Chapter 48
Kim was waiting in the ER for Bobby, Jimmy, Joey, Charlie and Mrs. Caffey. She was pacing back and forth. "What's taking them so long?" she asked herself as her worry grew. Suddenly she had a terrible thought.
She dug threw her purse for her cell phone and dialed Bosco's cell phone number. After three rings he finally answered.
"Boscorelli! Just stay right there, Jag-off!" Bosco said into the phone, out of breath.
"Bosco? It's me Kim. Can you talk for a second?" she asked him, realizing that he was still working and it sounded like he was in the middle of an arrest.
"Kim. Yeah, because this jag-off's not goin' anywhere for a long time," he said into the phone, his voice growing louder as he went. "What's up?" he asked, returning his attention to Kim.
"Bos. There was a fire at Bobby's Mom's house. Where the kids are," she continued.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked suddenly concerned with what she was telling him.
"Yeah, I think so. Bobby's unconscious, but they think it's just the smoke. Look, with all that's happened, I have a gut feeling that this fire wasn't just an accident," she said. "Do you know this cop that's supposed to be covering my mother's house? She's there with Abby. Does he know what he's doing?" she asked him.
"Yeah, Thompson's a good cop, but- hang on a second," he said taking the phone away from his mouth. She could hear muffled talking in the background and made out Faith's voice as she said, "Absolutely."
Bosco came back to the phone. "Look, Kim. Faith and I are off as soon as we turn this guy over to the lock-up. We're gonna go over and stay with your Mom and Abby until this guy's caught. Don't worry. I'll call Thompson right now and alert him until we get there," he finished.
"Thanks, Bos. I just want to make sure that Bobby and Jimmy and the kids are okay and then I'll head over to Mom's also. Mel's got a guard outside her door, so she should be good for the night. I really owe you guys one," she said, hanging up the phone just as the ambulances pulled up with her family inside.
Jimmy came in carrying Charlie and a tight hold on Joey's hand. Joey broke free and ran over to Kim as soon as he saw her. "Mom! It was terrible. I was so scared. Bobby lowered me out the window and then reached way out and handed Charlie to me. Is he gonna be okay, Mom? Is he? Dad went in and rescued Bobby. It was awesome," he said, out of breath and with a look of admiration on his face as he looked over at Jimmy.
"Joey! I'm so glad you guys are okay. Daddy said that Bobby just took some smoke, so he'll be okay in a little while. Thanks for being so brave and getting Charlie away from the house until Daddy got there," Kim said, hugging Joey tight. She watched as Doc wheeled Bobby past and into the ER. Mrs. Caffey was walking quickly behind the gurney. All of them were covered in soot.
Kim walked up to Jimmy and Charlie and hugged them both. "Jimmy. Thank God you were working tonight. It must have been an omen," she said as she hugged him tightly, getting her clothes covered in soot from his turnout gear.
"Thank God Bobby was there," Jimmy said. "He saved them, Kim. That house was fully involved when we rolled up. I was so scared. I thought.." he said as his voice started to break and he turned away from his friends.
"Jimmy, it's okay to be scared. We all are," Kim assured him. Kim then walked up to Mrs. Caffey who was watching the doctors and nurses take care of Bobby through the window. She put an arm around her shoulder and the woman sagged against her, tears falling. "Kim, I'm so sorry," she said.
"Sorry? Sorry for what? I'm the one who's sorry. Your house was destroyed because of my sister's boyfriend. I'm so sorry," Kim said.
"Kim, please go make sure my Bobby is okay. They won't let me in there, but you're a nurse and paramedic. They'll let you in, right?" Mrs. Caffey asked her.
"I'll see what I can do," she said, turning to go into the ER treatment room. She walked in and Mary Proctor recognized her immediately.
"Kim Zambrano! As I live and breathe. When did you blow back into town? We really missed you around here. And Jimmy did too. We treated him a few times and every time he called your name as he was waking up." Nurse Proctor said, pausing to give Kim a small hug. Kim blushed slightly, getting a warm feeling at the news that Jimmy had called out for her.
"Mary. I missed all of you too. So, how's our hero?" Kim asked, noticing that Bobby was coming around. She walked over to him and took his hand as he came fully awake.
"Well, he took some smoke and he's got a few minor burns. But, all in all, I'd say he's gonna be fine," she said, checking his vitals again. She checked over his IV and the heart monitor and oxygen and turned to leave to check on another patient. "Never a dull moment around this precinct," she said under her breath.
Kim and Bobby laughed, which caused Bobby to start a coughing fit because of the smoke in his lungs. "Bobby, what can I say? Thank you for saving my children. I'm just so sorry about your Mom's house," she said, a few tears escaping down her cheeks. She leaned over and hugged her friend and he weakly tried to hug her back.
"My Mom! Is she okay?" he said, suddenly trying to sit up. "And someone should check on your Mom and Abby," he said.
Kim put a hand on his chest to ease him back down. "She's fine. Everyone's fine because of you. See? She's right there in the window. She hasn't left your side. I'll go get her," Kim said, as she left to bring in Mrs. Caffey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bosco and Faith had finished processing their prisoner and turned him over to the lock-up for the night. Bosco had called the dispatcher to have him advise Thompson to be on the look-out and that they'd be there as soon as they could.
They pulled up outside of Mrs. Zambrano's house and it was completely dark. "That's odd," Faith thought out loud at the same time Bosco thought the same thing.
"Yeah. Knowing that this idiot's out there, you'd think they'd have all the outside lights on at least. And, where's Thompson?" Bosco said as they both looked around. Bosco put the car in park and they got out.
Kim was waiting in the ER for Bobby, Jimmy, Joey, Charlie and Mrs. Caffey. She was pacing back and forth. "What's taking them so long?" she asked herself as her worry grew. Suddenly she had a terrible thought.
She dug threw her purse for her cell phone and dialed Bosco's cell phone number. After three rings he finally answered.
"Boscorelli! Just stay right there, Jag-off!" Bosco said into the phone, out of breath.
"Bosco? It's me Kim. Can you talk for a second?" she asked him, realizing that he was still working and it sounded like he was in the middle of an arrest.
"Kim. Yeah, because this jag-off's not goin' anywhere for a long time," he said into the phone, his voice growing louder as he went. "What's up?" he asked, returning his attention to Kim.
"Bos. There was a fire at Bobby's Mom's house. Where the kids are," she continued.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked suddenly concerned with what she was telling him.
"Yeah, I think so. Bobby's unconscious, but they think it's just the smoke. Look, with all that's happened, I have a gut feeling that this fire wasn't just an accident," she said. "Do you know this cop that's supposed to be covering my mother's house? She's there with Abby. Does he know what he's doing?" she asked him.
"Yeah, Thompson's a good cop, but- hang on a second," he said taking the phone away from his mouth. She could hear muffled talking in the background and made out Faith's voice as she said, "Absolutely."
Bosco came back to the phone. "Look, Kim. Faith and I are off as soon as we turn this guy over to the lock-up. We're gonna go over and stay with your Mom and Abby until this guy's caught. Don't worry. I'll call Thompson right now and alert him until we get there," he finished.
"Thanks, Bos. I just want to make sure that Bobby and Jimmy and the kids are okay and then I'll head over to Mom's also. Mel's got a guard outside her door, so she should be good for the night. I really owe you guys one," she said, hanging up the phone just as the ambulances pulled up with her family inside.
Jimmy came in carrying Charlie and a tight hold on Joey's hand. Joey broke free and ran over to Kim as soon as he saw her. "Mom! It was terrible. I was so scared. Bobby lowered me out the window and then reached way out and handed Charlie to me. Is he gonna be okay, Mom? Is he? Dad went in and rescued Bobby. It was awesome," he said, out of breath and with a look of admiration on his face as he looked over at Jimmy.
"Joey! I'm so glad you guys are okay. Daddy said that Bobby just took some smoke, so he'll be okay in a little while. Thanks for being so brave and getting Charlie away from the house until Daddy got there," Kim said, hugging Joey tight. She watched as Doc wheeled Bobby past and into the ER. Mrs. Caffey was walking quickly behind the gurney. All of them were covered in soot.
Kim walked up to Jimmy and Charlie and hugged them both. "Jimmy. Thank God you were working tonight. It must have been an omen," she said as she hugged him tightly, getting her clothes covered in soot from his turnout gear.
"Thank God Bobby was there," Jimmy said. "He saved them, Kim. That house was fully involved when we rolled up. I was so scared. I thought.." he said as his voice started to break and he turned away from his friends.
"Jimmy, it's okay to be scared. We all are," Kim assured him. Kim then walked up to Mrs. Caffey who was watching the doctors and nurses take care of Bobby through the window. She put an arm around her shoulder and the woman sagged against her, tears falling. "Kim, I'm so sorry," she said.
"Sorry? Sorry for what? I'm the one who's sorry. Your house was destroyed because of my sister's boyfriend. I'm so sorry," Kim said.
"Kim, please go make sure my Bobby is okay. They won't let me in there, but you're a nurse and paramedic. They'll let you in, right?" Mrs. Caffey asked her.
"I'll see what I can do," she said, turning to go into the ER treatment room. She walked in and Mary Proctor recognized her immediately.
"Kim Zambrano! As I live and breathe. When did you blow back into town? We really missed you around here. And Jimmy did too. We treated him a few times and every time he called your name as he was waking up." Nurse Proctor said, pausing to give Kim a small hug. Kim blushed slightly, getting a warm feeling at the news that Jimmy had called out for her.
"Mary. I missed all of you too. So, how's our hero?" Kim asked, noticing that Bobby was coming around. She walked over to him and took his hand as he came fully awake.
"Well, he took some smoke and he's got a few minor burns. But, all in all, I'd say he's gonna be fine," she said, checking his vitals again. She checked over his IV and the heart monitor and oxygen and turned to leave to check on another patient. "Never a dull moment around this precinct," she said under her breath.
Kim and Bobby laughed, which caused Bobby to start a coughing fit because of the smoke in his lungs. "Bobby, what can I say? Thank you for saving my children. I'm just so sorry about your Mom's house," she said, a few tears escaping down her cheeks. She leaned over and hugged her friend and he weakly tried to hug her back.
"My Mom! Is she okay?" he said, suddenly trying to sit up. "And someone should check on your Mom and Abby," he said.
Kim put a hand on his chest to ease him back down. "She's fine. Everyone's fine because of you. See? She's right there in the window. She hasn't left your side. I'll go get her," Kim said, as she left to bring in Mrs. Caffey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bosco and Faith had finished processing their prisoner and turned him over to the lock-up for the night. Bosco had called the dispatcher to have him advise Thompson to be on the look-out and that they'd be there as soon as they could.
They pulled up outside of Mrs. Zambrano's house and it was completely dark. "That's odd," Faith thought out loud at the same time Bosco thought the same thing.
"Yeah. Knowing that this idiot's out there, you'd think they'd have all the outside lights on at least. And, where's Thompson?" Bosco said as they both looked around. Bosco put the car in park and they got out.