A/N: UGH. I did NOT mean to take so long to update. Curse my well of inspiration...it dried up for a bit, but the rains of creativity soon swept in and helped me finish this chapter. All ridiculous metaphors aside, I apologize if parts of this chapter are confusing...the next one should answer all questions. Another thank you to all my lovely reviewers! Seriously, even a one word review makes my day. LIKE A STEAK MAKES A STARVING MAN'S DAY.

Ooookay. Shutting up. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own these characters not. Depressed it makes me.

Cindy stared hard at her shoes, bringing the tips of her toes together with a quiet bang as they collided, then separated them and continued the process a few more times. She sighed, wiping her sweaty palms against her pretty dress...she had been sitting on them for too long. A quick glance at the clock told her how much time had passed, and she mentally cursed herself for looking. The words three hours danced around in her brain and she shut her eyes. This was brutal, and she wasn't the only one feeling it. Mrs. Neutron couldn't even sit in one place, and she was currently up and about, pacing the endless halls of the hospital. Mr. Neutron was sitting three seats down from her, flipping aimlessly through a magazine. It struck her then that no one really knew what to do here...what was the proper reaction? She didn't know. The best she could do was sit here, staring off into space, contemplating everything that was on her mind. She still felt that misplaced sense of calm from earlier, fleeting as it was, and she did her best to hang onto it. Right now, it was all she had.

Drummed her fingers against the arms of the chair. Stood up, sat down, stood up again, sat back down. Glance at the clock, pinch herself for doing so, shut her eyes. This was terrible. She had been so worried about this...her oral presentation at the conference center had actually gone off without a hitch, she had been so focused on the bigger issue at hand, which was far more important. She sighed softly and leaned her head against the back of her chair. For some reason, her brain decided to remember at that point everything she was supposed to have done this summer...the plans she had made with Libby to go to Retroland every day for a month, or however long it took to go on every ride twice...the karate tournament she had meant to sign up for...the trip she was supposed to go on with her aunt to Maryland, the babysitting gig she was supposed to have with the Parker twins down the street, the sundae-eating contest at the Candy Bar she had wanted to do...

All those things that seemed painfully insignificant and petty now.

Even if she hadn't wanted it to, this had taken over her life. Jimmy getting better. That was it. And in the month and a half since they had strayed so far from their oh-so-regular routine, Cindy finally felt like she understood who she was now. It felt good.

"Hey sweetie, how are you doing?" Her eyes popped open to the sight of Judy sitting next to her, handing her a can of Purple Flurp. She took it with a smile, suddenly realizing she hadn't eaten or drank anything for hours. Mrs. Neutron was intuitive like that. Must be a mom thing.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Mrs. Neutron." She popped the can open and took a long sip, swishing the sugary goodness around in her mouth, just like Jimmy had the night before. Judy watched, marveling at the strange similarity. "Are you doing okay?"

"Yes," Mrs. Neutron responded with a tiny smile. "Just a little anxious. But we haven't heard anything, and no news is good news, right?"

"Right," Cindy said with a nod. At least, I hope so.

"And you simply must tell me what this getup is about," Judy suddenly gushed, eyeing Cindy up and down. "You look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart. I thought I might have heard something about a contest?"

"Oh...y-yes," Cindy stammered. "It was an essay contest I entered a few weeks ago. Apparently we had to present it orally for them to pick the winner, which I didn't know until yesterday. But it went really well."

"That's wonderful," Judy murmured, crossing her fingers together in her lap. She let out a small puff of breath, and it was then Cindy realized she was far more nervous than she was letting on. "So did you win? Or do you not find that out til later?"

"Oh..." Cindy trailed off, staring straight ahead. "No, I didn't win."

"Oh," Judy responded in a similar tone. "Well, I'm sorry honey."

"It's okay," she said with a shrug. "There are more important things in life."

"Agreed," Judy nodded and an awkward silence settled between them. Judy cast a glance over at her husband, who was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued for once. "I think I'm going to take another stroll around with Mr. Neutron," she said slowly, as if it were the wrong thing to say. "He's supposed to be up and about anyway. Did you want to join us?" It was a weird question, and they both realized it at the same time, but neither acknowledged it.

"No, that's okay," Cindy said, clacking her shoes together again. "I'll just hang around here."

"Okay. Alright then," she said and stood. She paused then and leaned down, her eyes wide and serious. "Cindy, I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate you being here. And everything you've done for Jimmy. It means the world to him. And to me too."

"Of course," Cindy whispered. "I'm happy to be here. For all you guys." Judy's eyes watered, and before she knew what was happening, Jimmy's mother had scooped her up into a hug. The act was oddly comforting - Cindy's mother hadn't hugged her since she was a small child, and she had thought she wouldn't like them anyway. But she found herself hugging this terrified woman back, in a sincere attempt to comfort her, as if she was the child instead. Judy sniffed hard and released her, casting one last smile in her direction, before turning swiftly and coaxing Hugh to stand. It was at that moment Cindy knew the decision she had made was the right one, even if a little lying was involved.

Everything seemed eerily quiet once more, and she glanced at the clock again, but for a different reason this time. If she had purposely manipulated the situation, it actually couldn't have worked out better. She just hoped that Jimmy's parents didn't come back too soon. She watched in eager anticipation as the minute hand came closer and closer to the twelve, and once the clock read noon, she jumped out of her chair and made her cautious way to her destination. Upon arriving at the front desk, she glanced around eagerly for the person she was waiting to see, but didn't spot her. She checked quickly to see if the Neutrons were around, then walked towards the exit like she owned the place. She had barely set food on the pavement outside when a familiar face was spotted and a deep, slightly snobbish voice heard.

"Goodness Cynthia, I do apologize for my tardiness. I was stuck behind the most obnoxious driver, and would you look at this...I am two minutes late. Ridiculous."

"It's okay, mom," Cindy quickly responded and ushered her inside. "I just need to get this done as quickly as possible."

"Cynthia," her mother said slowly, casting an intense eye on her. "Are you one hundred percent positive you want to do this?"

"Yes," she responded immediately. "There is not a doubt in my mind." As if to prove her point, she reached into her mother's purse and pulled out an envelope with gold lettering on the flap. She stared at it for just a second, then back up at her mother.

"Well," Sasha Vortex huffed, and for the briefest moment, Cindy saw a glimmer of pride in her eyes. "I suppose we should get this done, then." Cindy nodded quickly in response, and the two of them made their way to the proper destination.

Not long after, time found the same group from earlier huddled in the waiting room, halfheartedly playing a game of Go Fish. Cindy seemed oddly distracted, Hugh continued his silent demeanor, and Judy was trying to think of a way to keep the tension at bay. Thus far, nothing was working. Jimmy had been gone for just over five hours now, and the hands on the clock seemed to be moving backwards. It was driving her nuts. Yet she knew she had to stay calm, for everyone's sake. Letting out a small sigh, she sent a silent prayer to heaven, begging for Jimmy's safety. At this point, she knew nothing else she could do.

Hugh sat watching his wife listlessly hand a card over to Cindy, a dull expression in her usually-vibrant eyes. He had felt a deepening burden in his heart since the day this all began, and he could not deny his own involvement. He would often have flashbacks to those horrible moments right before his only child was ejected from the car. It sent cold chills down his spine, and plagued his dreams. Regret was not a word powerful enough to describe what he was feeling; this burden went far beyond the clutches of physical stress...it crushed his soul. Yet he knew that he had to remain collected and not unleash the guilt that cut him so.

Cindy was the only one who felt that strange peace remain in her heart. Her thoughts wandered as she absentmindedly played another card, hardly even noticing the clock anymore. A phone rang somewhere off in the distance. Feet pattered against the dirty tiled floor. With the exception of her breathing, it was the only thing she could hear.

Until a door slammed and the swishing of scrubs echoed quietly in the halls, while a timid voice called out, "Mrs. Neutron?" At the sound of her name, Judy bolted from her seat and practically ran to the kindly nurse, who clasped her hands professionally in front of her.

"How is he?" Judy asked in a worried whisper, but the nurse's face remained unreadable.

"We're bringing him out of the anesthesia now," she said calmly. "Everything went well. You should be able to see him shortly." Judy pressed a shaking hand to her mouth, tears filling her eyes. She managed to mouth a breathy "Thank you," before bursting into tears completely. Cindy was by her side in a moment and gently took her hand. Hugh followed closed behind, and the three stared at each other for a moment, before he scooped them both up in a tremendous hug. Cindy could feel her own tears suddenly gushing down her face, but they were welcome this time around. No more tears of pain, or worry, or fear. At that moment, each one of them was feeling the exact same thing: relief. And it felt so good to finally let go of this nightmare. With the given information, Cindy finally felt like they could all start over now. Maybe it was premature, or even silly of her, but Jimmy finally being on the road to recovery was such a blessing, such a gift, that it took everything within her to not go rushing down the hallway to try and find him.

"It's over," Judy whimpered.

And this time, Cindy was certain it was.

Review, if you want to see Jimmy LIVE. (Okay, just kidding, but a review would make me smile)