Chapter 5
Jack drove straight to the hospital, always a man of his word. He hesitated before getting out of the car and slammed his fist against the steering wheel.
"Damnit!" He had acted like a coward and ran from Kate yet again. He just couldn't believe what she had just told him. However, a similar conversation had been playing in his mind since he sped away from Kate's.
"There's something I have to tell you, I've been waiting for the right time."
"What is it?"
"You're going to be a father. Again."
"What are you saying? That you're pregnant?"
"Yes, that's generally how it works, Jack."
Teri's voice echoed in his head, "I keep thinking that...maybe this is the second chance we've been talking about."
Jack used the back of his hand to quickly swipe at the tears that had formed and threatened to spill down his cheeks. As a rule, he was not an emotional man, but now he had broken down several times in the past week in this very same parking lot. It was growing more difficult to stay detached; something he had learned was crucial to success in his line of work.
Kate's astonishing news was triggering memories that he had buried a long time ago. He hadn't even thought about the baby that never was in several years and the visions of Teri's death had faded into the background of his mind. Granted, they were always there and surfaced occasionally, but the pain was not as sharp as it once was. His fight with Tony that day had also threatened to bring those memories flooding back, but he managed to bury them then, the consequences were too great.
But this was different, because the only lives at stake today were his own, and now, that of his child's. He wasn't sure if he was ready to be a father again, there was no room in his life right now for a child. He had worked very hard at distancing himself from Kate and anything that mattered, except Kim.
Guilt about his frequent absences from Kim's life still ate at him. Kim loved him, but she would easily admit that he wasn't the best father, a fact that still broke his heart.
Glancing at his watch, he realized he needed to head inside to meet Kim. Visiting hours started at two and he was eager to see how Chase was doing. He still felt responsible for chopping the kid's hand off, despite his consent and the necessity of the situation. Even though they would both be dead now otherwise, he really admired Chase for his bravery, he was a good kid and Jack hoped he and Kim could make it work.
Jack composed himself and stepped down from the truck, making sure he picked up the small package that sat on the seat next to him. He strode across the parking lot to the hospital entrance, noticing Kim through the glass automatic double doors. As he neared them, the doors opened with a whoosh, causing Kim to turn around.
"Dad!" She was glad to see him and ran to him and embraced him, encircling him with her arms, comforted by his touch.
His hand stroked her blonde hair, and he inhaled the scent of her. He was reluctant to break the hug; it reminded him of holding her as an infant and smelling her soft baby-fine hair. Kim meant the world to him and he really missed her daily presence in his life.
"How's Chase doing?" He gently asked as he rested his head on hers.
She pulled away and studied his face, "Really good, considering what he went through. The doctors are optimistic and he has some feeling back in his hand. I was just about to—Dad, what's wrong?"
Jack didn't really want to get into this here, but he could never lie to Kim, "I went to Kate's." They were still standing in the hospital entrance, so she guided him to a set of chairs in the adjacent waiting room.
"So you know?"
"Yeah," his eyes were on the floor now. This was still shocking for him to even say, "I'm going to be a dad again, Kim."
Kim reached over and hugged Jack again, knowing that he needed her right now. "Oh, Dad, I'm really happy for you."
This time, he pulled back, questions in his eyes, "You are? I would have thought you would be angry with me. Your mom—"
She cut him off, "Dad, it's been over four years now, I still miss her, but I think she would want you to be happy. I want you to be happy."
"That reminds me," Jack rooted around in his pocket for the package he had brought with him. He produced a small velvet box and handed it to Kim. "I found it while I was moving some things around after you left. She would want you to have it."
Kim reluctantly took the box and opened it, revealing Teri's wedding ring. It was a slim gold band with two small baguette diamonds surrounding a slightly larger one. Jack had proposed with it while they were still so young, so he couldn't afford much at the time, but Teri had loved it anyway. She had refused his offer of a bigger one once he was making more money, saying it wouldn't be the same.
It wasn't extravagant, but Kim thought it was beautiful. "Thanks Dad, this means a lot to me."
They hugged tightly again, just holding each other for comfort. Finally, Kim asked, "So what are you going to do?"
He knew she was asking about the baby and Kate, but he honestly didn't have an answer for her, "I don't know yet, I am still trying to figure everything out."
"Dad, can I be honest with you?" She didn't want to hurt Jack's feelings, but she had to say it.
"Of course, Kim, you can say anything to me."
She took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes, "If you are going to do this, do it all the way, be there for Kate and the baby. I love you, but you weren't always there for me and I hope you won't make the same mistake twice. "
Kim thought he looked defeated, and somehow seemed older than he had been just a couple of weeks ago. He leaned over and put his head in his hands, then reached up and massaged the area between his eyes again.
The only response he gave was a quiet, "I know."
To Be Continued....
Author's Note: I hadn't planned on this chapter being about Kim, but it just worked out that way. I just thought he had to be sure it was ok with Kim first before he made a decision about the baby. Hopefully, there will be more Kate and Jack interaction in the next chapter. Also, I just watched episode 1 again and "the infamous phone call". They never showed a full-body shot of Kate, so this COULD have happened (in my dreams!)
Jack drove straight to the hospital, always a man of his word. He hesitated before getting out of the car and slammed his fist against the steering wheel.
"Damnit!" He had acted like a coward and ran from Kate yet again. He just couldn't believe what she had just told him. However, a similar conversation had been playing in his mind since he sped away from Kate's.
"There's something I have to tell you, I've been waiting for the right time."
"What is it?"
"You're going to be a father. Again."
"What are you saying? That you're pregnant?"
"Yes, that's generally how it works, Jack."
Teri's voice echoed in his head, "I keep thinking that...maybe this is the second chance we've been talking about."
Jack used the back of his hand to quickly swipe at the tears that had formed and threatened to spill down his cheeks. As a rule, he was not an emotional man, but now he had broken down several times in the past week in this very same parking lot. It was growing more difficult to stay detached; something he had learned was crucial to success in his line of work.
Kate's astonishing news was triggering memories that he had buried a long time ago. He hadn't even thought about the baby that never was in several years and the visions of Teri's death had faded into the background of his mind. Granted, they were always there and surfaced occasionally, but the pain was not as sharp as it once was. His fight with Tony that day had also threatened to bring those memories flooding back, but he managed to bury them then, the consequences were too great.
But this was different, because the only lives at stake today were his own, and now, that of his child's. He wasn't sure if he was ready to be a father again, there was no room in his life right now for a child. He had worked very hard at distancing himself from Kate and anything that mattered, except Kim.
Guilt about his frequent absences from Kim's life still ate at him. Kim loved him, but she would easily admit that he wasn't the best father, a fact that still broke his heart.
Glancing at his watch, he realized he needed to head inside to meet Kim. Visiting hours started at two and he was eager to see how Chase was doing. He still felt responsible for chopping the kid's hand off, despite his consent and the necessity of the situation. Even though they would both be dead now otherwise, he really admired Chase for his bravery, he was a good kid and Jack hoped he and Kim could make it work.
Jack composed himself and stepped down from the truck, making sure he picked up the small package that sat on the seat next to him. He strode across the parking lot to the hospital entrance, noticing Kim through the glass automatic double doors. As he neared them, the doors opened with a whoosh, causing Kim to turn around.
"Dad!" She was glad to see him and ran to him and embraced him, encircling him with her arms, comforted by his touch.
His hand stroked her blonde hair, and he inhaled the scent of her. He was reluctant to break the hug; it reminded him of holding her as an infant and smelling her soft baby-fine hair. Kim meant the world to him and he really missed her daily presence in his life.
"How's Chase doing?" He gently asked as he rested his head on hers.
She pulled away and studied his face, "Really good, considering what he went through. The doctors are optimistic and he has some feeling back in his hand. I was just about to—Dad, what's wrong?"
Jack didn't really want to get into this here, but he could never lie to Kim, "I went to Kate's." They were still standing in the hospital entrance, so she guided him to a set of chairs in the adjacent waiting room.
"So you know?"
"Yeah," his eyes were on the floor now. This was still shocking for him to even say, "I'm going to be a dad again, Kim."
Kim reached over and hugged Jack again, knowing that he needed her right now. "Oh, Dad, I'm really happy for you."
This time, he pulled back, questions in his eyes, "You are? I would have thought you would be angry with me. Your mom—"
She cut him off, "Dad, it's been over four years now, I still miss her, but I think she would want you to be happy. I want you to be happy."
"That reminds me," Jack rooted around in his pocket for the package he had brought with him. He produced a small velvet box and handed it to Kim. "I found it while I was moving some things around after you left. She would want you to have it."
Kim reluctantly took the box and opened it, revealing Teri's wedding ring. It was a slim gold band with two small baguette diamonds surrounding a slightly larger one. Jack had proposed with it while they were still so young, so he couldn't afford much at the time, but Teri had loved it anyway. She had refused his offer of a bigger one once he was making more money, saying it wouldn't be the same.
It wasn't extravagant, but Kim thought it was beautiful. "Thanks Dad, this means a lot to me."
They hugged tightly again, just holding each other for comfort. Finally, Kim asked, "So what are you going to do?"
He knew she was asking about the baby and Kate, but he honestly didn't have an answer for her, "I don't know yet, I am still trying to figure everything out."
"Dad, can I be honest with you?" She didn't want to hurt Jack's feelings, but she had to say it.
"Of course, Kim, you can say anything to me."
She took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes, "If you are going to do this, do it all the way, be there for Kate and the baby. I love you, but you weren't always there for me and I hope you won't make the same mistake twice. "
Kim thought he looked defeated, and somehow seemed older than he had been just a couple of weeks ago. He leaned over and put his head in his hands, then reached up and massaged the area between his eyes again.
The only response he gave was a quiet, "I know."
To Be Continued....
Author's Note: I hadn't planned on this chapter being about Kim, but it just worked out that way. I just thought he had to be sure it was ok with Kim first before he made a decision about the baby. Hopefully, there will be more Kate and Jack interaction in the next chapter. Also, I just watched episode 1 again and "the infamous phone call". They never showed a full-body shot of Kate, so this COULD have happened (in my dreams!)