Chapter Twenty Five

"Tommy!" Kimberly yelled as she bolted upright and took a look around. Where was she? Where was he? Was he alright? She felt hands grab her arms and she struggled against them- seeing no familiar faces. She had to find him. "Tommy!"

"Let her go," Gayle Oliver said from the doorway and the medical staff released her. She had not seen Kimberly in years. She had not known that Tommy was even on speaking terms with her again. So it had been quite a shock to get a call from a New York City hospital telling her that her son had been admitted there with critical injuries. She had gotten on the plane three days ago and had not looked back.

"Gayle…is he…" Kim started as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She would only be here if he hadn't made it. "Please…"

"He's one room over," Gayle supplied and she heard the sobs rip through Kimberly's body. Before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around the younger woman and let her sob against her. She felt Kimberly cling to her and was shocked by it. What had happened to land both of them in ICU? What had happened to bring them back together?

"The baby…" Kim forced out and Gayle locked eyes with her. She could tell how desperate Kimberly was to know, but she had no words for her. She had not even known that Kimberly was pregnant and by her reaction, she could only assume that the child was Tommy's.

"I don't know," Gayle said and she watched as Kimberly searched the eyes of the medical staff. No one would meet her gaze and with that she let out a gut wrenching cry. It was enough to bring tears to Gayle's eyes as she realized what else was going on here. Not only were they both seriously injured, but they had lost their child.

"I'm sorry, but we weren't…" the doctor began as Kimberly's cries increased and she clung tighter to Gayle. "We can give her a sedative."

"No. That won't be necessary," Gayle said, firmly, and she watched as moment of gratefulness passed through Kimberly's eyes. She needed to process this- right now. "Can she see him?"

"I would not suggest it at this time…" the doctor began as they heard a yell come up from the other room.

"Kimberly!" Tommy yelled out as he snapped awake. He quickly assessed that he was in a hospital and looked around to see there were no other beds in this room. Where was she? Was she alright? The door to his room flew open and his mother appeared in the doorway. "Where is she?"

"Next door," Gayle supplied and she watched as he forced himself to his feet and began disconnecting various ivs. "Tommy…you shouldn't…"

The sobs reached his ears and she watched as he used his IV bag pole like a cane to get him moving towards the other room. Nurses rushed in to the room and tried to put him back in his bed, but he was having none of it. It was like he knew that he needed to be somewhere else. It was like he knew how much she needed him.

"Mr. Oliver- go back to your room," the doctor demanded, but he was soundly ignored. Tommy collapsed into the chair next to her bed and opened his arms to her.

"The baby…" Kim whispered as Gayle watched her fall in to Tommy's arms and his tears soon joined hers. "I did everything I could to…"

"Shh…you saved me," Tommy whispered and the room fell silent. No one knew exactly what had happened to bring them in to the hospital. They just knew that their injuries were critical.

"Why don't you give them some space?" Gina suggested and the doctor looked over at her like she was crazy. "I'll stay, but I think they need a bit."

The room quickly emptied and Gina found herself sitting in a chair, staring at her son and his…girlfriend? Fiancée? Wife? She had no idea what they were to each other at this moment, but she knew that it was much more than the hostile acquaintances that they had been for years.

"But I couldn't…" Kimberly started and Tommy just shook his head. It looked like he was not going to let her feel sorry for the things that she had not been able to do. "Tommy, if I had listened."

"I would be dead and so would you," Tommy shot back and he looked up and spotted her on the other side of the room. The panic that came over him was enough to let her know that he had never intended for them to find out what had been after him. He had said nothing to them- but his absence was more than enough to worry her. "Mom. It's not what it sounds like…"

"I got a call from Jason's parents saying he was murdered. Same thing from Zack's parents a few days later…" Gayle trailed off as she wiped the tears from her face. Tommy hadn't been to see them in months and the first indication that he was alive was him landing in a hospital. She had tried not to worry, but she knew. She knew that something was after her son as well. "I don't need to know how you survived what came after you. I worried enough knowing that you would be the next one."

She watched as Tommy's face fell and the sobs started from him as well. So he had known and something had been after him as well. And he had stayed away to keep them safe. She crossed the room and gathered both of them in her arms. Tommy buried his face in her stomach and Kimberly buried her face in Tommy's neck. She had never wished to be wrong so much in her entire life. She had hoped that she was wrong.

"Is it gone?" Gayle forced out and she felt Tommy barely nod. She clasped her hand over her lips to keep the sob from escaping her. They had done it again. They had managed to stay alive despite all of the odds. She knew that he would tell her the truth someday, but she also knew that today was not that day.

"Mom…we…I…" Tommy tried to explain and she pulled away from him long enough for him to catch a glimpse of her shaking her head.

"Get it all out. You owe no one this story," Gayle stated and she watched another wave of grief hit the two of them. Her arms tightened around them and she hoped. She hoped that she could be the parent that was needed to help them get through all of what might be coming. She hoped that whatever they had done- had ended this part of their lives- permanently.