Okay, so apparently there was a bit of confusion over who Kathy is.....Kathy!
THE Kathy. You know, TOW Joey's New Girlfriend, TOW Chandler Crosses the Line,
TOW Chandler In a Box....Kathy! I have to say, and don't hate me, I loved Kathy.
I thought she was really cool. I am a huge C/M fan, but Kathy rocked.
Okay, here is the next part:
Shadows In a Mirror
Chapter Two
~1998~
Kathy walked into her and Chandler's apartment, struggling to keep a hold of her multiple
shopping bags.
"Hey baby," Chandler said, as he exited the bedroom. His eyes widened when he saw her.
"What are you doing with all those bags? Let me help you!"
Chandler rushed over and took the bags.
"Chandler, I'm pregnant, not helpless," Kathy laughed. "Hey! Keep your nose outta those bags!"
"Why, what's in 'em?" Chandler inquired, trying to peek through the top of an Ambercrombie and
Fitch bag.
"Christmas presents....get outta there!" Kathy yelled, ripping the bags from Chandler's hands.
"Okay okay....hi, by the way," Chandler said, kissing his wife softly. "And hello to you, too
Max," he said, patting Kathy's swollen belly.
"So, we're going with Max then, huh?" Kathy laughed.
"Is that okay? I mean, we both liked it, and..."
Suddenly, Kathy flinched. "Chandler, feel this!" She took his hand and placed it on her stomach.
"Wow! He's kicking!"
"I think he liked the name," Kathy said, smiling.
Chandler grinned broadly. That was his son in there, kicking away.
"Maybe he'll be a soccer player," he said, "Or, if he's anything like his grandfather,
a Rockette."
Kathy laughed. "Maybe we shouldn't middle-name him Charles," she joked.
*
"Ross, honey, where did you put the wine?" Rachel was running around frantically, trying to
make sure everything was perfect.
"Rach, it's on the *wine rack*," Ross called out from the bedroom.
"Oh!" She turned, pulled the wine from the rack and headed into the living room.
Ross came in seconds later.
"Sweetie, calm down, why are you so nervous all of the sudden?"
"We are about to tell everyone that we are engaged! Aren't you a little nervous over how
they are going to react?"
"Well," Ross said, wrapping his arms around his fiance, "I happen to know that they will be
more than thrilled."
"Hmm, and what makes you say that?"
"Why wouldn't they be? They were happy when we started dating...again." Ross smiled.
"Yeah. Oh! Can you call Mon and have her bring over a few extra wine glasses?" Rachel
reluctently unravelled herself from Ross' embrace and headed toward the kitchen.
"Sure," Ross picked up the phone, "Anything else?"
"A corkscrew! You don't have a corkscrew?" Rachel called out from the kitchen.
"I did until someone confiscated it when she broke Monica's!"
"You *knew* about that? Uh, don't tell Monica!"
Ross laughed, and dialled his sister's number.
*
"So, what are we going to name the baby if it's a girl?" Kathy looked at Chandler, who was
tapping the steering wheel of their Jetta, impatiently waiting for the light to turn green.
"What are you talking about? The ultrasonar-thing said it was a boy!"
"UltraSOUND," Kathy laughed, "And those things are not 100% accurate you know."
"Geez, you *really* want a girl, don't you?" Chandler grinned, and leaned over towards Kathy.
"Hey you never know," Kathy smiled, as Chandler kissed her. "The light's green."
Chandler pulled himself back in front of the wheel and hit the gas.
*
"Well, I've tried their apartment, and I tried Chandler's cell. No answer," Ross sat back down
next to Rachel.
"That's strange, it's not like Chandler and Kathy to be late," Monica observed.
"Well, dinner's getting cold," Rachel said, "Let's go ahead and start."
"That's what I'm talkin' about baby!" Joey exclaimed, jumping up and heading to the table.
The other four stood and started to follow Joey. Rachel pulled Ross to the side.
"What if they don't come? Should we still tell everyone?"
"Yeah, but let's give them some time. Maybe we should make the announcement after dinner,
instead of during dinner."
"Sounds good," Rachel said as they approached the table. "Joey! Save some for everyone else,
huh?" The group laughed and shook their head, as Joey continued eating everything in sight.
*
~2001~
Rachel took Monica's hands in hers, and looked at her sadly. Monica's eyes were red and swollen
from hours of crying.
"Sweetie, maybe you should eat something," Rachel suggested, though she already knew Monica's
answer.
Monica shook her head. "I doubt I could keep anything down," she whispered.
Rachel sighed. She turned and looked at Ross, Pheobe and Joey. They were all just sitting
there, in their own worlds, unaware of Rachel and Monica's conversation.
"He'll be okay," Rachel said.
"You don't know that," Monica replied stiffly.
"Mon, You have got to keep faith....hope alive." Rachel was trying to convince herself as much
as anyone. Monica wasn't with them earlier tonight. She hadn't seen what Rachel had seen...
"I shouldn't have left. I should have been there," Monica cried.
"This wasn't your fault honey."
But Monica didn't seem to hear Rachel. She was sobbing loudly, and had sunk back down into
the chair. Rachel sighed heavily, not sure what to do next. She had to get out of the room.
She stood up and walked out of the waiting room, and headed for the front desk.
"Can I help you?" a kindly older woman asked softly.
"I wanted to see if you had any information on Chandler Bing. He was brought into Emergency
earier?"
The woman began tapping on the keyboard.
"I'm sorry sweetie, I don't have anything just yet. I'll let you know."
Rachel thanked the woman and walked over to the soda machine in the corner. She fished some
change out of her jacket pocket and plunked them into the machine. She picked up the Diet Coke,
and wiped the condensation onto her pants. She was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming
feeling that she had done this before. Then, it hit her. She *had* been here before, awaiting
word on Chandler's condition. It was three years ago.
~1998~
Rachel came out of the kitchen, holding two glasses of wine.
"I think that went well," she said, handing a glass to Ross.
"I told you everyone would be thrilled. I didn't think Pheobe could scream that loud."
"Me either," Rachel laughed.
Ross turned to the window and sighed. "I wonder why Chandler and Kathy never showed up."
"Maybe they forgot," Rachel suggested.
"I talked to Chandler about it this afternoon. He asked what kind of wine to bring."
Rachel shrugged. "Do you think Kathy went into labour?"
"Well, I suppose it's possible...but she's not due for another month."
Rachel wrapped her arms around Ross' neck. "I'm sure they will call us tomorrow."
"Yeah," Ross said, "I just hope everything is okay."
*
Monica sat flipping through the channels, not sure what she was really looking for.
She sighed heavily. Ever since she broke up with Richard, she spent most nights alone
in the apartment. It was strange not having Rachel here. She'd been gone for months,
but Monica didn't feel the full effects of the move until the recent breakup.
She decided to give up on tv, and flipped it off. She stood up, stretching slowly.
Maybe she needed to new roommate. She laughed off the idea, thinking about all of the
training it would require. It took Rachel years to learn the concept of the "phone pen".
She yawned and headed for bed. As she passed her window, she saw Ross and Rachel, dancing
in the centre of their living room. Monica smiled. She was so happy for her brother and
best friend. Her smile faded, however, when she thought about how far away *she* was from the
alter. She shook her head and went to bed.
The phone woke Monica a few hours later.
"Hello?" Monica whispered hoarsly, still not fully awake.
"I am looking for Ms. Monica Geller."
"This is Monica."
"This is County General Hospital. I'm afraid we have some bad news."
*
Chandler was aware of the voices above him, but he found himself surrounded by darkness.
His head was throbbing. Where was he? He remembered talking to Kathy about Max...and then
POOF! Nothing. Chandler tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. He struggled to
open his eyes, but couldn't. The voices faded. Suddenly, he saw a face, directly in front
of him. It took him a minute to realize that he was looking at himself. But the person he
was looking at seemed different. His eyes were empty and dark, and he had several days worth
of stubble. There were creases on his face, making him look much older. If Chandler didn't
know any better, he'd say he was looking at some kind of evil twin. Then, just like that,
the face was gone, and Chandler was once again surrounded by darkness.
*
Pheobe came into the waiting room to find that Monica, Ross, Rachel and Joey had already
arrived. It was strange, she'd just seen everyone hours earlier, but suddenly they all
looked totally different. A dark cloud hovered over the room, making Pheobe shiver.
"What happened?" Pheobe asked softly.
"We don't know anything yet," Ross said, "but the ER nurse said it was bad."
Pheobe sat down next to Joey, who looked like he'd been punched in the stomach.
"Maybe it's not as bad as they said," Pheobe muttered, more to herself than to Joey.
But the overwhelming feeling of darkness surrounded her, and Pheobe knew that this was
bad. Very bad.
A doctor came into the waiting room 20 minutes later.
"You are all here for the Bings?" he asked.
The group stood, and nodded in unison.
"I'm going to be as honest as I can," the doctor said softly, "This is not good news."
Pheobe felt her heart jump into her throat. Joey sat back down, and Rachel grabbed
Ross' hand. Monica stood stoically, afraid to move at all.
The doctor continued, "They were broadsided by a drunk driver. He was going pretty fast."
The doctor's voice suddenly changed, as if he was about to tell a secret.
"Mrs. Bing died on the way to the hospital. We did everything we could to save her and the
baby, but...." He drifted off, allowing the news to sink in.
"Mr. Bing's condition is currently stable, but it is, nonetheless, very serious.
He is in a coma."
The five friends sat there, dumbfounded by the news. In an instant their entire world had
been turned upside-down. Kathy, someone they all loved, if for nothing else than because
Chandler loved her, was gone. Poor Max was taken before he even had a chance to meet
his parents. And Chandler's life hung in the balance. It was all too surreal.
*
Once again, Chandler was aware of the voices, but this time, they sounded different.
He recognized them. He could make out two distinct voices; Rachel, and Monica.
Chandler struggled to open his eyes, but again to no avail. The voices were becoming clearer.
At first they had sounded muffled, as if they were talking with their hands over their mouths.
But now he could make out words. His eyes fluttered open, and that's when it hit him-he was in
a lot of pain.
*
~5 minutes earlier~
Monica sat silently for several minutes, trying to take in the reality of what had happened.
She couldn't believe that Kathy was gone. Over the past few years, Monica and Kathy had
grown quite close. Monica was thrilled when Kathy asked her to be a bridesmaid at her wedding.
Monica sighed and looked over at Chandler, who was still in a coma. He was going to be devastated.
She felt horrible for him, losing his wife and son in an instant. She took his hand, and tried
to hold back her tears.
"I am so sorry Chandler," she whispered.
"Do you think he can hear you?" Rachel wondered, as she walked into the room.
"I don't know," Monica replied, "I hope so."
"He kinda looks like he's sleeping," Rachel observed.
"Yeah," Monica stood up to stretch.
"Mon! He moved! I swear, his fingers moved!"
"He does that sometimes," Monica replied flatly, "it's a muscle spasm."
Suddenly, Chandler's eyes opened, and he groaned loudly.
"Chandler? Sweetie? Rachel, get the doctor!!"
*
~2001~
Joey looked down at his hands. They were still stained red. He turned them back and forth
in front of him. He looked down, and for the first time noticed that the front of his shirt
was stained with blood as well.
"I'm gonna go get cleaned up," he said to the group, as he carefully pulled a sleeping Pheobe
off of his lap. Ross nodded in acknowledgement, as Joey walked out of the room.
Truthfully, Joey was a little relieved to get out of the hospital. He took a deep breath
and headed for his apartment. He got to the apartment building, and hesitated slightly.
He walked in, and shuffled up the steps. He concentrated only on getting into his apartment,
purposely avoiding the apartment across the hall.
He rushed into his apartment, and headed for the bathroom. He turned on the shower, and set
the temperature as hot as he could stand it. He took off his soiled clothes and threw them away.
Once in the shower, he tried desperatly to scrub away the events of the past evening.
He scrubbed until his skin was raw, but it didn't erase the images that were burned into his
brain. He quickly dressed and opened the door. Facing Apartment 20, his eyes could no longer
avoid what he had been trying to in his mind all night.
The door to Monica and Chandler's apartment, was still wide open, and evidence of that night's
chaos lay on the floor. Joey began to tremble again. He grabbed the door knob and pulled the
door shut, then ran down the stairs and out into the winter night.
THE Kathy. You know, TOW Joey's New Girlfriend, TOW Chandler Crosses the Line,
TOW Chandler In a Box....Kathy! I have to say, and don't hate me, I loved Kathy.
I thought she was really cool. I am a huge C/M fan, but Kathy rocked.
Okay, here is the next part:
Shadows In a Mirror
Chapter Two
~1998~
Kathy walked into her and Chandler's apartment, struggling to keep a hold of her multiple
shopping bags.
"Hey baby," Chandler said, as he exited the bedroom. His eyes widened when he saw her.
"What are you doing with all those bags? Let me help you!"
Chandler rushed over and took the bags.
"Chandler, I'm pregnant, not helpless," Kathy laughed. "Hey! Keep your nose outta those bags!"
"Why, what's in 'em?" Chandler inquired, trying to peek through the top of an Ambercrombie and
Fitch bag.
"Christmas presents....get outta there!" Kathy yelled, ripping the bags from Chandler's hands.
"Okay okay....hi, by the way," Chandler said, kissing his wife softly. "And hello to you, too
Max," he said, patting Kathy's swollen belly.
"So, we're going with Max then, huh?" Kathy laughed.
"Is that okay? I mean, we both liked it, and..."
Suddenly, Kathy flinched. "Chandler, feel this!" She took his hand and placed it on her stomach.
"Wow! He's kicking!"
"I think he liked the name," Kathy said, smiling.
Chandler grinned broadly. That was his son in there, kicking away.
"Maybe he'll be a soccer player," he said, "Or, if he's anything like his grandfather,
a Rockette."
Kathy laughed. "Maybe we shouldn't middle-name him Charles," she joked.
*
"Ross, honey, where did you put the wine?" Rachel was running around frantically, trying to
make sure everything was perfect.
"Rach, it's on the *wine rack*," Ross called out from the bedroom.
"Oh!" She turned, pulled the wine from the rack and headed into the living room.
Ross came in seconds later.
"Sweetie, calm down, why are you so nervous all of the sudden?"
"We are about to tell everyone that we are engaged! Aren't you a little nervous over how
they are going to react?"
"Well," Ross said, wrapping his arms around his fiance, "I happen to know that they will be
more than thrilled."
"Hmm, and what makes you say that?"
"Why wouldn't they be? They were happy when we started dating...again." Ross smiled.
"Yeah. Oh! Can you call Mon and have her bring over a few extra wine glasses?" Rachel
reluctently unravelled herself from Ross' embrace and headed toward the kitchen.
"Sure," Ross picked up the phone, "Anything else?"
"A corkscrew! You don't have a corkscrew?" Rachel called out from the kitchen.
"I did until someone confiscated it when she broke Monica's!"
"You *knew* about that? Uh, don't tell Monica!"
Ross laughed, and dialled his sister's number.
*
"So, what are we going to name the baby if it's a girl?" Kathy looked at Chandler, who was
tapping the steering wheel of their Jetta, impatiently waiting for the light to turn green.
"What are you talking about? The ultrasonar-thing said it was a boy!"
"UltraSOUND," Kathy laughed, "And those things are not 100% accurate you know."
"Geez, you *really* want a girl, don't you?" Chandler grinned, and leaned over towards Kathy.
"Hey you never know," Kathy smiled, as Chandler kissed her. "The light's green."
Chandler pulled himself back in front of the wheel and hit the gas.
*
"Well, I've tried their apartment, and I tried Chandler's cell. No answer," Ross sat back down
next to Rachel.
"That's strange, it's not like Chandler and Kathy to be late," Monica observed.
"Well, dinner's getting cold," Rachel said, "Let's go ahead and start."
"That's what I'm talkin' about baby!" Joey exclaimed, jumping up and heading to the table.
The other four stood and started to follow Joey. Rachel pulled Ross to the side.
"What if they don't come? Should we still tell everyone?"
"Yeah, but let's give them some time. Maybe we should make the announcement after dinner,
instead of during dinner."
"Sounds good," Rachel said as they approached the table. "Joey! Save some for everyone else,
huh?" The group laughed and shook their head, as Joey continued eating everything in sight.
*
~2001~
Rachel took Monica's hands in hers, and looked at her sadly. Monica's eyes were red and swollen
from hours of crying.
"Sweetie, maybe you should eat something," Rachel suggested, though she already knew Monica's
answer.
Monica shook her head. "I doubt I could keep anything down," she whispered.
Rachel sighed. She turned and looked at Ross, Pheobe and Joey. They were all just sitting
there, in their own worlds, unaware of Rachel and Monica's conversation.
"He'll be okay," Rachel said.
"You don't know that," Monica replied stiffly.
"Mon, You have got to keep faith....hope alive." Rachel was trying to convince herself as much
as anyone. Monica wasn't with them earlier tonight. She hadn't seen what Rachel had seen...
"I shouldn't have left. I should have been there," Monica cried.
"This wasn't your fault honey."
But Monica didn't seem to hear Rachel. She was sobbing loudly, and had sunk back down into
the chair. Rachel sighed heavily, not sure what to do next. She had to get out of the room.
She stood up and walked out of the waiting room, and headed for the front desk.
"Can I help you?" a kindly older woman asked softly.
"I wanted to see if you had any information on Chandler Bing. He was brought into Emergency
earier?"
The woman began tapping on the keyboard.
"I'm sorry sweetie, I don't have anything just yet. I'll let you know."
Rachel thanked the woman and walked over to the soda machine in the corner. She fished some
change out of her jacket pocket and plunked them into the machine. She picked up the Diet Coke,
and wiped the condensation onto her pants. She was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming
feeling that she had done this before. Then, it hit her. She *had* been here before, awaiting
word on Chandler's condition. It was three years ago.
~1998~
Rachel came out of the kitchen, holding two glasses of wine.
"I think that went well," she said, handing a glass to Ross.
"I told you everyone would be thrilled. I didn't think Pheobe could scream that loud."
"Me either," Rachel laughed.
Ross turned to the window and sighed. "I wonder why Chandler and Kathy never showed up."
"Maybe they forgot," Rachel suggested.
"I talked to Chandler about it this afternoon. He asked what kind of wine to bring."
Rachel shrugged. "Do you think Kathy went into labour?"
"Well, I suppose it's possible...but she's not due for another month."
Rachel wrapped her arms around Ross' neck. "I'm sure they will call us tomorrow."
"Yeah," Ross said, "I just hope everything is okay."
*
Monica sat flipping through the channels, not sure what she was really looking for.
She sighed heavily. Ever since she broke up with Richard, she spent most nights alone
in the apartment. It was strange not having Rachel here. She'd been gone for months,
but Monica didn't feel the full effects of the move until the recent breakup.
She decided to give up on tv, and flipped it off. She stood up, stretching slowly.
Maybe she needed to new roommate. She laughed off the idea, thinking about all of the
training it would require. It took Rachel years to learn the concept of the "phone pen".
She yawned and headed for bed. As she passed her window, she saw Ross and Rachel, dancing
in the centre of their living room. Monica smiled. She was so happy for her brother and
best friend. Her smile faded, however, when she thought about how far away *she* was from the
alter. She shook her head and went to bed.
The phone woke Monica a few hours later.
"Hello?" Monica whispered hoarsly, still not fully awake.
"I am looking for Ms. Monica Geller."
"This is Monica."
"This is County General Hospital. I'm afraid we have some bad news."
*
Chandler was aware of the voices above him, but he found himself surrounded by darkness.
His head was throbbing. Where was he? He remembered talking to Kathy about Max...and then
POOF! Nothing. Chandler tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. He struggled to
open his eyes, but couldn't. The voices faded. Suddenly, he saw a face, directly in front
of him. It took him a minute to realize that he was looking at himself. But the person he
was looking at seemed different. His eyes were empty and dark, and he had several days worth
of stubble. There were creases on his face, making him look much older. If Chandler didn't
know any better, he'd say he was looking at some kind of evil twin. Then, just like that,
the face was gone, and Chandler was once again surrounded by darkness.
*
Pheobe came into the waiting room to find that Monica, Ross, Rachel and Joey had already
arrived. It was strange, she'd just seen everyone hours earlier, but suddenly they all
looked totally different. A dark cloud hovered over the room, making Pheobe shiver.
"What happened?" Pheobe asked softly.
"We don't know anything yet," Ross said, "but the ER nurse said it was bad."
Pheobe sat down next to Joey, who looked like he'd been punched in the stomach.
"Maybe it's not as bad as they said," Pheobe muttered, more to herself than to Joey.
But the overwhelming feeling of darkness surrounded her, and Pheobe knew that this was
bad. Very bad.
A doctor came into the waiting room 20 minutes later.
"You are all here for the Bings?" he asked.
The group stood, and nodded in unison.
"I'm going to be as honest as I can," the doctor said softly, "This is not good news."
Pheobe felt her heart jump into her throat. Joey sat back down, and Rachel grabbed
Ross' hand. Monica stood stoically, afraid to move at all.
The doctor continued, "They were broadsided by a drunk driver. He was going pretty fast."
The doctor's voice suddenly changed, as if he was about to tell a secret.
"Mrs. Bing died on the way to the hospital. We did everything we could to save her and the
baby, but...." He drifted off, allowing the news to sink in.
"Mr. Bing's condition is currently stable, but it is, nonetheless, very serious.
He is in a coma."
The five friends sat there, dumbfounded by the news. In an instant their entire world had
been turned upside-down. Kathy, someone they all loved, if for nothing else than because
Chandler loved her, was gone. Poor Max was taken before he even had a chance to meet
his parents. And Chandler's life hung in the balance. It was all too surreal.
*
Once again, Chandler was aware of the voices, but this time, they sounded different.
He recognized them. He could make out two distinct voices; Rachel, and Monica.
Chandler struggled to open his eyes, but again to no avail. The voices were becoming clearer.
At first they had sounded muffled, as if they were talking with their hands over their mouths.
But now he could make out words. His eyes fluttered open, and that's when it hit him-he was in
a lot of pain.
*
~5 minutes earlier~
Monica sat silently for several minutes, trying to take in the reality of what had happened.
She couldn't believe that Kathy was gone. Over the past few years, Monica and Kathy had
grown quite close. Monica was thrilled when Kathy asked her to be a bridesmaid at her wedding.
Monica sighed and looked over at Chandler, who was still in a coma. He was going to be devastated.
She felt horrible for him, losing his wife and son in an instant. She took his hand, and tried
to hold back her tears.
"I am so sorry Chandler," she whispered.
"Do you think he can hear you?" Rachel wondered, as she walked into the room.
"I don't know," Monica replied, "I hope so."
"He kinda looks like he's sleeping," Rachel observed.
"Yeah," Monica stood up to stretch.
"Mon! He moved! I swear, his fingers moved!"
"He does that sometimes," Monica replied flatly, "it's a muscle spasm."
Suddenly, Chandler's eyes opened, and he groaned loudly.
"Chandler? Sweetie? Rachel, get the doctor!!"
*
~2001~
Joey looked down at his hands. They were still stained red. He turned them back and forth
in front of him. He looked down, and for the first time noticed that the front of his shirt
was stained with blood as well.
"I'm gonna go get cleaned up," he said to the group, as he carefully pulled a sleeping Pheobe
off of his lap. Ross nodded in acknowledgement, as Joey walked out of the room.
Truthfully, Joey was a little relieved to get out of the hospital. He took a deep breath
and headed for his apartment. He got to the apartment building, and hesitated slightly.
He walked in, and shuffled up the steps. He concentrated only on getting into his apartment,
purposely avoiding the apartment across the hall.
He rushed into his apartment, and headed for the bathroom. He turned on the shower, and set
the temperature as hot as he could stand it. He took off his soiled clothes and threw them away.
Once in the shower, he tried desperatly to scrub away the events of the past evening.
He scrubbed until his skin was raw, but it didn't erase the images that were burned into his
brain. He quickly dressed and opened the door. Facing Apartment 20, his eyes could no longer
avoid what he had been trying to in his mind all night.
The door to Monica and Chandler's apartment, was still wide open, and evidence of that night's
chaos lay on the floor. Joey began to tremble again. He grabbed the door knob and pulled the
door shut, then ran down the stairs and out into the winter night.