Kim's voice sounded far away, but even in his semi-conscious state he could hear it. She was shouting his name, slapping his cheek gently. With some effort he opened his eyes, saw her face swim into focus.
"Thank God," Kim breathed shakily. "I thought I lost you."
Jimmy frowned, the discomfort seeping back into his sleep-numbed body. "Still here."
She brushed her hair out of her eyes, taking in a breath. "How are you feeling?"
He shot her a pointed look.
"Right," she drew out.
Jimmy moved his gaze from her to the rearview mirror, and blinked hard. "Where's Joey?"
"He's on the road," Kim said, biting her lip and shooting an anxious look out the side window. "He's got my phone."
Jimmy opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.
"I know, okay?" she said. "But there's no reception in here, and he's trying to find a place where he can get enough to call for help. I didn't want to send him, Jimmy, but I had to stay here with you."
She sighed, looked at the passenger door, dented in like Jimmy's. "I don't know if I could get out if I wanted.
"Does he..." jimmy furrowed his brow for a moment, trying to recall a lost thought.
"Does he what?" Kim prodded.
"...mittens?" Jimmy finished lamely, still looking confused.
Kim frowned. "He's got his gloves, Jimmy."
Jimmy screwed his eyes shut suddenly, arching his back and letting out a hiss of pain.
"What?" Kim said urgently. "What?"
He fell back limply, breathing hard. "Hurts a little, Kim."
She smiled. "Well, if you can still manage sarcasm, I guess you're gonna be okay."
He opened his eyes again, looking at her intently. "Joey can't use a cell-phone."
"I showed him," she reassured him. "All he's gotta do is watch for the arrows to go up so he knows when to press 9."
Jimmy nodded, shifting a bit in his seat, groaning slightly.
Kim bit her lip again, leaned over him. "You okay?"
"No," he muttered, inhaling deeply. "What the hell is that damn smell?"
"What..?" Kim asked, peering at him.
Jimmy didn't answer. He knew he knew that scent. There was only a matter of placing it, and then it wouldn't be annoying him so much.
"Jimmy?" she asked again.
Burning rubber. That was it. From the screaming tires, trying to catch at the asphalt. He'd smelled it a hundred times at accident scenes.
A satisfied smile fell across his face. "Nothing."
She gave him that worried look again.
"How long has he been gone?" he asked suddenly.
Kim pulled up her coat sleeve to check her watch. "About fifteen minutes."
That meant he hadn't been out of it that long. That was good. On the other hand...
"Did you make sure he zipped up his jacket?" he asked. "He hates zipping up his jacket."
"I made sure, Jimmy," Kim assured him, reaching over to take his wrist in her hand to monitor his pulse.
"He must be getting cold," Jimmy said distractedly.
Joey had to be getting cold. He himself was freezing.
Kim must have noticed his involuntary shiver. "Jimmy?"
He looked at her.
"Jimmy, can you lean forward for a second?"
Every inch of his body screamed for him not to attempt it.
"Just a little bit," she said.
Holding his breath and screwing his eyes shut, he leaned forward the slightest bit, felt Kim's hands probing the back of his head, the side...
"Shit!" he cried as her fingers hit a sensitive spot.
She pulled her hand away and he fell back against the seat, breathing heavily.
"Jimmy?" she asked.
"Wha?" he muttered.
"Did you know you were bleeding?" she asked, holding up her hand.
Crimson stained her palm.
Jimmy furrowed his brow yet again, thinking. "My head doesn't hurt."
That wasn't entirely the truth. It did hurt, but not as much as his legs, which was probably why he hadn't noticed it so much.
He explained his theory to Kim. In response, she bit her lip again, looking out the window for any sign of her son.
"Thank God," Kim breathed shakily. "I thought I lost you."
Jimmy frowned, the discomfort seeping back into his sleep-numbed body. "Still here."
She brushed her hair out of her eyes, taking in a breath. "How are you feeling?"
He shot her a pointed look.
"Right," she drew out.
Jimmy moved his gaze from her to the rearview mirror, and blinked hard. "Where's Joey?"
"He's on the road," Kim said, biting her lip and shooting an anxious look out the side window. "He's got my phone."
Jimmy opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.
"I know, okay?" she said. "But there's no reception in here, and he's trying to find a place where he can get enough to call for help. I didn't want to send him, Jimmy, but I had to stay here with you."
She sighed, looked at the passenger door, dented in like Jimmy's. "I don't know if I could get out if I wanted.
"Does he..." jimmy furrowed his brow for a moment, trying to recall a lost thought.
"Does he what?" Kim prodded.
"...mittens?" Jimmy finished lamely, still looking confused.
Kim frowned. "He's got his gloves, Jimmy."
Jimmy screwed his eyes shut suddenly, arching his back and letting out a hiss of pain.
"What?" Kim said urgently. "What?"
He fell back limply, breathing hard. "Hurts a little, Kim."
She smiled. "Well, if you can still manage sarcasm, I guess you're gonna be okay."
He opened his eyes again, looking at her intently. "Joey can't use a cell-phone."
"I showed him," she reassured him. "All he's gotta do is watch for the arrows to go up so he knows when to press 9."
Jimmy nodded, shifting a bit in his seat, groaning slightly.
Kim bit her lip again, leaned over him. "You okay?"
"No," he muttered, inhaling deeply. "What the hell is that damn smell?"
"What..?" Kim asked, peering at him.
Jimmy didn't answer. He knew he knew that scent. There was only a matter of placing it, and then it wouldn't be annoying him so much.
"Jimmy?" she asked again.
Burning rubber. That was it. From the screaming tires, trying to catch at the asphalt. He'd smelled it a hundred times at accident scenes.
A satisfied smile fell across his face. "Nothing."
She gave him that worried look again.
"How long has he been gone?" he asked suddenly.
Kim pulled up her coat sleeve to check her watch. "About fifteen minutes."
That meant he hadn't been out of it that long. That was good. On the other hand...
"Did you make sure he zipped up his jacket?" he asked. "He hates zipping up his jacket."
"I made sure, Jimmy," Kim assured him, reaching over to take his wrist in her hand to monitor his pulse.
"He must be getting cold," Jimmy said distractedly.
Joey had to be getting cold. He himself was freezing.
Kim must have noticed his involuntary shiver. "Jimmy?"
He looked at her.
"Jimmy, can you lean forward for a second?"
Every inch of his body screamed for him not to attempt it.
"Just a little bit," she said.
Holding his breath and screwing his eyes shut, he leaned forward the slightest bit, felt Kim's hands probing the back of his head, the side...
"Shit!" he cried as her fingers hit a sensitive spot.
She pulled her hand away and he fell back against the seat, breathing heavily.
"Jimmy?" she asked.
"Wha?" he muttered.
"Did you know you were bleeding?" she asked, holding up her hand.
Crimson stained her palm.
Jimmy furrowed his brow yet again, thinking. "My head doesn't hurt."
That wasn't entirely the truth. It did hurt, but not as much as his legs, which was probably why he hadn't noticed it so much.
He explained his theory to Kim. In response, she bit her lip again, looking out the window for any sign of her son.