Chapter 6

A week later, June 25th, Kim's mother was coming to drop off some clothes in Kim's room that night when she found Tommy asleep beside Kimberly. She gasped and turned on the lamp. Tommy woke up fast.

"What are you doing here!" Tommy quickly turned the lamp off and made sure Kim was still asleep.

"Can I speak to you outside?"

"NO! You will..."

"Mrs. Dumas, please." She followed him. "Kim called me tonight and said she wasn't feeling good. She wanted me to come over and just hold her."

"Not feeling good."

"She has a fever, but she didn't want to bother you." Kim's mother went inside and rubbed Kim's forehead.

"Tommy?" Kim groaned.

"Right here, Beautiful."

"She's too warm." Mrs. Dumas got a thermometer. "She's have a fever of 104! Can you carry her?" Tommy nodded. "I'll call the hospital and tell them we are coming." She got Kim's robe and helped Tommy put if over her. "Kim, we are taking you to the hospital."

"Put your arms around my neck, Kimberly." She did and held on to Tommy.

Kim's mother looked up in her rearview mirror to find Tommy rubbing Kim's cheek as she laid against his chest. He would often kiss her. They arrived to find the staff waiting.

"Well?" Kim's mother asked after the doctor and nurses examined her.

"With a few test still to come back, looks like mono."

"Mono?"

"Yea, it's an infection caused by the EBV, Epstein-barr Virus. Common for people in her age. She's in the stage where it's getting bad. We are starting IVs and have given her pain medication for the headaches. There is no cure, you just have to let it run its course."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course."

"Can I?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, but can I speak to you?" Mrs. Dumas went into the room.

"What is it, Doctor?"

"Are you and Ms. Hart sexually active?"

"No, sir."

"I need to know, because you might have it as well."

"We're dating, but we haven't had sex."

"Let's get your checked out still, you can still have it." Tommy nodded.

Mrs. Dumas found Tommy passed out a few hours later. Mono finally catching up with him. Both were retained in the hospital that night, and to stay at home. Tommy woke up in his room to find his phone ringing.

"Hello?"

" Tommy, could you...I need you...I'm not feeling...goo."

"Kimberly?"

"Please come."

"Of course." Tommy put the phone on the hook and closed his robe more. He slipped on his flip flops and walked to Kim's house. Mrs. Dumas was about to make Kim some tea, When the doorbell rung. She opened it and found Tommy. She gasped.

"Tommy?"

"Hi, can I..."

"You are too sick to be up!" She helped him inside. "Did you walk here?" He nodded. She felt his forehead. He was burning up. "Go on." Tommy slowly made it upstairs to Kim's room. He opened the door and sat on the bed, before falling to lay down. Kim woke up to find him laying his face beside hers.

"Hi."

"Hey," he whispered back.

"I knew you would come."

"Nothing in this world, matter more to me than you." They kissed. Mrs. Dumas stood in the doorway. "I love you."

"I love you too." Kim hugged him and fell back asleep. She covered him up more. Mrs. Dumas left then to sleep. The phone rang.

"Yes, he's here"

"I can't believe he just left like that! That boy!"

"She called him"

"But walking around with mono. He could have passed out, he could have fell and really.."

"Hey, he made it. Don't worry. I'll take care of them."

"He's my son. I should be the one caring for him."

"I know, bring some clothes. I think those 2 will be together until this is over with."

"Thank you Caroline."

"Hey, not a problem. I know you would do the same. Bye."

Mrs. Dumas came into the bedroom to find the couples' fever had not went down. Tommy was shivering under the sheets and blanket, as Kimberly laid there, covers thrown off, sweating.

"Pierre could you get another quilt." Pierre nodded and put the tray down. Mrs. Dumas tried to cover Kimberly, but she would refuse.

"No. no, desert, too hot! Why me! Need ice, water..sooo hot.." She struggled to sit up, falling over and back. Kim's mother opened the bottle of water.

"Drink this." Kim barely got her hand on the bottle. Tommy sat up gasping from a bad dream. "Tommy, you okay?"

"What a horrible dream." He laid back down. Kim's mother covered him up more.

"Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"No. I'm fine." She put a cool cloth on his head before wiping down Kimberly's head and neck.

"Torture, so much torture."

"Just sleep, baby." Mrs. Dumas tried to cover her again. Kimberly too weak to fight back this time.

"Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome." She patted the top of her head. Kimberly laid her head in Tommy's neck.