Title: Everyone Needs Protecting
Summary: Hours away from Seaford, Jack and Kim go for a walk at night during a tournament. When they're interrupted, and later become separated, Kim fears for Jack's well-being.
Author's Note: I didn't realize how long this one had gotten but I've been writing it on and off for 6 months now (because the song from Twisters was stuck in my head when I started writing this so that is my frame of reference as far as timeline. Lol.)
Also, this one goes out to that one comment from forever ago about how everything always happens to Kim. 1) that was kind of the point of this series of one-shots but I understand wanting some variety. I write stories about Kim because A) she's a girl and so I am and it's just easier to write about a girl B) the show presents SUCH an interesting dynamic with one girl and 2-4 guys and I just love exploring that dynamic through countless scenarios.
So yeah rant over, I love writing with Kim as the focus but even I get tired of my own stories on occasion so this is for you (also I fear I somehow still centered this around Kim but I tried my best to bring it back to Jack instead).
Author's Note 2.0: I posted this on feb. 12 or 11 or something and everytime I tried to view it, it wouldn't work so I just deleted the chapter and I'm reposting it. Hopefully it uploads this time. weird.
"Summer nights or autumn mornings?"
"Summer nights."
"Big city or country?"
"Live in the country, vacation in a big city."
"Truck or sports car?"
"Both?"
"Pfft, cheater. Read a book of your most embarrassing moments in crazy detail or watch it in full HD?"
"…"
"Come on, Jack. Pick!"
Jack chuckled as he shook his head. "Kim, c'mon. Enough with the questions. Why don't you answer some?"
"Doesn't work like that," she informed him cheekily. "You want answers, come up with your own questions."
"Here's an idea, let's just be quiet and enjoy each other's presence."
Jack didn't have to look down in the dim lighting of the street to know when Kim's head jerked back slightly she was making a face.
"Fine," Kim groaned. Although her tone was short and annoyed, Jack knew she was just kidding. Still, she stopped to look up at him just to make sure he knew she wasn't actually mad at him.
He caught her eye and grinned at her. Her cheeks reddened as she quickly averted her gaze.
After another moment, she let herself rest her head against Jack's arm.
Jack smiled, beyond pleased with himself. He waited so long, too long really, to allow himself to pursue Kim. It'd been so comfortable just being her friend. Maybe he was scared of rejection, maybe he wasn't. Didn't matter now. Dating Kim was better than he'd imagined.
Little moments like these, dumb and silly as they were, were just theirs to keep. Those stupid questions she was asking were theirs—hers and his only. Only she, out of everyone in the world, knew his answers and there was something about that that Jack just loved.
He was glad, now, that they'd gone on a walk. He'd only suggested it last minute because this entire trip they hadn't had a moment of time alone.
They were about four hours away from Seaford for a karate tournament. It was a two day long tournament and since it was so far, it made more sense to make it a weekend trip than to have to commute each morning and night.
Day one had been a great day all around. Everyone performed very well. The others, unfortunately, had already lost, minus Jack and Kim. Kim was thrilled just to have made it so far and Jack was very encouraging in his words to her. She really didn't expect to win tomorrow, especially if she somehow got matched up against Jack, but she was proud for at least lasting until day two.
Jack, on the other hand, was clearly a strong candidate for overall champion.
He was some of the biggest competition at the tournament and everyone was proud of the way he kept his cool even with so many new challengers.
Tomorrow would be more of a challenge, but this wasn't Jack's first tournament and although he stayed humble in the way he outwardly spoke, on the inside he was itching to get to day two so he could show off his abilities and defeat every opponent.
He felt Kim shift against his arm and her small movement pulled him back to the present.
They were walking along a street lit by dim lamps and nobody else. It wasn't a sketchy town, but any place can be dangerous at night. He still felt comfortable walking, but he reminded himself to never let his guard down. Especially when he was with Kim.
In his scan of the area, Jack noticed someone walking behind them.
The second he noticed, he focused his entire being on taking note of every little detail around them. He was more aware of the sound of his shoes lightly scraping the concrete. He was more aware of the weight of Kim's head against his arm. He was more aware of all streets and alleyways in their vicinity. And he was definitely more aware of the two more people that showed up and joined the first in following them.
"Kim," he whispered, urgent but keeping his posture relaxed so as not to alert their tails that anything was wrong.
"Hmm?" Kim hummed back peacefully, so unaware of the danger they were suddenly in.
Jack leaned down to place a kiss on Kim's head, using it as cover so he could spare another glance back.
At the hiss of a swear, Kim immediately tried to lift her head and look over in concern at Jack.
"Stay down!" Jack said quickly.
"Wha-"
Jack clutched Kim's hand that was wrapped around his left arm. He squeezed gently, both as reassurance and to keep her still. "Someone's following us."
Jack could tell Kim understood what he meant because she stiffened and let out a short breath. "Are you sure?"
There was a short pause before Jack responded. "I'm sure."
Kim bit her lip in worry while Jack's mind ran a thousand miles a minute trying to figure out what the best course of action would be from here.
"What should we do?" Kim whispered, voicing the question that Jack had running through his mind.
They were still far away from the hotel and Jack wasn't so sure it was good idea to go back to the hotel and lead whoever this was to where they were staying. He didn't know who this was or what they wanted, making it difficult to know what they should do. Do they run? Fight? Ignore them? Call the police?
"I'm gonna call Rudy," Kim decided when Jack hadn't answered.
Jack nodded, that seemed like a good idea.
While Kim pulled out her phone and her fingers began to shakily type out Rudy's contact, Jack turned his head back just enough to check what was going on behind them.
He was met with five rapidly approaching figures dressed in all black.
In a reflex, Jack pulled his left arm out of Kim's hold and moved it around her mid-back and shoved her forward.
"Hurry!" He urged, seeing that the people behind them were gaining on them.
Kim, having been taken by surprise, nearly dropped her phone and stumbled to hold onto it and not trip as Jack pushed her.
When she got her footing, she looked back behind her and Jack's shoulders to see a group of people right behind them. They were dressed in dark clothing and had masks to cover their faces. There was no way of knowing who it was or what they wanted, just that they were chasing the pair down at an incredible speed.
Kim turned to face forward so she wouldn't lose her balance and so she could keep running.
"Wha- What do we do?" Kim panted, trying to keep up. She was fast, sometimes faster than Jack, but she didn't have the endurance he did. She was getting tired.
Jack knew they couldn't just keep running, they needed a plan fast.
He looked around the streets, looking for any sign of another person or a police car or something that could help them.
There were shops with glass windows and neon lights that had been turned off for the night, all closed. Trash cans that were bolted to the ground. Cars parked on the street that looked old, abandoned or well-loved. But nobody else.
"We have to hide," Jack decided, realizing it was their best bet.
"Huh?" Kim asked. Just as she did her foot caught on a rock and she tripped forward, barely able to stop herself from falling. Just a second later Jack tripped on the same rock she'd kicked forward and nearly fell over himself.
Both of them were scared out of their minds now, at having nearly fallen and coming closer to being overtaken. They couldn't keep this up forever.
"We have to- hide- somewhere," Jack repeated in a hiss, gulping when he could tell they were slowing down a little.
"I don't-"
"Turn!" Jack shouted, throwing Kim to the side as they came up on another street.
Kim stumbled to the side and Jack quickly looked for somewhere to hide while they were hidden from view.
"In there!" he commanded, pointing at a fenced-in dumpster off to the side. It was a small square, close to the building but dimly lit. There were long stripes of plastic woven between the thin metal wires of the fence, so you really couldn't see inside unless you had your face pressed up against it. It was completely unassuming and perfect to hide in.
Kim nodded and turned, hoping they were fast enough. She hesitated slightly, trying to figure out the best way to climb it, when Jack put his hands out and motioned for her to step on.
Kim did so and when Jack launched her up, she clutched the top of the fence, trying not to drop her phone, and threw herself over the top.
There was a thud, followed by a small hiss and Jack was sure she dropped hard.
"Are you okay?" He asked quickly, hoping he hadn't just tossed his girlfriend onto a pile of broken glass or anything.
"I'm good!" she called back, groaning a little. She'd just landed unsteady in her feet and had fallen back on her behind. But it wasn't something she wouldn't recover from in just a day or so.
Just as Jack was about to grab the fence to climb over himself, he heard the sound of scuffling and knew he wouldn't have time to make it over the top without being seen.
What was worse than being caught up to was being trapped and caught up to. He couldn't lead them to the dumpster, not when Kim was already hidden and safe. If they spotted him trying to get in, neither Jack nor Kim would have time to climb out and run away. They'd be cornered and that could not happen.
"Kim, stay there," Jack hissed through the fence, deciding in a split second what to do.
"Jack!" Kim scolded, running up to the fence and grabbing it as she looked through, trying to see where Jack was going.
She watched as he rushed away, jumping over the railing of a wheelchair ramp by the building.
The five guys that were chasing them turned the corner and immediately spotted Jack, running toward him.
Kim held her breath as they rushed by and despite the pounding of her heart nearly making her deaf, nobody noticed she was behind the fence. Their eyes were trained on Jack, who hadn't been able to turn the corner fast enough to get out of sight. Still, he ran quickly in an attempt to lose them again.
When Kim lost sight of what was going on, she pressed her ear into the fence as she tried to listen.
She wasn't sure how far Jack had run, or if he was still running.
She thought she could hear faint noises of grunting or laughing or banging, but she wasn't completely sure what to make of the sounds.
Gulping, she took a step back and tried to think rationally. She glanced down at her phone and remembered her plan earlier had been to call Rudy. She decided that still seemed like an excellent idea and with shaking hands, she dialed his number.
She paced the small length of the fence, forcing herself to ignore the stench from the clearly not-empty dumpster, trying to keep her breathing steady.
It took four rings for Rudy to finally answer.
"Hello?"
"Rudy," Kim whispered, a kind of relieved gasp. She could see a small cloud of air in front of her as she spoke breathily. "Rudy, something happened and I don't know what to do and-"
Kim stopped herself because she could feel a long ramble coming on and that was the last thing Jack needed right now. She needed to focus.
"Slow down, Kim," Rudy instructed, his voice gentle and steady, having a calming effect on Kim. She had regained her wits almost instantly. "What happened?"
Kim took another deep breath and before she started again, peeked out the fence to make sure nobody was near and able to listen. When the coast was clear, she continued.
"Jack and I went for a walk," she said, feeling stupid now. She hadn't thought anything of it when they left but now it seemed like how to not get jumped 101. "I know it was stupid," she rushed out quickly before Rudy could reprimand her.
It was dark and in a new city, but Kim was with Jack and so all caution had been thrown out the window. She trusted Jack and she never felt the need to take the same precautions she usually did because she was with him. If she'd been alone, she would have known it was a horrible idea to go wandering outside. But with Jack, she let him worry about that stuff. He always acted so overprotective she was sure if there were any real danger he wouldn't let her do it.
She wished she'd just thought about what they were doing before they left. She was usually so fiercely independent, she took care of her own safety. She didn't put herself in bad situations and if she was in trouble, she knew how to get out of it. Except when it came to Jack and she didn't think about those things. And now she had no idea where he was or if he was okay.
"I didn't think about it, okay? But Jack realized a handful of people were following us. We tried to outrun them and then we were going to hide and I got behind a fence but Jack didn't have time and they saw him and chased him off and now I don't know where he is or the people that were after him." Kim finished in all one breath and sucked in a big gulp of air, not realizing she hadn't been breathing.
"Do you know who?" Rudy asked immediately. His voice was hard and focused, not evening disappointed or reprimanding.
"No," Kim said, remembering the covered faces. She couldn't identify them even if she had gotten a better look.
"Where are you?"
"Um, I- I'm not exactly sure. We were just wandering… Rudy, I'm so sorry-"
"Shh," Rudy interrupted softly. "Kim, calm down. Here's what we're going to do: You turn on your location and send it to me and I will come find you both, alright? Are you somewhere by a light or cameras?"
There were hardly any lights around and Kim knew the direction Jack ran was very dimly lit. If there were ever a place to do anything illegal, especially to someone, it would be there.
"No," Kim said, fighting a whimper at the thought of someone hurting Jack in an alley. Flashes of knives and guns and blood crossed her mind and she suddenly thought she might have to deal with a life without Jack in it.
Sensing her mind had taken a darker turn, Rudy snapped at Kim a little harsher. "Kim, it's no use worrying now. Are you somewhere safe? If you're not I need you to get somewhere safe."
"I'm in a small fence," Kim explained, as if that answered Rudy's question. It didn't, she realized, so she continued. "I think I'm safe here."
"Okay. Then stay there and send me your location. We'll find Jack together, okay?"
Kim agreed and pulled herself together, opening her map and sending Rudy her location. They weren't far from the hotel at all. If Rudy ran he'd be there in just a few minutes.
In the meantime, Kim stayed silent, listening for anything that could tell her where Jack or the others had gone.
There was nothing, until she heard Rudy quietly calling her name from somewhere behind the fence. Kim looked through the small slits just to make sure it was him before letting out a sigh of relief and calling back.
She began climbing back over the fence and when she began descending on the outside, Rudy stood under her just in case she lost her footing and slipped.
With Rudy close now, Kim could feel a layer of stress and anxiety wash away. Of course she was still incredibly worried for Jack's sake but now that Rudy was here to help she felt safer and more confident in her abilities to help.
Rudy grabbed Kim's arms, stopping her completely and looking her over. Kim tried to step aside, wanting to find Jack, but Rudy kept her there.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, not seeing any sign of injury.
Kim shook her head, her eyes still scanning the area wildly. "No. Not really. But Jack-"
Kim stopped, she couldn't think about that now. They needed to find him.
"Which way did he go?" Rudy asked, understanding that there was a bigger issue now that he knew Kim was physically fine.
Kim gulped, pushing down the remaining worry.
"That way," she pointed, gesturing to the side. "But I don't know where he went after that. I- I couldn't hear anything."
Rudy nodded. "Let's get looking."
He waited for Kim to start moving before he followed down the path Kim has last seen Jack.
When they got to a fork in the road, they paused. Neither knew which way to look first.
"He would've gone right," Kim realized after looking at the options for a moment.
"How do you know?" Rudy asked curiously.
Kim gulped. "He'd want to turn the corner, not go straight, so the other people wouldn't be able to see him. And he'd go right instead of left because I was to the left. He'd do anything he could to keep me as far from danger as possible."
The more Kim explained, the more Rudy knew she was right.
"Let's go right then," Rudy nodded.
They started jogging, careful to keep their eyes out for any sign of Jack or the attackers. They didn't see anyone and that concerned Kim. If something bad happened to Jack, there would be no witnesses. No way of finding him.
They were alternating calling out Jack's name and then listening for any kind of response.
Another block down the road and Kim was beginning to doubt that they were ever going to find Jack. She just prayed he was well enough to find his own way back to the hotel soon. Looking around, though, she realized she wouldn't know how to get back to the hotel if she were the one alone.
"Rudy, I don't know if…" she wasn't sure how exactly to end the sentence. If what? If Jack is over there? If Jack is conscious? If it's even worth it?
Rudy stopped and pulled Kim to a halt too, looking down at the girl. She looked young. She always looked young but today especially. Rudy had to remind himself that she was just a little girl and although they had big adventures, she was a child. They all were. He was responsible for them. He was the one who was supposed to be worried.
"Kim," he said softly. "It'll be okay. We're going to find him and he'll be okay."
Rudy seemed so sure and comforting that Kim instantly believed him. She nodded, gulping down the rest of her anxiety. If Rudy said they'd find Jack, if Rudy was so sure, then it had to be true.
Rudy wasn't sure he believed himself but he needed Kim to believe him because he could tell she was getting overwhelmed. They were still on the streets at night and he needed her in a good mental state. They were looking for Jack but if anything happened to Kim… He needed her to be present and aware of her surroundings right now.
"Okay," Kim sniffled, nodding again. "We should keep going then."
Rudy nodded. "Attagirl."
So they continued.
Kim saw a trash can that was tipped over, thinking to herself that it was an odd shape. Not very boxy and…
"Jack!" she gasped. "Rudy!"
Rudy turned to see Kim rushing to the side. Peeking around her body he could see a lump that looked a whole lot like a person.
"Jack! Are you okay?" Kim asked, still rushing over.
Jack looked up and when Kim got close enough to finally make out his features she stopped dead in her tracks.
Rudy came stumbling to a halt next to her, grabbing her because if he didn't he would have plowed over her and knocked her off balance.
"Jack!" Rudy gasped, seeing what Kim saw first.
Jack was covered in blood. His arm was slung loosely against his torso and he had an eye that was swelling as well as a big gash on his cheek. His bottom lip was split and his foot was resting at a weird angle. He had a series of cuts along his arms and shoulders that led to his back. There were tears in the fabric of his shirt that aligned with the cuts on his skin, looking to be made with some sort of crude blade.
"I'm gonna be sick," Kim mumbled, turning around quickly.
The thought of someone causing Jack that much pain in such short time, just a few minutes ago, had put a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. This all happened just now. While she had been trapped in that fence he'd left her in he was here getting attacked. Twenty minutes ago they'd been happily walking down the street and now suddenly he could hardly move.
"Hey," Rudy said, putting a hand on Kim's shoulder. "He's gonna be okay. We found him, we'll get him some help. Everything is fine. I need to help him, though. Can you sit down right over here while I help him?"
Kim nodded and let Rudy guide her closer to Jack, to a place he could still keep an eye on her.
"No," she corrected, taking a deep breath. "I'll help. I'm fine."
"You sure?" Rudy asked, studying her to make sure she was telling the truth.
Kim nodded. "I'm fine." Maybe.
Rudy and Kim kneeled down in front of Jack then, looking him over. Kim brushed some hair out of his face, choosing to pretend like they were actors in movies right now and this was all makeup and fake. This was supposed to be an emotional scene where she saves him after an attack. It looked real, but it wasn't. This was just pretend, but everyone still had to act like it was real because that was the script. They had to be convincing. She could be convincing.
"Hey, buddy," Rudy said. "Howya feeling, champ?"
Jack coughed and when he choked, then recovered and coughed again, he spit blood from his mouth.
It's part of the script. Looks real, but it's all just pretend, Kim told herself again. Fake blood.
"Been better, Rudy," Jack quipped with a grimace.
"Not funny," Kim frowned, fighting the urge to slap him for the poor joke.
"What happened?" Rudy sighed softly, still trying to determine the best place to start.
Jack shook his head slightly, stopping when it made him dizzy. "Woah, I should not have done that," he groaned.
"Don't move," Kim scolded. "You're going to hurt yourself."
Jack and Rudy shared a knowing look, seemingly finding Kim's very well-placed concern amusing.
"Do you think anything's broken? Bleeding anywhere?" Rudy asked finally, knowing what injuries looked worse at least.
Jack nodded towards his foot gently. "Think my ankle's sprained. Maybe fractured? And, uh, lots of cuts on my arm and back." At Kim's horrified expression he hesitated. "It's really not that bad-" he tried to argue but Kim was not having it.
Rudy caught the look Jack was giving Kim and started to understand what was happening. His top two students were going head to head again. A battle of wills involving each others' well being never ended well. They didn't have time for this right now.
"Who did it?" Rudy asked. "What did they want?"
Jack sent another look in Kim's direction, this one firm. He didn't want to talk in front of Kim and that sent her over the edge.
"Don't look at me like that," Kim demanded. "You heard Rudy. Answer the question."
"I couldn't see their faces but I think it was that other dojo. The Cobra Martial Arts Academy. I recognized their voices. They were definitely from the tournament. More of a jiujitsu style though," Jack explained.
It was true he never saw their faces but when they finally did catch up to him, there was no denying they had martial arts training. Not to mention Jack had noticed them earlier in the day. They were taunting Milton at the tournament and Jack stood up for him, then handily beat one of their other students. He'd done it all so respectfully, it only pissed them off more.
"You sure?" Rudy asked. "That's a big accusation. Enough to get them banned. The tournament has strict rules about fighting outside of the sanctioned matches."
"It was them," Jack confirmed. "I know because when they were… attacking me… they made a point to use the same move I did when I beat one of them."
Rudy shook his head in disappointment. He always taught his kids to play fair and be respectful. It was the most important virtue in martial arts. He was glad Jack seemed to understand and live by that, but there were many students who didn't and it was hard to see students who were good being hurt by students who were crooked.
"What happened to your back and arms?" Rudy asked, shifting to his next question.
"Knife. Just some shallow slashes. I'm sure it's fine," Jack lied. It hurt a lot and he didn't think they were all shallow either.
Kim's eyes were drawn to the little part of Jack's arm she could see, with all the cuts. She could only imagine what the rest looked like.
Not real. Just make up. It's all pretend.
"Jack…" Rudy breathed.
"Rudy, really, it's okay. I can-"
"It's not okay, Jack!" Kim snapped, floating somewhere between anger and hysteria. "What if it was dirty? What if you have dirt in the wounds? What if they get infected? What if you have internal bleeding? What if they cut an artery?"
Rudy and Jack's faces hardened. Kim was right, they knew. Without properly assessing him, they couldn't know for sure that he would be fine. Whether they were shallow wounds or not, they could be bad.
"Jack, she's right… I should just make sure…" Rudy said, waiting for Jack's consent.
"Fine. Kim, close your eyes," Jack commanded sharply.
"What?" Kim felt anger rising in her chest. "Why?"
"I'm not moving until I know you're not looking," Jack insisted, his gaze set in determination.
"No! That's stupid-"
"I don't want you to freak out, Kim. It looks worse than it is, I know."
"You can't know that."
"I do. And I don't want you to look and give yourself nightmares because I'm fine. Close your eyes. Now."
Rudy could see the determination in his eyes, past the blood and pain it was there, strong as ever.
"Kim, look away," Rudy echoed, needing to get her to comply so he could help Jack.
Kim looked at Jack, waiting for him to change his mind but instead she just saw the pleading in his eyes and she was so struck with the deep brown swirls that she turned around without a second thought.
She could hear Rudy moving closer, helping Jack move or getting a better look at his back.
Jack was gasping in pain and Rudy was humming softly as he assessed the wounds.
Kim had never felt more impatient in her life.
It was the longest minute of her life and everything in her was telling her to just turn around and look but knowing it wasn't what Jack wanted stopped her. She found she couldn't do anything if it went against what he wanted right now.
She wished, more than anything, that she could have helped.
They were together at first. She was with him and she abandoned him. She could have stayed with him and they could have fought together. She could have helped him.
Jack was outnumbered but if she had been there then maybe they could have fought them all off together.
Maybe she could have-
"You can turn around now, Kim," Jack eventually announced.
Kim whipped around as fast as she could, seeing Jack now adjusting his shirt. He had his good leg popped up while his hurt ankle was laying flat in front of him.
He looked a little better, but still very hurt.
Kim couldn't keep it in. "Jack, I'm so sorry, it's my fault, if just would have stayed with you to fight then maybe we could have-"
"Don't even start, Kim," Jack interrupted, letting out a groan as he shifted again. "They came prepared. If you were there they would've hurt you too and they still would have hurt me."
"You don't know that. We've fought loads of people before-"
"Kim," Jack interrupted again. "They were looking for you. They told me. Asked where 'the chick' went and when I wouldn't say anything they said they'd still find you. They all had weapons. One had the knife, another had a baton… it's better this way," Jack assured her.
"No!" Kim cried. "You're hurt and you won't even let me look, how on earth is that better?"
"Because you stayed hidden like I asked you to and you called Rudy to come help. It's better this way because I knew you were safe. They were determined to find me. I wouldn't have been able to hide from them forever. They would have come after me again if they needed to. Or they could have waited by the hotel if I never left. Trust me, Kim, you did good." Jack tried to convince Kim that things had gone as good as he had envisioned them going, but she clearly was still struggling with the idea.
"I was cowardly, that's what I was," Kim snapped. "I should have been there to help you!"
"You wanna help me?" Jack asked. "Come here and help me get up, I don't think I can walk on this foot."
Rudy nodded Kim over and together they helped Jack stand up. Rudy and Kim carried most of his weight while he hobbled over to the bench just a few yards away.
Rudy left Kim with Jack while he stepped away pulling out his phone.
"Jack," Kim sighed. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was again and argue about what should have happened but it wouldn't help and she knew that.
Jack looked up at Kim with a small, exhausted smile.
Kim smiled back and lifted an arm to gently bring Jack's head down to her shoulder. She brushed the hair around his face softly and offered up her other hand for him to grab and play with while they sat in silence.
Kim giggled as Jack wrapped up her hand in a ball and then grabbed each finger and gently shook them.
"You weirdo, what are you doing?" she laughed, unable to actually see her hand because Jack's massive head was blocking her view of her lap.
Then Kim felt Jack wrap his hand around almost all her fingers. He held them firmly down and grabbed one finger, her middle finger, and pulled it straight up.
"Jack!" she hissed, trying to snatch her hand away to stop the crude gesture he was making using her hand.
Jack held on tightly, snickering to himself as he watched Kim struggle to move her hand.
"Jack, I'm serious, let go!" she laughed, trying to sound like she was serious and failing.
She tugged again, this time harder and Jack's hold faltered. Her hand shot out, slamming into his stomach and causing him to double over and groan.
"I think you just sucker punched my spleen," he cried.
Kim pursed her lips, feeling a little bad. "Serves you right."
"Really, Kim? Really? Way to punch a man when he's down. Literally," Jack grimaced.
"Oh whatever," Kim said as she helped him gently sit up and get comfortable.
A familiar car pulled up on the street in front of them just as Rudy walked over.
"That's Jerry with the car. Urgent Care is closed, so we'll have to go to the Emergency Room," Rudy explained.
The car door slammed shut as Jerry jogged around the front with Milton hopping out the passenger's seat.
Jerry helped Rudy to guide Jack into the car while Milton went to Kim to ask more questions.
Kim noted that Milton was wearing plaid pants and a plain long sleeve t-shirt. Clearly he had been getting ready for bed.
A cry from Jack had Kim abandoning Milton and his questions and trying to help Rudy and Jerry in transferring Jack to the car. Kim hopped in the other side of the back seat so she could catch him and soon enough he was wedged in. Milton joined Kim in the back while Jerry sat up front and Rudy drove them to the Emergency Room.
The worry in her chest only grew the closer they got. As they brought him in, and he was put in a wheelchair and taken back, Jerry seemed to see the panic evident on her features.
"Kim, chica, come 'ere," he ushered, waving her over to where he was standing.
Kim looked longingly at the door Jack disappeared behind and then back at Jerry.
Jerry rolled his eyes. "You're not gonna miss anything. Just come here."
Kim sighed but followed Jerry.
"What? Is this gonna take long? Cause if they-"
"Kim. Seriously chill," Jerry said, looking down at her. He wrapped an arm around Kim's shoulders and brought her into his side, harshly snuggling with her. "He'll be fine."
"Get off me!" Kim cried, trying to push Jerry away. The last thing she wanted right now was to have Jerry grab her and throw her around. Jack was in the hospital for goodness sake!
Jerry just laughed, trying to mess up Kim's hair while she squealed.
A few seconds later he finally relented and she backed away from him with a glare. "Watch your back, Jerry," she hissed.
"Don't need to," Jerry shrugged. "You're gonna be too busy doting on Jack whenever he gets out of here."
Kim frowned at the reminder of Jack's condition.
"Hey," Jerry scolded, pinching Kim's face. "Stop doing that."
"Doing what?" Kim asked, her frown disappearing into annoyance. Why was he touching her face? Ugh, Jerry was really starting to bother her.
"Getting all mopey. Jack's gonna be fine. You're in your head too much, stop thinking about it," Jerry told her.
Kim turned to look at him. "How do you know that? When did you get so wise?"
"Because usually it's Jack that I have to deal with. You get hurt, he blames himself, you're actually fine, and it repeats over and over again. Only this time Jack is hurt and you're blaming yourself."
Kim opened her mouth to protest at being read so easily but Jerry was right. She couldn't really argue.
"See?" he laughed, knowing she realized he was right.
"Well what am I supposed to do?" she asked exasperatedly. "Not worry? Pretend like I'm glad he got jumped?"
"No!" Jerry interjected. "Of course not. But don't blame yourself, alright? You helped him. You called Rudy, you found him, you got him to where he needed to be."
"How do you know that?" Kim asked with a sniffle. She hadn't told any of them very many details about anything. She hadn't had time between all her worrying.
"Rudy told me over the phone," Jerry explained. At Kim's look he continued. "Rudy called, said Jack was in trouble and to bring the car. He told me where you all were and said Jack was attacked while he was on a walk with you. He said you got separated from Jack and when you finally found him, he was hurt."
"Oh," Kim nodded. They made more sense.
"But what I don't know is what else happened. You went on a walk?"
Kim met Jerry's disappointment with a glare. She was not going to face judgement for their decision to take a walk. "It was Jack's idea. We weren't going far. I think."
Jerry rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You guys think you're immune to everything bad just cause you're the best students at the dojo but I'm telling you, you get yourselves into trouble."
"I know," Kim admitted with a sigh. Jerry was right, but that didn't mean she wanted to hear him say it. "Anyways, Jack noticed someone was following us. We couldn't see their faces and then we tried to hide but Jack ditched me when he didn't think he could hide in time. He was doing it to protect me. That's when I called Rudy and… we found him a few streets over. He looked dead Jerry."
Kim's eyes welled up with tears and Jerry nudged her lovingly.
"He's very much not dead," Jerry reminded her with a soft smile. Then he sobered up a little and his tone changed just a smidge. "What did they do to him?"
Kim could see a new side of Jerry. He was no longer there to comfort her, he was asking as Jack's best friend. He was just as concerned as she was.
"I don't know," Kim admitted, the tears pushed back down. She didn't want to cry anymore, she wanted the Cobra Academy to pay.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Jerry asked, confused. She had been there, she knew more than anyone else.
"He wouldn't let me look," she frowned. "He was afraid I would get overly worried."
Jerry let out a laugh at that. "Ha! Of course he was."
Kim had to fight the smile that was trying to make its way onto her face. She wanted to be upset about it, but it was just like Jack to be watching out for her even when he was the one who got jumped.
"Well, do you know who did it?"
"Jack says it was one of the other dojos."
Jerry's chin dropped and his mouth made a big O. "No way. For real?"
"It's what Jack said," Kim shrugged.
"That's crazy."
"Yeah," Kim agreed.
"What's crazy?"
Kim let out a laugh while Jerry let out a scream as Milton came from behind and draped his arms across Jerry and Kim's shoulders.
"You're breath, that's what's crazy," Jerry snapped quickly. "Crazy nasty."
Milton recoiled to smell his own breath while Kim gave Jerry a high five.
"Rudy found one of those magnet sand maze games," Milton said when Kim and Jerry had finally calmed down. "We need four players though, you guys in?"
Jerry looked at Kim, waiting to see her reaction.
Kim smiled. It would be a great way to pass the time.
"I'm in."
Eight rounds of magnet sand mazes, twenty minutes of bottle flipping, and three magazine crossword puzzles later and everyone was slowly dozing off.
Milton had almost fallen off his chair, which woke the others up and sent them into a fit of giggles.
Then they'd all slowly gone back to sleep.
When the door opened again, a nurse called Rudy back and the kids were left alone to wonder if things were okay.
Being so late at night now, none of them were cognizant enough to think too hard about it.
There was no need either, because not too long later Rudy reemerged with Jack in tow. He was in a wheelchair, dressed in a hospital gown, and a wrapped ankle. There was a bit of cotton poking out by his shoulder, as if his torso was wrapped as well.
His face had been cleaned up, although his lip was still swollen and his eye discolored. Despite everything, he looked good. Much better than the condition they'd found him in.
"Jack!" Kim gasped, standing up as the others did the same. "You're okay!" she cried.
Kim rushed forward but Rudy put an arm out to stop her.
"Take it slow," he warned, giving her a stern look. "He's hopped up on a lot of meds right now."
Kim looked questioningly at Rudy while Jerry sauntered over, putting a hand in front of Kim.
"I got this," he announced to the group.
Everyone watched as he bent down, crouching in front of Jack.
"Me, Jerry! You, Jack! Me, swag! You, ehhh. Me-" Jerry's abnormally loud words were cut short when Kim reached over and punched his arm hard enough to get him to stand up and away from Jack.
"Jerry!" Kim scolded immediately. "He didn't have any brain damage!"
Then suddenly Kim turned to Rudy with a worried expression. "Wait, he didn't have any brain damage, right?"
Rudy, seeing Kim's genuine worry, shook his head. "No, he's fine, Kim. No head injuries. Thankfully."
Kim let out a big exhale of relief at that revelation.
"I'm fine, Kim," Jack spoke up, drawing her attention right back to him. It was like everything else disappeared and all she could think about was him again. Was he okay? Was he in pain? Did they give him medicine to make him fall asleep? Did he blame her? Was that wheelchair comfortable? Has he been hurt like this before?
"Kim, I can see you brain thinking. Just stop, 'm perfectly good," Jack told her, slurring his words slightly and contradicting his statement.
Kim just raised an eyebrow in questioning. "You sure about that, champ?"
Jack shook his head. "Actually no," he realized, his eyes roaming the room. "I'm pretty sure I'm on drugs."
"You are," Rudy confirmed.
Jack's eyes bulged a little at that. "I am?! Rudy! I can't be on drugs! They'll disqualify me from the tournament."
"I'm pretty sure you won't be competing in the tournament anyways, Jack," Milton piped up matter-of-factly.
"Look, what matters is that he's okay now, right?" Rudy said, reminding the kids what they should really be thankful for.
They all nodded, although Kim's mind was still elsewhere.
Rudy had to fill out a little more paperwork at the counter, but it only took a few minutes and Jerry and Milton kept themselves and Jack well entertained during that short time.
When Rudy was finished, he pushed Jack out to the car while the others walked alongside them. Jerry and Rudy had to help transfer Jack from the wheelchair to the car and Milton was the one tasked with taking the wheelchair back inside.
The entire time, Kim was quiet, thinking.
She didn't say much for the ride back, but then again, nobody did. The night was catching up to them and they all happily listened to the quiet talk show on the radio for the drive back to the hotel.
Once again, Jerry and Milton had to each take a side of Jack to make sure he didn't trip and fall while they walked through the hotel and to their rooms. Everyone filed into Jack's room to make sure he actually got there and that he had everything he needed. The boys helped him change into something more comfortable while Kim averted her gaze to the far wall.
After making sure Jack had been safely put on his bed, Rudy bid the kids goodnight because he would have to be up earlier in the morning to talk to the tournament officials.
With Rudy gone, Milton noticed Kim shifting on her feet and eyeing Jack and the others. Realizing she might want to have a private moment, Milton grabbed Jerry and announced they were going on a hunt for a vending machine and would be back in fifteen minutes.
Kim sent Milton a grateful glance as he dragged Jerry passed her and toward the door.
"This is awkward…" Jack said when they were alone.
Kim turned back around and swallowed.
"How long are you going to play this little quiet game you've been playing?" Jack asked her, leaning back against his pillows slowly.
"I'm not playing the quiet game," she croaked, her voice quiet and scratchy from having not used it for so long.
Jack gave a small grin at the sound of her voice. "There it is. Come here, come sit down."
Jack patted the spot on the bed next to him and Kim eyed it warily.
"I don't bite," he added.
Kim rolled her eyes, but sat down anyways.
She didn't fully lay back, instead just sat on the edge all proper-like and stiff. Jack knew she couldn't be comfortable but he didn't push it.
"How are you feeling?" Kim asked.
"That's the lamest question you could have possibly asked me," Jack responded unabashedly. He might still be a little high from the meds and his filter wasn't all the way back.
Kim, surprised, snapped her head to look at him. "I want to know!" she defended.
"Milton and Jerry left the room so you could say whatever it is you want and that is what you ask? Is there something going on between you and the others that you all the sudden refuse to talk in their presence? You couldn't ask that in front of anyone else?"
Kim frowned. Why did she feel like she was being attacked?
That thought made her pause because she had only meant figuratively attacked but how insensitive was she? Jack really was just attacked for real.
"Kim," Jack called. "Seriously, just tell me. Or ask. Whatever you want to say, whatever you're thinking, just spit it out."
Kim, emboldened by Jack's insistence, pulled her legs up and spun around to face Jack, now sitting criss-cross on his bed.
"I-"
Kim realized she wasn't sure what she wanted to say.
"What?" Jack asked.
Kim shook her head and let out a groan of frustration. "I don't know."
Jack furrowed his brows in confusion. "How can you not know?"
"I just don't, Jack! Okay?"
Jack lifted his arms up in defense. "Sorry for tryna help!"
"No, I'm sorry, it's okay," she apologized quickly, feeling bad now that she had snapped at him.
"Just… maybe just try?" Jack suggested.
"Wow, great advice," Kim said sarcastically. "Stellar."
Jack rolled his eyes.
The banter was all so familiar, Kim knew she could happily spend the entire 15 minutes talking with Jack just like this. But she would never be able to fall asleep if she didn't clear her mind. So she had to be a little uncomfortable as she sorted through what she wanted to say.
"I- I really do want to know if you feel okay," Kim said, a little more timid this time. She really did mean it the first time, but she could see how Jack would think it was a stupid question when she first asked.
Jack's face softened a little. "Well the drugs haven't quite worn off yet," Jack admitted. "But I know it's going to hurt when they do."
Kim nodded, glad for the honest answer. "Did- did it hurt when they… you know."
Jack very nearly brushed it off with a comment about how that was another lame question, but there was a quiver to Kim's tone that had him sighing and answering as honestly as he could.
"Yes, but not like how you think, probably," he said quickly when he saw the expression on Kim's face. "I- I think it was the adrenaline and shock and all that at first. I honestly didn't really register what was happening. But then, after, it did hurt. A lot," Jack gulped, taking a few moments to pause.
Kim nodded, listening carefully and refraining from filling the silence with any comments for fear of making it all about her.
"I was scared," Jack added finally, his voice raspy and quiet. "I thought they were going to kill me."
Kim felt her eyes begin to well up at Jack's did the same. Seeing Jack cry was not something she was prepared for.
"Everything was happening so fast and it was starting to hurt and they weren't stopping yet. I couldn't move or defend myself. I really thought I was going to die-" Jack's voice broke as he admitted it all and he sniffled, trying to stop the tears.
It really wasn't working and Kim quickly grabbed a tissue from the dresser by the bed and gave the box to Jack.
Blowing his nose and wiping his eyes, Jack continued.
"I thought I was going to die, and they were going to move on and I would never be able to see you or the guys or my family again. I was never going to go to school again or do karate or hear your laugh or… I didn't want to die."
Jack shook his head at the thought, blowing his nose again.
"I know in movies and stuff they also talk about accepting death and all that but… I couldn't. I couldn't come to terms with it. I'm not ready to die yet. I- I have more I want to do. I want to live the rest of my life, fully. I want to be with you and I want to graduate and go to college and I want to get married one day. I want kids and I want to teach them karate. I want so much more and I- I thought-"
Jack couldn't finished and Kim couldn't hold herself back anymore as she reached a gentle hand out to hold his hand.
"You thought you'd never get the chance?" Kim finished for him.
Jack just nodded.
"That's… awful, Jack," Kim said quietly. She didn't know what else to say. Her best friend thought he was going to die a horrible death and that he was never going to do all the things he'd been dreaming of for his whole life. It was awful.
"I'm so glad you got away," Jack whispered.
Kim was again taken aback by Jack's protectiveness over her. He had just cried to her about his real fears over dying, and now he was concerned over her even though she was perfectly fine.
"I wish you would have," Kim said back, a melancholy hum.
"You can't win 'em all," Jack joked, although his tone was too tired to sound all that humorous.
"I'm glad you didn't die," Kim admitted, meaning those words with her whole soul. She scooted closer, so she could lay against the pillows next to Jack. "I don't know what we- I- would do without you. The world needs you, Jack."
Jack wore a sad smile and leaned into Kim's touch. His head fell to her shoulder and she let her head rest on his.
"We're never going on late-night walks again. And I'm telling my dad to order you pepper spray too. And if any of your opponents so much as look at you the wrong way again, I'm stepping in," Kim said, hoping to prevent anything like this from ever happening again. They needed to take better precautions. They weren't invincible. Jack wasn't invincible.
"How very noble of you," Jack slurred. Kim could tell he was exhausted. She guessed the long night, the drugs, and then the crying and sharing feelings played a big role in that. She too was getting tired. "My own little bodyguard."
"You should sleep," Kim said, helping Jack lean back a little more comfortably. He even kept his eyes closed, although he wasn't quite sleeping yet.
"Keep me safe?" he asked, now a mumble.
"I'll be right here," Kim agreed, letting herself close her eyes as well. Together, they fell asleep.
This took me two days to read through and edit holy moly. Anyways I hope this was satisfying. Also, again, I see your comments, I do my best to incorporate your ideas. Keep leaving them though, I love it.
My room is freezing and turning on the space heater was my reward for posting this so yay i can finally be warm again haha.
You guys are the best love you all