A/N: I spent three chapters on one day and I was planning to move on with a plot, but then the last chapter was purely Jack and Kim fun time. So, now for some plot.


When Kim saw that message from Ricky about a surprise, she was hesitant at first. Jack was still uncomfortable with Ricky and questioned his intentions. Deciding that its better to be open with him about this, she showed him the message. Jack scoffed at the notion of Ricky sending her surprises, but riding high on their new level of intimacy, he shrugged off the jealousy.

The next day, when he came to pick her up to go to school, Kim saw a pretty box of macaroons on the doorsteps. So, this was the surprise. It was sweet, literally and figuratively. She offered them to Jack, who refused to touch anything that came from "that doll head" and Kim just laughed at his predictable attitude. In school she shared them with Jerry and Milton, but she ended up eating most of them.

She was at the gym for the PE class and they were playing dodge ball. Wasabis were on the same team and were squared off against the team of mostly the Black Dragons. This added a lot more tenacity and competitiveness to the game. Both teams were good and Kim was winded by the end of it. She sat back on the bench afterwards to catch her breath and was looking at boys, who were just roughhousing on the court. They were carefree and laughing. At some point Jerry jumped on Jack's back and Kim tried to yell something about horses and cowboys, but she was really short of breath and was getting light-headed. She caught Jack's eyes and saw like in slow motion as his smile faded and he was turning towards her, shaking Jerry off and coming towards her. He was saying something, but she could not hear behind the rushing sound in her ears and then the whole world tilted and went black.


She woke up in the hospital bed to a beeping sound and a room full of people. There was the nurse adjusting something in her IV drip; there was Bobby talking quietly to Rudy; there were her parents, mom with red eyes, holding her hand, and dad talking on the phone; there were Jerry and Milton sitting quietly in the corner, Jerry with headphones on and Milton was reading a book. And there was Jack... He was sitting by her side, holding her other hand and was staring at their joint hands, deep in thought. She tried to say something, but her throat was so dry she only managed a croaking sound. The entire room stilled at the sound and then erupted in noise and movement. Her mom was crying and hugging her around the middle and Jack brought her hand up and pressed to his mouth. Her dad was telling the nurse to bring the doctor and she scurried away. Jerry and Milton jumped up and were nervously smiling. Bobby and Rudy stood up as well and were now hovering by the foot of the bed.

Only now Kim realized that the room was significantly larger and she knew it was one of the private suites. It must have been Bobby, who arranged it for her. She tried to speak again, but only managed a croak. Jack grabbed a glass full of ice chips for her and she was grateful for this.

By the time she quenched her thirst the doctor showed up, looking at her chart and making notes. She looked up Kim and smiled, "You gave us quite a scare, Kim."

"What happened? I remember the dodge ball and the gym," she turned to look at Jack, who was looking like he was physically in pain. He was silent, clearly struggling for words, and it was Jerry, who filled in the silence.

"You fainted. Right there in the middle of the gym. At first we thought you just slipped off the bench, but Jack saw you faint and tried to catch you. Milton called the ambulance."

"Kim, did you feel anything before the fainting?" the doctor was looking at her attentively.

"I was short of breath and light headed after the game. That's why I sat down. Why? What is wrong with me?"

"Given your overall excellent health, and such sudden onset of symptoms, we can rule out most long-term illnesses," the doctor said. "We are looking at some environmental agents that could have caused this reaction. It looked almost like the allergic reaction, but there was no anaphylactic aspect that usually comes with the allergies."

Milton looked pensive and then said, "So if it wasn't the allergens, then you are looking at the poisons, correct? But what kind of poison is common enough that Kim would be exposed to, that would also cause such a specific pulmonary reaction? And why there ware no other victims?"

"Poisons?" "What?" "How?" came from the entire room and there was a moment, when the doctor just waited out everyone's' shocked reaction. For her part, Kim was stunned.

"I would not use the term poison just yet. It makes everything sound so sinister. We are looking at possible substance that Kim inadvertently ingested that caused this reaction. And we caught the illness early to prevent further possible symptoms from developing. We would need to run analysis on the contents of your stomach and run a blood panel to see what happened. I think you would have to stay here overnight for observations and, if there are no new symptoms, you may leave the hospital tomorrow. In the meantime, try to remember everything you ate or drank today." She left the room and Kim was still processing the information to properly acknowledge her.

"I would believe that it was food from our cafeteria - Lord knows how horrible it is - but none of us got sick," Milton said to the room and Jerry was nodding along.

"And we ate the same breakfast you did, honey, so it can't be our food," he mom was saying and brushing the hair out of Kim's face.

"Did you drink or eat anything that wasn't cafeteria food or from the house? Did you give her anything?" her dad's was looking at Jack distrustful and weary.

"Stop it, Dad! Lay off Jack," Kim snapped at him and Jack squeezed her hand in thanks.

"It was those macaroons from that gel boy!" Jack suddenly said. "You ate the whole box by yourself and now you are sick. I knew we should not trust him!" He made as if to stand up and go find Ricky right then and there.

Kim held onto his hand as tightly as she could, "Jack, maybe it were the macaroons, but Jerry and Milton each had at least a piece and they are not sick. Also, Ricky did not prepare them. It could be just the bakery's fault."

Bobby added, "you should get your blood drawn too, boys. Kim is right. Ricky probably had nothing to do with it. Take it from me, food poisoning is not that unusual. You should know this. You and Jerry got sick the same time I did."

With that the boys, Bobby and Rudy all left and Kim was now facing her parents and Jack.

"You should ask Ricky which bakery he used to get the sweets from, Kim. Jack, come with me. We need to talk." Kim's dad told them both clearly expecting no objections.

Kim did not like it. Her dad's dislike of Jack was beyond the point of being comical and was now upsetting her. She sighed and dropped back into the bed with and groan.

"Be patient with your dad, Kim. It is hard for him to see someone else being so close to you." Her mom was right of course. Kim knew it. But it was making her life difficult now and she was tired and cranky.

She picked her phone to see if she could message Ricky only to find that there was already a message from him.

therealrickyweaver at blackbeltkimc: I did not send you macaroons. It was somebody else. My surprise is much better.


Jack was itching to do something, anything, to help Kim. He never felt this helpless before than when he saw her list sideways and fall like a ragdoll. He ran and still was too late to catch her and then he was terrified. Like can't breath, can't think terrified, when he saw and heard her labored breathing. He shouted at no one in particular to call the ambulance and then picked her up and carried her to the nurse's station. The nurse could not do anything really. He held onto Kim tightly until the paramedics arrived and then he had to be told to let her go. He drove in the back of the ambulance with her, paramedic's feeble attempt to stop him were unheard, stoic by all appearances, but terrified inside.

Kim was always so full of life and her could not remember the last time she was sick. Seeing her pale, barely breathing, with a oxygen mask on her face, made him sick. She was taken to the emergency room of the hospital and he could not follow her there. Once she was taken in, he suddenly found himself without anything to do, to hold. He could feel the fear for her mounting in him with each second and he was battling it, afraid to think anything because it would vocalize, even if only in his mind, the horrible outcomes. He had to keep busy.

He called her mom, who started crying and pleading and he had to hang up because it was terrible and the fear was almost overwhelming him at that moment. He called Bobby and Rudy, who were suitably shocked and concerned and promised to come right away. He checked in with the guys, who told him they were on the way. Once the immediate tasks were completed, Jack was left with little to do, but to wait and he was struggling to keep his mind away from the horrible could be's. He paced, he drank coffee, he tried to read, he tried to watch TV. When Milton and Jerry showed up, he was grateful for the distraction. However, the first thing out of Jerry's mouth was, "Hey, what's wrong with Kim? Is it serious? I never saw someone look so pale. Like a vampire. And the breathing..."

He trailed off after catching Jack's dark look and edged away from the black belt. "I mean, it could be nothing. Maybe its just her time of the month or, you know, maybe she is dieting, like those girls..."

He was stopped by Milton's punch to the shoulder and a hissed, "Shut up, Jerry, or I'll make you."

Jack was unconsciously advancing on his curly-haired friend and Milton stepped in front of Jerry with hands raised up, placating. "Jack, you know he is an idiot. He does not know what he is saying half the time. Kim will be fine..."

Jack stopped in his tracts, finally realizing what he was doing and he turned away abruptly from both boys. He breathed in and out harshly, but it was not helping. Kim usually would touch his hand to keep his temper in check, but she was not here. She was there, on the gurney, barely breathing. His own breathing sped up and he was shaking and could hear distantly that Milton was saying something to him and he just could not anymore... He punched the nearby wall with a shout, leaving a small dent on the wall and his knuckles torn.

Finally, everyone arrived. Kim's mom was quietly crying and her dad was brusquely asking questions. They sat in the waiting room silent for the most part. When the doctor came out, they all stood up. She was confused for second seeing so many people, "Kim Crawford's family?" At all the nods around she went on, "Kim's airways were swollen, but it wasn't an allergic reaction. Her blood pressure was very low as well, which explains sudden fainting. We helped her breath and brought the pressure up. We also pumped her stomach. Blood test for most common drugs came negative, so we would have to wait for a full blood panel. She is stable right now, sleeping. Once she is in her room, you can come and stay with her."

"Drugs?!" Her dad was livid. "Kim doesn't do drugs."

"Of course," the doctor was diplomatic. "But she may not have known that she consumed drugs."

"What? Like roofied?" Rudy said and added, "it is possible."

"Bobby stepped in and asked for a private room to be arranged and asked, " Could it be a very bad food poisoning?"

"We are checking for everything right now."

The doctor left and they waited again, untill the nurse showed them to Kim's room. She was less pale, but looked drawn and IV drips in her veins made it look like she was seriously sick. Jack sat by her side, oblivious to others and held her hand. And waited.

When she woke up, it felt like he finally could draw a deep breath. She was awake and talking and asking questions. He tried to speak, but the memories of her falling and struggling to breathe was too much and he was glad when Jerry spoke.

Then the discussion about poisoning began and Kim's dad was glaring at him again. Kim's temper flared and she was defending him from the sick bed and he was so grateful that she was OK.

Of course that's when her dad decided he needs to talk to Jack.

He stepped outside and stood silent waiting for Kim's dad to begin.

"What happened to your hand?" Mr. Crawford said pointing at Jack's right hand.

"The wall and I had a disagreement."

"You always so hot tempered?"

"No. Today there were special circumstances."

"Right. About that..." Mr. Crawford fell silent again and Jack was kind of fed up with all the talks and threats and distrust.

"Mr. Crawford, you know that I..." Jack was interrupted.

"Look, Jack. Let me get this out first." He paused again and then with a great sigh said, "I am sorry I was hard on you. Kim is my only child and I know that with you it's serious... But you are not a bad kid and I know you care about her. Being with you and because of that Weaver guy, she gets a lot of hate right now. I am not as savvy with technology, but I see what is being handled about her out there. She won't say anything to us, but maybe she would to you. I am worried about her and these people who hate her... You take care of her, when I can't."

With that her stepped back into the room leaving a speechless Jack behind.


The next day Kim was released and doctors isolated the toxin that caused these extreme reaction. Kim, Milton and Jerry all had this toxin in there system and the question was whether it was some sloppiness on the bakery's part or a tainted ingredient.


Re: Kim Crawford/Wasabi

Jbgirl: did you hear about Kim fainting and being taken to the hospital? I wonder what was wrong..

Bbelt: yeah, everybody saw that pic of Jack carrying her in his arms. Ahhhh...

Jbgirl: I have to say that looked romantic, if it wasn't for the fact that she was taken to the hospital.

Bbelt: and then Bobby showed up and her dojo friends. I don't believe that Bobby isn't her dad. He obviously cares too much about her.

Jbgirl: and Jack was there all night. The pics of them leaving the hospital showed he was still wearing the PE uniform.

Bbelt: you think she is pregnant?

Jbgirl: shut up! No way!

Bbelt: I am just saying.


Blackbeltkimc at therealrickyweaver: I still haven't gotten your surprise.