Chapter II.

Reconciliations and Conversations

Middleton Hospital

"Hold him!" The orderly shouted as another patient broke free in the emergency room.

"I CAN HEAR HIM! LET ME GO TO HIM!"

"Jesus… what is this, lunatics' night out?"

"Hell if I know, but every hospital in town is getting the freakshow parade." The emergency room was busier then Kim had ever seen it. Injuries from fights, attempted suicides… everything. Even some of the nurses looked frazzled, leaning against the walls.

A few nurses recognized her, and blinked—whether from the fact of seeing her or the fact that she looked nothing like she had the last time, Kim couldn't say.

"KIM!" Kim blinked at the shout and turned, and there…was…

"OHMIGOD! MONIQUE!" Kim shouted. The two friends hugged squealing, like well…school girls. Monique was wearing the uniform of one of the hospital volunteers, but right now had nothing to do—none of the patrons were those the hospital wanted a kid near.

"Kim!" Monique said, "You… Kim!" She laughed, "Where have you been, girl?"

"Japan." Kim said, grinning, "I had some people help me." Monique smiled.

"You look better." She said, "Let me guess—your parents fixed that problem with the cops and that's why your back." Kim barely flinched.

"Yeah…that problem's been solved." She said. Monique looked over at Ron as he came up and stared at the way Ron took Kim around the waist.

"You two finally decided to become an item?"

"Yeah…" Ron said. "Monique… about Shego…were you here when they brought her in?" Monique's face became sober.

"Kinda—but they didn't even stop in here—they took her straight to the operating theatre." She paused, "The bus was coming back from a game when they found her—and well… everyone was pretty freaked."

"Who called in?" Ron asked.

"Bonnie." Kim's stomach did a quick flip flop.

"Bonnie's here?" She asked. Monique looked over at her, and nodded with a shrewd expression on her face.

"So it was true." She said.

"What?"

"Rumor around the school was that you'd flipped out and tried to kill Bonnie, and only Barkin, Shego and you, Ron, saved her." She shrugged, "Mr. Barkin never came back to school, and well, neither did anyone else. None of the teachers would talk about it."

"What did Bonnie say?" Ron asked, curious in spite of himself.

"Bonnie? She said that you," pointing to Kim, " hadn't tried to hurt her, but that you were really freaked out over what…happened to you." Monique said, then continued, "And everyone knew about that. Anyway, Bonnie said that you really hadn't hurt her…so no big deal and why was everyone freaking over it." The attractive teen paused. "But she really was freaked, Kim… she spent a lot of time with the school psychologist, and she didn't even try for team captain." Giving a covert glance at Kim father and Ron's parents, "when her mom wasn't in town, Bonnie slept at your place, Kim. She had been sleeping at whatever friends' house she could, but I heard her mom found out and blew a gasket, and then your mom arranged it so she could stay at your house."

You go, Mom. Kim thought sincerely.

"Where is Bonnie?" Kim asked.

"She's here, somewhere—she stuck around when they brought Shego in, 'cause she heard your parents were coming back."

"Does she?" Kim started.

"Kim?" Bonnie's astonished gasp broke the silence, and Kim turned to see the teen in the same cheerleading outfit she'd worn 8 months and an eternity ago. Kim looked at her and tried to figure out what to say…while her stomach started doing acrobatics. Behind her, Ron and Monique watched intently.

What do I say? How are you doing? How do I explain that I was so terrified I surrendered to a bottle of pills—and almost killed her? Kim saw the brief flinch in Bonnie's eyes. Afraid? Why not, Kim had given her more than enough reason to be.

What do I say? Sorry I managed to help wreck your life? Didn't expect you to go so nuts you ran off and vanished, but hey, that was a little bonus to the job of being your personal little devil? She could see Kim's throat as the teen swallowed. Uncertain… worried…what she'dwished her to be over months of plotting and backbiting…and had tried to unwish since then.

The two tried to meet each others eyes, failed, and then burst out, simultaneously.

"I'm sorry."

"Kim…" Bonnie said, "Where were you? Nobody could tell us anything."

"Ron and Shego took me to Japan." Kim said. "I… wasn't in very good shape." Bonnie remembered the crazy staring eyes, the emptiness behind them and nodded. Kim continued. "How…how have you been doing?"

"Better." Bonnie said. "I… well, Kim… I mean, this…" She finally said it in a quick rush of words. "I've been sleeping in your room, sometimes…but I haven't messed with any of your stuff." Kim gave a smile.

"So not the drama… I know, and I…well I don't mind…"

"Good…" Bonnie looked behind her at Ron. Wow. "Can you come with me? I was camping out in the cafeteria… I want to hear everything."

"It's a long story…"

"I think we have time."

"What about Shego?" Ron said, walking forward. Bonnie shook her head.

"She looked…." The teen paled with the memory, "Ron, I wouldn't even have recognized her if it wasn't for her hair." Ron winced.

"She's in CCU." Monique offered, "And they probably won't know anything for a long time…they were calling in surgeons from all over Middleton—but I can call you if we hear anything." Yori and Hirotaka both walked up, staying on the fringe of the group.

"Kim-san…we will stay with your family." Yori said. "In case we hear anything." Kim nodded. One last look at her family, and she turned to Bonnie.

"Cafeteria?"

"Yeah. Foods' better than the school food."

"Blegh. Anything is better than the school food." The two walked off, and Ron sighed. Then he found himself grabbed and pulled around, with Monique looking at him.

"Okay spill it!"

"Spill what?" Ron said, looking innocent.

"Don't give me that—you were always Kim's friend, but when did you start knocking boots?" Ron blinked.

"Um…" Monique didn't give him a chance to regroup.

"Well, you're coming with me, and you are telling me everything." She said, pulling the unresisting Ron out of the lounge with her.

The Cafeteria was empty at this time of night—most patients asleep, and most staff busy with the downstairs. Kim looked out the window as another ambulance showed up.

"It's busy." She said. Bonnie nodded.

"Things have been getting kinda weird around here, Kim—you know that there's a 8 o'clock curfew?" Kim looked up and blinked.

"What?"

"Yeah. So many people were getting into fights..or going out and looking for fights, that they decided to put a curfew out."

"And I take it…it didn't work well."

"Not really." Bonnie said, and then got to the meat of the conversation. "Kim, what happened? You were taken to the hospital, and then we heard that Ron had kidnapped you, that you had kidnapped Ron, that Shego had kidnapped you both… and those were just the top three ideas. Nobody at school would say anything, and Mr. Barkin just vanished!" Kim paused.

"I… can't say anything about Mr. Barkin, but I'll tell you everything that happened to me." Bonnie nodded. Kim started, from the beginning and continued…leaving very little (mostly involving Barkin and Ron) out. Bonnie twitched when Kim mentioned the detox she'd gone through and broke in.

"Ron…did that?"

"Yeah."

"You know that half my boyfriends freak if I have a runny nose?" Kim nodded.

"Ron's…" hell with it. "Ron saved me." Kim flatly said, "He gave everything up for me." Bonnie's eyes were drawn to the gold ring on Kim's finger.

"Is that a?"

"Yeah. Ron asked, I said yes."

"When are you going to…tie the knot?" Bonnie asked, looking slightly poleaxed.

"Maybe not for a while—maybe not for a long while." Kim said. Then she looked at Bonnie. "My turn. Tell me what happened to you…. I don't remember too much."

"Well, after you were taken away, the cops got me and Mr. Barkin." Bonnie said. "I got a lot of people asking me weird questions and I came back to school."

That's not all. Kim's eyes said. Bonnie sighed.

"And I had nightmares… every night to start with. Then when I was home alone. I'd go to sleep and then I'd 'wake up' and you'd be over me, and then I'd really wake up." She gave a small grin. "I almost got grounded forever over that—I thought that a guy in the bed would help me…and I must have slept with half the football team." She paused, and sighed, "But guys seem to have an allergy to waking up next to a screaming woman…and when mom found out… ohh boy." She shrugged, "more visits with the school shrink, and then they wanted to give me more sleeping pills." Looking out the window, Bonnie watched as several police cars tore out of the parking lot, on their way to a call. "Your mom came over and really read everyone the riot act."

"She did?" Kim asked.

"Sure did—and I kinda…eves dropped." Bonnie said with a slight grin. "Anyway, your mom decided that I'd stay at your house…when nobody was home at mine." Kim nodded. Bonnie's parents were in and out due to their jobs—something that Bonnie had often enjoyed.

"What happened?"

"Well, first thing that happened, was that your mom found all my sleeping pills and poured them down the sink." Bonnie said, a slight snark in her voice, "And she didn't pay me for them." Kim grinned at that image. Then Bonnie became more serious. "So she'd sit in the room until she was certain I was asleep. If I started to get twitchy, she'd wake me up and we'd go have some hot coco." There was a wistfulness in Bonnies' voice at that. Kim grinned.

"What about the Tweebs?" All wistfulness vanished.

"They are the most evil creatures on the planet!" Bonnie said, "how did you survive them?"

"Even when they're trying to be good?"

"Especially when they're trying to be good!" Bonnie said. "They're like some evil munchkins… with no sense of timing!" Kim found herself laughing at that. The laughter died off.

"So." Bonnie asked, "Are you out of trouble?"

"No." Kim said. "I…I'm here to turn myself in, A glance at her finger, "That's why it may be a long engagement…. I might be…in jail for a while."

"That's bull!" Bonnie said, than raised her voice. "Yeah, you freaked out, big deal a'lot of people do." Kim shrugged.

"I saw some of the news reports…a lot of people think that I might try and get off based on my 'good deeds'."

"They're idiots. I could've told them you'd be an idiot and fall on your sword." Bonnie abruptly got a ghostly grin. "Heh—who said English lit never helped—I finally got to use that stupid phrase." But then she refocused on the problem. "Kim, look—lots of people think you did good—so why help the ones who want to hang you?"

"Because…" Kim paused. "Because I have to do it. Not for them. For me."

"And…that was when I proposed to her." Ron finished. Monique was a study in glee.

"Oh, My God." She said, "You told her dad that you were sleeping with his daughter…and then you proposed the next day?" She practically squealed in delight. "I'm surprised he let you live!" Monique then bounced to her next question.

"When are you getting hitched?" She asked.

"Umm…" Ron paused, "We didn't set any date. Kim's worried that well…" Ron looked around. "That the thing with the judge won't go well."

"She said sh-" Monique broke off. "Oh God. She doesn't have any plan, does she?" Monique paled, "and her parents don't, either." Ron was reminded that Monique was very perceptive.

"No. Kim's going to turn herself in…plead guilty."

"And you let her?" She paused, "Why didn't you just keep her there—or take her somewhere else like you did before?" Ron shook his head.

"I couldn't stop her, Monique…she's…" Ron struggled for the words, "It's her choice. I just have to back her."

Dr. Possible walked out of the operating room. It had been nearly 8 hours…and there was more to do, but the fact of the matter was that they'd pushed Shego's body well, well beyond what was safe. The rest would have to wait.

"Dr. Possible." She turned and saw a familiar blue face.

"Drew." She said, pulling her cap off, exhaustion in her eyes. Brain surgery was one of the most demanding fields, even when you weren't coming directly off a long flight, finding out your daughter was ok (and getting married, thank you very much), and returning to face the law.

And I'm not twenty five any more. In fact, right now I feel about 95.

"How is she?" Drakken asked, looking older and smaller than she'd remembered him.

"Alive."

"That's all you can say?" She sighed.

"Drew… Thank God and the comet that Shego is alive at all… They're putting her in one of the CCU rooms, so we can go see her in a few moments."

"Will she…recover? Did she suffer brain damage?"

"I don't know, and yes." Dr. Possible said. She didn't lie to family, and right now the person on the premises who was closest to family was Drew. "How much brain damage, how irreversible… I don't know, yet. We'll have to wait until she wakes up, and make some tests." An orderly came and waited.

"Yes?"

"She's in the room—we have all the equipment hooked up." Dr. Possible nodded.

"Drew, let's go see her." For a man who loved big gadgets, Possible thought, Drew looked down right terrified at the sight in the CCU. You could barely see Shego at all, in the twisting nest of IV's, Catheters and sensors that studded her bandage enshrouded body. One bruised, closed eye was visible, and part of her nose, as well as her mouth….and her left hand, lying, pale and still, on the coverlet. That was all. The steady sound of the respirator and the sensors filled the room with a soft undertone of beeps and hisses.

"Is she breathing on her own?" Possible shook her head.

"No. The parts of her brain stem that controlled breathing were damaged. The comic seems to have enabled her metabolism to heal neural tissue…and we couldn't do anything anyway, so we're just having to trust to her own metabolism." Dr. Possible looked over at the doctor, who had sat down besides Shego, and gently took her one free hand into his own. Now for the hard part.

"Drew?"

"Yes?"

"Shego has a living will on file. If it becomes plain that she is not going to recover her brain functions… we're to cease feeding her."

"That would be Shego… I offered to make her part of the deal with the government…but she didn't trust them. She doesn't trust anything she can't do herself." He blinked and on a tangent. "She's going to kill you for shaving her bald, you know. She was always proud of her hair."

"I know, Drew." She paused. "I'm going to have to leave you alone for a while—they're having problems down in the Emergency room, and they need..." She sagged for a moment, "Everyone they can get. You can buzz the nurse if you need anything, and someone will be in every ten minutes to check."

"Thank you doctor." She paused.

"Drew… The Hospital chaplain is here… and so is Rabbi Katz. If you need to talk…"

"I'll be fine, Doctor." She sighed, and nodded.

"Very well. I'll be back… as soon as I can." Possible left, leaving Drakken in the room with Shego and the soft sounds of the machines. He didn't say anything, but softly squeezed her hand. Everyone knew that that was one of the ways a patient could respond—especially when they had tubes down their throat to suck the blood out of their stomach.

Her hand remained still…flaccid.

To be continued.