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…One Teardrop At A Time…

…Chapter Six…

Previously on One Teardrop At A Time: Jack and Kim report to Rudy's office. Later, Kim discovered Taylor had something to do with Jack's memory loss, but is it that Taylor did to him? Kim really wants to know!

Kim wanted to find out what this mysterious girl had done to Jack, so she made it her business to find out from the main source.

She joined Rudy and Taylor beside the Chief of Staff Office door.

"Who are you and what did you do to my boyfriend?" Kim growled. Taylor's panicked facial features quickly turned angry as she stared directly at Kim.

"You must be Kim. Jack talks about you all the time." Taylor spat, crossing her arms over her chest.

Did she just say Jack thinks about me? He still loves me. Jack really loves me. Not once had he forgotten about me before his accident. Deep down, I know he still remembers me. But, WHAT did that girl do to my JACK?! And why does she radiate HATRED toward me?!

"Ladies, please, settle down." Rudy begged them.

He firmly grasped my shoulder. Kim's angry, brown eyes met Rudy's worried, blue eyes and she decided to listen to him.

"Rudy, what did she do? Please, tell me. I need to know!" Kim replied in a panic.

"It was an accident." Taylor breathed, heavily.

"That doesn't tell me what it is that you did!" Kim raised her voice, agitated.

"I didn't come here to talk to you. I need to talk to Rudy. I'm scared." Taylor pouted, innocently.

Don't tell me she's going to cry. Now I'm getting extremely worried.

She did something to him, but what could make her feel so sad and guilty?

I may not find out now, but I WILL find out sooner or later.

"Okay. Please, excuse me." Kim said, quietly. She walked back to the break room to check on her schedule until the TV screen.

It read: NORMAN DILLARD, AGE 46, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

Kim walked to room 100, but to her amazement, Jerry was already in there, talking to Mr. Dillard.

"Jerry, what are you helping my patient?" Kim asked, puzzled, standing in the doorway.

"Ohh. About that… Jack couldn't find you earlier, so he assigned Mr. Dillard to me instead."

"I was busy helping a little girl!" Kim exclaimed. Jerry placed his hand on her arm, silently encouraging her to go out into the hallway with him. It was against the hospital rules to argue in front of a patient.

"No, Jack checked the lab and Annie's blood test was already being processed. He was trying to find you after that. He wanted me to tell you to report to him." Jerry explained, calmly.

"Why didn't he see me with Rudy just up the hall a little ways?" Kim huffed. Clearly, she was mad at herself for messing up.

"He didn't see you. He even asked Lindsey to look out for you." Jerry replied.

"Am I in trouble?" Kim bit her bottom lip, nervously.

"Jack's not going to yell at you." Jerry laughed, trying in vain to lighten the mood. Nothing right now could make her feel better, until she knew why Jack wanted to talk to her.

Jerry went back inside room 100, leaving Kim in a ball of unsteady nerves. She didn't know what to do next. Her legs didn't want to work, but she knew that she had to either check her schedule for another patient, or somehow find Jack.

Something warm touched her shoulder blade, and Kim nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Are you alright?" A familiar voice chuckled from behind her. Kim instantly whipped around to face Jack.

"No, I am not alright with you sneaking up behind me, and Jerry telling me that I made a mistake, and Taylor keeping secrets from me." Kim talked a million miles a minute.

"You've met Taylor?" Jack asked, raising one eyebrow. His voice was so calm and velvet smooth when he spoke, causing most of Kim's nerves to settle down.

"Yes, she's here with Rudy. Apparently, she's the person to blame for your memory loss, but she won't tell me what she did. How do you know this girl?" Kim said with a slight razor-edge to her voice, taking two steps closer to Jack.

"Taylor worked at Rudy's dojo for a little bit. She became friends with Jerry, Milton, and I." Jack responded, "I need to talk to Rudy about this. Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem." Kim blushed…"Um…what is it that you wanted to…"

"Oh, I almost forgot. I had to assign Jerry your patient because, you disappeared. Kim, that cannot happen again. Do you understand?"

"Of course, I do! I was trying to get some information out of Taylor about…"

"The patients come first." Jack said.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I was just worried about you." Kim replied, "…Are you going to report me?"

"I wouldn't do that to you." Jack smiled, "I made a mistake last time I did that."

"Do you still not remember me?" Kim asked.

"You know the answer to that already, dear. You're new patient is in room 330." He replied, walking away. Nope he still doesn't recollect anything to do with poor Kim.

Km's first day at her new, exciting career was finally coming to an end. She was seated in the break room, finishing up eating her cafeteria dinner, before her shift was over. The moonlight beamed against the window to her right.

I seriously can't wait until I get home! I'm going to take a hot bath and check my Twitter account. OH CRAP. I forgot about my punishment. Argh! How long will it take for me to mop the entire East Wing? This day just doesn't want to end.

Jack walked into the break room, and opened the employee refrigerator to retrieve his soda pop he had purchased earlier today. He had taken off his scrubs in the locker room and change into his normal clothes. He had on jeans and a blue flannel button-up shirt.

Gosh. He looks so handsome! I could stare at him all night.

"Are you going home?" Kim asked, feeling a knot form in her throat. For some reason, without Jack at the hospital with her, she was beginning to feel nervous. Even though he didn't remember her, it was comforting knowing he was there in the same building as her.

"Yeah, in a little while." Jack replied, leaning casually against the counter, taking a sip of Pepsi.

"I'm supposed to leave soon, too." Kim said.

"You've got to mop the floors." He reminded her, sympathetically.

"I'm dreading it so much. This is embarrassing, but I don't even know how to mop." Kim admitted, looking down at her now empty plate of dinner. She quickly regretted telling him as the room fell silent, and her cheeks began to burn.

"I'll stick behind and show you." Jack offered.

"No, it's okay… I don't want to keep you from enjoying the rest of the night. You must be tired." Kim replied, tossing her trash into the bin under the counter.

"I know you're tired, too. I don't mind staying behind with you." Jack said, catching Kim by the wrist before she left. "It won't be embarrassing. The night shift workers don't arrive for another twenty minutes."

Kim gazed into his warm, hazel eyes and answered, "Okay. But, don't laugh at me."

"I would never do that." Jack promised, pulling her body closer to him.

"O—Okay." Kim involuntarily giggled. She wanted to smack herself for making that noise, but she couldn't deny her feelings for Jack. He was causing her heart to pound rapidly.

"Let's go." He smiled, removing his hand from her wrist. His smile was beautiful and infectious. Kim caught herself smiling back at him. Every ounce in her body craved to kiss him.

Jack took the lead as he showed her where the janitor supply closet was located. It was a small room with concrete floors. There were all types of cleaning utensils inside the room, lined up along the walls, and setting on shelves. There was a white toilet in the far left corner near the door with a sink next to it. On the opposite corner was another sink, but this one was on the floor. It was for filling the mop bucket up with water.

He showed her which floor cleaning solution to use, and how to wring the mop out without touching it.

"Thank you, Jack. How do you know this stuff?" Kim asked, kneeling beside him as he filled the bucket with water.

"No problem. I used to clean floors at a bakery while I was paying for med school." Jack replied.

Suddenly, the intercom in Rudy's office turned on.

*DR. BREWER, REPORT TO THE CHEIF OF STAFF OFFICE*

The message travelled through the near-empty hospital halls. Kim winced at the sound. She really didn't want Jack to leave her, but she wanted to find out more about Taylor's accident. She was sure that was what Rudy wanted to talk to Jack about.

"Don't worry. I will come back and check on you after I see what Rudy wants." Jack said, placing his hand on Kim's shoulder.

"Okay, I'll be cleaning until then." Kim smiled.

Jack entered Rudy's office to find a sad Taylor seated in front of his desk. He closed the door behind him, and sat down next to Taylor.

"What's the matter, Taylor?" Jack said, softly.

"I-I'm sorry." She muttered.

"For what?" He demanded, feeling worried.

"Okay, Jack. There is no easy way to say this, but Taylor had an accident...with you last Monday. That's why your memory is fuzzy." Rudy explained, taking a seat behind his desk, "She wanted to tell you sooner, but she didn't think nothing bad of it until today... Taylor, tell him what you told me."

The room fell silent.

"What is going on?" Jack asked Taylor, "Please, just tell me."

"This morning as you were getting ready for work, you called me...Kim. You didn't know who I was. And you kissed me."

Jack's eyes went wide. He was shocked. There was no way on this planet he would ever kiss anyone other than Kim.

"Did you stop me? Wait. What were you doing at my house?! What accident happened on Monday?!" He yelled.

"I kissed you back." Taylor winced, "It happened the day Jerry, Milton, you, and, I were at Falafel Phil's."

Flashback

Yo, it's gettin' late. I'm heading home, guys." Jerry said, "You coming with me, Milton?"

"Yes, you can drop me off at my place." Milton replied.

"Bye you two." Jack grinned, leaving him and Taylor alone at a table in Falafel Phil's.

"Phil's closing up soon and I have to get to work tomorrow. I'm driving you home, Taylor." Jack said.

"There's a full moon out tonight. I think I'm going to walk to the pier instead." Taylor answered, standing up, smoothing her dress.

"I'm not letting you go there by yourself in the dark. I'll take you there and drive you home afterward." Jack replied, following her out the door.

...

"Isn't it beautiful, Jack?" Taylor smiled, staring up at the moon.

"Yeah, it's nice. Are you ready to go now?" He wanted to know, impatiently.

"Jack. Kiss me." Taylor turned to face him.

"I can't do that. I'm in love with another girl." Jack said.

"But she's not here. And I am." Taylor smiled, seductively. She placed her hands on top of his hand.

"Not going to happen." Jack removed her hands off of him, "I'm taking you home now."

"NO! How could you love someone you haven't seen in years?!" Taylor shouted.

In her fit of rage, she picked up a rock and hit Jack in the back of the head. He fell to his knees and laid there unconscious for a moment.

"Jack?! Are you okay?! I'm sooo sorry!" Taylor cried.

"Kim, why are you crying?" He asked, gently, cupping her face with his hand.

"I miss you."

"I'm right here." He leaned toward her and their lips touched.

Flashback

"You called me Kim one time and you let me sleep in your house that night." Taylor continued, "I'm really sorry. I know you hate me know and you want to end our friendship. I feel horrible for what I did to you. I hurt you and I tricked you."

"I don't hate you." Jack replied, quietly. "I don't understand how you could be so violent. I would like to remain friends with you, but I cannot associate with anyone that has a violent nature. I can't trust you anymore. Who knows what you'll do to me behind my back again."

"I knew this would be how you react! That's why I came here to speak to Rudy. I couldn't do this alone." Taylor hissed.

"How else should I react?! Oh, Taylor I forgive you and we can stay friends as long as you don't permanently injure me with your temper issues!" Jack answered her with thick sarcasm dripping off his voice.

"I don't know what else to say, Jack! I'm really sorry for throwing that rock at your head! I was so scared when you passed out on the boardwalk!" Taylor began crying wet tears, "You hate me! There's no lying to me, Jack!" Her tears turned to uncontrollable sobs.

"Shhh...I forgive you. I promise that I don't hate you." Jack replied, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I don't want to lose our friendship." Taylor sniffled, looking up at him.

"Okay, I will remain your friend. But, you have to promise me that you'll sign up for anger management classes. That's the only way I will trust you again." Jack said, lightly rubbing her blonde hair.

"I promise." Taylor replied.

AN: I know it has been a long wait, but Jack gets his memory back next chapter! He's going to get into another accident, however next time it will be with Kim instead of Taylor. And there will be more KICK in chapter seven :D

What is Jack going to do? Both Lindsey and Taylor have feelings for him!

REVIEW/FAVORITE/FOLLOW :)

—Emily Jane