Author's Note:
As far as this chapter is concerned, it's actually half of what I wrote down. I decided to divide what I had into two chapters, and I found a decent stopping point half-way through, made it dramatic, and thought it looked good.
Deepest thanks to all who've read my stories, deeper thanks to those who've left reviews and/or sent me messages. I love discussing my stories if there are any questions, so don't feel afraid to leave a review or send a message.
Kim Possible and Co. are not property of mine, nor do I possess the riches to buy them off Disney.
I don't think I'm missing anything, so it's nice to be back, and a good return gift would be tons and tons of reviews (I know, I'm an optimistic guy). Enjoy the sixth chapter.
The alarm clock rang out and Kim immediately jerked upward. Groggily glancing at the clock, she read 6:30 am. God, I got less than four hours of sleep, she realized while yawning, but if Ron's going to wake up today, I want to be there with him, no matter how tired I am.
Turning her pillow over as it was damp (I cried so much last night, so it makes sense), she slowly stood up to go shower and change. Not dawdling for even a second, by 7:00 am, she was dressed and ready to go to the hospital. Attempting to walk calmly to her parent's room (which, as anxious as she was, was a difficult feat), when she arrived, she knocked loudly, and seconds later heard the shuffling of slippers as her father, who was shirtless and with bags under his eyes, opened the door.
"Kimmie, your mother and I are getting dressed right now," he stated while yawning before Kim could say anything. Running his hand through his corkscrewed hair, he continued, "We need to eat before we go anyway, so we can't leave immediately."
"Can't we get something on the way there," Kim asked, trying not to sound whiny but feeling as though she was failing terribly.
Sounding more exhausted than annoyed, her father replied, "Like where, Kimmie?"
"Uh, um, I-," Kim stammered, her mind blank, "I don't know." It's not like I wanted to choose or had any place in mind, she thought, aggravated, I just wanted to get to Ron as soon as possible.
Stifling another yawn, listening to his daughter stumble on her words, James Possible had an epiphany. "Do you know if Beuno Nacho is open now," he asked gently, hoping his daughter wouldn't become too emotional at the suggestion, but thinking breakfast there, in a way, would make her feel better and allow her to deal with the whole situation they faced with more confidence.
Tears quickly brimmed from her eyes as anything connected to Ron caused an emotional wave to travel through her body, and as Ron practically lived in Bueno Nacho, it was a touchy topic. "Uh, yeah, I think so," she replied, sniffing and trying to causally wipe away the tears and keep herself under control.
"Do you think you want anything from there," he inquired in a soothing voice, watching her closely just to make sure she didn't have another breakdown (not that she couldn't have them in this situation, but obviously watching his daughter crying was not easy for James Possible).
"Yes," Kim replied firmly, though desperately wishing that her stomach would calm down and stop flipping.
He gave her a sad smile and nodded. "We'll be ready to go shortly. Your mother is going to try and get the twins to stay with their friends one more day so it will be easier on us all, but we're not sure that's possible yet."
For some odd reason, Kim had the urge to reiterate what her father had said the prior night about being a Possible, but fought it off. "Sure, Dad. That's fine. Tell her I said 'good morning.'"
Nodding, her father turned back into the room and shut the door, leaving Kim standing alone in the darkened hallway. For a split second, she felt even emptier than she felt the prior night, causing an involuntary shiver to run down her spine. Shaking it off, Kim slowly sauntered to the living room, feeling as though the gloomy atmosphere of the early morning was a reflection of how she felt. Sighing, Kim reached the living room, and before sitting down, looked out the window to see what conditions they would be driving in.
The snowfall had tapered off by quite an amount, though a slow flurry was still coming down. The roads were semi-clear, but from what Kim saw, they'd be covered again within the next hour, if not sooner. Without thought, she dropped her eyes and turned around, sitting down in a chair, and for the first time, felt the full force of depression hit her – there were no tears, just the hollow feeling that now held her heart captive. STOP, Kim yelled in her mind, don't go there. It's almost over. Ron will wake up tonight, we'll find Rufus somewhere, and his parents will be fine.
"Nothing will happen," she said aloud, finishing her thought. Taking a big gulp, Kim lowered her head into her hands, feeling fresh tears fall. Not tears of sadness, per se, but of realization – the realization that although she may wish with all her heart that things in the end will work out, it probably won't. In this situation, she has no control whatsoever.
"Dr. Gonzales, please report to Room 405 W," rang the voice of the intercom, causing Kim to jump slightly.
Noticing her motion, but deciding not to bring it up, her father picked up another out-dated magazine to flip through. After picking up some Bueno Nacho for a good, albeit unorthodox, breakfast, the drive to the hospital went rather quickly. Kim wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not, but as early as it was, and as tired as they all were, tensions were low along with conversation. I guess, Kim had thought at the time, slowly making her way through her Huevos rancheros meal, it makes sense, as nothing really needs to be said. We get there, and we wait.
And indeed they were. As soon as they got to the hospital, her mother left to go make some arrangements so they could stay as long as necessary (Kim noted that her mother didn't look as though she'd have the authority to do so, but recalling her threat of resignation the former night, she had no doubt she'd be able to pull it off), leaving her husband and Kim sitting in an almost empty waiting room.
After placing down a magazine he had just picked up, James Possible released a deep sigh. To Kim, he stated, "It's been almost 25 minutes – what could she possibly be doing?"
Kim shrugged. It really didn't matter to her how long it took her mother to set things up, as long as she'd be able to see Ron as soon as possible. Sure, visiting hours were decently restrictive, but she was pretty sure they'd be able to get an extension granted. Ann had mentioned on the ride to the hospital that she knew Dr. Higgs well enough to be able to pull some strings. It didn't cognitively enter her daughter's mind at the moment, as she was in her own world at the time, but now the statement replayed in Kim's memory, leaving her hopeful.
Cradling his lowered head in his hands, her father, after thirty seconds of silence, said, "I'm sorry, Kimmie-cub, I didn't mean to sound impatient. I've been having a very stressful morning." The guilt in his voice obvious, Kim grabbed on to one of his hands.
"Dad, I know you didn't get that much sleep, so don't worry about it. I didn't exactly have the best night either," his daughter stated, realizing instantly that it sounded as though she was pouting. Deciding not to add to her statement, she just sat there, continuing to hold his hand. Her father hadn't replied, but took the words to heart, and despite his bad start to the day, attempted to gain a more positive outlook on the situation.
Time passed slowly, the lack of conversation just adding to the apparent length they spent sitting down in the waiting room chairs. 15 minutes after Kim's words to her father, Ann returned, appearing both highly stressed and rather satisfied. Nudging James' shoulder (he'd fallen into a light doze moments before Ann came back), she updated them on what was going on.
"I managed to obtain a small room near Ron," she began, rubbing her temple while speaking, as though she was attempting to drive away a headache, "and we can all wait there. It's a colleague's office, but he's in Missouri for some reason or another right now, so we can camp out there." Sighing and looking up, she carried on. "It's pretty cozy, and that way, other people won't bother us, and most importantly, it'll be a quiet atmosphere, so if we need to catch up on sleep, it shouldn't be a problem." Kim doubted she would take her mother up on that offer, despite how tired she was, but knew her father was hardly awake now, so doubted he'd be able to stay up all that much longer.
Turning her mind to other matters, Kim asked, "Has anyone spotted Rufus at all?" Not getting her hopes up, Kim wasn't surprised when her mother shook her head.
"Not yet, honey, but they are looking. If he's around, we'll find him," Ann said in a consoling tone.
Sighing, Kim ran her left hand through her red hair, stood up and stretched. "Any more news about Ron or his parents?"
Stalling for a few seconds, her mother eventually replied "Not really, Kimmie. Ron's still unconscious, and both parents are still in critical condition. Leroy has some ideas about what's going on with Elaine, but he's not sure yet, and it's not really in my field, so I can't really assist him on it."
"Honey," James spoke up since being awakened, a tired smile on his face, "I think you've done enough this morning, so consider it a blessing." Standing up himself after letting out a drawn-out yawn, he added, "Before we go to the office, I need to get some coffee." Looking down the hallway towards the hospital's cafeteria, James asked, "Could you two wait for me here? Better we go to the office together than leaving me to find it myself in this zombie-like trance."
Chuckling slightly, Ann replied, "its fine, honey. Kimmie," she began, turning to her daughter, "did you want anything from the cafeteria? I know we just ate, but maybe you want something to drink?"
Kim shook her head, saying, "No thanks, I think I'll survive for now." And as lukewarm as I am toward Mexican food, she thought to herself, that breakfast this morning really filled me up.
"Did you want anything, Ann," James asked, rubbing out a kink in his neck with his right hand.
"I think I'm good," she replied, giving her husband a quick kiss on the cheek, "we'll be right here waiting, so don't worry". Watching her husband begin to walk away, she let out a deep sigh. About to say something to her, Kim felt something collide with her body.
"Girl, how ya doing," shrieked Monique's voice, hugging her friend's body tightly.
The sudden shock wearing off quickly, Kim hugged her back with force, very happy that she wasn't tearing up like she thought she would.
They let each other go after almost a minute (despite the pain the two girls felt, Ann couldn't help but look amused at the situation), and instantly began talking.
"How's he doing, any change," Monique asked, her face showing her deep concern.
"Nah, nothing yet," Kim replied, happy to be talking to her second best friend in person, "I haven't seen him today yet. Were you able to get to sleep after I called you?"
Dismissing the question with a wave of the hand, her friend said, "What room's Ron in? I wanted to pick out something from the gift shop then drop by and leave it with him."
Giving a weak smile, knowing a gift wasn't going to help him heal any faster, Kim was about to reply when she realized she actually didn't know the number to Ron's room. I didn't pay any attention to that last night, she thought in a rushed tone to herself.
Knowing that Kim probably wouldn't recall, Ann stepped in and said, "Room 33. It's on this floor, and just down that hallway," (she pointed toward its general location) "with a few twists and turns. It's not too difficult to find."
Nodding, Monique replied, "Thanks, Mrs. Possible. Or Dr. Possible, I guess," she corrected herself, unsure of the proper title.
Smiling, Ann stated, "I'm off duty right now, so 'Mrs.' is fine. Do you know where the gift shop is?"
"Yep, I came in here after I broke my wrist wrestling a cute sweater away from this old woman once on Black Friday. Totally worth it," Monique explained, causing both Kim and her mother to laugh lightly.
"You girls and your fashion," Ann muttered, though smiling while saying it. "Well, you can go and get something if you like. We'll probably be with Ron once you're done, so if you can't find the room, just ask one of the nurses."
"Room 33, that hallways, twists and turns," Monique summarized, "got it." Pulling Kim into another quick hug, she told her "I'll see you shortly, girl. Don't worry." Waving to Mrs. Possible, she began walking back the way she came, and soon faded out of sight.
"I've never really talked to Monique before," Ann began, with a smile on her face, "but I can see why you two are friends."
Nodding and feeling slightly more at peace, Kim replied, "Yeah, she's cool. I can't believe I saw her only yesterday after school. Feels like ages ago. Ron and Felix were there, and –" she broke off her statement, and Ann gained the sense that she might start crying again. Not wanting to see her daughter so sad so soon, she spoke up.
"When I was getting dressed this morning, I ran into this in the closet," Ann said, pulling out of her pocket some picture. "I must have forgotten it after I got it developed, or something. I think it's from a few years ago." Handing Kim the picture, she carefully watched her daughter's reaction while she examined it.
Kim's first thought, upon seeing the picture, was Christmas. I think this was two years ago, she thought to herself, looking at the sight of both Kim and Ron huddled around a rather large amount of presents. As Ron was Jewish, he didn't really celebrate Christmas, but he spent every December 25th with Kim since they met in Pre-K just the same. In the picture, Ron was unwrapping a gift that Kim had bought him with a bright smile on his face – the present wasn't anything really important, just a video game and a CD he'd been after for a while – but Ron had loved it just the same, and also, Kim spotted Rufus in the background, chewing on a candy cane. Kim herself was right next to Ron, a large grin on her face, watching Ron's enthusiastic reaction. Mimicking the grin present day, Kim looked up to her mother.
"Why give this to me now," she asked, with a twinge of sadness in her voice.
"Well, honey, I really did just find it this morning, but more importantly," her mother replied, "I want you to know that no matter what happens with Ron, and don't take this the wrong way, I think he'll be fine, you'll always have the great memories you've shared together. Though right now Ron's not physically awake, he's still with us in our hearts, and its pictures like this that will keep him there."
Not knowing to reply, Kim just dropped her eyes to the picture to drink the sight in. Feeling her mother's hand on her shoulder, Ann lightly said, "Keep the picture with you. I think it will help you feel better, and when Ron wakes up, you can share it with him. Both of you can benefit from this." Subconsciously nodding, her mother then said, "There's your father."
Looking up, Kim saw her father walking back, waving with his right hand and holding a cup in the other. Though Kim had no idea if he'd already drunk any coffee, she could tell he looked more awake and animated. Stopping a few feet away, he asked, "Was that Monique I heard while I was walking away?"
Nodding, Ann replied, "Yes. She went to go get Ron something from the gift shop, so we'll be seeing her again soon, I'd assume. You're looking better, James," Kim's mother pointed out, smiling while saying so. "As a doctor, I should warn you against drinking too much of that."
"As adamant as ever to keep me healthy, I see," James replied, chuckling. "So," he said, grabbing hold of Ann's left hand with his free one, "lead the way to the office, honey. I could use some comfort about now."
Trailing behind them, Kim was focused more on the picture in her hands then the route to the office where she assumed she'd be spending a large amount of time that day. Barely noticing the time pass, it came as a shock to Kim that seemingly seconds later there were in the middle of a posh-looking office, with paintings by someone named Ivan Aivazovsky adorning the wall.
"Whoever this guy is," James began, looking around approvingly, "he has good taste." Sitting down in a padded chair, he took a small gulp of coffee and laid his head back.
"You remember Vyachek Grebenshchikov, right honey," Ann asked, placing her small purse onto the desk. "You know, the older, Russian male? You met him a few times at the Haunted House event a few years ago."
James nodded, replying, "Yep, I recall him. Seemed like a nice guy, though he had a bit of a strong accent."
Smiling, Ann said, "Yeah, that's him. He's not much different now, and accent still as strong. Anyways, I got permission to use his office as long as we don't touch anything. Ron's room is just a hallway away, so I thought it was a good bargain."
Moving her eyes off the Aivazovsky painting, Kim said, "Yeah, this place is pretty cool. So, can I see Ron?"
"I was just about to ask you if you were ready," her mother stated. To her husband, she asked, in a slightly accusatory tone, "James, are you coming with us?"
Rubbing his temple, he lightly nodded, adding, "I'll be with you two shortly. I just want to finish this coffee first before it cools down."
Sighing, Ann didn't reply, and motioned for Kim to follow her out of the office. Once out of earshot, Kim said, "I had no idea dad was so squeamish."
"Yeah, people are generally surprised by that," Ann confirmed, leading her daughter to Ron's room, "I think it started when Slim got hurt back when your dad was young. I forgot what the injury was, but since then, blood and your father haven't gotten along too well. I wouldn't expect him to visit Ron immediately, Kimmie."
Intrigued by this revelation, and tempted to ask more about it, her voice stopped working once she walked into Ron's room and saw her best friend. He appeared much better tonight than he was when last Kim saw him, but in a way, it was almost worse – because he looked more or less unhurt, it made it more painful to Kim that he wasn't awake. Dr. Higgs, who was looking over some charts when they entered, gave a jovial greeting once he saw them.
"I take it there's no news, Leroy," Ann asked, looking at Ron with a pained look in her eyes herself.
Shaking his head, Higgs replied, "No, nothing yet. I still think he'll be awake by tonight though, so don't let it weigh too heavy on your conscious. The real healing will start tomorrow, once we can see what other injuries he has, be them mental or not." Noticing Kim was barely paying attention to his words, and Ann herself wasn't looking at him, he added, "I'll get out of your way for now. I'll step in a little later to see if there are any alterations."
"Sounds good, Leroy," Ann replied, nodding her head. Leroy collected his papers and writing utensils, and made to exit the room when Monique stepped through the door, colliding with Higgs.
Letting out an "oomph" sound, Monique about fell to the ground before Leroy managed to grab hold of her. "Terribly sorry, miss. Can I help you," he asked, clearly not knowing who she is.
"Nah, dude, it's cool. I'm with them," Monique replied, nodding toward Kim and her mother.
"Ah, well, then nice to meet you," Leroy cordially said, shaking her left hand, "I'm Doctor Higgs, Mr. Stoppable's doctor."
Smiling, she shook his hand then walked past him, going up to Kim. Still slightly shook up, Leroy gave a consoling nod to Ann, and then left the room, quickly walking to another location.
"Huh," Monique uttered upon getting her first glimpse of Ron, "he doesn't look too beat up."
"Well, honey, he was much worse last night," Ann informed her, though agreeing with her current assessment. "Did you manage to find anything at the shop," she asked, noting she wasn't holding anything in her hands.
"Yeah, actually," Monique replied, reaching into her left pocket and pulling out a slender box. "Sorta girly, I guess, but I thought of him as soon as I saw it." Handing it over to Kim for inspection, Monique's friend looked over the gift.
The box had a small 'Get Well Soon' message on it, and when she opened the box, she gasped slightly. "Wow, this is so cool," Kim said, carefully pulling the necklace out. It was a shiny, silver Star of David. She didn't know too much about jewelry (Kim was much more a clothes girl than a jewelry one), but she did think it looked extremely nice. It's perfect. Ron will love it.
Ann, Kim noted, appeared to have the same thought on the gift as did her daughter. "That's very nice, Monique. It looks expensive though; I hope you didn't set yourself back too much."
"Nah," Monique replied, "it was just over 30 bucks, didn't seem too bad. Anyways, it's for Ron, and I'm sure he'll deeply appreciate it when he sees it."
"I bet," Ann said, taking another glance at the silver necklace resting in Kim's hands. Turning her eyes away, she looked back toward Monique. "Thanks for coming out her in this weather. That was a very brave thing to do."
Waving her hand, Monique replied, "It's for a friend, so it wasn't even really a choice." Looking toward Kim, and without verbal speaking, the two hugged each other again. "Stay strong girl," she muttered in her ear, and said the same thing, sans 'girl,' to her unconscious friend in bed. "You can just leave the necklace in his drawer, and when he finds it, tell him it was me. I'll stop by tomorrow, and he can thank me then."
Nodding, Kim released her friend and Monique walked out of the room, giving a weak smile to Ann before doing so. Her heart feeling both heavy and light at the same time, Kim pulled up a wooden chair to Ron's bed and sat by his side, grabbing hold of Ron's right hand.
"I'll go check on your father," Ann said, and Kim heard her feet shuffle out. Looking at Ron, Kim laid her head down near his chest, continuing to hold his hand in hers. In contrast to the former night, Kim didn't feel sad, nor did she have the urge to cry. Ron would wake up that night, she knew, and things would begin to improve, even if it took a while. Even though he's still asleep at the moment, Kim realized, I'm here for him now.
And it was this comforting that Kim Possible dozed off to, not knowing how quickly that peace would dissipate when she would awaken in ten minutes time.