Doc noticed Kim staring out the window of the bus again.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she looked over at him. "Yeah, Doc, I'm fine."
"Okay," he nodded. She'd gone back to looking out the window. "How's Bosco?"
"Healed. Thanks for taking such good care of him the other night."
"No problem. Must be rough, huh?"
"What?" Kim looked back at him.
"It must be rough to be married to a cop. The not knowing."
"It can be," Kim said quietly. "But you can't choose who you fall in love with."
"No, you can't," Doc agreed. "Hey, how's Joey?"
"He's okay. He's being Mister Tough Guy and I trying to restrain myself from strangling Jimmy."
"He'll be okay Kim. It's just a broken bone."
"I hate when guys say that," she groaned. "It seems like it's some kind of honor thing with you guys. I'm sorry for being a girl, but I don't see it that way."
"Feel better?"
"Oddly enough yes I do. Thanks Doc," Kim chuckled.
"Anytime," Doc smiled.
~&~&~&~&~
"Hey," was what Kim heard as she read a magazine during some downtime.
She barely acknowledged the speaker except for a nod of her head.
"He's okay, you know."
"Uh-huh."
"Kim, would you please talk to me?" Jimmy finally said.
"Jimmy, not now, okay?"
"You know you were quiet even before this. Is everything okay? You and Bosco? I heard he got hurt, is he okay?"
"He's fine and so are we."
"So, this is about Joey? Look, he's okay. It's just-"
"It's just a broken arm," Kim said. "Yeah I know. That's not my problem. My problem is that you seem to think that it's a good idea to teach him to hold everything he's feeling inside. Jimmy, he's a little boy. Lay off the tough guy crap, okay?"
"Kim, I'm just trying to toughen him up a little," Jimmy said.
Kim rolled her eyes. "Yeah and while you're toughening him up you're also sending him a message. I want you to think about something Jimmy. Do you want a real relationship with your son or do you want a son who's too scared to let his father know that he's hurting or scared because he doesn't want to disappoint him?"
~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"You look more relaxed," Kim said that night, as she and Bosco got ready for bed.
"I am," he agreed.
"Good. I take it that means you talked to Faith."
"Yeah. We got some things in the open."
"Good," Kim smiled. "You know, you were great with Joey today."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. You knew not to panic and you knew not to tell him to be a man and not to cry. Thanks," she smiled as she got into bed.
Bosco followed her and put an arm around her as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Everything I learned about parenting I learned from my mom, Faith, and you."
Kim smiled up at him. "You haven't been a bad teacher yourself. Is everything really okay with Faith?"
"I think so."
"Good. I like Faith. She's kept you from killing yourself for a long time. I owe her one. I owe her several."
"Me too."
"You okay?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she looked over at him. "Yeah, Doc, I'm fine."
"Okay," he nodded. She'd gone back to looking out the window. "How's Bosco?"
"Healed. Thanks for taking such good care of him the other night."
"No problem. Must be rough, huh?"
"What?" Kim looked back at him.
"It must be rough to be married to a cop. The not knowing."
"It can be," Kim said quietly. "But you can't choose who you fall in love with."
"No, you can't," Doc agreed. "Hey, how's Joey?"
"He's okay. He's being Mister Tough Guy and I trying to restrain myself from strangling Jimmy."
"He'll be okay Kim. It's just a broken bone."
"I hate when guys say that," she groaned. "It seems like it's some kind of honor thing with you guys. I'm sorry for being a girl, but I don't see it that way."
"Feel better?"
"Oddly enough yes I do. Thanks Doc," Kim chuckled.
"Anytime," Doc smiled.
~&~&~&~&~
"Hey," was what Kim heard as she read a magazine during some downtime.
She barely acknowledged the speaker except for a nod of her head.
"He's okay, you know."
"Uh-huh."
"Kim, would you please talk to me?" Jimmy finally said.
"Jimmy, not now, okay?"
"You know you were quiet even before this. Is everything okay? You and Bosco? I heard he got hurt, is he okay?"
"He's fine and so are we."
"So, this is about Joey? Look, he's okay. It's just-"
"It's just a broken arm," Kim said. "Yeah I know. That's not my problem. My problem is that you seem to think that it's a good idea to teach him to hold everything he's feeling inside. Jimmy, he's a little boy. Lay off the tough guy crap, okay?"
"Kim, I'm just trying to toughen him up a little," Jimmy said.
Kim rolled her eyes. "Yeah and while you're toughening him up you're also sending him a message. I want you to think about something Jimmy. Do you want a real relationship with your son or do you want a son who's too scared to let his father know that he's hurting or scared because he doesn't want to disappoint him?"
~^~^~^~^~^~^~
"You look more relaxed," Kim said that night, as she and Bosco got ready for bed.
"I am," he agreed.
"Good. I take it that means you talked to Faith."
"Yeah. We got some things in the open."
"Good," Kim smiled. "You know, you were great with Joey today."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. You knew not to panic and you knew not to tell him to be a man and not to cry. Thanks," she smiled as she got into bed.
Bosco followed her and put an arm around her as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Everything I learned about parenting I learned from my mom, Faith, and you."
Kim smiled up at him. "You haven't been a bad teacher yourself. Is everything really okay with Faith?"
"I think so."
"Good. I like Faith. She's kept you from killing yourself for a long time. I owe her one. I owe her several."
"Me too."
