Disclaimer: The Walt Disney Company owns all rights to the characters and situations associated with Kim Possible. I borrow Kim, her family and friends for no monetary gain. I do this only to justify my hiding from the world in my room.
The Closet II
Chapter 3
Dream vs. Nightmare
It was Saturday night, or more precisely very early Sunday morning, and Kim was peacefully sleeping in her bed dreaming of a blond knight clad in a full shining suit of armor who was saving a Medieval town from a fierce, fire-breathing dragon. She wasn't sure why she thought the knight was blond since he was covered from the top of his head to the tips of his toe in polished, shiny metal armor but Kim was positive and the redheaded Princess with emerald hued eyes was anxiously waiting for the knight to complete his mission so she could give him a well deserved reward.
The gallant knight swiftly dispatched the dragon using what seemed to be a glowing blue sword, triumphantly rode back to the castle and raised his visor for his reward. Just as their lips were about to passionately meet…
"Kimmie-Cub."
Kim was awoken by her father's soft voice as he gently shook her by the shoulder. "You just received an urgent phone call Kimmie."
"A phone call?" Kim groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stared at her alarm clock until it came into focus. "At three o'clock in the morning? What does Wade want and why did he disturb you by not using the Kimmunicator?"
"It wasn't Wade," Dr. James Timothy Possible stated as he helped Kim out of bed and down the stairs, "it was Mrs. Stoppable who called. She said something was wrong with Ronald and that they need you over there right away."
"Ron?" Kim perked up at the name and quickened her pace down the stairs, Morpheus fully vanquished from her system just as surely as the dragon had been slain by a glowing blue sword. She was almost to the bottom of the second staircase when she turned around and started back up again. "Wait a minute, I need my slippers and robe."
"I got them right here," James Possible said holding up the apparel. "Your mother is waiting in the car to drive you over there. She thought she might be needed if it's a medical emergency."
"Thanks daddy," Kim said as she grabbed the robe and slippers, gave her father an appreciative kiss on the cheek and headed out to the car.
"What's the sitch mom," Kim queried as she got in the passenger side of the family van and buckled up before she donned her slippers.
"I don't know Kimmie," Dr. Ann Possible answered as she began to drive the three blocks over to the Stoppable house. "Jan wasn't too coherent on the phone but she said Ron was loudly calling out your name so she and her husband thought you might be able to help."
As the minivan pulled up to the curb both women saw that all of the lights were turned on in the Stoppable house and that Mr. Stoppable was anxiously pacing back and forth on the well lit front porch. "Thank Heavens you've finally arrived," Dean Stoppable sighed as he greeted the two women.
"What's wrong Dean?" Ann Possible asked in her most professional voice. "Is it a medical emergency?"
"Of a sort," Dean answered as he ushered the redheaded women into the house and led them up the stairs. "Ronald had a terrible nightmare earlier tonight but we were able to get him back to sleep after calming him down with a glass of warm milk. He just had another episode and this one was worse than the first. Ronald is refusing to get in his bed and he won't even let us turn off the lights in the house."
"We've tried to talk to him," Janette Stoppable anxiously said from just outside the doorway to Ron's room as the three approached, "but he simply won't answer now. He keeps muttering something about ruling the world because of a television commercial and yelling your name, Kim."
The four looked into the room and saw Ron cringing and cowering in a corner with lit flashlights and candles of various sizes illuminated him in an arc. Rufus was standing just outside the quarter circle worriedly chattering to his big friend but every time Ron leaned over to pick up the naked mole rat Rufus would scurry just out of reach.
"The janitor's closet," Kim growled low to herself, but loud enough for the adults to hear.
"The what?" Both Stoppable adults and Ann Possible begged in unison.
Kim gave the three adults a Reader's Digest version of the dream Ron had had, conveniently leaving out the sexual bits, while he was locked in the janitor's closet for eight hour the previous night.
"So Ron dreamed he was essentially trapped with no lights, food or water for three days then thought he'd committed murder before you two took over the world," Mrs. Dr. Possible recapped after hearing the tale. "It's no wonder Ron is afraid of the dark and refuses to go to sleep. He now associates total darkness and sleep with that horrible nightmare."
"And Rufus won't go near him," Dean guessed aloud, "because the little guy is afraid Ronald will harm him in his panicked state."
"What can we do Mom?" Kim questioned, looking to the brain specialist.
"While I usually handle the physical side of a brain and it's been quite a while since I took any psychology classes," Ann Possible said scratching her chin with an index finger in deep thought, "I do have an idea." She leaned over and whispered into her daughter's ear for a whole minute.
"Will that work mom?" Kim asked in surprise as the implications of what her mother told her to do fully sank in.
"It should work," Ann assured her redheaded daughter with a motherly hand on her shoulder before she turned to the head of the Stoppable household. "Dean, would you be able to string a lamp over into a corner of Ron's closet?"
"Sure Ann," Dean said as he walked into Ron's bedroom, took the lamp off of the nightstand beside the bed and moved it over inside the closet. He strung the lamp cord under one of the two folding door and plugged it into a conveniently nearby wall outlet.
"And also spread out his sleeping bag on the floor," Kim quickly added, "please and thank you."
"Oooo, good idea Kimmie," Ann quietly congratulated her daughter.
Dean complied with Kim's request and walked back over to join the three women standing in the hallway door. "I don't see how those two things can help."
"We need to get Ron's mind off of the bad aspects of the dream," Dr. Possible explained to the Stoppable parents, "and have him associate only the good parts of the dream with being shut in a closet." She turned to Kim and gently prodded her into the room. "Go on Kimmie and do exactly like I told you."
"I'm here Ron," Kim softly cooed as she cautiously stepped into the bedroom so to not startle the already beyond frightened blond boy. She reached out her hands in a non-confrontational manner and continued in a quiet, lilting voice, "It was only a dream."
"KP!" Ron yelled and sat up when he saw his redheaded friend.
"Yes Ron, it's me and I'm here for you. And Rufus is alive and here too." She continued to slowly approach the frightened lad and speak soft reassurances to him as the naked mole rat scurried up Kim's body and perched on her shoulder.
"Right now," Ann quietly explained to Dean and Jan Stoppable, "Ron's mind only associates darkness and sleep with the bad aspect of the dream. He killed both Rufus and Josh in the dream and locked Kimmie in a darkened closet. The guilt from those deeds has taken over his mind."
"And Kim talking to Ronald will make him think of only the good parts of the dream," Jan said with an understanding nod of her head. "As long as he can see and hear Kim and Rufus he should be okay."
"But what about the light and sleeping bag in the closet?" Dean queried the medical doctor.
"That's phase two of this operation," Ann Possible said in her best medical voice as the three adults watched a clingy Ron being led across the room by Kim. "We, or at least Kim and Rufus, must disassociate Ronald's subconscious mind from the evils of a closet. If the three of them spend the night sleeping in the non-darkened closet, Ron may be cured of his phobia."
"But why didn't this happen last night?" Dean questioned aloud, "or earlier during the day when Kim wasn't around?"
"It didn't occur last night because Kim and Ron stayed up all night talking in her room," Ann explained to the two Stoppables. "And while Kimmie wasn't with him earlier, it was still light outside. The nightmare only occurred after Ron went to sleep, alone in his room and in the dark."
"I'll stay with Ron all night if I have to," Kim assured her mother and the Stoppables as she led a still nervously quivering Ron into the closet and sat down cross-legged with him on the sleeping bag before turning on the lamp.
"You'll have to do more than that dear," Ann stated to her daughter. "You'll have to keep in constant contact with Ron when the…" she pointed up at ceiling light fixture then dropped a crooked finger like she was turning off the light switch.
"Riiiight," Kim nervously chuckled with a slight blush to her face. "But don't worry. Ron and I won't do anything… anything…" Kim's blush amped up as she shied her head away from the adults. "Well, we just won't."
"We know you won't do anything sexual in there Kimberly," Jan softly assured her son's best friend. "You two are good kids and the thought never entered our minds. We'll leave you two alone now to get on with the therapy. Night kids." Janette Stoppable took her husband's arm in hers and walked away from the doorway.
"Remember Kimmie," Dr. Possible said as she entered the room and extinguished the circle of flashlights and candles, "constant dialog and contact until he has have fallen asleep and be sure to thoroughly talk about the different aspects of the dream." The brain specialist walked over to the bed, pulled off the pillow and covers and brought them over to the closet before handing them to Kim. Ann walked back over to the hallway door and turned to check on her patient. Kim and Ron were still sitting cross-legged on the closet floor. Ron appeared to have calmed down a tad but he still had that 'deer in the headlights' glint in his eyes and he held both of Kim's hands in a death grip.
"We'll be alright mom," Kim said as she raised her and Ron's interlaced hands. "Good night. Love ya."
"I love you too Kimmie," Dr. Possible smiled back and turned off the overhead bedroom light before she left.
Ron jumped a bit and his grip on Kim's hand tightened a little when the overhead light extinguished but he quickly calmed back down. "Sorry about that KP," he apologized as he had to consciously will himself to loosen his almost rigor mortis grip on Kim's hand.
"You have nothing to be sorry for Ron," Kim softly spoke back as she finally got her hands free from his and gently put an arm around her best friend's shoulder. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't chased after Josh, locked you in the janitor's closet and forgotten about you for eight hours, none of this would've happened."
"Still," Ron groaned as his chin hit his chest in defeat and he stared at his hands folded in his lap, "you'd be in your own bed fast asleep right now if it weren't for my stupid fears."
"Fears aren't stupid," Kim shot back with a bit of tweak in her voice before she quickly calmed down and explained further. "Fear, in the right context, is a healthy, normal reaction. It lets you know when you're in danger. Fear also kicks in the adrenal glands so you're prepared to either fight or take flight. Some fears are irrational but generally they're not stupid. This just goes to show that I should be dating you instead of Josh. You need me Ron just like I need you. We're a team and I should have your back at all times."
"Ooooh no Kim," Ron swiftly shot back as he looked his best friend in the eyes. "You're not giving up on Mankey that easily. So you had one bad date yesterday. You also had a great date with him Friday night. You should give Josh at least a whole week to find out if you two are computer-able or not." Ron, not quite as agitated as before, stretched out on his back atop the sleeping bag and held one of Kim's hand in both of his on his chest.
"You mean if we're compatible," Kim giggled at Ron's misuse of words as she slowly closed the closet's folding doors. Kim could see that the hallway lights, as well as all of the other lights in the house, were now turned off. Only the lamp there in the snug little closet was still illuminated. She laid down beside Ron with her head on his chest and snuggled in to his side then arranged the blanket over their legs.
"Doesn't it bother you that you weren't more upset with the death of Rufus and Josh in the dream?" Kim queried as they both tussled around a bit to get comfortable on the thin sleeping bag.
"You know, now that you mention it," Ron said as he finally found a comfortable position and began to relax, "it does. I guess I wasn't too upset during the dream because we've never really faced death before. It's like an unknown territory to both of us. We've been in dangerous situations before but they've never been deadly."
"I guess that's true," Kim mused as she draped an arm over Ron's chest. "Both you and I have never known anyone who has died before so neither one of us would truly know how to react."
"I suppose I shoulda been more distraught over Rufus' death," Ron thought aloud as he gazed up at his clothes hanging in the closet above them, "but maybe my unconscious mind knew he wasn't really dead."
"You mean your subconscious mind Ron," Kim chuckled at her friend's attempt at psychoanalyzing the dream, "but you may have a point. Our dreams come from our subconscious and usually symbolize our wants and desires. Maybe your eating Rufus symbolized a desire to make more friends."
"Or my desire to become closer with one of my friends," Ron automatically shot back without thinking.
"What do you mean by that?" Kim warily questioned, raised her head so she could peered at Ron's face.
"Maybe the whole dream was my mind telling me it's time that I told you that I love y…" Ron stumbled and almost choked as he looked into Kim's emerald hued eyes. He caught himself before he muttered, "… I mean, er um…"
"Were you about to tell me that you love me?" Kim coquettishly giggled. "How long have you felt that way toward me?"
KP, I…" Ron started before he clammed up and swiftly turned his head to not look at her.
"Ron, please talk to me," Kim begged and tried to move his head so he would look her in the eyes again. His head simply wouldn't budge. Getting no response, she said, "I'm sorry I laughed at you. Do you really have deep feelings for me?"
"It was nothing," Ron nervously laughed. "You know me and my sometimes random thoughts."
"No Ron," Kim said as she sat up and took one of his hand in hers. "This wasn't one of your random thoughts so please, tell me."
The blond boy took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he stared down at his one largish hand which almost dwarfed her dainty but strong two hands. "Well, I guess it's this way KP. I've been having some strange feelings about you over the last few years and I think, maybe, if I tell you about 'em our friendship may suffer."
"How could our friendship ever suffer?" Kim begged in slight confusion.
"I don't know," Ron whined and fidgeted a bit under the blanket. "But what if you and Josh get serious? What'll happen to me? Will we only be together when we go on a mission? If you do start regularly dating him will he start going on the missions? If that happens then I'll get tossed aside and forgotten like an old shoe."
"We'll always have our missions Ron," Kim affirmed and squeezed his hand strongly to reassure him, "I can't save the world without you. I don't know Josh well enough just yet so I don't know if he'd want to join the team but if he did you would still be my main partner for them."
"And what if Josh wants to be your main and only partner," Ron almost silently, frantically queried.
"I've had one good date with Josh," Kim said as she laid back down and snuggled up to Ron, "and one lousy one. Right now my feelings for him are up in the air. I now know where you stand with your feelings for me but I can't say whether I can return those feelings or not just yet. I mean I do have strong feelings for you but I can't say whether it's love in the brotherly sense of the word or love-love as in spending the rest of our lives together or…" Kim violently shook her head before she laid back down. "I'm sorry I can't be any clearer right now but I will tell you this; You, Ron Stoppable, will always be my best friend no matter what. I have your back right now just like you've always have my back on our missions."
"What did you say KP?" Ron questioned with a big yawn as his body seemed to figuratively melt into a puddle on the sleeping bag as he fully relaxed.
"I said…" Kim answered as she listened to Ron's heartbeat drastically slow in its beating. "Well, it doesn't matter what I said but I guess it's settled. I'll give Josh a few days to come up with a proper date. If he hasn't come up with anything decent by Friday, he's history. I'll become your girlfriend and we'll see what happens from there."
"That's nice KP," Ron barely breathed.
"And you don't have to worry about gym equipment for our physical conditioning either," Kim hushed to the boy she was half lying on top of. "All we need is the proper padding to protect ourselves when we exchange punches and kicks. We already have that equipment so we can clean up your back yard in the morning. It's Sunday so we'll have all day to clean up that mess and get in some real training."
When Ron didn't answer, Kim cautiously lifted her head from Ron's chest and looked at his face. Ron's eyes were closed and there was a small goofy smile on his lips. She realized he was already fast asleep and his face showed nothing but utter, peaceful serenity. Her mother's idea had worked like a charm. Kim's closeness and soothing, familiar voice had eased Ron's worried mind and put him into a peaceful sleep.
"Good night Ron," Kim cooed and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. She laid back down and swiftly fell asleep too.
Kim didn't feel Ron when he shifted to lie on his side a few minutes later, still lightly clutching her hand in his. She also didn't hear the three little words Ron muttered in his sleep.
"Love ya, KP."
Kim didn't hear Ron because she was back in her own little dream world which consisted solely of a Princess with fiery red hair and emerald colored eyes and a blond headed knight now out of his shining silver armor. The two were lying in the Princess's bed, sleep the farthest thing from either of their minds.
"I dearly love you too, my gallant knight."
The two teen awoke after only five hours of sleep but felt well rested and revitalized like they had slept for a week. They donned their robes and slippers, went downstairs to the kitchen and Ron started breakfast. Well, he did after Kim went outside to retrieve a rolling pin from his so-called gym equipment and thoroughly washed it so Ron could properly roll out the biscuits.
"Morning kids," Jan Stoppable chimed as she nonchalantly strolled into the kitchen in her pajamas and robe and began to pour herself a cup of coffee that Ron already had prepared. "How did you sleep last night?"
"I slept very well last night Mrs. Stoppable," Kim answered brightly as she sat at the table patiently waiting for Ron as he seemed to be diligently working at the stove. "Thank you for asking."
"You're welcome Kim," Jan whispered to the redhead as she gave the girl a motherly hug, "and you can call me Jan. I have a feeling that last night won't be the only time Ronnie will have bad dreams so you'll be coming over here in the middle of the night a few more times. We girls should be on a first name basis."
"Your son is very resilient… Jan," Kim said as she returned the embrace, "but you're right. I feel the worst is over for Ron but he'll still continue to have nightmares from time to time. When he does, you can count on me, Jan."
The two women shared another short hug before Mrs. Stoppable stood up and went over to her son. "Ronnie, how did you sleep last night?" She gave him a squeeze and brief kiss on the cheek, much to the chagrin of the blond boy.
"Mooooom!" Ron squealed, shuddered and stepped away with a blush, "not in front of KP!"
"What," Jan questioned with a bit of a girly pout sprouting on her face. "Can't a mother greet her son with a good morning kiss?" She moved over to take a seat next to a snickering Kim who was getting no end of enjoyment from her best friend's embarrassment.
"I guess so," Ron said as he relaxed a bit and flipped the pancakes on the griddle. "And I slept well last night too. Well, after Kim showed up but I feel like a million bucks this morning." He plated the pancakes and took a large platter out of the oven before he decorated the two plates with biscuits, sausage and scrambled eggs from the holding dish. With an overly grand but graceful flourish he place the two plates in front of the ladies and returned to his work at the stove.
"Wow Ron," Kim marveled at the meal set out before her, "I didn't know you could cook." She took a fork to the pancakes and popped a piece into her mouth which practically melted. "And you do it so well, just like in your dream!"
"Don't talk with your mouth full Kimala," Ron playfully chided with a snicker as he poured out more pancake batter onto the griddle for him and his father. "Remember your table manners."
"Ron!" Kim squealed in embarrassment with another portion of pancakes in her mouth. Kim covered her mouth with a hand to hold in a laugh as she blushed. She barely succeeded holding back the guffaw.
"What was that all about," Jan quietly queried as she buttered her biscuit.
Kim chewed and swallowed before she softly answered. "I've taken it upon myself to improve Ron so he'll be more help on our missions. That includes everything from his physique to his schoolwork and it sometimes even includes his manners."
"I wish you luck in that," Jan lightly laughed with a motherly pat to Kim's shoulder as she gazed over at her son still diligently working at the stove. She turned back and whispered, "I've tried for years but I haven't had any success so I finally gave up."
"You just didn't find the right incentive," Kim hushed to her best friend's mother. "I've found one and now Ron's completed his homework for both Monday and Tuesday and he's looking forward to training more to improve his body." Kim triumphantly forked a portion of sausage into her mouth and began to chew.
"What incentive did you find?" Jan Stoppable anxiously asked as she lean in toward Kim but continued eating her delicious breakfast too.
"Two letters, Jan," Kim answered as she coyly waggled her fork above her plate. "B… N. Ron and I won't be going to Bueno Nacho unless it's as a reward for him doing well in school and in his training." Of course she had no intent of letting Jan know the other incentive she used.
"Are you two lovely ladies talking about me?" Ron queried jovially over his shoulder as he flipped the pancakes one last time then began to plate them. "Cause my ears are burning."
"No Ron," Kim laughed aloud as she turned to him after giving his mother a sly wink. "You must be standing too close to the stove." All three laughed at Kim's use of that tired, old, hackneyed line.
"What's all the laughter about," Dean Stoppable questioned as he came into the kitchen dressed like everyone else. He had on a royal purple colored robe over his pajamas and carried the newspaper under one arm. Dean took a seat at the kitchen table, unrolled the paper and asked, "Did you sleep well last night Ronald?"
"I did dad," Ron answered as he set his father's breakfast plate in front of him and put the holding platter with extra sausage, eggs and biscuits in the middle of the table, then sat down with his own plate. "And Kimbo was just joking around saying I was standing too close to the stove."
"Well you should know how far to stand away from the stove Ronald," Dean stated as he began to read the newspaper and eat his breakfast. "You spend most of your time here in the kitchen whenever you're not in your room."
"Ron makes us breakfast every morning," Jan informed Kim as she motioned to the feast laid out on the table. "He also helps me out with dinner whenever he's home. Ronnie's getting to be an excellent cook."
"So I see," Kim enthused before she forked the last bite into her mouth. "And taste!"
"What are you two going to do today," Dean absently asked as he turned the page of the paper and took another bite of breakfast. "Are you going to watch a few movies or hang out at the mall like you usual do on a Sunday?"
"No, Mr. Stoppable," Kim answered as she picked up her empty plate and took it to the sink. "Ron and I will clean up the backyard then we'll be getting in a little martial arts training."
"That's nice kids," Dean inattentively said as he continued to read and eat. "Have fun."