Ch 27
"Did you even go to sleep?"
Kim smiled a little when she heard Bobby's voice behind her the next morning.
"I think so. I just didn't stay that way for long." Kim scooted over and gave Bobby some room on the back steps. "Cold out here for March."
"Did you call the hospital?" He asked, joining her.
"Yeah. The duty nurse said he had no further episodes during the night. I talked to one of the doctors. He said that they're gonna do another CT today." Kim sighed. "I swear if he has done permanent damage to himself by following me out here I will never forgive myself."
"Not your fault."
"Isn't it? I went to see if he was okay and then I didn't even stay and talk to him. I just left behind a picture of Joey. I should've known he'd find a way to find me after that." She closed her eyes. "I lied."
"When?"
"To myself, to you, to Jimmy. I keep telling everyone that I didn't want to ruin his marriage. I wanted to give him a chance to make it work with Brooke."
"And that's not true?"
"Not completely. The complete truth is that I didn't want to get sucked in again. It took a lot to leave him the first time. I didn't think I'd be able to do it again if it came down to doing it a second time. And I didn't want him there because of Charlie. I wanted him there because he wanted to be there." Kim shook her head. "I made a real mess of things didn't I?"
"Well, yeah kinda." Bobby admitted.
"Thank you Bobby."
"You asked. What was I supposed to do? Lie?"
"Yes, if you're my friend."
"No because I'm your friend, I'm not gonna lie to you." Bobby smiled.
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
Kim giggled and then she said, "I told Jimmy last night that I wasn't going to run away."
"Did you mean it?"
"Well, I hear L.A.'s nice this time of year."
"Kim."
"Yeah I meant it." Kim turned to him. "I'm not going anywhere anymore. I may regret it in the end but I'm staying put."
"Good. Now c'mon let's get some food going. I'll bet Joey's hungry when he wakes up."
*(*(*(*(*
A little later, at about six-thirty, Kim pushed Jimmy's door open quietly. He was still sleeping. She took a piece of paper from her purse and wrote something down. She put the piece of paper on his chest and then tiptoed back out of the room.
*(*(*(*(*
Jimmy woke about an hour later. He immediately noticed the piece of paper on his chest. He picked it up and read it.
iYou were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you. I'll try and make it back up around noon but if I can't I'll be back around seven. Joey will be back to see you around three. -Kim/i
Jimmy folded the piece of paper back up and set it on the nightstand. He was still mad about the information Kim had shared with him last night but he knew that shouting would not be the best way to discuss things. They'd do it calmly and rationally.
Even if it killed them.
*(*(*(*(*
"Hi Mom."
Kim looked up. "Hey buddy. You going to see your dad?"
"Yeah. Bobby just wanted to say hi to you first."
"That was nice of him. Here. We'll keep your bag under the desk down here while you visit your dad, okay?"
"Okay." Joey handed it over and Kim stowed it under the admit desk.
"Tell your dad I said hello. Hey, how about I bring home burgers later?"
"Okay." Joey smiled.
"Okay. Go on."
"Joey, go press the button, I'll be right there." Bobby said.
"Okay." Joey ran down the hall to the elevators.
"What?"
"How'd it go?"
"He was asleep. I'll talk to him after my shift."
Bobby nodded. "Okay. Hey bring me a burger too."
"I'll think about it. Better go before he goes by himself."
Bobby nodded and walked down the hall to meet Joey.
*(*(*(*(*
"Do you have any sevens?"
"Go Fish." Joey said.
Jimmy smiled. He'd missed this.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you staying?"
"Staying?"
"Here?"
"In the hospital? No."
"I mean Chicago."
"Oh. I don't know."
"Chicago's nice and they have a good fire department."
"Hey, c'mere." Jimmy patted a place beside him and Joey hopped up. "I promise you that nothing is ever gonna keep us apart again, okay?"
"Okay." Joey hugged his dad.
"Did you even go to sleep?"
Kim smiled a little when she heard Bobby's voice behind her the next morning.
"I think so. I just didn't stay that way for long." Kim scooted over and gave Bobby some room on the back steps. "Cold out here for March."
"Did you call the hospital?" He asked, joining her.
"Yeah. The duty nurse said he had no further episodes during the night. I talked to one of the doctors. He said that they're gonna do another CT today." Kim sighed. "I swear if he has done permanent damage to himself by following me out here I will never forgive myself."
"Not your fault."
"Isn't it? I went to see if he was okay and then I didn't even stay and talk to him. I just left behind a picture of Joey. I should've known he'd find a way to find me after that." She closed her eyes. "I lied."
"When?"
"To myself, to you, to Jimmy. I keep telling everyone that I didn't want to ruin his marriage. I wanted to give him a chance to make it work with Brooke."
"And that's not true?"
"Not completely. The complete truth is that I didn't want to get sucked in again. It took a lot to leave him the first time. I didn't think I'd be able to do it again if it came down to doing it a second time. And I didn't want him there because of Charlie. I wanted him there because he wanted to be there." Kim shook her head. "I made a real mess of things didn't I?"
"Well, yeah kinda." Bobby admitted.
"Thank you Bobby."
"You asked. What was I supposed to do? Lie?"
"Yes, if you're my friend."
"No because I'm your friend, I'm not gonna lie to you." Bobby smiled.
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
Kim giggled and then she said, "I told Jimmy last night that I wasn't going to run away."
"Did you mean it?"
"Well, I hear L.A.'s nice this time of year."
"Kim."
"Yeah I meant it." Kim turned to him. "I'm not going anywhere anymore. I may regret it in the end but I'm staying put."
"Good. Now c'mon let's get some food going. I'll bet Joey's hungry when he wakes up."
*(*(*(*(*
A little later, at about six-thirty, Kim pushed Jimmy's door open quietly. He was still sleeping. She took a piece of paper from her purse and wrote something down. She put the piece of paper on his chest and then tiptoed back out of the room.
*(*(*(*(*
Jimmy woke about an hour later. He immediately noticed the piece of paper on his chest. He picked it up and read it.
iYou were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you. I'll try and make it back up around noon but if I can't I'll be back around seven. Joey will be back to see you around three. -Kim/i
Jimmy folded the piece of paper back up and set it on the nightstand. He was still mad about the information Kim had shared with him last night but he knew that shouting would not be the best way to discuss things. They'd do it calmly and rationally.
Even if it killed them.
*(*(*(*(*
"Hi Mom."
Kim looked up. "Hey buddy. You going to see your dad?"
"Yeah. Bobby just wanted to say hi to you first."
"That was nice of him. Here. We'll keep your bag under the desk down here while you visit your dad, okay?"
"Okay." Joey handed it over and Kim stowed it under the admit desk.
"Tell your dad I said hello. Hey, how about I bring home burgers later?"
"Okay." Joey smiled.
"Okay. Go on."
"Joey, go press the button, I'll be right there." Bobby said.
"Okay." Joey ran down the hall to the elevators.
"What?"
"How'd it go?"
"He was asleep. I'll talk to him after my shift."
Bobby nodded. "Okay. Hey bring me a burger too."
"I'll think about it. Better go before he goes by himself."
Bobby nodded and walked down the hall to meet Joey.
*(*(*(*(*
"Do you have any sevens?"
"Go Fish." Joey said.
Jimmy smiled. He'd missed this.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you staying?"
"Staying?"
"Here?"
"In the hospital? No."
"I mean Chicago."
"Oh. I don't know."
"Chicago's nice and they have a good fire department."
"Hey, c'mere." Jimmy patted a place beside him and Joey hopped up. "I promise you that nothing is ever gonna keep us apart again, okay?"
"Okay." Joey hugged his dad.