She was sitting by his bed, as she had since the minute she was released from the hospital, on a inadequately padded chair, pretending she was actually concentrating on the book she held in slightly trembling hands. As if a romance novel could hold her attention when she was sitting by the bed of her ex-husband, who hadn't awakened in the three days he'd been in this hospital.
She remained convinced that he would wake up soon. It didn't matter that the doctor's said the longer he was unconscious, the less likely it would be for him to wake up. Nope. Didn't matter a bit, because Jimmy was a fighter, and a damn stubborn man.
He would wake up...it was just a matter of when and not if.
This particular evening was rainy, turning the snow icy and dangerous. She absently wished all the drivers safe travels, and turned back to her ex-husband, draping the novel acorss her knee to mark her page.
"You do know that after that little speech in the car, you are NOT allowed to give up and not let me give you a fifth chance, right, Jimmy?" she asked suddenly, her voice more commanding than the sorrow she felt.
With a sigh, she stood up and tossed the book onto the chair. "I'm going for a drink. Don't wake up before I get back."
She stretched and walked out of the room, heading for the little alcove down the hall that housed vending machines. As she walked, she pondered on whether to get Diet Coke or a coffee. The coke would be cold, and she was already chilled, but the coffee in the machine was awful, and sometimes you got tomato soup instead of cream when you hit the buttons.
She turned the corner and pulled out a few coins, still debating.
"Wonder if they have hot chocolate," she murmured, staring at the machine.
Not wanting to spend too much time deciding, she chose the chicken soup, hoping it wouldn't be too harsh to stomach.
As she rounded the corner again, she saw two people, one a nurse in blue scrubs, the other a doctor with his coat flashing white as he ran. They ducked into Jimmy's room, and she could sense the urgency.
She stopped dead, the cup of soup falling from her hand and smashing to the floor, spilling hot liquid across the tiles and her shoes.
A dollar fifty wasted and her husband was going to die.
Run.
Her body obeyed her mind with a small delay, and she ran to Jimmy's room, her heart beating wildly.
Inside, three people - the doctor the nurse and Dr. Gary - were crowded over his bed, and she couldn't understand why no one was doing anything. He wasn't lost to them yet!
"What the hell are you -?" she cried, shoving her way through them.
Jimmy looked blearily up at her, then a relieved smile spread across his face. "Kim...they wouldn't tell me where you were."
Dr. Gary turned to her. "We were more interested in his health."
Jimmy looked at his arm, secure in a plaster cast, and at his knee. "I feel like shit. But seeing Kim's better than whatever you've got me on now."
Kim blushed slightly and grinned. "Jimmy..."
He could tell she was fighting the urge to fling herself into his arms. "Hey, Kimmy."
"Well," Dr. Gary said, clearing his throat. "With no immediate threat to his health, I think we can take vitals and ask questions later. Let's give them some privacy."
"Good idea, Doc," Jimmy said softly, looking at Kim.
As they exited, she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "How do you really feel?"
"Glad to be alive," he said seriously. "And lucky as hell to be looking in your eyes."
She shook her head. "Stop being silly."
"I'm serious, Kim," he said softly. "Feel like giving me another chance?"
"I don't know if I can count that high,"she joked. "But if you're willing to try, I am too."
"I'm not gonna let you down again. Never," he promised her.
"Never's a long time, Jimmy," she said. "Longer than forever."
"Good," he replied. "Cos that's how long I want us to last."
She realized how corny they sounded, and knew that there was a lot that could go wrong, that would go wrong. She understood that.
She also understood that he loved her.
And in that moment, she was willing to try.
She remained convinced that he would wake up soon. It didn't matter that the doctor's said the longer he was unconscious, the less likely it would be for him to wake up. Nope. Didn't matter a bit, because Jimmy was a fighter, and a damn stubborn man.
He would wake up...it was just a matter of when and not if.
This particular evening was rainy, turning the snow icy and dangerous. She absently wished all the drivers safe travels, and turned back to her ex-husband, draping the novel acorss her knee to mark her page.
"You do know that after that little speech in the car, you are NOT allowed to give up and not let me give you a fifth chance, right, Jimmy?" she asked suddenly, her voice more commanding than the sorrow she felt.
With a sigh, she stood up and tossed the book onto the chair. "I'm going for a drink. Don't wake up before I get back."
She stretched and walked out of the room, heading for the little alcove down the hall that housed vending machines. As she walked, she pondered on whether to get Diet Coke or a coffee. The coke would be cold, and she was already chilled, but the coffee in the machine was awful, and sometimes you got tomato soup instead of cream when you hit the buttons.
She turned the corner and pulled out a few coins, still debating.
"Wonder if they have hot chocolate," she murmured, staring at the machine.
Not wanting to spend too much time deciding, she chose the chicken soup, hoping it wouldn't be too harsh to stomach.
As she rounded the corner again, she saw two people, one a nurse in blue scrubs, the other a doctor with his coat flashing white as he ran. They ducked into Jimmy's room, and she could sense the urgency.
She stopped dead, the cup of soup falling from her hand and smashing to the floor, spilling hot liquid across the tiles and her shoes.
A dollar fifty wasted and her husband was going to die.
Run.
Her body obeyed her mind with a small delay, and she ran to Jimmy's room, her heart beating wildly.
Inside, three people - the doctor the nurse and Dr. Gary - were crowded over his bed, and she couldn't understand why no one was doing anything. He wasn't lost to them yet!
"What the hell are you -?" she cried, shoving her way through them.
Jimmy looked blearily up at her, then a relieved smile spread across his face. "Kim...they wouldn't tell me where you were."
Dr. Gary turned to her. "We were more interested in his health."
Jimmy looked at his arm, secure in a plaster cast, and at his knee. "I feel like shit. But seeing Kim's better than whatever you've got me on now."
Kim blushed slightly and grinned. "Jimmy..."
He could tell she was fighting the urge to fling herself into his arms. "Hey, Kimmy."
"Well," Dr. Gary said, clearing his throat. "With no immediate threat to his health, I think we can take vitals and ask questions later. Let's give them some privacy."
"Good idea, Doc," Jimmy said softly, looking at Kim.
As they exited, she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "How do you really feel?"
"Glad to be alive," he said seriously. "And lucky as hell to be looking in your eyes."
She shook her head. "Stop being silly."
"I'm serious, Kim," he said softly. "Feel like giving me another chance?"
"I don't know if I can count that high,"she joked. "But if you're willing to try, I am too."
"I'm not gonna let you down again. Never," he promised her.
"Never's a long time, Jimmy," she said. "Longer than forever."
"Good," he replied. "Cos that's how long I want us to last."
She realized how corny they sounded, and knew that there was a lot that could go wrong, that would go wrong. She understood that.
She also understood that he loved her.
And in that moment, she was willing to try.