Chapter 18
Kim looked out the window as the plane made its final approach to JFK. She didn't think it possible, but she felt her stomach tighten more as the wheels of the plane touched the runway.
"This'll be a barrel of laughs," she said under her breath as the plane taxied to the gate.
Kim was walking through the gate and looking around for either her mother or Melanie. Finally, she saw Melanie waving to her from behind a crowd of people. She waved back with a weak smile and made her way over to her.
"Hey," she said as she met up with Melanie. They hugged each other. "Any news?" she asked, hoping that Melanie would tell her that Jimmy was fine and she could get back on the plane and head home.
She was able to get a fairly early flight, but she'd had to be at the airport before Joey got out of school. Mrs. Morris, Charlotte's babysitter from across the street, had agreed to take care of Joey after school until Bobby got out of work. But, knowing Bobby, he'd get out of work early, pick up Charlotte, and meet Joey at the door. He loved those kids like they were his own and they loved him right back.
She had called Bobby at work and told him what was going on. He thought that Kim should bring Joey along with her, but she had said no. "Just let me see how bad he is," she told him. "If I need to, I'll send for him."
He didn't agree with her, but respected her decision. "Call me when you see how he is," he said before hanging up.
##########
In the car ride over to the hospital, Melanie and Kim were making light talk, as Kim looked at all the changes in New York City over the last two years. "Ever changing," she thought to herself, "but ever the same."
"So what exactly happened?" Kim asked her finally.
"No one is really sure. Apparently, the guy who lived in the apartment had some mental problems. I guess he flaked out and forgot that he had food cooking on the stove. The food burned and started the kitchen on fire and the neighbor called the fire department. On the way upstairs, they got information that there was someone still inside. D.K. said that they were in the kitchen and just about to check for extension into the ceiling when something crashed in the back bedroom," she said, swearing at the guy that came from nowhere cutting them off. "Jerk!" she yelled even though he couldn't hear her.
"Anyway, Jimmy went back to check it out and the next thing anyone knows, Jimmy and the guy came sailing out the window. Jimmy was lucky that the guy landed under him and broke his fall somewhat. Jimmy survived, the other guy didn't," she finished, looking over at her sister.
They pulled into the hospital parking lot and began walking into the building. "Thanks, Mel. For coming in with me," Kim said, taking her sister's hand.
"Just so you know, Mrs. Doherty is not going to be pleased to see you. Especially since you don't have Joey with you," Melanie warned her.
"Yeah, well I didn't expect a welcome home party," Kim said. "But I wasn't going to bring Joey out here just so he could have the memory of his father dying."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The elevator doors opened and Kim and Melanie stepped off. They were immediately greeted by at least four sets of angry eyes. Kim walked slowly toward Mrs. Doherty and stopped a few feet away, Melanie behind her.
"How's Jimmy?" Kim asked her.
"Like you care," she responded angrily. "How dare you take my grandson - Jimmy's son - away without telling us where and how he is. How dare you do that to Jimmy!" she said, swiftly moving the last two feet and slapping Kim hard on the cheek.
Kim put her hand on her cheek, feeling the sting immediately, bringing tears to her eyes. "I hope to be able to explain it to you someday," she said simply. She walked over to Jimmy's co-workers, her former co-workers, from Camelot waiting a little further down the hall, although they'd seen the exchange. They were civil enough to her, but she immediately knew that she was the bad guy here.
She saw Doc and knew that he'd talk to her. He was never one to judge anyone. "Doc how is he?" Kim asked him quietly.
"The same, Kim," he said. "Doctor says he could come out of it today, tomorrow - - or never," he answered. "He's in there," he said, indicating the Jimmy was in.
Kim slowly walked over to the doorway and looked into the room. She stepped into the room and just looked at him. He looked so helpless lying there. She walked over to him and stood there. She couldn't believe anything could ever hurt Jimmy Doherty. He'd come through numerous injuries from fighting fires. Hell, he'd been shot at close range and still survived. She just couldn't believe that something that left only minor scratches on his face from broken glass and splintered wood could leave him hovering near death. She put her hand to her mouth, trying to hold off the sob she felt coming.
"Jimmy," she said crying as she reached out to hold his hand. "Jimmy, I'm so sorry for what I did to you. There's so much I need to tell you about. I've made some mistakes, but I didn't realize it until now. Please Jimmy. You have to wake up, you have to fight," she finished as tears ran down her cheeks.
She felt a presence behind her and turned to see D.K. standing behind her. He walked over to her and stood behind her, both of them looking down at Jimmy. D.K. put a hand on her shoulder. He'd known Jimmy the longest. He'd known all the hell that Jimmy had put her through. He didn't agree with what she did, but he could understand a little better than the others. "He's been hurting badly," he said to her quietly. "For a long time. You should have called him. Or at least let Joey talk to him. He hasn't been the same Jimmy since you left," he finished, gently squeezing her shoulder.
She reached up and covered his hand with her own. "I know, D.K. I know, but" she didn't finish and D.K. felt her shoulders start to shake as she let the last two and half year's of uncertainty to escape.
Kim looked out the window as the plane made its final approach to JFK. She didn't think it possible, but she felt her stomach tighten more as the wheels of the plane touched the runway.
"This'll be a barrel of laughs," she said under her breath as the plane taxied to the gate.
Kim was walking through the gate and looking around for either her mother or Melanie. Finally, she saw Melanie waving to her from behind a crowd of people. She waved back with a weak smile and made her way over to her.
"Hey," she said as she met up with Melanie. They hugged each other. "Any news?" she asked, hoping that Melanie would tell her that Jimmy was fine and she could get back on the plane and head home.
She was able to get a fairly early flight, but she'd had to be at the airport before Joey got out of school. Mrs. Morris, Charlotte's babysitter from across the street, had agreed to take care of Joey after school until Bobby got out of work. But, knowing Bobby, he'd get out of work early, pick up Charlotte, and meet Joey at the door. He loved those kids like they were his own and they loved him right back.
She had called Bobby at work and told him what was going on. He thought that Kim should bring Joey along with her, but she had said no. "Just let me see how bad he is," she told him. "If I need to, I'll send for him."
He didn't agree with her, but respected her decision. "Call me when you see how he is," he said before hanging up.
##########
In the car ride over to the hospital, Melanie and Kim were making light talk, as Kim looked at all the changes in New York City over the last two years. "Ever changing," she thought to herself, "but ever the same."
"So what exactly happened?" Kim asked her finally.
"No one is really sure. Apparently, the guy who lived in the apartment had some mental problems. I guess he flaked out and forgot that he had food cooking on the stove. The food burned and started the kitchen on fire and the neighbor called the fire department. On the way upstairs, they got information that there was someone still inside. D.K. said that they were in the kitchen and just about to check for extension into the ceiling when something crashed in the back bedroom," she said, swearing at the guy that came from nowhere cutting them off. "Jerk!" she yelled even though he couldn't hear her.
"Anyway, Jimmy went back to check it out and the next thing anyone knows, Jimmy and the guy came sailing out the window. Jimmy was lucky that the guy landed under him and broke his fall somewhat. Jimmy survived, the other guy didn't," she finished, looking over at her sister.
They pulled into the hospital parking lot and began walking into the building. "Thanks, Mel. For coming in with me," Kim said, taking her sister's hand.
"Just so you know, Mrs. Doherty is not going to be pleased to see you. Especially since you don't have Joey with you," Melanie warned her.
"Yeah, well I didn't expect a welcome home party," Kim said. "But I wasn't going to bring Joey out here just so he could have the memory of his father dying."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The elevator doors opened and Kim and Melanie stepped off. They were immediately greeted by at least four sets of angry eyes. Kim walked slowly toward Mrs. Doherty and stopped a few feet away, Melanie behind her.
"How's Jimmy?" Kim asked her.
"Like you care," she responded angrily. "How dare you take my grandson - Jimmy's son - away without telling us where and how he is. How dare you do that to Jimmy!" she said, swiftly moving the last two feet and slapping Kim hard on the cheek.
Kim put her hand on her cheek, feeling the sting immediately, bringing tears to her eyes. "I hope to be able to explain it to you someday," she said simply. She walked over to Jimmy's co-workers, her former co-workers, from Camelot waiting a little further down the hall, although they'd seen the exchange. They were civil enough to her, but she immediately knew that she was the bad guy here.
She saw Doc and knew that he'd talk to her. He was never one to judge anyone. "Doc how is he?" Kim asked him quietly.
"The same, Kim," he said. "Doctor says he could come out of it today, tomorrow - - or never," he answered. "He's in there," he said, indicating the Jimmy was in.
Kim slowly walked over to the doorway and looked into the room. She stepped into the room and just looked at him. He looked so helpless lying there. She walked over to him and stood there. She couldn't believe anything could ever hurt Jimmy Doherty. He'd come through numerous injuries from fighting fires. Hell, he'd been shot at close range and still survived. She just couldn't believe that something that left only minor scratches on his face from broken glass and splintered wood could leave him hovering near death. She put her hand to her mouth, trying to hold off the sob she felt coming.
"Jimmy," she said crying as she reached out to hold his hand. "Jimmy, I'm so sorry for what I did to you. There's so much I need to tell you about. I've made some mistakes, but I didn't realize it until now. Please Jimmy. You have to wake up, you have to fight," she finished as tears ran down her cheeks.
She felt a presence behind her and turned to see D.K. standing behind her. He walked over to her and stood behind her, both of them looking down at Jimmy. D.K. put a hand on her shoulder. He'd known Jimmy the longest. He'd known all the hell that Jimmy had put her through. He didn't agree with what she did, but he could understand a little better than the others. "He's been hurting badly," he said to her quietly. "For a long time. You should have called him. Or at least let Joey talk to him. He hasn't been the same Jimmy since you left," he finished, gently squeezing her shoulder.
She reached up and covered his hand with her own. "I know, D.K. I know, but" she didn't finish and D.K. felt her shoulders start to shake as she let the last two and half year's of uncertainty to escape.