A/N - Hello! I haven't seen the latest episode of Smash yet (it screens tomorrow night here in Australia) so I have been filling my time working on a nice big chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you think.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, fav'ed and followed. You guys are awesome.
I don't own Smash and all mistakes are my own.
Chapter 10 – Free Fall
Karen sat beside Derek, looking out at the lights and nightlife of New York City, her mind lost in a whirling mass of regret, worry and guilt. Derek watched her, seeing her blank face and tear filled eyes. He wiped away the occasional tear that fell, but they remained in silence.
When they finally walked into the hospital waiting room where Kyle was, she was a nervous wreck. Kyle was sitting in one of the uncomfortable chairs, his head in his hands, totally still, lost in worry.
Karen took a seat next to Kyle, and put her arm around his shoulders. It took a few moments for Kyle to register the weight and warmth and to realize he wasn't alone in the room anymore. When he looked up into Karen's face, he was grateful that he wasn't alone with this anymore. He leaned into her, and held onto one of her hands, silently thanking her for being there, despite everything. More tears came, for the both of them, and they held each other while letting the misery of the situation drain out of them. Derek stood like a silent sentry, watching over the two vulnerable, hurting souls in front of him.
When the tears had subsided, and they had calmed, Derek approached. He sat opposite them, and Karen gave him a watery smile. He returned it.
"What can you tell us?" Derek asked Kyle gently. He watched the young man take a deep breath and slowly release it, keeping his emotions in check for the telling.
"He overdosed. He was brought here in an ambulance. They found my number in his wallet. I got here and they told me they were doing everything they could to save him. I called you. I haven't seen or heard from anyone else yet. They told me they would let me know what happens, but no one has come yet. That's good right?" Kyle spoke in a halted rush, his eyes pleading.
"Well, we should try and see if we can find some information. If you two are alright here, I'll go and talk to someone about what is happening," Derek said. They both nodded and he got to his feet. He gave Karen a gentle kiss on the forehead, and driven by some urge he didn't think about too hard, he did the same thing to Kyle. Because of Jimmy, Kyle had been reduced to a little boy, sick with worry over his brother. Derek understood where Kyle was right now.
Kyle's eyes rounded in surprise at the gesture from Derek, and watched him walk away with purposeful strides. He looked at Karen, and she just gave him a small smile.
"Derek cares. A lot. He keeps it hidden behind strong walls built by his own losses and hurts. People don't understand that there is a difference between Derek the director and Derek the person. I always saw the different sides," Karen told him quietly. It seemed wrong to speak in normal tones in a hospital, and of the private side of Derek Wills.
Kyle understood in that moment why Karen had chosen Derek and why she always would. They stayed sitting there quietly, drawing comfort from each other, waiting for Derek to return with some sort of news.
Derek ran his hands through his hair and scrubbed his face. He hated hospitals with a passion and had managed to avoid them quite successfully up until a few months ago, first with Ivy and now with Jimmy. He approached the nurses' station, and seeing there was no one there for the moment, he leaned on the desk and waited.
When a nurse finally came back, Derek straightened.
"I'd like to know what is happening with Jimmy Collins. He was brought in with a drug overdose," Derek politely asked.
"Are you family, because we really aren't supposed to give out information to people other than family," she responded kindly but firmly.
"I understand that, and as far as I know, his only family is in that waiting room. He hasn't been told anything aside from someone somewhere is trying to prevent Jimmy from dying. I was hoping if you can't tell me, then someone could come in and tell him," Derek said.
The nurse looked over into the waiting room, seeing that the young man from earlier was now being comforted by a young woman. She smiled at Derek and reached for the phone.
"I'll just put a call through to the treatment room and see what's happening. I'll let you know when someone will be in to talk to you. I don't think it will be too long," she told Derek. He merely nodded at her, said thank you and walked back to the waiting room.
Kyle and Karen looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and relaxed when they saw it was Derek.
"The nurse said someone should be in shortly to talk to us about Jimmy's condition," Derek answered the unspoken question.
"I should call people. I'm not sure who though…" Kyle said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and giving it a tired look.
"Karen and I can do that. How about you go for a quick walk around the ward. It would do you good to stretch out and loosen up. Maybe even find something that resembles coffee," Derek said. He plucked the phone from Kyle's hand, and gave him a gentle push out the door.
Karen stood up, and Derek watched her move gracefully through a series of stretches. When she was finished, she stepped close to Derek and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder. She felt his arms come around her, and felt safe and secure within his embrace. They stood like that for a few moments, breathing in the comforting scent of each other.
"I love you. Thank you for telling me what had happened, and coming with me. Especially since it is Jimmy. I know this is the last place you would want to be, for the last person," Karen looked up from his shoulder, looking into his green eyes.
Karen was thinking that if it had of been Derek lying somewhere in a hospital, Dev or Jimmy would have kept that information from her, both of them knowing she would insist on being by his side. In this case, she wasn't here for just Jimmy's sake, she was here for Kyle too.
"I love you too and no, I really don't like hospitals. I will tell you why eventually. Now I had better make some calls, and figure out what the hell happens next. May as well call the creative team first, and let the cast and crew find out later after we have a plan. No need to cause a massive panic," Derek kissed her and took a seat, pulling his own phone from his jacket pocket, scrolling through it to find the relevant numbers.
Karen curled up on the chair next to Derek. He kept her hand on his leg, and she rested her head on his shoulder, dozing lightly to the sound of his accented voice.
Kyle came back to find the two of them with their eyes closed, and assumed they were sleeping. He slowly lowered himself into a chair opposite, and was startled when he heard Derek speak.
"I'm awake. Is that coffee?" He reached out a hand and Kyle passed him a cup. Derek took a sip and grimaced.
"Well it may look like coffee, but that's about all it has in common with it," he moaned, but continued drinking the hot liquid anyway. Kyle shared a small smile but remained silent.
Karen reached out a hand and pulled Derek's hand holding the cup of coffee over to her mouth, taking a sip. She made a face at the taste and Derek chuckled at her.
"How did the calls go?" she asked Derek.
"Scott and Julia agreed with me not to tell everyone straight away. They will be here in a couple of hours. Hopefully we would have heard from a doctor or something by the time they get here, and we can figure out a plan," Derek told them both. They heard voices out at the nurses' station, and watched as a doctor walked towards them.
"Collins family?" the doctor asked. Kyle stood and nodded. He was the closest thing to family that Jimmy had.
"Jimmy has suffered from a mixture of issues. He has a massive amount of cocaine in his system, which has caused respiratory distress, an elevated heart rate and high blood pressure. He is also extremely aggressive. He was in a fight while high, so he has suffered some additional injury to his hands, face and torso unrelated to the drugs. He suffered a seizure after falling down. He is currently lightly sedated while we monitor and treat him. He is conscious at the moment. He is also under police guard. You'll be able to see him in a short time," the doctor finished telling them the news, and walked away, letting them absorb it and seeing to other patients. Kyle sank back into his chair, in a state of numbed shock.
The three of them sat in stunned silence, taking in the news. When Scott and Julia arrived an hour later, they were still silent.
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Scott and Julia were just as shocked as the rest of them at the extent of Jimmy's downfall. Scott's mind went to how this was going to impact on the theatre and the show. Julia's mothering instincts had kicked in, and she was sitting next to Kyle, giving him a hug and whispering assurances that neither of them really believed.
Derek had Karen on his lap, talking quietly with Scott when a nurse came in and told them they could see Jimmy, though only two at a time.
Kyle paled even more, and looked to Derek.
"Will you come with me please?" he asked Derek. Derek simply stood with Karen in his arms, kissed her and put her back down in the seat that he had just vacated. Kyle and Derek followed the nurse.
When they entered the room, the sight of Jimmy strapped to the bed and a large policeman standing next to him was a confronting sight. The nurse had warned them that he was still sedated, but not heavily as it could compromise his already weakened breathing ability and cause issues with the head injury.
Jimmy's face was bruised and swollen, an oxygen mask covering most of it. He was bare chested and they could see bandages wrapped around him, and more bruises. His hands were swollen and covered in cuts, the worse ones covered with gauze. The rest of him was hidden from view under a hospital blanket. When he heard the door open, his eyes opened and he watched as Kyle and Derek approached.
"Jimmy, my god, I was so worried about you. Why would you do this? You nearly died!" Kyle asked as more tears came pouring down his face, taking the empty seat next to the bed.
Seeing his friend in tears over him cut Jimmy to the core, but he still couldn't bring himself to really care. Nothing really mattered to him. He hurt everywhere. He glared at Derek, resenting his presence.
"Don't worry Jimmy. I won't be staying long," Derek correctly interpreted the glare from the bed. Derek looked at the policeman standing guard.
"What exactly did he do that warrants a police detail?" he asked the man.
"He entered a liquor store high as a kite, trashed it, assaulted the owner behind the counter, and then resisted arrest," the policeman filled him briefly.
"You have been a busy boy," Derek said, with a hint of his usual sarcasm.
"Just go away," came the muffled response from the bed.
"What's going to happen to him?" Kyle asked.
"Once he has been released from medical care, he'll be charged and taken into holding. He'll have a court appearance and the judge will decide what happens to him next," the cop replied. Derek nodded, expecting something along those lines.
"Your fan club is outside waiting to see you. Scott, Julia and Karen," Derek told Jimmy.
"Don't care. Don't want to see them," came the response. Derek nodded and leaned against the wall, watching the machines and Kyle.
Kyle continued to talk softly to Jimmy, asking him the why, when and how. Jimmy responded in monosyllables.
Derek left after 15 minutes, letting Kyle know he would be telling those waiting what was happening. Kyle nodded his head and kept his attention on Jimmy.
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There were more stunned looks on the faces of those left in the waiting room at finding out exactly what trouble Jimmy had gotten himself into. Derek stayed standing, with Karen leaning against him, his arms wrapped around her waist. Scott watched them, and added their apparent relationship to his growing list of problems.
"What happens now? With the show and everything?" Julia put the question out there that they had all been avoiding until they knew more about Jimmy and his condition.
"From a music stand point, the show is complete. The story is Kyle's domain, and since we still have him, it should be okay," Scott said first.
"Jimmy is our lead, so we would need to recast that role. That will set us back at least two weeks, that is if we find a new Jesse in a few days and get him caught up on the role," Derek said.
"Should Jimmy sign a release, to allow the show to keep going without him, like the one Bombshell made Derek sign for choreography?" Karen asked. Scott nodded.
"Either that or get Jimmy to sign all of his rights to the work across to Kyle, but I would have to check with someone to see what is legally possible," Scott said.
The creative team reached a final decision that Scott would consult a lawyer about the show's issues, Julia would go to the theatre and tell everybody in person about what had happened to Jimmy. Derek and Karen would stay with Kyle, informing him of what had been decided and eventually getting him home. They would catch up later in the afternoon to see how everything was progressing.
Scott and Julia left the hospital, and Derek and Karen were alone. They were both exhausted, having only gotten to sleep an hour or so before Kyle had called them.
"How are you holding up love?" Derek asked her quietly.
"I'm alright. I'm more worried about Kyle and Jimmy. Do you think I should go in and see him?" she asked. Derek had told them that Jimmy didn't want to see them, but she felt she had too.
"He won't like it, but if you want to see him, then I would suggest we go now. Hopefully we can pry Kyle away from his bedside vigil and then go back to my place for some rest," Derek tugged her hand and led her down the hallway to the room where Jimmy was.
"Don't expect too much from Jimmy," he said quietly before opening the door. Karen nodded and kissed his cheek, then entered the room in front of Derek who closed the door behind them.
The nurse checking on Jimmy frowned at the sight of the couple, when they had been told only two people at a time, and there was already one in there. Derek noticed her scowl and held up a hand, stalling her protests.
"I know, two only, but it will take both of us to get Kyle out of here. We will only be ten minutes," he told her. She continued frowning at him, checked her watch and nodded, heading out of the room.
Karen had paused at the foot of the bed, taking in the sight of Jimmy lying bandaged and beaten in front of her. She felt Derek come up behind her, taking one of her hands in his, giving her silent support.
"Get out," came the muffled voice of Jimmy. He was staring at Karen with hatred.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and I was hoping to get Kyle to come with me for some sleep. He's been worried sick since you left the theatre," Karen said quietly.
Jimmy felt his anger boil up. Seeing her standing there, with her hair in a mess, wearing a shirt that he was certain belonged to Derek, acting like she cared tipped him over the edge. He started pulling against his restraints. Kyle put a hand on his arm, trying to get him calm. Jimmy managed to move his head enough to dislodge the oxygen mask to get his next words out clearly.
"You wanted to see if I am okay? Are you kidding me? You led me on, making me think you wanted me, acting all sweet and innocent and light when all the time you were carrying on with that British asshole. Making me think that if I change into a choirboy you will choose me. That then I'll be worthy enough to worship at you precious feet. Why do you think I am in this goddamn place? You put me here!" Jimmy shouted at Karen.
The colour drained from Karen's face as Kyle and Derek watched in horror. Jimmy's words cut like a knife, wounding Karen deeply. Tears poured down her face as she accepted that she was the reason for Jimmy lying here. She turned and would have run out of the room, but Derek blocked her.
"You little ungrateful selfish bastard! You don't get to do that to her! She didn't stick a goddamn needle in your arm or shove powder up your nose. You did that. You don't get to blame her and lay all of your problems at her feet. She has done nothing but support and defend you, and this is how you repay her? It's time to grow up and grow a pair Jimmy bloody Collins! You don't get to blame her for choosing not to be with a pitiful git like you. Yes, you're allowed to be hurt and angry but you don't get to pin your current situation on her. That was your choice," Derek yelled right back. He refused to let another male blame Karen for their poor choices.
Nurses had come at the sound of raised voices, and the policeman by the bed had stepped up. Kyle had moved away from the bed, and was staring at Jimmy like he had grown another head.
When the doctor entered the room, all of Jimmy's visitors were pushed out and told that they weren't allowed back. Derek stormed off, Kyle and Karen following behind, but giving him space to calm down.
When they finally exited the hospital, they were all surprised to see that the sun was up. Derek was sitting on a bench outside when Kyle and Karen approached him.
He looked up at Karen. He could understand where Jimmy was coming from, he was hurting, but that didn't give him the right to say what he did to Karen. She had saved him from a continuing existence of lonely days, empty nights and meaningless interludes. She brought sunshine, laughter and happiness to his life. He knew that that was what had attracted Jimmy to her. Dark souls are always drawn to the sweet souls like moths to a flame.
"You are not responsible for the stupid choices made by Jimmy. He had other options to go with to numb the pain of losing you, despite the fact that he never really had you to start with. Don't take this into you sweetheart, please," Derek said to her.
"I'll try not too, but maybe he had a point. I left Bombshell for his show. I pushed him into giving me his show to give to you. I thought I was being careful, not trying to give either of you too much until I made up my mind…" her voice trailed off.
"He was still having one-night stands with other girls while flirting with you. He doesn't deserve you and he never will. You didn't lead him on. The two of you flirted, and while it could have gone further it never really did. You shouldn't blame yourself over flirting and thinking of maybe going further," Kyle told her.
"I am grateful that you heard the music and gave it to Derek. I told Jimmy to think about me for once, and he did. Once. You two are making my dreams come true. Don't let Jimmy ruin yours," Kyle continued.
Karen hugged Kyle, grateful for his words. She knew that Jimmy had planted a seed of doubt deep down, but she also knew Derek would be able to help her get rid of it.
"You're coming back to our place Kyle. You shouldn't be by yourself with everything that's going on," Karen told him, pulling away and watching Derek hail a cab.
Derek smiled at her calling his apartment 'ours'. He hoped soon enough it really would be, but that was a conversation for a later time. They climbed in, and spent the drive in silence, all of them worn out.
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After a few hours worth of sleep, Karen woke up next to Derek. Muted sunlight came in through his large windows, indicating it was the afternoon. She watched him sleep, marveling at how relaxed and young he looked with his features relaxed in slumber.
She slowly climbed out of bed, careful not to wake him, and headed for the shower. They had fallen into bed as soon as they got back, and she still smelt the hospital on her skin. She had the water as hot as she could tolerate, and was soaking under the large showerhead. She gave a small squeal of fright when Derek entered the shower behind her.
"I need you," he said, before claiming her mouth in a searing kiss. Holding tight to him, they lost themselves in blazing hot passion, both of them needing to feel the other.
When they eventually emerged, they were sparkling clean and happily sated. Kyle was downstairs, making a fresh pot of coffee. He looked up and smiled at their entrance.
"We need to have a chat," Derek said to him. He watched the smile leave Kyle's face, a serious look replacing it. Kyle busied himself finding coffee cups and filling them with the fresh brew.
"It's about the show and our future. I need to tell you before Julia and Scott get here in a while," Derek said further, accepting a cup.
"With Jimmy out, do we even have a show?" Kyle asked quietly. He had come so close, and now because of Jimmy he was going to lose his chance.
Seeing the slightly panicked look on Kyle's face, Karen started talking before Derek could.
"Yes, it's possible. Derek was talking about having a casting call to replace Jimmy as the lead. It may only set us back two or three weeks while the new actor catches up," she accepted a cup of coffee and watched her words sink in.
"As for the music part of the show, Jimmy is done with it. Scott will know more about that aspect of it, but if Jimmy releases the music to us then we can continue to use it, and that means…" Derek's voiced trailed off, and Kyle's finished the sentence.
"We would still be able to perform Hitlist. I don't know if Jimmy will give it up though," Kyle said. He turned the idea over in his head, no Jimmy on the show. He imagined it might run a bit smoother with Jimmy no longer interrupting and being argumentative.
"It's something to think about. Should we order some food?" Karen changed the subject, leaving Kyle some time and space for everything to sink in.
Derek smiled at her, and went along with the change. Kyle had been given the highlights. He pulled some takeout menus from a drawer, handed them to Karen and told her to pick something and get enough for the company that was coming.
She and Kyle sifted through them, while Derek pulled out his laptop and started doing some work quietly on the couch, leaving them to it.
The food had just been unpacked when Scott and Julia knocked on Derek's door. Smelling the Chinese food, conversation waited while they all filled their plates and settled in to eat at the dining table. Derek was getting them drinks, while Karen was organizing napkins and utensils. They settled into eat, and slowly they began to talk.
"How did everyone take the news when you told them?" Derek asked Julia. She finished a mouthful and wiped her mouth.
"Pretty well. They were all shocked and upset. We were at the theatre for a couple of hours, just talking. I told them we would call them in a couple of days, once we knew what was happening with Jimmy and the show. They all understood, but I know they were all disappointed at the idea that the whole show may need to be cancelled," she responded.
"Well speaking of the show, the lawyer said that our best option is getting Jimmy to sign over the rights to Kyle. Anything else would be too messy and time consuming. He drew up some papers to that effect. All we need to do is get Jimmy to sign them and Hitlist belongs to Kyle in everyway," Scott got up, grabbed his briefcase and pulled out the relevant papers, handing them to Kyle.
Kyle looked at the papers in his hand, and then handed them to Derek.
"Can you read them and explain what they mean to me please," he asked.
Derek scanned the papers and found that they were a normal release of work rights with a few added provisos. He ran through the papers with Kyle, while the others finished eating.
"The lawyer I spoke to today said Jimmy is likely to be sent to prison and ordered to undergo rehabilitation while there. We probably won't be seeing or hearing from Jimmy for at least two years," Scott continued.
They finished the meal in quiet conversation, and Scott and Julia left soon after. Kyle helped clean up and then excused himself, hiding in the spare room to figure out how to get Jimmy to sign the papers. Since his mind was drawing a blank, he grabbed his bag and pulled out a notebook. This whole drama had inspired him to put pen to paper and write the new story that was floating through his head.
Derek and Karen closed up the apartment, and headed upstairs. No more talking was done.
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The next morning, Derek and Kyle left the apartment early and went to the hospital. They checked in with a nurse and were cleared by the policeman on duty. Jimmy was being released from the hospital that afternoon and taken into police custody.
When they walked into Jimmy's room, he was sitting up, reading a magazine. He saw them, closed the magazine and glared at the both of them.
"Wasn't expecting visitors or I would have dressed up more," Jimmy smirked at them.
"No need to get up. I don't think we'll be here for long," Derek replied casually, leaning against the door. Kyle moved forward and pulled out the papers, putting them on top of the discarded magazine.
"What's this?" he asked, not bothering to even pick the papers up and read them.
"It's a release. You sign those papers and Hitlist can still go ahead. I can still have my dream since you just tossed yours away," Kyle told him.
"I don't think so. The whole thing is my work, and if it doesn't go on stage, that's fine with me," Jimmy replied, thinking this was a good way to get to Karen and Derek.
Derek however, was well aware of exactly what Jimmy was doing. He played him right back.
"If you think that by not signing those papers, you are going to ruin me or Karen, I can assure you that's not going to happen. I am a multi award-winning director and I am also quite wealthy. Karen is a talented young woman who will reach levels of success that you cannot even fathom. The only one you hurt by not signing those papers is Kyle, the only person who actually gives a shit about you. You may have completely destroyed your own life, but you don't have to take him down with you. Sign the damn papers," Derek loomed over Jimmy. He was tempted to punch him, but that would put him at Jimmy's level and earn him Karen's disappointment.
As Derek stepped away, Kyle stepped up.
"You will sign these papers because you still owe me. You will sign them because it is the right thing to do. You will sign them because they are the only thing left for you to do," Kyle was quietly firm, standing on his own two feet. Derek was proud of him in that moment.
Jimmy looked at Kyle. He saw the truth of Derek's words in Kyle's eyes. For the first time in a very long time, he felt the urge to cry for everything that had gone wrong in his life. He blindly reached for the papers, opening them up to the pages with bright sticky notes attached to them, and signed on the dotted lines.
"Thank you," Kyle said to him as the final signature was signed. Jimmy thrust the papers at Kyle and turned away.
Derek and Kyle walked out of the room, and didn't look back.