Tommy and Jessica came running into the hospital and saw Jason standing outside one of the rooms. Jessica ran up to him and gave him a hug.
"Where is Kim?" Tommy asked.
Jason couldn't speak; his heart was in his throat with worry for his best friend and baby sister. So he just pointed to the room that he was standing outside of.
"Did she pass out again?" Tommy asked.
Jason thought about what had happened.
Flashback
Kimberly standing in front of her second grade class teaching spelling to her students, she was writing a word on the board, when all of a sudden she dropped the marker she was writing with. Kimberly grabbed the end of her desk to stabilize her, so she doesn't pass out
"Ms. Hart, are you okay?" A little girl asked picking up the marker.
"Yes, Patricia. I'm fine." Kim said trying to smile.
Kimberly assistant August; came up to Kim and helped her sit down.
"Kimberly, anything I can do to help?" She asked.
"August, page Jason. Then take the kids to the playground, they are scared." Kimberly said.
August went over to the PA, "Jason Scott to 2A" She said.
August turned to face the students who were all staring at her and Kimberly with terror in their eyes for how sick their teacher is.
"Come kids, lets go outside and play." August said to the second-graders.
After the kids left, Jason came running into the classroom.
"Kimberly, what happened?" Jason asked.
"I don't know." She replied.
"Come, lets get you to the hospital." He ordered.
Jason helped Kimberly to stand up and walk out to his car.
Flashback ends.
"Kim told me what happened in the classroom on the way here." Jason said as he explained the whole incident to Tommy and Jessica.
"So have they said what happened yet?" Jessica asked.
"No, they have been examining her since we arrived." Jason said.
Jason, Tommy and Jessica sat down in the waiting room and waited on word about Kimberly's condition. After a half-hour, Tenisha came out of Kim's room. Tommy went rushing up to his mother.
"Mom, how's Kim?" He asked.
"The anemia is under control." She replied.
"I don't get it, it came back to quick. Kimberly usually goes weeks sometimes even months between anemic attacks." Jason said.
"We have her on some iron vitamins; as soon as she stabilizes she can go home." Tenisha said
"She'll be okay then." Tommy said relived.
"We will keep her on iron supplements and an iron fortified diet." Tenisha said.
Tommy looked at his mother; she is not telling him something, something important about Kimberly.
"Mom what is really going on?" He asked.
"Before, when Kimberly was anemic, she was giving medication to make her body produce the iron she needs. Now, unfortunately she can no longer produce iron on her own." Tenisha tried to explain.
"So what are you saying, Kimberly is permanently anemic." Jason asked.
"In a way yes, the vitamins and the diet will act as an iron supplement to her body. She should be fine, but we all will have to watch her very carefully. In case it turns out not to be enough and the anemia gets stronger." Tenisha informed them.
Jason got really quiet. The idea of his little sister being permanently anemic is killing him. He has always been the one to take care of her. He was her protective older brother. Jason sat down on the chair putting his head in his hands and let the tears fall from his eyes.
"Jase, bro. Kim will be fine, she has all of us to look after her." Tommy said.
"I remember the first time she got sick. We were 5. Kimberly hated taking naps; she always thought that they were a waste of time. One day, she was so tired she couldn't even get out of bed. Mom and Carri took her to the doctor the next day while I was at school. After school Carri dropped mom and me at our house and took Kimberly home. Mom told me about Kimberly. Kim missed the next couple days of school, while she gained enough energy to attend. It was only Kindergarten, but I hated being there without Kim." Jason told them.
"Oh Honey," Jessica said.
"Every now and then, Kim would get sick again. She couldn't make it through the day of school and would end up sleeping in the nurses' office. As she got older she got better about controlling it. So our other friends didn't know that she was still becoming anemic. They thought she outgrew it, and we just let them." Jason continued.
Tenisha came out of her room; she heard what Jason was telling the others about Kimberly. She shook her head. Poor Kimberly, she thought.
"Guys Kim is ready to go home. I will stop of at the store and pick up the food for her iron diet." Tenisha said as Kimberly appeared in the doorway.
Tommy and Jason rushed up to her and wrapped her in a hug.
"Tommy, are you sure you still want to marry me, knowing that I will always be sick." Kim asked.
"Beautiful, what kind of question is that, of course I still want to marry you. The sooner the better, if you are ready, I would marry you this weekend."
"This weekend? As in 5 days? That's a little soon; we could never get it together in time." Kim said sadly.
"You can with our help." Jessica said.
"Yeah, we will get our friends to help. We can do it, if you want to." Jason said.
"Are we really doing this, getting married Saturday." Kim said smiling.
"I call everyone up and we will start planning." Jason told Kim giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Tommy, take her home. Make sure she rests as well and I will see you later." Tenisha said smiling at the idea that they are finally getting married.