The game had already started when Kim and Joey arrived. It was a pretty
chilly day so they had waited a little while to get there. "No sense in
everyone being numb," she had thought to herself. And so, she sent Bosco
on ahead and told Jimmy that she'd bring Joey over with her after she made
some hot chocolate for everyone. It was the yearly flag football game
between the 55th Precinct's firefighters and police officers. And, as
usual, tempers were starting to heat up. It was all in good fun and all
'offensive' remarks and actions were forgotten by the time the group got to
Haggerty's afterwards.
So they walked around the outside of the field and took a seat on the bleachers after Kim put a thick blanket down to keep their bottoms warm. Then, she wrapped a blanket around herself. She offered to let Joey in, but he had decided to tough it out with the guys. "Okay," Kim said. "But don't come crying to me when you have a cold," she joked pulling the blanket tighter around herself.
"Aw, Mom," Joey said, rolling his eyes.
"Hey! I'm not shy. I'll take you up on that," said Faith Yokas from behind her.
"Sure. C'mon down, Faith," Kim said, opening up the blanket and draping it over both of their shoulders when Faith had taken a seat alongside her.
"Great idea," Faith said. "I never even thought of it. I don't usually come to these things, but with the 'words' between Jimmy and Bosco last night, I couldn't resist," she joked.
Kim looked at Faith with a puzzled look. "What do you mean 'words,'?" Kim said.
"Bosco didn't tell you?" Faith said with a surprised look. "Jimmy laid down the gauntlet last night at the fire on 120th and Arthur. He said 'those' words to Bosco and that was it," Faith.
Kim put her face in her hands and moaned, "Oh no. Not 'those' words."
"Yup. I believe Jimmy's exact words were, 'Are you ready to get your ass kicked tomorrow afternoon, Little Man?'" Faith repeated. "Yup, that was it," she said thinking about it to make sure she'd quoted him correctly.
"Oh no. This is NOT gonna be good," Kim said, starting to worry.
"Relax, Kim. Nothing's happened so far," Faith said just as Jimmy tried to intercept the ball from Bosco. Both Bosco and Jimmy had missed the ball, but not before Jimmy landed hard on Bosco. Kim could almost hear the breath being forced out of Bosco as he landed on the ground under Jimmy. Some remarks were made between the officers and the firefighters, but those on the sidelines couldn't hear them. Jimmy stood up and held out a hand to help Bosco up. Bosco was slow to get up, but refused to accept Jimmy's help.
"Okay. Here we go," Kim said, standing up and throwing the blanket off her shoulders.
Davis ran by along the sidelines and saw Kim stand up. "He's okay. He's just pissed," he told Kim.
Kim sat back down, but on the edge of the seat. "Jimmy's been acting really childish lately," Kim said to Faith.
"Is that anything new?" Faith said.
"Actually, he's a little worse lately. I don't think he likes the idea of this baby. And he's been insisting on being consulted on every decision regarding Joey - no matter how minor. I really don't know what's going on," Kim said to Faith.
Faith looked at Kim with a smirk on her face. "What?" Kim asked.
"Now that you're going to have two kids in the house, you better learn to recognize the signs," she said.
"Signs? What signs? Signs about what?" Kim asked, not understanding.
"The green-headed monster, Kim. The "J" word. Jealousy," she said finally, making Kim understand.
"No!" Kim said and then thought for a moment. "You think?"
"Oh yeah. I get it from Emily and Charlie all the time. And Fred for that matter sometimes too," Faith said, shaking her head up and down.
Kim looked back at Bosco and Jimmy in time to see them collide again. This time it was Bosco taking Jimmy down by clipping him at the knees. More words were exchanged and the other teammates tried to get the two into a better mood.
"Oh God, Faith. I think you're right," Kim said.
"I know I'm right," she answered. "Now we just have to wait and see who says 'He started it' first," Faith finished.
"Oh it was definitely Jimmy," Kim said, starting to joke around now.
"Oh. The protective mother cub comes out," Faith joked back. "Play nice, boys!" Faith yelled out to the two who both looked back with a nasty look.
"Whew! If looks could kill, I'd need a bus right now," she said.
"Mom?" Joey said at Kim's side.
"Yeah, Joey?" Kim answered.
"Why are Dad and Bosco mad at each other?" Joey said, noticing the tension between the two men.
"I don't know, Joey. They're just acting like little kids right now. A lot of men do that when they're playing sports," Kim tried to explain. Faith chuckled under her breath.
*^*^*^*^*^
They were into the second half, having taken a short half time to have hot chocolate and other assorted beverages - some of which you had to be 21 to partake of. Jimmy was over talking and laughing with Joey and Bosco had come over to Kim and Faith.
"Bos? What's going on out there?" Kim asked him.
"What?! He started it," Bosco said defensively. Faith nudged Kim with her elbow and laughed.
Before Kim could say anything, the referee blew the whistle for the second half to start. Bosco put a hand on Kim's belly and gave her a kiss before he returned to the game.
About the second play of the game, Kim and Faith couldn't really tell what caused it, but the flags came off on both teams and they were playing full- on tackle football.
A few plays later and it happened. Bosco and Jimmy went at each other hard and after everyone had unpiled, the two remained laying on the field. Kim and Faith both stood up as team members gathered around the two. Finally each was helped up and over to the sidelines where Doc and Carlos came over to check them out. The two medics were on duty so they weren't able to play in today's game. They decided just to hang out and watch and be there to patch the players up after the inevitable, yearly brawl. Kim and Faith slowly made their way over to the two, trying not to look too motherly. Kim saw the look of pain on both Bosco's and Jimmy's faces. Doc was listening to Bosco's chest and Carlos was cleaning off and bandaging a cut above Jimmy's eye.
After a moment, Doc walked over to Kim and Faith. "We're gonna have to take them in to get checked out," Doc said.
"Why? What's wrong?" Kim asked slightly concerned.
"Nothing major. I think Jimmy probably has a mild concussion - he was knocked out for a couple of seconds - and I think Bosco may have cracked a rib or two," he said.
"Okay. I'll get Bosco's car and meet you over at Mercy," Kim said. "You coming?" she asked Faith.
"Oh, absolutely," she responded with a smirk on her face. Before they left, Kim walked over to the two men sitting in the back of the ambulance. Both men saw her coming over and simultaneously said, "Uh oh."
"What the hell's the matter with you two?! You should be ashamed of yourselves," she said to both of them. "That's a fine way to act in front of your kid," she said to Jimmy. And to Bosco she said, "You better not EVER do that in front of our kid!" They both started to defend themselves, but were met with Kim's hand and an "I don't want to even hear it," before she turned and walked quickly away with Joey and Faith by her side.
"Yikes!" Carlos said.
"Shut up!" both men said.
So they walked around the outside of the field and took a seat on the bleachers after Kim put a thick blanket down to keep their bottoms warm. Then, she wrapped a blanket around herself. She offered to let Joey in, but he had decided to tough it out with the guys. "Okay," Kim said. "But don't come crying to me when you have a cold," she joked pulling the blanket tighter around herself.
"Aw, Mom," Joey said, rolling his eyes.
"Hey! I'm not shy. I'll take you up on that," said Faith Yokas from behind her.
"Sure. C'mon down, Faith," Kim said, opening up the blanket and draping it over both of their shoulders when Faith had taken a seat alongside her.
"Great idea," Faith said. "I never even thought of it. I don't usually come to these things, but with the 'words' between Jimmy and Bosco last night, I couldn't resist," she joked.
Kim looked at Faith with a puzzled look. "What do you mean 'words,'?" Kim said.
"Bosco didn't tell you?" Faith said with a surprised look. "Jimmy laid down the gauntlet last night at the fire on 120th and Arthur. He said 'those' words to Bosco and that was it," Faith.
Kim put her face in her hands and moaned, "Oh no. Not 'those' words."
"Yup. I believe Jimmy's exact words were, 'Are you ready to get your ass kicked tomorrow afternoon, Little Man?'" Faith repeated. "Yup, that was it," she said thinking about it to make sure she'd quoted him correctly.
"Oh no. This is NOT gonna be good," Kim said, starting to worry.
"Relax, Kim. Nothing's happened so far," Faith said just as Jimmy tried to intercept the ball from Bosco. Both Bosco and Jimmy had missed the ball, but not before Jimmy landed hard on Bosco. Kim could almost hear the breath being forced out of Bosco as he landed on the ground under Jimmy. Some remarks were made between the officers and the firefighters, but those on the sidelines couldn't hear them. Jimmy stood up and held out a hand to help Bosco up. Bosco was slow to get up, but refused to accept Jimmy's help.
"Okay. Here we go," Kim said, standing up and throwing the blanket off her shoulders.
Davis ran by along the sidelines and saw Kim stand up. "He's okay. He's just pissed," he told Kim.
Kim sat back down, but on the edge of the seat. "Jimmy's been acting really childish lately," Kim said to Faith.
"Is that anything new?" Faith said.
"Actually, he's a little worse lately. I don't think he likes the idea of this baby. And he's been insisting on being consulted on every decision regarding Joey - no matter how minor. I really don't know what's going on," Kim said to Faith.
Faith looked at Kim with a smirk on her face. "What?" Kim asked.
"Now that you're going to have two kids in the house, you better learn to recognize the signs," she said.
"Signs? What signs? Signs about what?" Kim asked, not understanding.
"The green-headed monster, Kim. The "J" word. Jealousy," she said finally, making Kim understand.
"No!" Kim said and then thought for a moment. "You think?"
"Oh yeah. I get it from Emily and Charlie all the time. And Fred for that matter sometimes too," Faith said, shaking her head up and down.
Kim looked back at Bosco and Jimmy in time to see them collide again. This time it was Bosco taking Jimmy down by clipping him at the knees. More words were exchanged and the other teammates tried to get the two into a better mood.
"Oh God, Faith. I think you're right," Kim said.
"I know I'm right," she answered. "Now we just have to wait and see who says 'He started it' first," Faith finished.
"Oh it was definitely Jimmy," Kim said, starting to joke around now.
"Oh. The protective mother cub comes out," Faith joked back. "Play nice, boys!" Faith yelled out to the two who both looked back with a nasty look.
"Whew! If looks could kill, I'd need a bus right now," she said.
"Mom?" Joey said at Kim's side.
"Yeah, Joey?" Kim answered.
"Why are Dad and Bosco mad at each other?" Joey said, noticing the tension between the two men.
"I don't know, Joey. They're just acting like little kids right now. A lot of men do that when they're playing sports," Kim tried to explain. Faith chuckled under her breath.
*^*^*^*^*^
They were into the second half, having taken a short half time to have hot chocolate and other assorted beverages - some of which you had to be 21 to partake of. Jimmy was over talking and laughing with Joey and Bosco had come over to Kim and Faith.
"Bos? What's going on out there?" Kim asked him.
"What?! He started it," Bosco said defensively. Faith nudged Kim with her elbow and laughed.
Before Kim could say anything, the referee blew the whistle for the second half to start. Bosco put a hand on Kim's belly and gave her a kiss before he returned to the game.
About the second play of the game, Kim and Faith couldn't really tell what caused it, but the flags came off on both teams and they were playing full- on tackle football.
A few plays later and it happened. Bosco and Jimmy went at each other hard and after everyone had unpiled, the two remained laying on the field. Kim and Faith both stood up as team members gathered around the two. Finally each was helped up and over to the sidelines where Doc and Carlos came over to check them out. The two medics were on duty so they weren't able to play in today's game. They decided just to hang out and watch and be there to patch the players up after the inevitable, yearly brawl. Kim and Faith slowly made their way over to the two, trying not to look too motherly. Kim saw the look of pain on both Bosco's and Jimmy's faces. Doc was listening to Bosco's chest and Carlos was cleaning off and bandaging a cut above Jimmy's eye.
After a moment, Doc walked over to Kim and Faith. "We're gonna have to take them in to get checked out," Doc said.
"Why? What's wrong?" Kim asked slightly concerned.
"Nothing major. I think Jimmy probably has a mild concussion - he was knocked out for a couple of seconds - and I think Bosco may have cracked a rib or two," he said.
"Okay. I'll get Bosco's car and meet you over at Mercy," Kim said. "You coming?" she asked Faith.
"Oh, absolutely," she responded with a smirk on her face. Before they left, Kim walked over to the two men sitting in the back of the ambulance. Both men saw her coming over and simultaneously said, "Uh oh."
"What the hell's the matter with you two?! You should be ashamed of yourselves," she said to both of them. "That's a fine way to act in front of your kid," she said to Jimmy. And to Bosco she said, "You better not EVER do that in front of our kid!" They both started to defend themselves, but were met with Kim's hand and an "I don't want to even hear it," before she turned and walked quickly away with Joey and Faith by her side.
"Yikes!" Carlos said.
"Shut up!" both men said.
