"So how many women do you think Derek's slept with?"

"Oh my god Ana, and this is helping how exactly?!" Karen laughed.

"Just trying to break the tension. You've hardly said anything the walk over." Ana smirked.

"Yeah well, I'm just mentally preparing myself. Today is going to be horrible. Derek awkwardness, and then all the fallout from Jimmy's little bar top performance. Kyle's probably going to be a mess too. We did the right thing right?"

"You mean with Jimmy?"

Karen sighed. "Yeah. I know Kyle needed to do it, but this is Kyle! He's loved and supported Jimmy through worse things than this."

"Look, it was Kyle's choice to cut Jimmy off, but he needed us to tell him, because like you said, Jimmy would just worm his way back in again. And this is Kyle, it's not going to be forever. But right now this is the best thing for him. He needs time to go this alone... and its the best thing for Jimmy too. Besides, Kyle's probably been finding comfort in the arms of Tom!"

"Holy crap, I totally forgot about that!" Karen laughed. "Its probably why he hasn't answered any of my calls. What is it with the theater community?! We're like the most dysfunctional family ever! No wonder mom and dad get so worked up about me being here!"

"Girl, you wouldn't change it for anything!"

"That's true!" Karen laughed.

They made their way into the theater and dumped their bags in the breakout area, chatting to their fellow Hit Listers. Karen was nervous. She was grateful to Ana for taking her mind off everything, but she really didn't want to face Derek right now, even though she knew they still had things they needed to say.

"Ummm, can I have everyone's attention please."

Karen turned at the sound of Derek's voice, and the moment she saw him she knew something was wrong.

"Is everyone here? There's something I have to tell you all."

"Everyone except Kyle" Ana answered. "Oh and Jimmy, but I guess we're not expecting him?"

"This is about Kyle" said Derek. "Look, there's no easy way to tell you all this." He hesitated. "We got some bad news this morning... Kyle was hit by a car last night."

"Oh my god, is he okay?!" Ana was the first person to speak.

Derek's voice cracked. "No, no he's not ... I'm afraid he didn't make it."

Karen was numb. She couldn't process it. Kyle. Sweet Kyle. Dead? She felt the tears start to well up inside her, and pulled Ana in for a hug. She was sobbing.

"I can't believe it" Ana whispered eventually. Karen released herself from Ana's grip, and wiping the tears from her friends face with her sleeve. "Neither can I ... neither can I."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Derek looked around the room. He was struggling himself. Kyle was a great kid, and he was the heart and soul of this show, this production, and these guys who were all trying to process what had happened. His eyes made their way to Karen. She was comforting Ana who couldn't control her tears. They both looked distraught. He wanted nothing more than to pull Karen into a soothing embrace, the way he used to in Boston. He figured he needed it right now just as much as Karen.

As if she could feel the eyes on her, Karen suddenly looked over at him. "Has anyone told Jimmy yet?"

"I don't know. I tried to call him when I heard the news but he isn't answering his cell."

"He can't find out the wrong way Derek! Jimmy's so angry right now anyway, and this will destroy him. You know how he is." Karen sounded panicked.

"Is that my ears burning? Glad to know you've not completely forgotten about me already. I mean its not like I wrote this damn show or anything, but let's not worry about that!"

Derek span around to see Jimmy standing in the doorway.

"Jimmy" Derek started ...

"Don't worry! I'm just getting my things and then I'm out of here, and none of you jerks will ever have to see me again. Even Kyle wants nothing more to do with me. He made that perfectly clear to me last night. He, along with all of you, can go screw yourselves!"

This was too much for Blake. "Kyle's dead. He, he got hit by a car last night."

Jimmy stopped dead. "Okay come on Blake, that's pretty sick" he laughed.

"It's true Jimmy" Karen said, instinctively walking over to Jimmy.

Jimmy looked around at his colleagues. The looks on their faces left him in no doubt. Blake wasn't joking.

"No, no, you see he can't be ... because I saw him last night ... I spoke to him. He came to meet me, to tell me why he couldn't live with me anymore! Jimmy laughed. "You see, he was fine then!"

"Jimmy. I'm so sorry." Karen moved closer to Jimmy, reaching out for him, but he suddenly snapped. "Get away from me!" he screamed, pushing her away, the force of his actions causing Karen to stumble backwards, smashing into a set of stacked chairs that crashed all around her.

"Jesus Christ Jimmy!" Derek shouted, rushing to Karen who was sprawled on the floor, clutching her arm.

Jimmy's emotions had got the better of him, and he was lashing out. "This is all your fault!" Jimmy seethed, looking at Karen "You're the reason he's dead. Kyle told me how you told him to cut me loose. He wouldn't have come to see me if it wasn't for you. He wouldn't have had his accident if it wasn't for you. KYLE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"

The words seemed to startle Jimmy, and he stood there for a second looking dazed. Then without saying anything else he bolted out of the room.

Everyone stood in shocked silence. Derek reached for Karen. Her breathing was rapid and she was pale as anything. "Karen?" Derek said quietly. "Let me have a look at your arm" It was cut pretty badly, blood flowing out of it, staining her white top red.

"I'm fine, I'm fine" Karen whispered, not too convincingly.

"Of course you're fine" Derek winked. "It's nothing more than a scratch" he said, as he started wrapping a cloth someone had handed him around karen's arm, stemming the flow. "You've got to man up Cartwright!"

"He's right" Karen whispered, her facing starting to crumple. "None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for me."

"Don't be bloody ridiculous" Derek said. "It was an accident."

He looked into Karen's eyes, and she nodded, but tears started to flow down her face, and Derek found himself wrapping his arms tightly around her. She was sobbing uncontrollably now, her face buried in his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears. Derek decided right then that he was never going to let go.