Ch 19
"So how is he?"
"He could wake up tomorrow or he might never wake up again." Kim said to Bobby over the phone later that night.
"One extreme or the other."
"It's Jimmy. You expected anything less?"
Kim could hear Bobby's low chuckle. "So how long are you staying?"
"I'll be flying into O'Hare tomorrow around six."
"What?"
"Bobby, I can't stay. You know that. There's work and the kids and I'd like my son to start speaking to me sometime soon so I don't think I should miss his game on Saturday."
"You know, I think he'd talk to you if you'd let him call a certain somebody."
"Bobby."
"I know. It's none of my business."
"No it is. If it's anybody's it's yours. I think you're right. I just don't know how to let Jimmy back in. Not even for Joey." Kim sighed a little. "Hey we're running Mel's phone bill sky high. We better hang up."
"Excuses, excuses."
"Shut up. Oh, if you have trouble getting Charlie to sleep tonight, play that Elvis Costello CD."
"Elvis Costello?"
"She likes 'Everyday I Write The Book'. For some reason it always puts her right to sleep."
"Okay."
Kim could still hear Bobby laughing. "Hey consider yourself lucky Caffey. Abby likes Sarah McLachlan. I had to listen to 'Full of Grace' three times tonight before she finally fell asleep."
"How is the littlest Zambrano chica?"
"She's good." Kim said with a fond smile as she thought of her niece who was, thankfully, asleep in Joey's old room. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?"
"Bye Kim."
They hung up and Kim put Melanie's cordless back in the charger. As she sat down she heard the front door open and close.
"Kim?"
"In here Mel."
Her sister appeared with take-out boxes a few seconds later. "Dinner is served," she announced.
"Good. I'm starving. I don't think I've eaten since breakfast."
"They didn't serve anything on the plane?"
"Too nervous to eat."
"About Jimmy," Melanie nodded.
"Yeah and there's the fact that I have never liked flying." Kim said as she helped herself to a burger and fries.
"You still afraid to fly?"
"It's not a fear. It's a thing I have. I just don't like nothing between my vehicle and the ground."
"That's a fear."
"Shut up." Kim laughed. "So how's Tony?"
"Tony who?"
"Oh no what happened?"
"It was me. I have this aversion to him sleeping with his partner."
"He's sleeping with his partner?"
"Yeah. For about the last month according to him."
"Have you ever met her? It is a her right?"
"You're hilarious Kimmy. Yes it's a her."
"Just checking."
"Uh-huh. Anyway yeah I've met her. She's even been here for dinner."
"What's her name?"
"Brooke."
Kim nearly spit her food out. "Brooke?"
"Yeah. You okay?"
"Do you have a picture of her by any chance?"
"Actually I do. Why?"
"Just wanna see something."
"Okay. One sec." Melanie got up and went into the bedroom. She came back a few minutes later with a packet of pictures. "These are from a party one of the guys had for us a few days after Abby was born," She flipped through them and finally chose one. "That's her. I hate to admit it but she's really pretty." She handed the picture to Kim and sat back down.
Kim looked at the picture. "Son of a bitch."
"What?"
"This is Brooke."
"Yeah I know. I've met her."
"No. This is Jimmy's Brooke."
"What?"
"Yeah." Kim laughed shortly. "I guess she doesn't use Doherty anymore."
"Come to think of it, Tony did say she'd been married once but that she'd had it annulled cause he fooled around on her right before the wedding." Melanie started to laugh. "Unbelievable. I wonder if she ever made the connection."
"Probably. Zambrano's not that common." She gave the picture back to Melanie.
"Speaking of making connections, do you think Jimmy will connect the dots once he wakes up and finds that picture on his nightstand in the hospital? He might realize that you were there."
"Yeah but by that time, I will either be in the air or back in Chicago."
Melanie nodded. "When's your flight?"
"I wrote down over by the phone." Kim nodded to the phone. "You and Abby should come visit this summer. Joey would love it. So would your goddaughter."
"I'd love it too. We'll take the train. I don't want Abby to fly so young. We'll go from Grand Central into Union."
"I think Abby would like that too."
"But I bet Joey would love it even more if Jimmy were the one to get off the train or plane."
Kim tilted her head and closed her eyes. "I just don't know where to begin with him. On the way here I started thinking about where we'd be if I'd stayed in that hospital room when he got shot and told Brooke to get lost."
"Do you think you'd have Charlie?"
"I don't know." She looked at her sister. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Yeah."
"After Joey was born, the doctors told me that it wouldn't be a good idea for me to have anymore kids. That I might lose them or my life. I couldn't stop crying for two days."
"Kimmy." Melanie looked sad. "Why didn't you say something?"
"I don't know. The only other person besides Jimmy that knew was Bobby. I'm surprised he didn't bawl me out when he showed up in Ohio."
"Yeah me too." Melanie smiled. "Turned out okay though right? You have Joey and Charlie and they are healthy and beautiful and you're still here."
"Knock wood." Kim said and then she knocked on her head making both the girls laugh.
^&^&^&^&^&^&^
D.K. turned off the overhead light in Jimmy's room when he woke up. It was mid morning and the sun was streaming through the window. He retook his seat by his friend's side. Looking at the bedside table he smiled a little at the school picture of Joey. He looked like Kim.
"Ohhh."
D.K.'s head snapped to look at the bed. Jimmy's eyes were opening slowly.
"Jimmy. Hey man welcome back. Don't go anywhere. I'm gonna go get a doctor."
^&^&^&^&^&^&^
"Well Mr. Doherty since you're awake, how would you like this tube out of your mouth?" The doctor said after he'd checked Jimmy's vitals and noticed he was triggering the vent.
Jimmy nodded.
"I think you know how this goes. Deep breathe in, and when I saw go, blow out the birthday candles." The doctor said as he readied the tube for removal. "Okay here we go."
Jimmy blew out as hard as he could. He coughed and the nurse gave him some ice chips.
"We'll be back in a little while. Until then rest up." The doctor said.
Jimmy nodded.
"How ya feeling?" D.K. asked.
"Sore." Jimmy said in a raspy voice. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"It's fuzzy."
"A guy decided to see if he could fly and he took you with him. By the way, you can't fly either. Just in case you ever wondered."
"Thanks." Jimmy managed to smile.
D.K. reached over to the side and picked up the picture. "Here. Thought you might want this."
Jimmy took it and then he stared. "Joey." His eyes filled with tears and his vision blurred. For some reason he turned it over. It was Kim's handwriting on the back. IA reminder that you are not a singular soul. Your actions will have equal and opposite reactions so be careful. If not for yourself, then for him./I
Jimmy looked at his friend. "Is he here?"
"Not that I saw. She-"
"She? Kim? Was Kim here?"
"Yeah. She was here."
"Alone?"
"Melanie was with her."
"Melanie."
"Yeah. Look Jimmy- what are you doing?"
"I need papers."
"Papers? What kind of papers?"
"The kind you sign when you go AMA."
"Are you nuts?" D.K. asked even as Jimmy unsteadily got out of bed.
"I need pants."
"You need to go up to the psych ward."
"She's here. Joey could be here too. I'm not losing this chance."
(~(~(~(~(~(~(~(~(
Melanie had just closed the door behind her when her bell rang. She opened it up again and was faced with a haggard looking Jimmy.
"Oh my God. Why aren't you in a hospital?"
"Where's Kim?' Jimmy pushed past her. "Melanie, where is she?"
"She's not here."
"Don't lie to me."
"Jimmy, she left. She went back."
"Back where?"
"Jimmy."
"Melanie, I want to know." He yelled.
"Would you shut up? You're going to-"
"WAHHH!"
"Wake up Abby." Melanie sighed. "Be right back."
Jimmy scowled as he prowled the living room. Just as he turned to walk in another direction he saw a pad next to Melanie's phone.
IFlight 6987/I
He quietly tore the paper away and left the apartment headed for the airport.
"So how is he?"
"He could wake up tomorrow or he might never wake up again." Kim said to Bobby over the phone later that night.
"One extreme or the other."
"It's Jimmy. You expected anything less?"
Kim could hear Bobby's low chuckle. "So how long are you staying?"
"I'll be flying into O'Hare tomorrow around six."
"What?"
"Bobby, I can't stay. You know that. There's work and the kids and I'd like my son to start speaking to me sometime soon so I don't think I should miss his game on Saturday."
"You know, I think he'd talk to you if you'd let him call a certain somebody."
"Bobby."
"I know. It's none of my business."
"No it is. If it's anybody's it's yours. I think you're right. I just don't know how to let Jimmy back in. Not even for Joey." Kim sighed a little. "Hey we're running Mel's phone bill sky high. We better hang up."
"Excuses, excuses."
"Shut up. Oh, if you have trouble getting Charlie to sleep tonight, play that Elvis Costello CD."
"Elvis Costello?"
"She likes 'Everyday I Write The Book'. For some reason it always puts her right to sleep."
"Okay."
Kim could still hear Bobby laughing. "Hey consider yourself lucky Caffey. Abby likes Sarah McLachlan. I had to listen to 'Full of Grace' three times tonight before she finally fell asleep."
"How is the littlest Zambrano chica?"
"She's good." Kim said with a fond smile as she thought of her niece who was, thankfully, asleep in Joey's old room. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?"
"Bye Kim."
They hung up and Kim put Melanie's cordless back in the charger. As she sat down she heard the front door open and close.
"Kim?"
"In here Mel."
Her sister appeared with take-out boxes a few seconds later. "Dinner is served," she announced.
"Good. I'm starving. I don't think I've eaten since breakfast."
"They didn't serve anything on the plane?"
"Too nervous to eat."
"About Jimmy," Melanie nodded.
"Yeah and there's the fact that I have never liked flying." Kim said as she helped herself to a burger and fries.
"You still afraid to fly?"
"It's not a fear. It's a thing I have. I just don't like nothing between my vehicle and the ground."
"That's a fear."
"Shut up." Kim laughed. "So how's Tony?"
"Tony who?"
"Oh no what happened?"
"It was me. I have this aversion to him sleeping with his partner."
"He's sleeping with his partner?"
"Yeah. For about the last month according to him."
"Have you ever met her? It is a her right?"
"You're hilarious Kimmy. Yes it's a her."
"Just checking."
"Uh-huh. Anyway yeah I've met her. She's even been here for dinner."
"What's her name?"
"Brooke."
Kim nearly spit her food out. "Brooke?"
"Yeah. You okay?"
"Do you have a picture of her by any chance?"
"Actually I do. Why?"
"Just wanna see something."
"Okay. One sec." Melanie got up and went into the bedroom. She came back a few minutes later with a packet of pictures. "These are from a party one of the guys had for us a few days after Abby was born," She flipped through them and finally chose one. "That's her. I hate to admit it but she's really pretty." She handed the picture to Kim and sat back down.
Kim looked at the picture. "Son of a bitch."
"What?"
"This is Brooke."
"Yeah I know. I've met her."
"No. This is Jimmy's Brooke."
"What?"
"Yeah." Kim laughed shortly. "I guess she doesn't use Doherty anymore."
"Come to think of it, Tony did say she'd been married once but that she'd had it annulled cause he fooled around on her right before the wedding." Melanie started to laugh. "Unbelievable. I wonder if she ever made the connection."
"Probably. Zambrano's not that common." She gave the picture back to Melanie.
"Speaking of making connections, do you think Jimmy will connect the dots once he wakes up and finds that picture on his nightstand in the hospital? He might realize that you were there."
"Yeah but by that time, I will either be in the air or back in Chicago."
Melanie nodded. "When's your flight?"
"I wrote down over by the phone." Kim nodded to the phone. "You and Abby should come visit this summer. Joey would love it. So would your goddaughter."
"I'd love it too. We'll take the train. I don't want Abby to fly so young. We'll go from Grand Central into Union."
"I think Abby would like that too."
"But I bet Joey would love it even more if Jimmy were the one to get off the train or plane."
Kim tilted her head and closed her eyes. "I just don't know where to begin with him. On the way here I started thinking about where we'd be if I'd stayed in that hospital room when he got shot and told Brooke to get lost."
"Do you think you'd have Charlie?"
"I don't know." She looked at her sister. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Yeah."
"After Joey was born, the doctors told me that it wouldn't be a good idea for me to have anymore kids. That I might lose them or my life. I couldn't stop crying for two days."
"Kimmy." Melanie looked sad. "Why didn't you say something?"
"I don't know. The only other person besides Jimmy that knew was Bobby. I'm surprised he didn't bawl me out when he showed up in Ohio."
"Yeah me too." Melanie smiled. "Turned out okay though right? You have Joey and Charlie and they are healthy and beautiful and you're still here."
"Knock wood." Kim said and then she knocked on her head making both the girls laugh.
^&^&^&^&^&^&^
D.K. turned off the overhead light in Jimmy's room when he woke up. It was mid morning and the sun was streaming through the window. He retook his seat by his friend's side. Looking at the bedside table he smiled a little at the school picture of Joey. He looked like Kim.
"Ohhh."
D.K.'s head snapped to look at the bed. Jimmy's eyes were opening slowly.
"Jimmy. Hey man welcome back. Don't go anywhere. I'm gonna go get a doctor."
^&^&^&^&^&^&^
"Well Mr. Doherty since you're awake, how would you like this tube out of your mouth?" The doctor said after he'd checked Jimmy's vitals and noticed he was triggering the vent.
Jimmy nodded.
"I think you know how this goes. Deep breathe in, and when I saw go, blow out the birthday candles." The doctor said as he readied the tube for removal. "Okay here we go."
Jimmy blew out as hard as he could. He coughed and the nurse gave him some ice chips.
"We'll be back in a little while. Until then rest up." The doctor said.
Jimmy nodded.
"How ya feeling?" D.K. asked.
"Sore." Jimmy said in a raspy voice. "What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
"It's fuzzy."
"A guy decided to see if he could fly and he took you with him. By the way, you can't fly either. Just in case you ever wondered."
"Thanks." Jimmy managed to smile.
D.K. reached over to the side and picked up the picture. "Here. Thought you might want this."
Jimmy took it and then he stared. "Joey." His eyes filled with tears and his vision blurred. For some reason he turned it over. It was Kim's handwriting on the back. IA reminder that you are not a singular soul. Your actions will have equal and opposite reactions so be careful. If not for yourself, then for him./I
Jimmy looked at his friend. "Is he here?"
"Not that I saw. She-"
"She? Kim? Was Kim here?"
"Yeah. She was here."
"Alone?"
"Melanie was with her."
"Melanie."
"Yeah. Look Jimmy- what are you doing?"
"I need papers."
"Papers? What kind of papers?"
"The kind you sign when you go AMA."
"Are you nuts?" D.K. asked even as Jimmy unsteadily got out of bed.
"I need pants."
"You need to go up to the psych ward."
"She's here. Joey could be here too. I'm not losing this chance."
(~(~(~(~(~(~(~(~(
Melanie had just closed the door behind her when her bell rang. She opened it up again and was faced with a haggard looking Jimmy.
"Oh my God. Why aren't you in a hospital?"
"Where's Kim?' Jimmy pushed past her. "Melanie, where is she?"
"She's not here."
"Don't lie to me."
"Jimmy, she left. She went back."
"Back where?"
"Jimmy."
"Melanie, I want to know." He yelled.
"Would you shut up? You're going to-"
"WAHHH!"
"Wake up Abby." Melanie sighed. "Be right back."
Jimmy scowled as he prowled the living room. Just as he turned to walk in another direction he saw a pad next to Melanie's phone.
IFlight 6987/I
He quietly tore the paper away and left the apartment headed for the airport.