying to activate his evil side again, but tried his hardest to not give in to Dr. Drakken's desires for him to become evil. Fortunately, the guards were herding the prisoners back to their cells before Drakken could get through to Eric and make him evil again.

Once back in his cell, the warden of Middleton Prison stood in front of Eric's cell with important news that was concerning his request for a private meeting with Kim, but there was also something else of great importance.

"I have some news from the court," said the warden, handing Eric a small piece of paper. "The judge has explained to me that you can avoid trial and a possible death penalty if you plead guilty to the charges against you."

"What about Dr. Drakken?" asked Eric.

"The same message has been given to him as well," replied the warden. "As your creator, he too, is also charged with the same crimes as you, robot. If you refuse this offer, you will be given a trial and your victims will be forced to face you in court."

Eric knew that there was one decision that he needed to make and that was he needed to plead guilty to the charges against him. He couldn't bear to see Kim testifying against him and she had suffered enough along with Ron and their friends.

"The decision is yours, robot," said the warden as he walked away from Eric's cell. "Do as you like with the cards that have been offered to you."

But Eric couldn't make a decision unless his requested meeting with Kim was granted…