Chapter 36
Jimmy drove into the hospital with Kim for his doctor's appointment.
"So, are you nervous?" asked Kim as she glanced over at Jimmy who was staring out the front of the car at nothing in particular.
"Nah. I think I'm doing okay. He'll probably release me to go back to work," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice. He didn't want to go back to work yet. He didn't want to leave his family again. He'd thought about getting a job with the department here in Chicago. He'd even gone to the station near Kim's to check it out. He met some great guys and they told him about the job there in Chicago and who to talk to about trying to get on the department. But, it wasn't New York City and he loved his job there. He loved the guys there. And then his eyes grew dark as he thought to himself, "And Bobby's not there."
"Well, it'll probably be good to get back to work, right?" Kim asked him. "You know, back into a routine. I know its been driving you crazy hearing the trucks go by the house and not being on one of them," she said.
"What? What do you mean 'you know it's driving me crazy?'" Jimmy asked her, with slight irritation in his voice. He wasn't irritated at her; he was irritated at the situation.
"Because I know you Jimmy. I see it in your eyes. You're a firefighter and you'll always be a firefighter," she said, with some admiration in her voice.
Jimmy just nodded as he looked out his side window as they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.
"Okay, so you now where the office is, right?" Kim asked as they walked into the hospital.
"Yeah. I'll be fine, Mommy," he said jokingly.
She punched him lightly in the arm. "Okay, I'm going to go to work. Can you bring Charlie up to the daycare on your way?"
"Sure," he said. "C'mere, munchkin," he said, taking his daughter into his arms. Charlie snuggled her head just under Jimmy's chin, alongside his neck and Jimmy got a peaceful feeling from it. He loved the smell of this baby - his baby.
"What?" Kim said, as she noticed that Jimmy was staring at her.
"Nothing," he said, leaning over to kiss her. The kiss lasted a little longer than she'd thought it would and she was slightly flustered by it. "Just thanks," he finished.
"For what?" Kim asked him.
"For taking care of me. For Joey and for Charlie," he said. "Now get to work," he said as he turned to bring Charlie to daycare and head upstairs for his appointment.
"Don't forget to tell the doctor about the headaches," she called after him. He waved his hand in the air without turning around to acknowledge her comment.
Kim watched him walk away.
"Cute," came a voice from behind her. She turned to find her friend April standing behind her. "You left that behind in New York?" she asked Kim with an "I can't believe you left him," look on her face.
"It's complicated," Kim replied simply and headed off to work.
Jimmy drove into the hospital with Kim for his doctor's appointment.
"So, are you nervous?" asked Kim as she glanced over at Jimmy who was staring out the front of the car at nothing in particular.
"Nah. I think I'm doing okay. He'll probably release me to go back to work," he said with a hint of sadness in his voice. He didn't want to go back to work yet. He didn't want to leave his family again. He'd thought about getting a job with the department here in Chicago. He'd even gone to the station near Kim's to check it out. He met some great guys and they told him about the job there in Chicago and who to talk to about trying to get on the department. But, it wasn't New York City and he loved his job there. He loved the guys there. And then his eyes grew dark as he thought to himself, "And Bobby's not there."
"Well, it'll probably be good to get back to work, right?" Kim asked him. "You know, back into a routine. I know its been driving you crazy hearing the trucks go by the house and not being on one of them," she said.
"What? What do you mean 'you know it's driving me crazy?'" Jimmy asked her, with slight irritation in his voice. He wasn't irritated at her; he was irritated at the situation.
"Because I know you Jimmy. I see it in your eyes. You're a firefighter and you'll always be a firefighter," she said, with some admiration in her voice.
Jimmy just nodded as he looked out his side window as they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.
"Okay, so you now where the office is, right?" Kim asked as they walked into the hospital.
"Yeah. I'll be fine, Mommy," he said jokingly.
She punched him lightly in the arm. "Okay, I'm going to go to work. Can you bring Charlie up to the daycare on your way?"
"Sure," he said. "C'mere, munchkin," he said, taking his daughter into his arms. Charlie snuggled her head just under Jimmy's chin, alongside his neck and Jimmy got a peaceful feeling from it. He loved the smell of this baby - his baby.
"What?" Kim said, as she noticed that Jimmy was staring at her.
"Nothing," he said, leaning over to kiss her. The kiss lasted a little longer than she'd thought it would and she was slightly flustered by it. "Just thanks," he finished.
"For what?" Kim asked him.
"For taking care of me. For Joey and for Charlie," he said. "Now get to work," he said as he turned to bring Charlie to daycare and head upstairs for his appointment.
"Don't forget to tell the doctor about the headaches," she called after him. He waved his hand in the air without turning around to acknowledge her comment.
Kim watched him walk away.
"Cute," came a voice from behind her. She turned to find her friend April standing behind her. "You left that behind in New York?" she asked Kim with an "I can't believe you left him," look on her face.
"It's complicated," Kim replied simply and headed off to work.