Chapter 22
Kim gathered up Joey and Charlie and got them dressed. She packed some food and a couple of bottles for Charlie and they headed out to the hospital.
"Daddy's here?" asked Joey, still half asleep. He wasn't awake enough to remember that he wasn't talking to his mother.
"Daddy's at the hospital with Bobby," Kim explained to him again. "Remember I went to New York to see Daddy because he was sick," she asked, looking over at him to see him nodding that he remembered. "Well, he followed me back here to try to see you and he shouldn't have left the hospital and he got sicker. So, he's in the hospital here and we're going to go make sure that he's okay," she finished explaining.
Joey thought about this for a moment and then said with anger, "So, because you wouldn't let me go with you to see him, he followed you back here and now he's sicker because of it?"
"Yeah, well. It's complicated, Joey," she offered as an excuse. "Look, I'm not sure if you're going to be able to see him right away. I don't know how sick he is. But, if you can, I promise that I'll let you talk to him. Deal?"
"I don't care how sick he is, I want to see him anyway," he argued. "Maybe if he can hear me it will help him."
"We'll see," was all Kim would say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bobby was in the treatment room with Jimmy. His shift had finished right after they were finished bringing Jimmy in to the hospital and his partner had offered to bring the rig back and get it ready for the next shift.
Jimmy was pretty much out of it. He had just gotten back from his CT Scan and was pretty heavily sedated. But, he faded in and out from time to time. The sedation was the only way to get him to stay still. He kept trying to get up to leave saying that he had to find his family. Bobby had had to explain it to the doctors.
He started to come to and Bobby moved over closer to the bed. "Hey, Jimmy. How are you feeling?"
"Been better. So, why?" asked Jimmy, trying to get information before he faded back out again.
"Why what?" Bobby asked him.
"Why didn't you tell me you knew where Kim was? You knew what it was doing to me. I know we never got along the greatest, but you know what Joey means to me," he said, struggling to keep his eyes open.
"Jimmy. I swear. I didn't know right away. I swear. When I found out, I tried to get her to call you. But, I didn't feel it was up to me. I was all she had out here and I didn't want to upset her because of the..." he stopped himself, hoping that Jimmy was too groggy to have noticed. "Great!" Bobby thought to himself. "That's all you needed to do. Tell Jimmy that he's got another kid," he said angrily to himself.
"Because of the what?" Jimmy asked. Bobby swore to himself.
"Nothing. I just didn't want to make matters worse. I was hoping that she'd figure out whatever it was she was trying to figure out and then get in touch with you. I just wanted to be there for her in case she needed me," he said, trying to cover his near mistake.
He didn't hear any response from Jimmy and looked over to see that he'd drifted back out again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They arrived at the hospital and Kim, Charlie and Joey headed into the Emergency Room looking for Bobby. Kim saw Bobby standing in the corner of one of the treatment rooms, but couldn't see whom he was with because the curtain was drawn. Bobby saw her out of the corner of his eye and headed out to her.
"How is he?" Kim asked, trying to look around the curtain to see Jimmy.
"He's out again. He just got back from CT, but I haven't heard anything yet. He's asking lots of questions, Kim," he said discreetly to Kim.
Charlie was starting to fuss and Kim juggled and bounced with her, trying to get her to calm down.
"Why don't you give her to me and Joey and I will wait over in chairs until you get a chance to talk to him," offered Bobby.
Joey started to object by pulling on Kim's arm and she looked over at him. "Honey, just stay here with Bobby until I find out what's up. I promise that I'll let you see him after I've had a chance to talk to him, okay?"
Joey just gave her a look that said, "You can't keep me from him." Bobby took Charlie and the diaper bag with the supplies. He looked at Joey, "C'mon Champ. Let's go get some breakfast and heat up some food and a bottle for Charlie."
Joey followed Bobby down the hall, looking over his shoulder at his mother's back.
Kim gathered up Joey and Charlie and got them dressed. She packed some food and a couple of bottles for Charlie and they headed out to the hospital.
"Daddy's here?" asked Joey, still half asleep. He wasn't awake enough to remember that he wasn't talking to his mother.
"Daddy's at the hospital with Bobby," Kim explained to him again. "Remember I went to New York to see Daddy because he was sick," she asked, looking over at him to see him nodding that he remembered. "Well, he followed me back here to try to see you and he shouldn't have left the hospital and he got sicker. So, he's in the hospital here and we're going to go make sure that he's okay," she finished explaining.
Joey thought about this for a moment and then said with anger, "So, because you wouldn't let me go with you to see him, he followed you back here and now he's sicker because of it?"
"Yeah, well. It's complicated, Joey," she offered as an excuse. "Look, I'm not sure if you're going to be able to see him right away. I don't know how sick he is. But, if you can, I promise that I'll let you talk to him. Deal?"
"I don't care how sick he is, I want to see him anyway," he argued. "Maybe if he can hear me it will help him."
"We'll see," was all Kim would say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bobby was in the treatment room with Jimmy. His shift had finished right after they were finished bringing Jimmy in to the hospital and his partner had offered to bring the rig back and get it ready for the next shift.
Jimmy was pretty much out of it. He had just gotten back from his CT Scan and was pretty heavily sedated. But, he faded in and out from time to time. The sedation was the only way to get him to stay still. He kept trying to get up to leave saying that he had to find his family. Bobby had had to explain it to the doctors.
He started to come to and Bobby moved over closer to the bed. "Hey, Jimmy. How are you feeling?"
"Been better. So, why?" asked Jimmy, trying to get information before he faded back out again.
"Why what?" Bobby asked him.
"Why didn't you tell me you knew where Kim was? You knew what it was doing to me. I know we never got along the greatest, but you know what Joey means to me," he said, struggling to keep his eyes open.
"Jimmy. I swear. I didn't know right away. I swear. When I found out, I tried to get her to call you. But, I didn't feel it was up to me. I was all she had out here and I didn't want to upset her because of the..." he stopped himself, hoping that Jimmy was too groggy to have noticed. "Great!" Bobby thought to himself. "That's all you needed to do. Tell Jimmy that he's got another kid," he said angrily to himself.
"Because of the what?" Jimmy asked. Bobby swore to himself.
"Nothing. I just didn't want to make matters worse. I was hoping that she'd figure out whatever it was she was trying to figure out and then get in touch with you. I just wanted to be there for her in case she needed me," he said, trying to cover his near mistake.
He didn't hear any response from Jimmy and looked over to see that he'd drifted back out again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They arrived at the hospital and Kim, Charlie and Joey headed into the Emergency Room looking for Bobby. Kim saw Bobby standing in the corner of one of the treatment rooms, but couldn't see whom he was with because the curtain was drawn. Bobby saw her out of the corner of his eye and headed out to her.
"How is he?" Kim asked, trying to look around the curtain to see Jimmy.
"He's out again. He just got back from CT, but I haven't heard anything yet. He's asking lots of questions, Kim," he said discreetly to Kim.
Charlie was starting to fuss and Kim juggled and bounced with her, trying to get her to calm down.
"Why don't you give her to me and Joey and I will wait over in chairs until you get a chance to talk to him," offered Bobby.
Joey started to object by pulling on Kim's arm and she looked over at him. "Honey, just stay here with Bobby until I find out what's up. I promise that I'll let you see him after I've had a chance to talk to him, okay?"
Joey just gave her a look that said, "You can't keep me from him." Bobby took Charlie and the diaper bag with the supplies. He looked at Joey, "C'mon Champ. Let's go get some breakfast and heat up some food and a bottle for Charlie."
Joey followed Bobby down the hall, looking over his shoulder at his mother's back.