Ch 34
It was a little past midnight when Kim came out of her room. She'd ordered Chinese from her extension and even though Joey had asked her to come out and eat with them she'd stayed in her room and had only opened it to give Joey a hug and kiss goodnight. Jimmy had tried to talk to her but she slammed the door in his face. But try as she might she couldn't ignore the fact that she was hungry.
She heated up some wonton soup and sat down on the couch. It had started to rain a little while ago and now it was coming down pretty hard. She walked over to the window to take a look outside. All was quiet on the street, lit only by the streetlights. She shivered at the dampness and pulled her robe around her tighter. As she walked back toward the couch she noticed that the deadbolt on the front door was unlocked. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the lock on the doorknob was unlocked also. She pushed back the curtain covering the window on the door and noticed a lone figure jogging down the road toward her house.
She didn't have to look twice, she'd recognize that build and athleticism anywhere. It was Jimmy. He always used to go out for a run when he was upset, and God knew he had enough to be upset about lately. She watched as he ran past the front of the house and continued on - obviously whatever was bothering him had not been resolved in his mind and he kept running.
She finished her soup and was flipping through a magazine waiting for Jimmy to get back. She wanted to make sure he was all right and she decided she should probably talk to him about earlier. As she sat and read, the only sound coming from the clock on the wall behind her, she heard Charlie stir and whimper upstairs. She listened for a moment to see if her daughter would fall back to sleep on her own. She looked at the clock and a flicker of worry crossed her brow as she noted that Jimmy was not back yet. Charlie stirred some more and Kim went up stairs to see if she was okay. She walked into the darkened room, lit only by a nightlight shining in the corner. She reached in the crib and automatically felt her to see if she had a fever. She adjusted the covers and put a hand on Charlie's back. As always, the feel of Kim's hand on her back comforted the child and Kim heard her fall sound asleep as the deepness of her breathing changed.
As she was closing the door to Charlie's room and about to open Joey's door to check on him, she heard a faint knock on the front door downstairs. She frowned, wondering why Jimmy was knocking. She was pretty sure that she hadn't locked the door up while she was down there, but maybe she did it automatically without thinking. She started down the stairs and saw the flash of emergency lights in front of her house. A feeling of dread settled over her as she hurried toward the door.
She opened the door and there she found Jimmy being supported by two police officers.
"Ma'am. We found this man down the road, sitting on the curb in the rain. He said he's staying here and was out running when he suddenly didn't feel well. Do you know him?" asked the officer.
"Um, yes. Thank you, Officer. Jimmy? What's wrong?" she asked moving aside as the officers helped Jimmy into the house and onto a chair in the living room.
He sat down heavily and was holding his head as if he was trying to hold it together. "He just said that he's recovering from an injury he sustained while fighting a fire and has some pain in his head. Do you want us to call for an ambulance?" asked the younger of the two officers.
"Jimmy? What do you think?" Kim asked him.
He slowly shook his head no and finally said, "I just overdid it. It's starting to go away. I'll be okay. Thanks, guys."
"No problem, Sir. Take it easy. Ma'am," said the older officer as they left to return to patrol.
Kim walked the officers to the door. "Thank you for bringing him home," Kim said. The officer nodded and she closed and locked the door. She turned and walked back over to Jimmy, who sat with his head leaning back against the headrest of the chair, eyes closed and brow furrowed with pain. He was soaking wet and she noticed him shiver.
"Jimmy? What can I do for you?" she asked as she grabbed the afghan from the back of the couch to wrap around him.
"I just need to rest. I'm sorry Kimmy," he said. She wasn't sure what he was apologizing for.
"Sorry for what?" she asked as she felt his forehead and noticed a slight fever. "You've got a fever. I'm going to get you some Tylenol and a cup of hot tea," she said standing up.
He reached out and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk," he said quietly.
She covered his hand with hers and said, "Jimmy, you were just upset before. We both were. I'm sorry I did what I did - leaving with Joey like that. I knew what you'd do if you found out I was pregnant. I just didn't think it was fair not give you and Brooke a fighting chance," Kim said, trying not to cry.
"No, I don't mean earlier. I mean for being such a jerk back then - when we were together. Kim, I just.... I'm sorry. I miss you and Joey. I miss the life that we had. I'm sorry it took all the pain that I caused you and Joey and me to realize that you're what I needed and wanted all along," he finished. She felt him relax after he'd said it.
"So, is that what you were out running for?" Kim asked him.
Jimmy nodded his head, "That's some of it."
"I'll be right back with your medicine and tea," she said, sliding her hands free of his and heading toward the kitchen. She looked back at him from the doorway to the kitchen and saw that he was fast asleep. She watched him sleep for a moment and then went to make his tea. She couldn't let him sit there in wet clothes all night. She'd let him sleep while she made his tea and got him some dry clothes. She'd wake him up to take his medicine and put him to bed.
One thing was for sure - there were still plenty of things to talk about. But, she knew in her heart what she wanted. The question was, could it work?
It was a little past midnight when Kim came out of her room. She'd ordered Chinese from her extension and even though Joey had asked her to come out and eat with them she'd stayed in her room and had only opened it to give Joey a hug and kiss goodnight. Jimmy had tried to talk to her but she slammed the door in his face. But try as she might she couldn't ignore the fact that she was hungry.
She heated up some wonton soup and sat down on the couch. It had started to rain a little while ago and now it was coming down pretty hard. She walked over to the window to take a look outside. All was quiet on the street, lit only by the streetlights. She shivered at the dampness and pulled her robe around her tighter. As she walked back toward the couch she noticed that the deadbolt on the front door was unlocked. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the lock on the doorknob was unlocked also. She pushed back the curtain covering the window on the door and noticed a lone figure jogging down the road toward her house.
She didn't have to look twice, she'd recognize that build and athleticism anywhere. It was Jimmy. He always used to go out for a run when he was upset, and God knew he had enough to be upset about lately. She watched as he ran past the front of the house and continued on - obviously whatever was bothering him had not been resolved in his mind and he kept running.
She finished her soup and was flipping through a magazine waiting for Jimmy to get back. She wanted to make sure he was all right and she decided she should probably talk to him about earlier. As she sat and read, the only sound coming from the clock on the wall behind her, she heard Charlie stir and whimper upstairs. She listened for a moment to see if her daughter would fall back to sleep on her own. She looked at the clock and a flicker of worry crossed her brow as she noted that Jimmy was not back yet. Charlie stirred some more and Kim went up stairs to see if she was okay. She walked into the darkened room, lit only by a nightlight shining in the corner. She reached in the crib and automatically felt her to see if she had a fever. She adjusted the covers and put a hand on Charlie's back. As always, the feel of Kim's hand on her back comforted the child and Kim heard her fall sound asleep as the deepness of her breathing changed.
As she was closing the door to Charlie's room and about to open Joey's door to check on him, she heard a faint knock on the front door downstairs. She frowned, wondering why Jimmy was knocking. She was pretty sure that she hadn't locked the door up while she was down there, but maybe she did it automatically without thinking. She started down the stairs and saw the flash of emergency lights in front of her house. A feeling of dread settled over her as she hurried toward the door.
She opened the door and there she found Jimmy being supported by two police officers.
"Ma'am. We found this man down the road, sitting on the curb in the rain. He said he's staying here and was out running when he suddenly didn't feel well. Do you know him?" asked the officer.
"Um, yes. Thank you, Officer. Jimmy? What's wrong?" she asked moving aside as the officers helped Jimmy into the house and onto a chair in the living room.
He sat down heavily and was holding his head as if he was trying to hold it together. "He just said that he's recovering from an injury he sustained while fighting a fire and has some pain in his head. Do you want us to call for an ambulance?" asked the younger of the two officers.
"Jimmy? What do you think?" Kim asked him.
He slowly shook his head no and finally said, "I just overdid it. It's starting to go away. I'll be okay. Thanks, guys."
"No problem, Sir. Take it easy. Ma'am," said the older officer as they left to return to patrol.
Kim walked the officers to the door. "Thank you for bringing him home," Kim said. The officer nodded and she closed and locked the door. She turned and walked back over to Jimmy, who sat with his head leaning back against the headrest of the chair, eyes closed and brow furrowed with pain. He was soaking wet and she noticed him shiver.
"Jimmy? What can I do for you?" she asked as she grabbed the afghan from the back of the couch to wrap around him.
"I just need to rest. I'm sorry Kimmy," he said. She wasn't sure what he was apologizing for.
"Sorry for what?" she asked as she felt his forehead and noticed a slight fever. "You've got a fever. I'm going to get you some Tylenol and a cup of hot tea," she said standing up.
He reached out and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk," he said quietly.
She covered his hand with hers and said, "Jimmy, you were just upset before. We both were. I'm sorry I did what I did - leaving with Joey like that. I knew what you'd do if you found out I was pregnant. I just didn't think it was fair not give you and Brooke a fighting chance," Kim said, trying not to cry.
"No, I don't mean earlier. I mean for being such a jerk back then - when we were together. Kim, I just.... I'm sorry. I miss you and Joey. I miss the life that we had. I'm sorry it took all the pain that I caused you and Joey and me to realize that you're what I needed and wanted all along," he finished. She felt him relax after he'd said it.
"So, is that what you were out running for?" Kim asked him.
Jimmy nodded his head, "That's some of it."
"I'll be right back with your medicine and tea," she said, sliding her hands free of his and heading toward the kitchen. She looked back at him from the doorway to the kitchen and saw that he was fast asleep. She watched him sleep for a moment and then went to make his tea. She couldn't let him sit there in wet clothes all night. She'd let him sleep while she made his tea and got him some dry clothes. She'd wake him up to take his medicine and put him to bed.
One thing was for sure - there were still plenty of things to talk about. But, she knew in her heart what she wanted. The question was, could it work?