Jimmy sat there, half listening to the conversation around him. Walsh was saying
something about baseball; normally Jimmy's favorite conversation, but not even the
Yankees could distract him.
"Uh, excuse me guys, I gotta hit the bathroom." Jimmy said, interrupting the small
talk.
He stood up, holding his arm close to his sore ribs, and made his way out the
door. He walked as fast as he could to the bathroom, holding his breath. He knew if
he let out more one breath the tears would fall faster then he could hide them. He
had been holding it all in. Holding in his own pain, his worry for Joey, and also Kim. He
blamed himself for running late that morning, if they had left on time they wouldn't
have been in the accident.
He pushed the metal door to the bathroom open. He did a quick look over,
making sure he was alone before letting it all go. He leaned with all his weight onto
the bathroom sink. The tears fell fast. It was a refreshing feeling for Jimmy; the
tears that stained his cheeks had been at bay since he heard the news.
His mind flashed back to the day Joey was born. They had just gotten back
from a call, and Jimmy has lucky enough to grab the first shower. He was standing
there letting the hot water hit his body, when heard Lombardo calling his name.
Before he could answer, Lombardo was at the bathroom door.
"Kim in labor!" he shouted over the sound of the running shower.
Jimmy jumped out of the shower, and threw on clean clothes before sliding
down the pole.
"I need a ride! Kim's is having the baby." Jimmy shouted.
"Where's your car?" asked DK.
"I left it for Kim, she had a doctors appointment. Can I get a ride someone?" Jimmy
said impatiently.
"Let's go Jimmy," said DK grabbing his keys.
"We want details Jimmy! And pictures!" yelled Lieu to Jimmy as ran out of the
firehouse.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jimmy ran straight to the labor and
delivery ward. A nurse directed him to Kim's room, he was so relieved when he saw Kim
was safe and he hadn't missed the birth of his son.
The next few hours of labor flew by, before he knew it the doctor was placing
Joey's small body into his arms. He looked down at his son, and realized at that
moment it didn't matter what else he did in his life, because from this day on he would
always be someone's father.
"Screw the Yankees" he thought, "this is what it's about," he said looking proudly at
his son.
The sound of the door creaking forced him back into reality. He tried to regain
his composure; wiping his face before turned to see who had just come in.
"Jimmy?" DK called before entering the bathroom. He had a good feeling what
Jimmy was doing in there, and was almost hesitated to walk in.
"Yeah DK, I'm coming" Jimmy answered.
DK walked in towards Jimmy, "How you doing bro?" he asked.
"I'm fine. Is there news or something?"
"No, Boscorelli and Yokas are here. They need to take a statement. You want
me to tell them to come back later?"
"No, I'm Ok. I just need a second…" Jimmy said while turning on the sink to
wash his face.
"You don't have to be Ok, you know? It's just me brother. If you wanna talk or
anything ya' know"
"Yeah, I know DK. I'm fine, really. Let's go," Jimmy said, looking in the mirror
once more. His eyes were a red, and swollen from his tears, but there was little he
could do about that now. As much as he would like it, he couldn't hide out in the
bathroom forever. "Let's go," he said walking towards the door.
Jimmy turned back, "Did Katherine find Kim?" he asked DK.
"Yeah, they were just getting back when I left."
Jimmy nodded, and headed back towards the crowded waiting room.
"Poor Kim," Faith said quietly to Bosco as they waited for Jimmy. "I don't know
what I would do if that was Charlie. We do everything we can to keep them safe, and
then something like this happens. That poor little boy was just going to school, and now
he's fighting for his life. It just doesn't make sense."
"You always do that you know," Bosco said.
"Do what?"
"Imagine things like this are going to happen to your kids. You worry too much."
Bosco said.
"That's what parents do. Everything reminds you of your children. You'll
understand same day." Faith said.
"Never." Bosco simply replied.
Jimmy stood in the doorway, "Bosco, you wanted to talk?"
Bosco and Faith stood up, and walked towards Jimmy. Jimmy motioned to a
small desk area outside the waiting room, and walked over to it.
"I'm so sorry Jimmy," Faith said.
"Thanks, Faith. He's going to be Ok though." Jimmy replied.
"Yeah, I'm sure he is. I'm sorry we have to do this now, but we really want to try and
get this guy." Bosco said.
"No problem, I understand. So, do you guys think someone was a fault?" Jimmy asked.
"We talked to a few witnesses, apparently some jagoff drove off before any uniforms
got on scene. We got a partial plate, and a few leads. We'd just like to get what you
remember." Bosco answered.
"I don't remember much. I was dropping Joey off at school, we were running a little
late. We were playing a video game, and I guess I just lost track of time. I really
should have paid more attention…" Jimmy rambled off.
"It's not you fault Jimmy," Faith said, she could see the guilt and pain in his eyes.
"Yeah, I know…"
"So, you were heading east towards 32nd?" Bosco said, jumping in.
"Yeah, I don't remember much. I probably won't be much of any help. Some ass
came flying down the middle lane, I guess the car next to me swerved... and hit me. I
think we got hit that's when we hit the wall. Someone said the back of us got nailed, I
don't remember though. I'm sorry." Jimmy explained.
"Thanks Jimmy. I think that's all we really need, right Boz?" Faith said. She could tell
they weren't going to get much information from him, and Jimmy talking to them about
the accident was probably the last thing he wanted to be doing.
"Yeah, that should be good." Bosco said, closing up his notepad.
"Take care Jimmy, we'll be praying for your little boy." Faith said.
"Thanks, I appreciate that." Jimmy said. He ran his fingers through his hair, took a
deep breath and headed back to the waiting room.
something about baseball; normally Jimmy's favorite conversation, but not even the
Yankees could distract him.
"Uh, excuse me guys, I gotta hit the bathroom." Jimmy said, interrupting the small
talk.
He stood up, holding his arm close to his sore ribs, and made his way out the
door. He walked as fast as he could to the bathroom, holding his breath. He knew if
he let out more one breath the tears would fall faster then he could hide them. He
had been holding it all in. Holding in his own pain, his worry for Joey, and also Kim. He
blamed himself for running late that morning, if they had left on time they wouldn't
have been in the accident.
He pushed the metal door to the bathroom open. He did a quick look over,
making sure he was alone before letting it all go. He leaned with all his weight onto
the bathroom sink. The tears fell fast. It was a refreshing feeling for Jimmy; the
tears that stained his cheeks had been at bay since he heard the news.
His mind flashed back to the day Joey was born. They had just gotten back
from a call, and Jimmy has lucky enough to grab the first shower. He was standing
there letting the hot water hit his body, when heard Lombardo calling his name.
Before he could answer, Lombardo was at the bathroom door.
"Kim in labor!" he shouted over the sound of the running shower.
Jimmy jumped out of the shower, and threw on clean clothes before sliding
down the pole.
"I need a ride! Kim's is having the baby." Jimmy shouted.
"Where's your car?" asked DK.
"I left it for Kim, she had a doctors appointment. Can I get a ride someone?" Jimmy
said impatiently.
"Let's go Jimmy," said DK grabbing his keys.
"We want details Jimmy! And pictures!" yelled Lieu to Jimmy as ran out of the
firehouse.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jimmy ran straight to the labor and
delivery ward. A nurse directed him to Kim's room, he was so relieved when he saw Kim
was safe and he hadn't missed the birth of his son.
The next few hours of labor flew by, before he knew it the doctor was placing
Joey's small body into his arms. He looked down at his son, and realized at that
moment it didn't matter what else he did in his life, because from this day on he would
always be someone's father.
"Screw the Yankees" he thought, "this is what it's about," he said looking proudly at
his son.
The sound of the door creaking forced him back into reality. He tried to regain
his composure; wiping his face before turned to see who had just come in.
"Jimmy?" DK called before entering the bathroom. He had a good feeling what
Jimmy was doing in there, and was almost hesitated to walk in.
"Yeah DK, I'm coming" Jimmy answered.
DK walked in towards Jimmy, "How you doing bro?" he asked.
"I'm fine. Is there news or something?"
"No, Boscorelli and Yokas are here. They need to take a statement. You want
me to tell them to come back later?"
"No, I'm Ok. I just need a second…" Jimmy said while turning on the sink to
wash his face.
"You don't have to be Ok, you know? It's just me brother. If you wanna talk or
anything ya' know"
"Yeah, I know DK. I'm fine, really. Let's go," Jimmy said, looking in the mirror
once more. His eyes were a red, and swollen from his tears, but there was little he
could do about that now. As much as he would like it, he couldn't hide out in the
bathroom forever. "Let's go," he said walking towards the door.
Jimmy turned back, "Did Katherine find Kim?" he asked DK.
"Yeah, they were just getting back when I left."
Jimmy nodded, and headed back towards the crowded waiting room.
"Poor Kim," Faith said quietly to Bosco as they waited for Jimmy. "I don't know
what I would do if that was Charlie. We do everything we can to keep them safe, and
then something like this happens. That poor little boy was just going to school, and now
he's fighting for his life. It just doesn't make sense."
"You always do that you know," Bosco said.
"Do what?"
"Imagine things like this are going to happen to your kids. You worry too much."
Bosco said.
"That's what parents do. Everything reminds you of your children. You'll
understand same day." Faith said.
"Never." Bosco simply replied.
Jimmy stood in the doorway, "Bosco, you wanted to talk?"
Bosco and Faith stood up, and walked towards Jimmy. Jimmy motioned to a
small desk area outside the waiting room, and walked over to it.
"I'm so sorry Jimmy," Faith said.
"Thanks, Faith. He's going to be Ok though." Jimmy replied.
"Yeah, I'm sure he is. I'm sorry we have to do this now, but we really want to try and
get this guy." Bosco said.
"No problem, I understand. So, do you guys think someone was a fault?" Jimmy asked.
"We talked to a few witnesses, apparently some jagoff drove off before any uniforms
got on scene. We got a partial plate, and a few leads. We'd just like to get what you
remember." Bosco answered.
"I don't remember much. I was dropping Joey off at school, we were running a little
late. We were playing a video game, and I guess I just lost track of time. I really
should have paid more attention…" Jimmy rambled off.
"It's not you fault Jimmy," Faith said, she could see the guilt and pain in his eyes.
"Yeah, I know…"
"So, you were heading east towards 32nd?" Bosco said, jumping in.
"Yeah, I don't remember much. I probably won't be much of any help. Some ass
came flying down the middle lane, I guess the car next to me swerved... and hit me. I
think we got hit that's when we hit the wall. Someone said the back of us got nailed, I
don't remember though. I'm sorry." Jimmy explained.
"Thanks Jimmy. I think that's all we really need, right Boz?" Faith said. She could tell
they weren't going to get much information from him, and Jimmy talking to them about
the accident was probably the last thing he wanted to be doing.
"Yeah, that should be good." Bosco said, closing up his notepad.
"Take care Jimmy, we'll be praying for your little boy." Faith said.
"Thanks, I appreciate that." Jimmy said. He ran his fingers through his hair, took a
deep breath and headed back to the waiting room.