Ch 17
Kim lay on the couch after dinner the next night. The TV was on but she wasn't sure she could tell anyone what was on at the moment. She lifted her head to look upstairs. The hallway was dark, which meant Joey had either fallen asleep or he was just avoiding her like he'd been doing for the last day and a half.
She sighed. She didn't blame him. She'd be mad too if she were in Joey's place. She smiled a little. Two years, almost three, and Joey still thought the world of Jimmy.
"The world's greatest dad." She whispered to herself. "God, what am I gonna do?"
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Jimmy strapped on his gear as he walked towards the apartment building.
"Jimmy, be careful." Alex warned as she put on a helmet. She was worried about her friend. He'd been very quiet that day.
"Always." He said flippantly as he passed Doc and Carlos.
"Yeah right." Carlos muttered to Doc.
Jimmy pressed on up the stairs. He could feel the heat grow around him, as he got closer to the fire. He spoke into his walkie-talkie. "Cap? Do we have a location?"
"Second floor. Apartment 2G. They're saying it's a kitchen fire." The captain's muted voice said.
"Great." Jimmy muttered. He made his way down the hall. Michaels and Lombardo followed.
"Doherty." The captain's voice said again. "We have a report of people still in the apartment."
"Where?" Jimmy asked.
"Not sure. Be careful and that's an order."
"Yes sir." Jimmy said.
The firefighters advanced with the hose. As they sprayed at the flames Jimmy faintly heard a thump from the back. "I'm going back there. I think someone might be in trouble." He said over the spray of the hose.
"Jimmy!" Lombardo shouted.
But Jimmy didn't hear he was to far into the apartment already.
Jimmy opened the door to the bedroom and looked around. He didn't see anyone but he decided to quickly check the other side of the bed. A lamp lay broken. That was probably what he'd heard, but who'd broken it?
He turned just in time to see someone rush at him. The next thing he heard was a window breaking and then everything went black.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Kim bolted upright on her couch trying to catch her breath.
"Oh God," She breathed. Her heart was hammering so hard she thought it would come out of her chest. She forced herself to calm down as she looked around her. She blew out one last hard breath before she returned to normal breathing. She shook her head. "What the hell was that?" she whispered.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Kim started an I.V. on Rita, one of their frequent fliers, and smiled as the woman cursed in her sleep.
"Hey Kim. What's this?" Dr. Jacobson asked.
"Rita, back by popular demand. Medics found her in the park. She's drunk. Wanna get in on the pool for her B.A.L?"
"Betting on the patients isn't the healthiest thing to be doing." He said. "Put me down for four-fifty."
"Okay." Kim said.
"Hey Kim?" Mia, the desk clerk, poked her head in. "There's a call for you."
"Is it Joey?"
"No. It's someone named Melanie."
"What line?" Kim went to the phone near the door.
"Three."
Kim punched the line. "Mel?"
"Hey Kimmy."
"Mel, what's wrong? Are you okay? Is Mom?"
"We're fine. Kim, Mrs. Doherty called Mom before."
"Jimmy's mom? What happened?"
"There was a fire today and Jimmy got hurt. I don't know all the details but apparently someone took Jimmy with him when he jumped out a window."
Kim didn't make a sound for at least a minute. Then, "Is Jimmy okay?"
"A pretty bad concussion and some broken ribs. He's in a coma at Mercy."
"Mel, listen to me. I will be there as soon as I can okay? Can I stay with you?"
"Yeah. Absolutely."
"See you soon." Kim hung up the phone and then went to make the arrangements necessary for her departure.
Kim lay on the couch after dinner the next night. The TV was on but she wasn't sure she could tell anyone what was on at the moment. She lifted her head to look upstairs. The hallway was dark, which meant Joey had either fallen asleep or he was just avoiding her like he'd been doing for the last day and a half.
She sighed. She didn't blame him. She'd be mad too if she were in Joey's place. She smiled a little. Two years, almost three, and Joey still thought the world of Jimmy.
"The world's greatest dad." She whispered to herself. "God, what am I gonna do?"
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Jimmy strapped on his gear as he walked towards the apartment building.
"Jimmy, be careful." Alex warned as she put on a helmet. She was worried about her friend. He'd been very quiet that day.
"Always." He said flippantly as he passed Doc and Carlos.
"Yeah right." Carlos muttered to Doc.
Jimmy pressed on up the stairs. He could feel the heat grow around him, as he got closer to the fire. He spoke into his walkie-talkie. "Cap? Do we have a location?"
"Second floor. Apartment 2G. They're saying it's a kitchen fire." The captain's muted voice said.
"Great." Jimmy muttered. He made his way down the hall. Michaels and Lombardo followed.
"Doherty." The captain's voice said again. "We have a report of people still in the apartment."
"Where?" Jimmy asked.
"Not sure. Be careful and that's an order."
"Yes sir." Jimmy said.
The firefighters advanced with the hose. As they sprayed at the flames Jimmy faintly heard a thump from the back. "I'm going back there. I think someone might be in trouble." He said over the spray of the hose.
"Jimmy!" Lombardo shouted.
But Jimmy didn't hear he was to far into the apartment already.
Jimmy opened the door to the bedroom and looked around. He didn't see anyone but he decided to quickly check the other side of the bed. A lamp lay broken. That was probably what he'd heard, but who'd broken it?
He turned just in time to see someone rush at him. The next thing he heard was a window breaking and then everything went black.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Kim bolted upright on her couch trying to catch her breath.
"Oh God," She breathed. Her heart was hammering so hard she thought it would come out of her chest. She forced herself to calm down as she looked around her. She blew out one last hard breath before she returned to normal breathing. She shook her head. "What the hell was that?" she whispered.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Kim started an I.V. on Rita, one of their frequent fliers, and smiled as the woman cursed in her sleep.
"Hey Kim. What's this?" Dr. Jacobson asked.
"Rita, back by popular demand. Medics found her in the park. She's drunk. Wanna get in on the pool for her B.A.L?"
"Betting on the patients isn't the healthiest thing to be doing." He said. "Put me down for four-fifty."
"Okay." Kim said.
"Hey Kim?" Mia, the desk clerk, poked her head in. "There's a call for you."
"Is it Joey?"
"No. It's someone named Melanie."
"What line?" Kim went to the phone near the door.
"Three."
Kim punched the line. "Mel?"
"Hey Kimmy."
"Mel, what's wrong? Are you okay? Is Mom?"
"We're fine. Kim, Mrs. Doherty called Mom before."
"Jimmy's mom? What happened?"
"There was a fire today and Jimmy got hurt. I don't know all the details but apparently someone took Jimmy with him when he jumped out a window."
Kim didn't make a sound for at least a minute. Then, "Is Jimmy okay?"
"A pretty bad concussion and some broken ribs. He's in a coma at Mercy."
"Mel, listen to me. I will be there as soon as I can okay? Can I stay with you?"
"Yeah. Absolutely."
"See you soon." Kim hung up the phone and then went to make the arrangements necessary for her departure.