Chapter 162
"Hey," Kim said as she took in the sight of an exhausted Bosco coming in the door.
Hanging his coat on the hook by the door, he took in a deep breath. "Hey, yourself," he said, letting the breath out. "How's the kids?"
Kim had called in to work that day because two out of the three kids had terrible colds. Earlier, at the car explosion, Bosco had visions of what happened to Taylor and Sasha and thanked God that Kim was at home today.
"The same. Except that we're three for three now," she added, throwing the book she was reading onto the coffee table as Bosco dropped heavily onto the couch alongside her.
"Great," he said, rubbing his eyes. "How're you doing? Sorry we didn't get to stop home tonight for dinner," he apologized as she kissed him. Faith and Bosco were tied up the rest of the night following up on the accident and he barely got a chance to call and say they wouldn't be there.
"You were busy," she said simply, brushing her fingers through his hair. "Did you get anything to eat? I've got leftovers in the fridge," she offered.
"Nah. Not hungry," he answered, the attention she was giving him making his body begin to relax.
"I saw the news. Everyone okay?" Kim asked him.
"Well, Monroe's okay – or will be – physically anyway. She screwed up her shoulder or somethin' and got a cut on her head," Bosco told her. "The kid died at the hospital – broken neck from the air bag in the front seat – and the Mom's being admitted, but I don't think its anything too serious. Davis took Monroe home," he added with a smile.
"What?" Kim said, the suspense killing her. "Are they an item?"
Bosco shook his head and pointed his finger at her as if to warn her, "Now, don't go startin' any rumors, but he sure had those puppy dog eyes at the hospital."
"Aw, I wish I was there to see that. Too bad it was under those circumstances," she said sadly.
He suddenly turned toward Kim and kissed her and then wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so glad you weren't there, Kim."
"Must've been awful. How'd things go with Faith today? You said things've been getting better every shift," she asked him.
"Good. Things are starting to get back to normal, I think. But, I think things are tense at home. Fred's givin' her grief about comin' back to work," he told her.
Suddenly remembering, he added, "There's a new probie at the firehouse. Umm, Harte or somethin' like that. Yeah, J.D. Harte. Apparently, he used to be a cop."
"Oh yeah? How d'you know that?" Kim asked him as he slid down deeper into the couch. He kicked off his shoes and put his feet up on the coffee table and she noted that he'd just taken the Bosco nap position.
"He came over to the House after the accident. He noticed that the car Monroe hit didn't have any taillights and came over to tell us when Cruz came in. Apparently, he was the one that ratted out her whole crew over at the 5-1. Supposedly her team over there was involved in taking drug money and he testified about it. Cruz's partner ate his gun over it, so I guess he wasn't just telling stories," Bosco told her.
"Wow. When was this?" Kim asked, surprised.
"Faith said it was about two or three years ago. I don't remember that much about it," he answered, stifling a yawn.
"Well, don't fall asleep there. Let's go to bed. I'm beat," Kim said, standing up and grabbing onto his arm to pull him up as well. Bosco locked everything up and turned of the lights and they walked down the hallway. Just as they reached the middle of the hallway, Johnny started to whimper.
Bosco put his hand on the back of Kim's neck and gently pushed her. "Go. I'll get him." She was so exhausted she decided not to argue. She knew it wouldn't be the first time Johnny'd be up during the night. His nose was so stuffy he couldn't breathe.
"Check the level of the water in the humidifier," she called quietly over her shoulder.
Bosco and Faith were in the station filling out reports from the arrests. Kim had taken another day off with the kids. "I've already got the germs. No sense in all of us getting sick," she'd reasoned when Bosco offered to take today off and let her go to work.
Faith glanced at the clock and then over at her partner. "Don't forget to give Kim a call," she reminded him.
"Thanks," he said, dropping his pen on the desk and picking up the phone. He dialed and waited for Kim to answer.
"Hey, how's it going?" he asked when Kim answered the phone.
"Great. Never better," she said and he heard the sound of her voice.
"Oh no. Not you too," he groaned. "I'm sleeping here tonight," he joked.
He smiled as Faith laughed at his comment. "Need anything on the way home?"
"No. Just you beside me. I'm freezing," Kim complained.
"Soon. I've got some reports to finish up. Don't wait up 'cause I'll be a little bit late," he warned her.
"Big night?" she asked.
"Kind of, yeah. Turns out Monroe was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We found out that the whole accident was part of an insurance fraud scheme that went horribly wrong. She still feels responsible though. And then we had to pull Cruz off that Harte guy when they started going at it in the middle of the street. It was great – an FDNY-NYPD rumble," he laughed.
"Children," Kim commented. "Everything else okay?"
"Yeah. Go to bed. I'll be home soon. And don't breathe on my pillow!" he called out to her just before Kim had hung up the phone.
"Kim's sick now too?" Faith asked as he put the phone down and picked his pen up again.
"Yeah. Think she'll be pissed if I sleep on the couch?" he asked.
"Go home and take it like a man, Boscorelli," Faith said, throwing a piece of wadded up paper at him, striking him in the middle of the forehead.
"Ow. Hey!" he said, throwing the paper back at her.
"You guys gonna play around all night or you gonna get those reports done?" Lt. Swersky asked as he walked by and saw the paper fight.
"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry Lieu," Faith said.
"Uh huh," Swersky said, continuing down the hallway, smiling now that the two of them seemed to be okay again.
