A/N: Seems like the chapters are getting longer and longer. As I always say, they are long for a reason. The plot line for each chapter is what does it. Plus, I don't have time to update so often. These chapters should be cut into two or so.
A/N: Thank you to the reviewers for bearing with me. I love all the reviews, and they help me to become a better writer. Much love to all of the readers. You're Golden!. ;)
In This Chapter- Tommy returns from Africa... how does he really feel about what's happened? Also, what happened between him and Olivia? Will Kim and Anton's conversation help them to become closer or will it drive them apart?
Chapter 23- Attachments
Xxxxx
Reefside Regional Airport
Reefside, CA
(Flashback)
"Good evening." Greeted Olivia. She was dressed in a tight, black, shirt, a mini blue skirt, and her feet had on black, espadrille wedges.
Knuckles tapping on the door sounded, and Tommy had opened the door. He was greeted by the charming Olivia. For the past few days, they had been flirting back and forth. He was slightly attracted to her, and he received her obvious advances. However, he already had the love of his life. Yet, his hormones were on the rage, and with his love thousands and thousands of miles to the west, he needed his needs met. Stroking his penis with his own hand was a very viable option, but, having a woman satisfied his needs was the more appealing choice. But cheating on Kim… again… he wouldn't feel right. Yeah, he wanted to be pleased, but his love's feelings played upon his heart.
"Olivia, is there something wrong?" He asked, while he stood at the opening of the door in just his black, silken pajama pants and eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose. His bare toned, muscular chest was open for Olivia's brightened eyes to see.
He was the most attractive man she had met. Guys like Tommy weren't available in North Carolina, and she knew he was off the market. However, Tommy was fair game in Kenya. She knew the sexual tension between the two would collide eventually, and she was coming full throttle. Olivia, trying not to lick her lips, smiled at him with intention. Sex was the last thing on her mind during the day, but tonight she was ready to sexually please the man standing in front of her. Her heart started racing, his abs were to die for, and the fact that he was even reciprocating some attraction made her panties wet.
"Um." She drew a blank because she wasn't sure how to complete the sentence she wanted to ask. Sex was a powerful tool, so she needed the opportunity to grace him with her talents.
The sound of silence was administered after Olivia's one word response. Growing a little impatient, Tommy was ready to close the door. "Listen, I'm really tired, so I'll just see you in the morning." He closed the door, but black platforms and coral colored toes peeped into his room.
Olivia pushed the door open, and she walked into his room. Tommy looked at the bold move she made, and he closed the door. He watched as she sat on the solitary, king sized bed. Her right leg seductively crossed her left leg, she kicked off her heels, and she relaxed. As she looked at him, she felt like a naughty school girl trying to seduce her hot teacher. That's what she desired- she desired for his penis to grace the inside of her.
"Olivia, what do you want?" Tommy's voice was laced with annoyance, at this point. However, his penis responded to her body language. The openness of her budding attraction to him, and her smooth, exposed legs spurred him.
"What do you think I want?" Her inner temptress entered her voice. She got off the bed, and her height reached his mouth. She looked up and attempted to stare into his eyes, but the clear, mildly dirty lenses, obstructed her view. She took off his eyeglasses, and his chocolate pools, people called eyes, looked into her lighter ones. "I want you." She stated with bravado. "I've wanted you, since I first met you, and I want this." She began to caress the tent his pants was making.
Exhaling a soft moan, Tommy knew this was wrong. The pain he was going to feel of his 'blue balls' weighed on his mind, both upwards and downwards, but his heart rang true. He placed his large hands on her wrist. "Olivia, we can't do this. I have a loving girlfriend at home. I am very in love with her, and she's already upset with me. Please, just stop." He backed away from her and up against the dressers.
Simply, she shook her head no. She wasn't deterred at all, if anything she was even more turned on. "No, Tommy. You're wrong, we can do this. What your girlfriend doesn't know, won't hurt her." She did a little strip tease for him. First thing discarded was her top. Her perky breasts were enhanced with a purple and zebra striped bra. Second thing gone was her skirt. She twirled around in the matching bra and thong set. Tommy's eyes concentrated on her back. She had a tramp stamp stamped onto her lower back. A series of stars aligned in a straight line. Once her bra came off and her thong, she stood there naked.
She must have a fascination with stars. Tommy thought in his head. Where a guy's abdominal cuts were, she had one star on each side. These were unique because inside of the stars were tiny diamond shapes.
Instead of waiting for him, Olivia walked to the head of the bed. She laid down on it, and she faced him. Her legs were spread, and she started to lick two fingers sensually. If he wanted to make sure things between him and his girlfriend were secure, then he would've kicked her out a long time ago. Thought Olivia as she began to explore her own pussy with the licked fingers. Her free hand braced the side of his bed, she bit her lip to stop the fore coming moans, and her eyes were fixated on his bulging penis.
Turned on to her playing with herself, he decided to join in on the festivities. Tommy climbed onto the bed. As if she were his girlfriend, he took out her fingers and placed three of his own. He relentlessly fingered her pussy. This was a bold move on his part, and Olivia had never been taken with such force. This eagerly aroused her.
"Yes… yes…" Her eyes concentrated on his. "Fuck my pussy like that…" She opened her legs wider to grant him more access. This was what she wanted. "More, more, more." She egged him to continue.
As he continued helping her reach her climax, Tommy's mind was really somewhere else. She's a screamer, and she's way too into this. "Give it to me." He commanded her dominantly.
Her hips rolled with his fingers. "I will." She licked her lips, and she grabbed the back of his head. She kissed him.
Damn, she's horrible at kissing. Tommy winced at that. How can someone so pretty be a bad kisser? He wasn't so sure, but unfortunately his dick was getting soft. I miss my Beautiful's lips. He thought mentally. He hoped she was going to cum soon.
"OH MY GOD!" Screamed Olivia as she broke the kiss. Tommy sighed a breath of relief. She slightly convulsed from the brunt of her orgasm. Her eyes were filled with even more fire. She eagerly grabbed his pants, and she undid the drawstring. "I want this in my mouth." She informed with seriousness. His pants went away, followed by his boxers. His softened penis was exposed. Her brows slightly furrowed, but she had a feeling she could help him out. "Fuck my mouth."
Tommy got off the bed, and Olivia got on all fours. Her mouth was wide open, and he looked at her. Basically, he treated her like DJ. He grabbed the back the back of her head, and her mouth engulfed his cock with enthusiasm. Gurgling noises were heard, and this was too much for Olivia. While he was getting bigger, her jaws were locking because of his size. He continued commanding her mouth, and she obeyed willingly. Her body was literally his for the taking. Back and forth his dick motioned. Her head skills are alright. Tommy commented. Olivia's hands came up, and she held onto his hips, almost bracing the jarring speed of his movement.
Her muffled words for him to stop were heard, but he wasn't one to stop. His grunts sounded, and the churning feeling entered his stomach. "Uh… uh…" He grunted. His cum shot into her mouth, and he moaned even louder. His body shuddered and all of his built up cum entered the 'holder'. She tried to retract her body, but he kept her there.
"Fuck!" Tommy exclaimed. He shook off his body, and he went to the bathroom to clean himself up. Soon, he was joined by the Natalie Portman look alike. "What do you want, now?" This bitch doesn't quit. Tommy pondered. He turned his body to look at her.
"I want all of you in me." She requested, and she advanced towards him. Tommy's backed into the sink. The coolness of the porcelain graced his lower back. "Tommy. please. I. want. you. to. fuck. me." She articulated for him slowly and in a whiny voice.
If this was Kim, he would hop at the chance. Fuck, she wouldn't have been the one to pursue him. His conscience held him back because he did it again, he cheated on his faithful girlfriend. That was one thing. The second thing, his penis has only found one spot that was a pussy, and that was Kimberly's. Could he really go a step further and have sex with another woman?
"I have a girlfriend." He told her. "I-I-I can't do that to her." He tried to leave, but Olivia blocked him.
Her body stood in the middle of the doorway. "I hate to break it to you, Tommy, but you've already done that to her. Your cock was in my mouth, and now, it's going to be inside of my pussy." She turned around and bent over. "I'm ready." She chirped like a birdie.
He approached her exposed pussy. He began to stroke his dick, and pretty soon it was standing tall and proud. The inner battle was there. He didn't want to hurt Kim, but he wanted to fulfill his needs. Kim would be so hurt to find out about his infidelity, but he's already cheated on her before unfortunately. This would be the sin of his lifetime. Tommy shook his head because he knew if his girlfriend cheated on him, he would be fucking pissed. Hell, he would fucking kill the guy, stuff him in the bed of his truck, and haul the body to Canada, and drop it there without remorse. This would kill Kim. Tommy couldn't do it.
"Olivia, I can't and won't do that to the girlfriend I love." Tommy earnestly informed. He watched as Olivia stood up.
She looked at him. "Do you need a condom?" She wondered.
Tommy shook his head. "I just don't think we should."
Olivia sighed. "Tommy, I have a condom with me. Please, I need this, and I want you to do it." Her eyes were begging for him to continue having his way with her. She walked towards the hotel bed. She bent down towards the strewn skirt, and she grabbed the Trojan condom. Olivia turned to him, holding the condom in her right hand, and she expected for him to comply. She laid on his bed, once again, and she waited for him. The contemplating expression was present on his face, but she ignored it. "Tommy, please, I'll do all the work; just do this more me."
Figuring they could both use the release, Tommy complied. He grabbed the unfamiliar item, since Tommy and Kim started having sex; they've never utilized he protective aspects of a condom. Sex education in school has stressed the importance of the circular item, and he supposed the saying 'better late than never' applied right now. He went to grab it, but she stopped him.
"Let me do that for you." She opened the package, and she took out the somewhat opaque rubber. First thing first, she began to get him hard again by caressing his enlarging penis. After he was erected, she placed the opening of the condom on the head. The item traveled down his member.
The condom was tight, and he felt mildly uncomfortable. He ignored he feeling, and his back laid on the bed. Olivia climbed on top of him, her hands rested on his chest. She came down slowly, and she let out soft moans. Her pussy encased Tommy's erect member, and she bounced up and down.
Once in a while, Tommy would thrust upward, but he was bored. He let her do her thing, and he wouldn't kiss her mouth. Olivia's mouth snuck in kisses on his neck, she found a way to lick his ear as she rode him. He grabbed her C-cup breasts, and he massaged them. In return, she continued going until her orgasm was coming again.
Tommy was ready to ejaculate as well. Having sex with another woman was different. She began to scream and holler out his name. Together, they came, and Olivia fell limply over his body.
"Thank you, Tommy." She rolled off of him, and she fell asleep.
After the realease of his second orgasm, Tommy wanted to fall asleep, but in the back of his mind, there was something terribly wrong. Not just because he had sex with another woman, but something else. He couldn't pinpoint his finger on it though. He shook his head, and let the sleep claim him.
(End Flashback)
Tommy woke up from his thoughts of regret. He was sitting inside of the private jet belonging to Dr. Anton Mercer. The jet was called 'A.M. Number 1'.
After the phone call from Andros, he kicked Olivia out of his room. He told her what happened between the two of them should never be spoken about again. Olivia was shocked by his request, but she considered that was the best option. With that, Tommy packed up. He promptly informed Mr. Mercer of his connection to Kim and the incident that occurred. That's why he needed to leave the internship/dig immediately.
For a little bit Anton was stunned. However, his suspicions were confirmed. Upon finding out, Dr. Mercer immediately phoned for his jet. There were plenty of questions circulating in the vast brain of Dr. Mercer's. He decided to wait until a better time, for right now, the most important thing was to help his daughter. Part of him wanted to ignore Tommy's wishes, and Dr. Mercer felt Tommy was to blame for his daughter's drug use occurring again. However, Dr. Mercer realized he had no relation to his own daughter anymore. She purposefully shut him out, and she ran away. He had no clue how to talk to her, and if he showed up on his own; he was sure she would disregard him. Dr. Mercer needed backup, and the only one to offer him that would be Tommy. Therefore, he requested for Tommy to accompany him. Honestly, Tommy shouldn't be blamed for everything, Dr. Mercer was partly to blame too.
Both men got off the plane, and they entered the awaiting limo. Tommy called Andros.
"Hello?" Andros answered. "Tommy?"
"Hey Bro. I'm on my way right now." Tommy updated. He gave a small smile towards Dr. Mercer. "Is Kim awake, yet?"
"No, she's not. She's in a drug induced coma." Andros sadly told his brother, partner, and 'sister's' love. "She needs you." He kept the other incident to himself.
"Who's at the hospital?"
"All of the 'family'. Adam and Tanya are coming after work."
Speaking of Adam, is he the one that? Tommy mused about Adam's possible connection to Kim's overdose. "Shit." Dr. Mercer gasped at his outburst. Of course, Tommy rolled his eyes at Dr. Mercer's naivetés. He wondered if that's how he sounded when he first came to Reefside. Most probably so… Tommy thought, as he ignored the other man present. "Remind me to have a talk with Adam."
"Bro, you don't need to. We already talked to him, and he didn't administer the pills." Andros reminisced about last night's conversation with the Asian Pharm. Tech.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. We interrogated him, and Kim's connect is someone else. Crazy because I thought Adam was the one." Andros said. "Oh yeah, Cassie was admitted this morning."
"What the fuck?" Again, Mr. Mercer gasped at Tommy's curse words. Tommy mentally cursed Dr. Mercer. "What happened to Cassie?"
"The stress is getting to her. She began to have contractions, and the doctors put her in the hospital. TJ is back and forth between the floors."
"Well, I'll be there."
"Good. We informed the doctors that her boyfriend was coming, so you get a little more priveleges than everyone else."
Tommy refused to talk about his private guest. "Alright, I'll see you soon."
"Later, Bro." Andros hung up the phone.
Dr. Mercer looked out the tinted windows of the limo. He spoke to the window, but the topic of conversation was very much intended for Tommy. "Mr. Oliver, my impression of you has definitely changed." He notified. "You should've been there for my daughter, and because you decided to come on the dig; she's in the hospital. I'm sure she's informed you of the previous time she's entered the hospital because of her issue with her preferable drug, Oxycontin."
"Yes." Tommy boldly stated, not trying to hint his disgust with Dr. Mercer.
"Alright, so what on Earth possessed you to leave her?" Dr. Mercer faced his daughter's boyfriend.
"Excuse me?" Astonished by Dr. Mercer's question, Tommy's jaw was so far opened; it practically reached the carpet aligning the floors of the spacious backseat. "Are you trying to say that I'm the one that forced Kim back into her drug life?"
"Partly." Dr. Mercer answered curtly.
Tommy needed a cigarette to calm his nerves. "Dr. Mercer, I am no in way trying to be disrespectful, but your opinion is wrong, it's very wrong. None of us know why Kim is still using. She's kept that from me, even though I've confronted her about it several times."
Kim's father scoffed. "If anything, you should've monitored her closely." He shook his head.
"Monitored her closely?" Tommy angrily echoed. "What the fuck do I look like her father?" The thought of following Kim, Tommy knew that wasn't possible. Even more, that's not his responsibility as Kim's boyfriend.
"You are her boyfriend!" Anton retorted with venom.
"And you are her father!" The man who was partly in charge of 20 employees pointed back at the older man in front of him. "You haven't been there for Kim since she was little. After you started a new family, you ignored her! She's been in gymnastics since she could walk, but you didn't even care. All you cared about making sure your new wife and son, Trent, were stable and got everything they want or needed!" He shouted.
"You have no right to accuse me of what I did or didn't do!" Dr. Mercer's tone evenly matched his.
Tommy sent a text message to TJ. He needed for him to wait outside of the hospital, so Tommy's luggage could be placed inside of TJ's blue GMC Yukon. TJ sent back a text message, saying he'll be out there.
Tommy snorted in aggravation. "Dr. Mercer, your daughter is in the hospital, instead of wanting to know if she's okay, you're blaming me for putting her in there. Until we know for sure, don't say shit to me!" He shook his head. "Kim didn't even want me going on the dig. I told her she didn't have to worry because I wouldn't tell you about me being with her. But, with her overdosing, I decided to let you know." The issue at hand wasn't about them though.
"See, she didn't even want you going on the dig, it's obvious this is all of your fault!" Dr. Mercer didn't give up on trying to push this situation as Tommy's doing.
Ignoring his words, Tommy looked out the window. His words cut through Dr. Mercer's heart. "You can blame me for this all you want, but at the end of the day, you should understand when Kim needed a dad, you weren't there. Once Kim left to train for the Pan Globals, that's when she began to use. She was raped, and she got the help she needed to cope with it. After she came home, you didn't help her in any such way. She left the home you built for her again, and now she's supporting herself the only way she can. Somewhere in that mix of being away from you for the past 5 or 6 years, she found a way to use again. I'll tell you right now, she used the night of Trent's art gallery. Know why?" There was a pause, but Dr. Mercer declined to reply. "Because she knew her family was there, and she didn't know how to handle the situation. She was almost raped that night too. Dr. Mercer, you are to blame for Kim's drug use. No ifs, ands, or buts about it." He sneered, not caring if he hurt Dr. Mercer. He was simply telling the truth.
Xxxxx
Reefside Hospital
Reefside, CA
With a heated expression, Tommy grabbed his luggage from the limo driver. He was greeted by TJ, and TJ handed him a cigarette as soon as Tommy stepped onto the curb.
Stepping out of the limo, Dr. Mercer adjusted his suit and tie. His expression was stagnant on his possible son in law and his friend. The words that were exchanged between him and the young man refreshed his mind. It was obvious he's been out of his daughter's life for so long, and he wa seemingly detached from who was to or not blame.
"Whoa!" TJ was in awe. "That's Kim's dad."
"Yeah, I know." Muttered Tommy. He continued smoking his cigarette. "Remember, I was on the dig. He was in charge of it." He ignored the stares from the other man standing on the street. "What's the update on Kim?"
"Tommy, you need to talk to the doctors." TJ responded. He flicked the golden-brownish filter.
"I will." He didn't get the hint of the direness of the situation. "How's Cassie doing?" Tommy exhaled deeply.
TJ rubbed his cigarette smoke scented hands together in a stress filled manner. "Man, after the shit with Ashley and Andros breaking up, Ashley getting arrested, and finding out about Kim's drug overdose, she's just been tense. Everything about her is tense, her body, her mind, and her feet." He shook his head. "She feels like her family is breaking up. I keep telling her it's not, but she can't help it. Yesterday, she was in Kim's room, and then it happened. She got the stomach pains, and they found our child to be in distress. The poor lil' guy-"
"So you two are having a boy?" Tommy queried and interrupted the older man.
A prideful Daddy smile played upon TJ's lips. "Yup, we found out yesterday, they ended up doing a survey of the whole body, and well, yeah it's a boy." The joy was greatly shared between the Mommy and Daddy.
"Congrats! Man." Tommy was happy for them.
Dr. Mercer became even more agitated with Tommy. For the past 10 minutes, he had been watching him. He madly stomped over to his apprentice also known as the man who held his daughter's heart. "Why are you out here smoking a cigarette? You need to be in there with my daughter, finding out what's wrong with her!"
Tommy rolled his eyes. "After the car ride we just had, I very much need one." He threw the cigarette away.
"Mr. Mercer, he's heading up there right now." TJ tried to diffuse the growing tension between the two men.
"What is your name, young man?" Anton asked.
"Theodore Jay Jarvis Johnson, but I go by TJ." He shook Anton's hand.
"Nice to meet you TJ, but I need you to stay out of this conversation. This is about my daughter." Anton gruffly interrupted TJ's 'divine intervention'.
TJ, rather annoyed with Dr. Mercer, put his niceness aside. "Your daughter happens to be my 'sister'." TJ noted the confused expression on the oldest man's face. "Yes, I am her 'brother', and we've been there for Kim. You don't need to take your frustration and resentment out on Tommy. If anything, Tommy's been there for Kim." With that, he knew they needed to head upstairs. "Come on, Tommy. You need to see her. I'll take your luggage to my car."
With the adrenaline of his fight with his possible father in law still present in his system, Tommy took a few breaths. He walked through the rotating doors, and the air conditioned hallway instantly cooled him down. Taking the necessary steps towards the elevator, he pressed the button with the up arrow. Ding… Inside the elevator, he pressed the button with the number five. The cube ascended, and he looked up at his reflection. Emotionally, mentally, and physically he was torn down. He was very tired, and he was upset with himself for fucking that other girl. He was hurting to know his girlfriend was in here, and he could've caused her drug-induced coma. He stepped off the elevator.
"There he is!" Karone excitedly pointed at her 'brother'. She ran to him and launched herself in his arms. "Oh my gosh… we've missed you!"
Tommy laughed. "I missed all of you guys too." He gave a guy hug to Zhane and Andros. "Where is Ashley?"
"Level three with Cassie. She hated being here." Zhane responded. He was nervous about Tommy finding out the news.
"Alright, which room is Kim in?" Tommy asked them.
"2156." They all answered at the same time.
He laughed at their eagerness. "Alright, I'll be in there."
Andros followed Tommy. "Tommy, wait up." Tommy stopped mid-step and turned to Andros. "Whatever happens, and whatever you find out, we'll be here for you."
The words haunted Tommy for some reason. He simply nodded, and he left to see his love. Before stepping into room, 2156, he did something he hadn't done in a long time. "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…" Tommy motioned his fingers to his forehead, down to his heart, and he crossed them from left to right. He prayed for Kim's safety, and for her forgiveness. He repeated the words again. "Amen." He inhaled and exhaled again. Opening up the door, he walked in, and for the first time in a long time, he cried.
He sat on the chair to the left of her bed, and he scooted it closer to her. The scraping noises were heard in addition to the beeping of the machines. Kim's arms were accessorized with IVs, tape, gauze, bandages, she was assisted by a breathing machine, and to help continue the blood flow, her legs were decorated with a sequential compression device. She was covered in blankets, and her pale face had yellowish-grayish eyelids. There were obvious bags under her eyes as well. Her hair was put in a big bun, and he stared at her even harder. Her chest elevated up and down, her legs moved, but other than that, Kim's body didn't move. Her voice, her sing song voice, he hadn't heard her sing in so long and he wished she could sing for him right now. He missed holding her, he missed hugging her, even more, he missed talking and just being with her.
"Beautiful." Tommy's voice cracked. He gripped her left hand tightly. "I love you so much. More than you ever know. I shouldn't have left you when I did." He sniffled, and he lovingly caressed her knuckles. "I apologize for everything I've done to you, and I want to work things out with you. Only you, you are the girl for me. I just know it. I love you." He kissed her hand, he grasped for the hand that housed the ring he had bought for her, and rested his head on the rim of her bed. "I'm so sorry." He let the tears run down his face.
Anton watched from outside of the window. He began to think his hypothesis about Tommy was wrong. He had to remember the humble kid he met from all of those months ago. The polite boy didn't even know who he was, but they still struck up a network link. And now, this boy had claimed his daughter's heart. After Tommy departed to seek his daughter, TJ filled in the blanks, and he realized the complexity of Tommy and Kimberly's relationship. For goodness sake's, the two have been living together, and they've been boyfriend and girlfriend for less than a damn year. He noticed Tommy's body was convulsing, probably from the crying that was attacking his body. Pretty soon, they stopped.
"He's probably sleeping." Anton murmured, and he kept watching.
A nurse walked by. "Excuse me sir, is there something wrong?" She looked at him expectantly.
"Yes. Can I know who is taking care of this patient, right here?" He beckoned towards the room behind him.
"Follow me." The nurse walked towards the nurses' station. She looked at the chart. "Ms. Hart's room." She said aloud. "Ah, yes, the doctor is Dr. Walsh. Would you like for me to get him for you?" She sensed this man cared a great deal about the patient in there. Anton shook his head. "Is there a particular reason you wanted to know?"
"Yes, please, have everything billed to Dr. Anton Mercer, and I want my daughter to have the most valuable care." He informed her.
"Dr. Anton Mercer?" The nurse was astounded. He nodded. "Yes sir, I will let Dr. Walsh know. Is there anything else?"
"That will be all, oh, and please, on my request, don't kick out the young man that's with my daughter." Anton had been informed about the rules and regulations of hospitals a long time ago. He's figured they hadn't changed a bit. "I want him to be with her 24/7. That is all." He began to walk off.
"You got it. Have a nice day, Dr. Mercer."
Dr. Mercer turned around. "You too." He went on his way, and he looked inside of his daughter's hospital room once again. He needed to make a few more phone calls.
Xxxxx
The Next Day. . .
Reefside Hospital
Reefside, CA
Dr. Walsh walked into Kim's room. He looked at the other person present in the room, and he figured this was the person he needed to talk with. In addition, he was the man that Dr. Mercer had requested to stay in the room of his patient. Hating to wake him up, Dr. Walsh knew this was necessary. He gently tapped Tommy's shoulder.
The movement shook up Tommy, and he whipped his body up. He looked around, and he began to open and shut his eyes. They readjusted, and he was able to look at things much clearly. There was a man with a white, lab coat and slacks. This must be the doctor. Tommy thought, and he smiled at the other man.
"Good morning." Dr. Walsh greeted. He began to check on Kimberly. He had a pen and clipboard in hand. "What's your name, and what is your relationship with Ms. Hart?" He needed to make sure about this guy. "I'm Dr. Walsh, and I've been taking care of her, since she was admitted."
"I'm Tommy Oliver, and I'm her boyfriend." The part owner of the best strip club in town shook the doctor's hand.
"I'm very sorry for your loss." Dr. Walsh sympathized with the man in front of him. He continued with his notes.
"For my loss?" Tommy rubbed the back of his neck, and his eyebrows constricted. "Dr. Walsh, Kim's not dead. I can see she's alive. I mean, her line is still going up and down and all around, it's not that… what is that crap called. Flat lined or something." Tommy commented, while he made eye contact with the doctor.
Dr. Walsh thought he knew, so now, he's probably said too much. He braced himself for the impact of the statement he was going to say next. "Mr. Oliver, I'm sorry, I must've been confused. I thought you were informed." Tommy's eyes widened. "Mr. Oliver, in addition to your girlfriend having a coma, she suffered a spontaneous abortion as well."
"Spontaneous abortion?" Tommy repeated his words in confusion. "A spontaneous abortion…" He tried to decipher those words. "For an abortion to happen, Kim had to have been…" He couldn't finish the sentence at all.
"Unfortunately Mr. Oliver, I'm very sorry to say it, but she has suffered a miscarriage. We measured the deceased fetus, it was about 2 months old." Dr. Walsh sadly informed.
For a few minutes, Tommy thought about his words. Then, the truth finally hit Tommy. He was going to be a daddy, but that title was taken from him. He wanted to punch a wall, but he was able to self calm himself, for now. "Did… did she know?" The solemn expression was obvious.
Dr. Walsh shook his head. "We don't think she knew she was pregnant, but when she wakes up we'll find out." He finished up his notes. "No one told you about the spontaneous abortion?" Tommy shook his head. "They probably wanted you to find out from me. I am so sorry, Mr. Oliver. Do you need a grief counselor?"
"No thank you." He kindly declined. Tommy ran his fingers through his hair. "Dr. Walsh, how did she lose the… the…" Again, Tommy couldn't finish his spoken thought.
"There were several chemicals inside of Ms. Hart's body. They ranged from alcohol to Oxycontin to Cannabis, and those factors definitely affected Ms. Hart. When she was found in your home, she was already passed out, and she was surrounded in a pool of her blood and the baby's blood from the ruptured amniotic sac." Dr. Walsh further elaborated. "The baby wasn't protected, and that's what caused for the miscarriage."
"If Kim wouldn't have been using, would the baby have survived?"
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, Mr. Oliver. Other than the pill use and the alcohol, she was a very healthy young woman. The child would've been able to live inside of her womb, and she would've carried the fetus to full term. I'm very sorry for your loss." He deeply apologized again, and said his goodbye to Tommy.
"Thank you, Dr. Walsh." Once the door closed, Tommy grabbed the hospital phone. He dialed Andros' phone number.
"Hey, Tommy." Andros responded warily. He was familiar with the hospital room's number at that point, and he suspected Tommy had found out.
"You fucking knew!" His voice was deep and grave with venom.
"I didn't want you to find out from one of us, I thought you should've heard the truth from the doctors."
"But the fact is your fucking knew about it!" He shouted into the phone.
Andros cursed under his breath. "Tommy, we didn't want you to find out through the phone, we didn't want you to find out by us, we thought the doctor was the best choice. Hell, I wasn't even supposed to find out, but the fucking doctor thought I was Kim's boyfriend, since I was the one that called 911 and found her." He countered calmly. He inhaled and exhaled. "You and Kim are very close to me, trust me, we wanted you to know, but to find out through a call or text, while you were traveling half way around the world; it would've been fucking whack. I'm so sorry, Tommy."
He knew Andros had the best intentions, but the fact he wasn't informed about it sooner hurt him more than anything. This was going to devastate Kim. They've had several talks about starting a family. Kim thought there was no time like the present to have a child, but they just knew they weren't ready. She continually took her birth control on time. He guessed her birth control must've been defective. The anger of the situation was getting the best of him now. Again, tears entered his eyes.
"Tommy, we'll help you and Kim through this. Take all the time off you need, you know you'll still have your job." His partner comforted him.
"Why us?" Ferocity tinged Tommy's voice. "Karone and Zhane have a child. TJ and Cassie do as well. Fuck, she's been through the most stress, but she's still carrying it. I dunno about Conner and Kira, but I'm sure their baby is kicking right now. Why did we have to lose our child?" The stress of Kim being in the hospital coupled with the news of his lost child ravaged his heart. Left and right, it seemed that Kim and him were meant to be unhappy. "This is bullshit."
Andro's heart broke for his comrade's unhappiness. He needed to take care of some things before heading back to the hospital. "I'll be there later. Before I head to work. Do you need anything?"
"Naw, just be here." Tommy replied, he was in a zombie like state.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Andros wanted to know.
"Yeah."
"Alright, I'll see you later."
"Bye."
Tommy put the phone back on the base. He shook his head. "Why couldn't you have fucking stopped, while you were ahead?" He spoke to the sleeping woman's form. "Why?" The depression was fast approaching, and Tommy stepped out of the room. He went to the next person he felt the most comfortable with, Cassie.
Xxxxx
Reefside Hospital
Cassie's Room
Cassie was heavily into the show that was displayed on the medium-sized plasma TV. "Power Rangers: In Space." She said aloud. "I thought there were like 15 more reincarnations of this show." She didn't care, and she was into the plot of this episode. In this episode, it was the Yellow ranger's birthday, and she gets taken hostage by the evil bad girl; they also switched places. "Aw, the Red and Yellow ranger are so in love. That necklace was such a sweet idea." She commented, and she kept watching. "I think the Blue and Pink ranger are in love too, but they don't want to say anything."
Tommy laughed from the doorframe. "Is that right?" He asked her.
"Yup, haven't you ever watched this show? They always have these budding romances, but they mess them up somehow. Like, the first ever entry in this series, the Pink and White ranger were together, but then the Pink ranger left. She was replaced, and the the writers or someone decided to break them up. The the White ranger dated her replacement! I hated it, and they broke them up by a fucking letter! A letter, ugh, what has this world come to?" She shook her head and laughed. "I was a hardcore first Pink and White ranger shipper too." She informed in a playful state.
"Cassie, how old are we again?" He inquired with mocking tone.
"18, almost 19, but we will always be kids at heart." She looked at him, and she knew her words must've hurt him. "Hey, how are you feeling?"
The reality of him losing his child hit him again. "I don't know what to feel." He honestly spoke about the matter. "I'm so angry for Kim using and our child dying, but I also feel partly responsible for her drug use. Why did this happen to us?"
Cassie sighed. She grabbed her ice chips, and she munched on them. Once she swallowed, she was going to talk about what happened. "Take a seat." She motioned for the chair next to her. Tommy sat, and he listened intently. "Once you left, Kim felt lost. Like, really, really, lost. Basically, it was very unhealthy for her. Ash, Karone, and I tried to be there for her, but some nights she shut us out. We had an inkling she was using again, but we weren't positive. Earlier this week, while Kim was dancing, she fell off the stage. That clued us in on her use even more. In her dressing room, we talked about what occurred, and she just said she had a little too much to drink. Ash asked if this had to do with you, and Kim nodded. She missed you a lot. Part of her felt like you left to cheat on her and you wanted to end the relationship."
Tommy shook his head. "I didn't intend to do that." His face sunk into his hands.
She heard the imply. "So you did?" Seeing Tommy's head bob up and down, Cassie shook her head. "Why?"
"I dunno exactly. I tried to get the girl out of my room, but I was horny. She wanted to, and I gave in." He regretfully responded.
"I am mad at you, don't get me wrong, but I feel more lenient towards you, than when Andros cheated. I'll explain why." She noted Tommy wanted to speak up. "Andros, he's had relationships, and he should've known better. Ashley was literally the best he's ever had. That's why I was so angry with him for cheating on her. Between you can Kim, I guess since you were the church boy, and you've come into this complicated world of exotic dancing and advanced women, you didn't know any better. It's still bad of you to cheat on Kim, but she sadly pushed you to that." Cassie finished for him.
"Do you think she'll forgive me?
"She will. Kim's devoted to you, and she loves you more than her own life. It's very sad to say, but it's the truth. I know you feel like that as well. Don't you?"
Tommy nodded. "I do. Sometimes I feel Kim and I have an unhealthy relationship because of that."
"You aren't the only one." Cassie wisely reassured. "In this family all of us have our own attachment like that. TJ and I are pretty bad. Speaking from experience, he's all I've ever known, and will ever know. TJ's the end of the road for me."
"Are you sure?" Cassie nodded. "How do you know?"
Cassie giggled. "Tommy, come on I've told you the story. I've known since I was 5 that TJ was my guy. Just like how Kim made eye contact with you the first night you worked; we all knew you two were perfect for each other. Just like the Pink and White Mighty Morphin Power Rangers."
"You aren't going to get off of that, are you?" Tommy laughed at her.
"Nope, they seriously messed up something good." Cassie bitterly said. "Anyways." She sipped the melted ice. "Both of you will overcome the obstacles that are presented to you. When we found out about the miscarriage, we were so hurt. Hell, it landed me here. I know Zhane and Karone hugged Ray for hours, and TJ was thankful we are still holding ours. We all feel bad because you two had to suffer. In the future, I'm sure you guys will get pregnant again."
The words were somewhat melancholy like. At the expense of Tommy and Kim, their friends were still happy that their own pregnancies were sustained. "How am I going to break it to Kim?" He asked with seriousness laced in his voice.
"You will just have to tell her. Even though she'll be hurt, she'll start the mourning process sooner than later. And now that you're here, you can prevent her from running back to the drugs." Cassie hoped.
Tommy got up. "Is TJ coming? I need a ride back home."
"I'll call him." Cassie dialed her boyfriend's number. After 10 minutes, she hung up. "Alright, he'll be here. He said to wait outside. I think you should smoke a blunt for me."
"I most probably will." Tommy gave a soft peck to Cassie.
She basked in the affection. "We will be here for you." Tommy nodded, and he walked out the door. Cassie watched him leave her room. "Please, don't put these two through anything else." She murmured, knowing they might not get past any more heartbreak.
Xxxxx
Three Hours Later. . .
Reefside Hospital
Kim's Room
High as a kite, Tommy returned back to Kim's room.
As soon as TJ picked him up, they left for the lone home at 1992 Valencia Rd. As soon as Tommy walked into his house, he smelled the pronounced copper scent. After four days, the smell festered in the place. Tommy and TJ had to cover their noses. Walking into the basement, Tommy found his girlfriend's paraphernalia. All of the items were for intravenous use: lighters, spoons, tissue paper, a belt, H20, an array of pill holders, and the needles. In addition, there were empty vodka bottles, and an abundance of weed. Tommy was baffled as to how his girlfriend got these items, and he was surprised they weren't confiscated, and neither of them were incarcerated.
A question rang in Tommy's mind, smoking Oxycontin seemed like her preferred method of choice, so what possessed her to use this- this being the needles- way?
Other than that everything looked normal, and he called up one of the cleaners for the club; Maria De Leon agreed to head over to his place and clean up the mess. Tommy would pay her a thousand for the job, knowing the job was a big one and that the mess was disgusting. After that, Tommy rolled up the blunt. TJ and him enjoyed the thin, brown, paper. After that, they left in their separate cars.
While driving, Tommy thought about the issues surrounding him and his girlfriend. Of course he was angry with Kim, but at the same time, he was bonded to her. There was no way he could leave her again. The love he had for that girl, he knew he was in it for the long haul. Like air, she needed him, and he needed her. The marijuana along with his interesting talk with Cassie, calmed him. Before heading up, TJ and Tommy smoked two cigarettes before seeing Cassie and Kim, respectively.
As if he hadn't left her, there was no change in Kim's condition. However, the room was different. There was a beautiful, floral bouquet resting on the tray that connected to Kim's bed. He looked at the arrangement, and he read the card.
"To my Beautiful Daughter,
yes, it's Daddy. I miss you,
and I love you so much.
Please, Get Better.
I've deposited some
money in your boyfriend's account.
Everything will be taken care of.
Xoxo- Daddy"
Tommy furrowed his brows. He looked at the time, and the clock flashed 01:14 PM. Later, he would call the bank. He reclined back in his chair, and he held her hand.
Andros and Ashley quietly opened the door to the room. They tiptoed in, and as soon as they saw Tommy's face, they knew he was doing the wrong thing to cope with the loss. Obviously, they ignored it.
"Hey, are you hungry?" Ashley asked, and she held up a Subway sandwich bag.
Nodding, Tommy grabbed the bag with keenness. He opened the bag, and he saw it was his favorite. An Italian Herbs and cheese foot long stuffed with spinach melted into pepper jack cheese, roast beef, lettuce, tomato, green bell peppers, mayo, mustard, and the seasonings. There was a side of jalapeno peppers, and he had a big grab bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.
"How did you know?" Tommy questioned about his favorite sandwich.
Ashley gave him a down smile. "While you were gone, Kim and I would go to Subway, and she would order your favorite." She replied. She sat down and started to eat her own.
A sad smile encompassed Tommy's mouth. He began to eat his lunch.
"Any update?" Andros took his seat next to Ash. They scooted their chairs closer to each other. He took out his sandwich and ate with the two.
"No, nothing yet. Kim's dad bought her these flowers though." Tommy informed around his chewed up food. He swallowed.
Being a girl, Ashley admired the colorful arrangement. "Wow, those must've cost a fortune." She, then, looked at her 'brother'. "How are you holding up?"
"I guess the best way I can. This whole situation hurts though. How am I going to break it to her? She's been through so much, and now this? I just hope it doesn't kill her." Tommy replied with a bitterness his family wasn't used to. "We just gotta be there for her."
"You aren't leaving her then?" Andros wondered. He had been worried about that, since he found out about Kim's miscarriage.
Tommy shook his head. "Nope. I love that girl with all my heart. I would never leave her, and I hope she would never leave me. I hate to pull the religion card, but maybe God felt like we could handle this setback, and that's why it happened." He stroked Kim's hand again. "I'm not saying I'm not mad at her either. Trust me, I'm very angry with her. She shouldn't have even been touching that shit." His attention went to Andros and Ashley. He noticed they'd been sitting pretty close. "Are you two back together?"
Immediately, they faced each other. Both had red faces like the color of strawberries, and they lightly chuckled.
"We've talked about it, and there's a possibility" Ashley answered honestly. "We still have some issues that we've skirted around, but I know I still love him." She gripped his hand as reinforcement.
Andros smiled. "That's all I can ask for. I still love you." He confessed to Ashley.
For the past month, Andros and Ashley had been working on trying to reconstruct their relationship. On Ashley's part, there were trust issues still present. As for Andros, he was deathly afraid of hurting her again. He promised himself he wouldn't hurt her though. They still had to talk more, and for now, it was best they weren't together.
"Come on. We need to head to work." Ashley urged. She finished her sandwich. "Boss, we miss you over there at the club. All the girls hope you'll be back soon." She got up and she gave him a hug.
"I'll be there... eventually." Tommy chuckled. "Thanks, Andros for covering for me."
"No problem, Tommy." Andros acknowledged, he gave Kim a peck on the cheek, and he exchanged a guy hug with Tommy.
The semi-couple left, and Tommy sat back. He hoped his girlfriend would wake up soon. His mind drifted to the card, and he furrowed his brows. Anton had deposited some money in his account. He wondered how much. Using his phone, Tommy called up his bank. He punched in the necessary numbers, and he listened for his bank balance. The amount made him gasp deeply.
"That can't be right!" Tommy didn't mean to exclaim, but the numbers were high- really high.
A coughing noise was expelled from someone in the room. "What can't be right?" Kim's voice was hoarse, so she tried to cough and make it normal again. She looked to her left, and she saw the most handsome face her heart had been yearning to see. "Handsome?"
Tommy looked at Kim. He smiled at her, and he immediately got off of his chair. He sat on the edge of Kim's bed and he began to stroke her face. The soft strokes caused Kim to bask in them. She had missed him so, so much. "Yes, Beautiful, it's me." He told her. "I've missed you so much." He bent down and kissed her.
"I've missed you too. I love you." She declared with a boldness he loved.
"I love you more." He pronounced with honesty.
She smiled, and Kim looked around the room. "What-what- happened?" She asked earnestly. "Why am I in the hospital?"
"What do you remember?" He questioned, and he grabbed the phone, so the doctor could check on her. "She's awake." A pause was administered. "Alright, see you here soon." He hung up, and he held her hands. Tommy kept kissing them.
Her mind was still swimming, and she wasn't even sure what happened to her last. Searching her clouded thoughts, Kim tried to reminisce. "I-I-I think I was at home, our home, and uh-uh-uh…" Kim stuttered. The thoughts were drifting back, and she didn't want to tell him.
"I know everything." He informed.
"Everything?" She squeaked out loud.
Tommy nodded. "I went to our home, and I saw all of it."
"Ms. Hart, I am Dr. Walsh." He informed, once he entered through the doors. He checked her vitals, he used the flashlight to see if she was able to coordinate her eyes with the movement, he took the necessary notations, and he made sure she was squared away.
"Nice to meet you." Kim nicely greeted. "Why am I here?"
Looks were exchanged between Tommy and Dr. Walsh. The younger man shook his head, informing the doctor he hadn't disclosed the information about the miscarriage. Dr. Walsh nodded, so he updated Kim on her prognosis.
"Ms. Hart, you've been in a drug induced coma. Your body was filled with over 20 opiate pills, in addition to the heavy alcohol consumption. The way you were injecting the pills, basically sent your body over the deep end, and that's what caused your deep sleep." Dr. Walsh summarized. "Does any of that ring a bell?"
It rang the bell because Kim's recollection was initiated.
(Flashback)
Kim's feet and mind led her to the illustrious basement. This became her second home. With Tommy gone, she felt empty, and this was her best way to fill the void. Not to mention, her body was craving this kind of destruction.
Behind the bar, she grabbed the items of choice. The previous night, she had the greatest non-sexual orgasm. The rush that erupted in her body after she shot up the opiate, filled her with the best high in the world. She wished for it again. Bottles and packages of pills were opened. They were spread among the smooth, granite counter, and she grabbed some wrapping paper.
Before starting her ritual, Kim took a deep gulp of vodka. The liquid entered her stomach, and she had a disgusted expression on her face from the taste. That was pushed to the side.
She opened the wrapping paper, step one. Step two, she placed a 160 mg tablet of Oxycontin. She covered the tablet, she grabbed her needle, and she turned the needle over. The smooth part crushed the pill into a fine powder, step three. Step four, the powder was neatly deposited into the spoon. A little bit of water trickled on the pill, step five. Step six, she used her lighter to heat the bottom of the spoon. The needle was then placed onto the heated mixture, and the fine point began to inhale the poisonous liquid, step seven.
Her fingers flicked the side of the needle to release the air bubbles. She placed the smooth part into her mouth. Kim's pink, studded belt was right next to her. This was the same one she utilized last night. Wrapping the belt around her upper arm, Kim felt around for the right vein.
"Bingo!" She muttered with the needle inside of her mouth. This part she hated, but she ignored the emotion, so she could gain her high. Her left hand grasped the needle, and the ultra, sharp bevel punctured her vein. "Ah!" The excruciating pain momentarily stopped her. Bringing down the syringe a bit, the blood began to seep out, and she brought the syringe back up. With the blood in the syringe, it mixed with the Oxycontin mixture. The liquid became a brownish, reddish color. After that, the rest of the liquid traveled into her vein.
Shivers erupted onto her body, and Kim felt like she was having multiple orgasms amongst herself. Quickly, the effect of the injection took over. She smiled, and she wanted to do it again. The appeal of the needle stopped her though. So, whatever else she grabbed, she swallowed. Pills entered her system, and the burning, clear liquid was expedited into her throat. She had already smoked marijuana earlier in the day, so the opiate was the more attractive option. The drugs rested inside her petite body, and she got up. Shaking her head from the intoxication she was feeling, she tried to reach the upstairs.
Her ragged steps didn't get her that far, before she felt the ultimate aftershock. Pain entered her lower side. Breathing in and out slowly, she ignored the feeling. She reached the steps, but she couldn't climb the damn thing correctly. She climbed up, in a different way. Knees hit the steps, and hands hit the next step she needed to be on to reach her destination. Her vision was blurred, her mind swam, and she had no clue where she was. The 105 pound body was filled with 3200 mg of pain killers, a cup of vodka, and the remnants of Cannabis. Her body can't handle that kind of abuse.
As she climbed up, the pain became more and more pronounce. She writhed with the agony, and then she felt liquid. The color was red. The telephone rang and rang and rang. Tommy and Kim's happy voice played as the answering machine's greeting. Andros' voice carried towards Kim, but there was no way she could answer it, even though she tried to. That's when she collapsed limply. At that point, nothing else was comprehended. She laid there, wishing her lover would come back. That's who she needed the most.
Sleep engulfed her for days…
(End Flashback)
A deadpanned expression stayed on his girlfriend's face. He wondered what was dancing in her mind. "Kim." Tommy tried to get her attention. She stayed quiet, but the tears signified there was more that she wasn't willing to tell. "Kim."
Slowly, she turned to the direction of the voice. "Why was I bleeding?" She questioned with sadness. The same sadness she had whenever she spoke of her family, her mom, her previous convoluted affair with opiates. She witnessed the stares exchanged between her boyfriend and doctor. That's not what she wanted. What she wanted was answers. "Damn it, why the hell was I bleeding!" She shouted at them. "I know I had pain in my stomach, please, I must've started my period right?" They solemnly shook their head. "What happened!" She begged them with urgency. Quietness filled Kim's personal hospital room. "Please, please tell me." She requested again.
"I'll leave you two." Dr. Walsh excused himself. Telling a man that a miscarriage occurred, that was one thing, witnessing the aftermath of a woman finding out; Dr. Walsh had to leave.
"Beautiful, we- you- uh…." Tommy hated to break this to her.
"Fucking tell me Tommy." Kim's voice was still hoarse. Tommy handed her a cup of water. She loathed the fact he was still taking his precious time to tell her what happened. "Stop stalling and tell me."
"You had a miscarriage." He waited for her outburst.
That one word hit Kim like a two ton truck. Her hand covered her mouth protectively. "No. No. NO!" Murmured Kim. Tears filled her eyes, and she looked at Tommy with seriousness. "I was…" Similar to Tommy's response, Kim repeated him. "Tommy, was I carrying a baby?" She hoarsely and remorsefully whispered the last part. He nodded, not trying to make her even more upset, but he knew that part was inevitable. "Oh my God!" She yelped in shock. "What have I done!" Her face was buried in her hands. Tommy's arms wrapped around her, and his whole entire body sheltered her. She cried, and she cried.
Tommy felt her shaking body. The news has affected her indefinitely. "Shh… shh…" He rubbed soothing circles on her back. She shook her head against his chest.
Kim pushed him off. "How can you still touch me!" She shouted even louder than before. "I killed our child, your child!"
"You had no clue you were pregnant." Tommy defended her.
"No fucking clue! I should've had a fucking clue, hello I hadn't had my period in two fucking months. Then you leave, and I did the selfish thing and began my drug use again! I'm so stupid!" Kim screamed in anger. She looked for the closest thing, and it was her floral bouquet. She grabbed the item and forcefully flung it towards the wall. The glass shattered into a million pieces. Kim yanked out her IV, and the blood poured out. She took off the compression device. At that point, she didn't care. She hated and was disgusted with herself for what happened.
Tommy hovered over her. "Don't do this." He begged her with his eyes and voice. "We need to stick together. I've already abandoned you, and it's not going to happen again. Quit this shit, now!" He openly argued with her.
She shook her head, knowing she made the ultimate mistake. Not only has her family- the one she could've built with Tommy- suffered, but so has her body. It's suffered enough that her own child couldn't nest inside of her. "Tommy, I did this. I couldn't carry a child for you. All because I chose to abuse the drugs and drink, and look now." She cried out to him, and she kept shaking her head. "I ruined us." She choked out those words.
"Kim." Tommy sat on her bed, and he held her. "We'll get through this."
One more person entered the room. He stood by the door, and he heard their emotions pooring out. He watched them, and he wasn't sure when to speak up. On the other hand, he did want their attention. "Ahem." He cleared his throat. As a nervous habit, he straightened out his black and white suit tie, and his hands entered the pockets of his Armani suit. His tastes were as expensive as his food. Dr. Mercer loved caviar and Cristal wine.
For a moment, there was silence. Even though Kim and Tommy were mourning their deceased child together, they were able to pacify themselves. Kim, shocked by her father's presence, wasn't sure of what to say. This day couldn't have gotten any better, so it seemingly got worse with him being inside of her room. Coldness entered her petite body.
"What do you want?" She hissed in anger. "You told him?" Her attention went to Tommy.
"I had to. I thought he should've known." Tommy defended his actions. He felt the tension, and it was so thick it could've been cut with a knife. Acting as nurse, Tommy placed back on the Sequential Compression Device for her, he knew that was important. Second thing, he kissed her on the cheek. "I need to get the nurse. You ripped out your IV." He pointed towards the blood that was on Kim's sheets and still coming down her arm. Some of her blood was present on him, but thankfully he had on a black shirt. Kim gripped his arms deathly, and she shook her head persistently. "I will be right back." He assured her. He bent down. "You need to talk to him, and we need this mess cleaned up."
"Tommy, don't leave me again." She requested. Tommy gave her a serious look, even though he wanted to continue talking about what to do next. He shook his head. Giving in, Kim nodded. "Please come back." She begged like a little girl needing her Daddy.
"I will." He winked at her. A kiss was exchanged between the two, and he turned to his mentor. "Good afternoon, Dr. Mercer." He promptly exited the room after that.
Dr. Mercer looked around Kim's hospital room. The place looked filthy, glass was shattered, Kim's arm had blood on it, her sheets were stained with blood, there wasn't any food on Kim's tray. On top of that, the shower was several feet away from her, and his daughter looked like she had been put through an emotional battle. Of course, he was jumping to conclusions. He had no clue she found out about a miscarriage. This man only cared about how his money could fix things, since he couldn't fix his own relationship with the woman before him.
This was the first time he had seen his daughter in such a long time. Minus her hair in a bun, the discoloration present on her face, and the woeful sadness in her eyes, she was still the same little girl that would come into his grand office, hop on his lap, and beg him for a piece of white, Godiva, chocolate that always rested in the big container on his elaborately carved, wooden desk. He longed for those days. Not to mention, he missed his daughter coming to him for help when she needed it the most. Sadly, he did ignore her for his budding family.
"Is this room okay?" Was the first question emitted from Dr. Mercer's mouth. "I can make a few calls, I have a contract with Cedars Sinai Hospital, and I can have a whole floor just for you. You will get the most care that way." Kim shook her head. "What about Dr. Stone? He's always been great, and he was the one that took care of you when you came back from Miami."
"Dad-" Kim gave a futile attempt to interrupt his tirade.
Anton didn't want to listen. "Do you want rest and relaxation, we can go to the Bahamas. That was your favorite place. Let me go ahead and call up the reservations." He grabbed his cell phone, and he started dialing. Kim shook her head. "Alright, then we can go to Australia."
Annoyance fueled her outburst. "Dad, put that Goddamn phone away!" She snarled. Anton was shocked by her. "I don't want to go to Los Angeles or the Bahamas or Australia!" Tears fell down her face. "You have no idea what I'm going through, right now! So shut up!"
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't get you to leave." He thought of another plan. "How about you live with me and Elsa… would that be okay?" He inquired obliviously.
"I can't handle you being here." She admitted. Kim looked at her father. "I don't want to live with you two."
A jolly, older woman came in. She had no clue there was hostility between the two people. Some odd reason, she overlooked Kim's tears. "Hello, Kimberly. I'm your nurse, Rachel." She smiled, and she was carrying some supplies with her. "Oh my." She commented on the blood coming from Kim's arm. "We need to reinsert this IV." She began to clean up around Kim's wound. "That nice, young man is so worried about you. It's understandable though. I'm sorry for your loss, my dear." She comforted.
Anton had overheard. "I beg your pardon, loss?" His bottom rested in the chair, and he leaned in.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry." The older woman softly muttered towards the young lady. She quickly bandaged Kim's arm. She transferred the IV machine to the other side of Kim's bed, and she began to feel around for a new vein. Unfortunately it was hard, since this was the arm Kim favored for her Oxycontin use. "I'm very, very sorry." From Anton's question, she speculated this man hadn't found out about Kim's miscarriage.
Kim smiled at her. "It's okay, you didn't know." She placed a soothing hand on the woman's hand. "Thank you." The moonlighting stripper was still courteous, after all this time.
Rachel nodded. "You're welcome." She sighed a breath of relief. "I am still very sorry for what's happened though."
"Me too." Kimberly restated depressingly. "Where's my boyfriend at?"
"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. He went to the vending machines. He wanted me to tell you, he went to find gummy bears and sweet tea. Plus, he's going to make some phone calls." She relayed, as she finished up her business. "Later today, we'll have to transfer you. This bed is very dingy."
Anton felt like a ghost. Both women deliberately ignored his question. "Damn it, I want answers!" His outburst was reminiscent of Kim's. His fists were balled together.
Kim chuckled a bit. "Guess there is some relation between us." She smiled curtly at her father.
Now, Rachel felt the conflict. "I'll let you know when we are going to place you in a new room." She updated, and she exited abruptly.
"Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Anton seethed, and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I don't need to tell you anything." Kim defied instantly and discontinued the eye contact immediately.
"As your father, you do need to tell me things." Anton rudely retorted.
"Yeah, what do I need to do to talk to you? Make an appointment? Let me see, are you going to pencil me in before your meeting with Reefside's mayor, but after you bend over and give Elsa the credit card, so she can buy her Chanel items?" Kim snorted at him in a harsh manner.
"Are you still upset that I married Elsa?" Anton needed to find out Kim's reasoning for being abrasive.
Kim shook her head. "That's besides the point. You ignored me, and you decided to have another child!" She shouted at him. "What the hell was I supposed to think of the reason you didn't want to be near me!"
Anton sat on the chair. He knew this wasn't going to be the easiest conversation. Hell, his daughter was stubborn like her mother. "When I married Elsa, and we had Trent, that didn't mean I stopped loving you. I felt like you needed a mother, and when Elsa came along, I couldn't help but fall in love. That didn't mean, I loved your mother any less." Anton sighed, and he stared at his daughter. She was the definite doppelganger of his late wife. "Your mother was strong, courageous, tough as nails, but she had the heart of gold. From the moment, I laid eyes on your mother; I was definitely in love. After-After… she passed…" Even Anton tried not to discuss his wife's death because of the emotion that came from him. "I was so lost, and I didn't know how to raise a child, let alone a daughter on my own. Not to mention, be in the running to take over grandpa's company, and you know what a responsibility like that was."
"Yeah, I remember, you and mom would always fight about it." Kim gave him a sad smile. "I used to always think you and mom were going to divorce, but you guys never did. You'd con your way out by buying her the latest Tiffany's jewelry. Mom said she'd give up all of the jewelry just to spend more time with you."
Hearing that, Anton felt horrible. He forged through the pain though. "I know I should've paid more attention, and it was my fault for not realizing how much I hadn't been involved. When I met Elsa, I felt like things had changed for the better. I just never saw how much it hurt you." Anton confessed for the first time.
"It's not only that. I just felt left out of your lives, I got everything I wanted, but we-" She motioned between the two. "Never did what we used to do. I missed going to the park, and she feeding the ducks. When you stopped coming to my gymnastics competitions, I thought I did something wrong. You always went to anything that involved Trent." More of the darker points from Kim's past were coming to the forefront. "Elsa would go on your digs, but I didn't like being out there like that, so Trent and I were always stuck with nannies. I left for the Pan Globals to make you proud of me, to make sure you all noticed me." Kim's left hand went to her chest, and then she got serious. "That's not what happened. What happened was that my life was surrounded by pills, and when I got raped…" She softly sobbed, trying to break her mind of the awful memory. "I knew I couldn't survive that without help from my family, but I had to overcome that without you three."
"Kimberly, I'm very sorry for all of that. I want to make everything better." Anton sincerely informed his daughter. They continued talking.
Meanwhile, Tommy looked inside the room. At least they're talking, I don't think I should interrupt them. He thought, so he went to sit in the empty waiting. Though, the gummy bears were for his girlfriend, he decided to have some. The munchies' feeling was still affecting his appetite.
Anton kept reinstating his position towards his daughter. "I want you home, as soon as you are discharged, I want you back with me. We've been apart for way too long, and I think you need your family more than ever. Don't you think so?"
The definite answer to that was 'no'. "You can't just ask me to come back home, when I've been on my own for the past 6, 7, 10 years! I can't leave Tommy, and you know me and him are together."
"About that…" Anton started. "I thought he was good for you, and then I realized he left you when you were most vulnerable. Part of me felt like he was responsible for putting you in here."
"Don't tell me you and Tommy fought about that." Kim's IV decorated arm crossed her bandaged one. Anton nodded. "How dare you!" Her father's head must've been filled with sedimentary rocks or something because he's said some bullshit lately. "I can't believe you." Again, she looked away from him.
Anton shook his head. "If you would've let me finish, I would've told you, I was wrong. Tommy loves and cares about you a lot. But he doesn't need to deal with what you are going through. Your family needs to be there." He finished.
"He does need to be there." The lingering impact of the news still haunted her, there was no doubt about it. "You have no clue what I've been through lately, and I need him here with me."
"Kimberly, why are you going to do this to the poor boy? He's only 18 for goodness sake's. What you've been through, an adult can't handle it, let alone a man who's barely come into adult hood. Why do you need him so bad? You are the one that's probably corrupted him into smoking cigarettes and doing other things." He hinted that they must've done some hardcore drugs together too. "I met him when he was about to head into college, and he isn't the boy he is now." Anton angered his daughter with his words. "He doesn't need to be with a woman that's broken."
His words were verbal slaps. "You can't sit there and tell me to come home and say all that shit to me!" Kim yelled at him. Her voice resounded in the room. "How dare you! You are attacking me for supposedly changing Tommy!" She laughed in his face. "I'm sick and tired of people accusing me of that shit."
"Don't you cuss at me Kimberly Ann Hart-Mercer!" He wiggled his finger at her. "Even if you've forgotten, I'm still your father. I deserve respect"
"To get respect you need to earn it." She countered and rolled her eyes. "If you want me to come and live with you, then Tommy is coming with me!"
Anton shook his head with ire. "Kimberly, he does not need to come with you. We will take care of you, I will have the best nurses, doctors, and drug and rehabilitation counselors at the house. Mr. Oliver does not need to be present. Why do you think I deposited so much money inside of his account?"
"You did what?" Kim questioned.
"I understand Tommy cares for you, hell I see it. But, this man is very young, and he has no place with you right now. I placed $250,000 into his bank account." Anton replied.
"You are paying him off!" Kim was shocked by his actions. "First you send people to investigate me, and now you are paying off the only guy I love."
"Not necessarily." Anton shrugged off nonchalantly.
Again, Kim had to scoff. "Whatever, I am not coming home without Tommy." She said.
"Why do you need him so badly?"
"You wanna know why?" He nodded, not expecting her next statement. "BECAUSE I HAD A MISCARRIAGE!" She reclined back in her hospital bed and continued grieving. "Is that what you wanted to hear? What now? Are you going to tell me I've corrupted Tommy for having sex with him? And now that I fucked up for killing the baby." She sobbed louder. "I didn't mean to do that. I seriously didn't." She was so sorry for hurting their unborn child the way she did.
The words threw Anton for a loop. He looked at his daughter's crying body, and he attempted to touch her. He cursed under his breath, and he saw how hurt his daugther was. "I'm very sorry, Kim. I had no clue. He placed his hand on hers.
"Get off of me!" She lashed out and shook his hand off. "No, no, no. Just leave me alone!" She covered her face with her hands and cried her eyes out.
"I'm not going to leave you alone." Anton insisted.
"Please Dad! I can't do this right now. Let me and Tommy mourn privately, without you." Kim begged him.
Anton, still shaking his head, didn't listen. "Kimberly, you need to deal with this like an adult. You just lost a child for Christ's sake, and it's all because you wanted to inject fucking pills. I saw your veins, you aren't even smoking that crap anymore. You are injecting it."
Kim couldn't believe him. "Quit it. Quit it. You are so fucking annoying." She screamed in agony over him pestering her. "You don't know when to shut the fuck up." She really had no respect for the man.
"I'm doing this to benefit you. You are the one in the hospital, you are the one that's done the drugs, and you are the one that's ruined Tommy's life." Anton was trying to help her. It was obvious his words were having the opposite effect that he wanted.
"I haven't ruined Tommy's life." Kim sobbed some more.
"You my not think so, but you have." Anton snapped at her. "Kimberly, I am telling you to come home, and leave Tommy alone. He has the money to live a comfortable life."
Not budging, Kim shook her head. Her tear riddened eyes looked at her dad. "You can't go back and forth when it comes to Tommy. You either like him or you don't. You can't compliment him then talk shit on him the next minute. I love Tommy, and I refuse to leave him."
"You are making a big mistake." Anton warned. He looked at the daughter, he feels is so broken. "Come home, after you get discharged, come home with your father, your step mother, you will get everything you need and more."
"Can Tommy come?" Kim asked, knowing that Anton's answer will make or break their relationship. Her father shook his head. "Then, I'm not coming home."
"You are making a very big mistake. You are ruining that boy's life." Anton reiterated, and Tommy walked in on his statement. He hated to wait outside, and he felt this was the best time to walk in. Dr. Mercer looked behind his shoulder. "Hello, Tommy."
Tommy's eyes bounced around the room. His girlfriend was upset, very upset, and Tommy's eyes grew dark. "Dr. Mercer, I would appreciate it, if you left my girlfriend." He curtly stated. As Dr. Mercer rose from his seat, Tommy looked at him with daggers. "I'll take care of Kim, from now on."
Anton shook his head. "Tommy, don't this. Kim needs help, professional help; you have your whole life ahead of you. You show promise as a palentologist, and I believe my daughter will hold you back." He tried to dissuade the younger man from continuing this toxic attachment.
"I'll make that decision on my own." Tommy's back was turned to the man, and he immediately went to his girlfriend's side. He kissed Kim. "I will never leave you." He held her face between his hands, and he kissed her. "You will never have to worry about that." Kim continued to cry in his arms.
Dr. Mercer walked out of the room, and he wondered how his daughter got to this point. He shook his head. The relationship Kim and Tommy had was way too complicated.
Once Kim and Tommy were left alone, they continued in their grieving. Unfortunately, for Kim, she was lost. She was thankful Tommy hadn't left her, but what was going to happen the next time she abused drugs.
Preview for the Next Chapter- Kim and Cassie are released from the hospital, Tommy's parents come up for the holiday, and someone is arrested.