Epilogue-
Jimmy looked up when he saw two figures emerge from the building. The other was supporting one. When they came closer he recognized Faith and Kim.
"Thank God." He breathed. He stayed behind police lines, knowing that the Lieu would bite his head off if he got closer.
Doc and Alex quickly approached Kim and Faith and relieved the cop of crutch duty.
"How ya doing Kim?" Alex asked her friend.
"My head is killing me." She groaned.
"We'll see what we can do about that." Doc told her as they got her onto a stretcher. He looked over at Jimmy and motioned for him to come closer. "Someone here to see you," he said to Kim.
"Is he tall, dark, and handsome?" Kim smiled.
"No. Ty's over talking to Sully." Alex kidded.
"Funny Taylor." Jimmy said as he took a spot at Kim's side. He picked Kim's hand up and looked at her. "How ya feeling?"
"I think Melanie's doing Thanksgiving next week." She smiled.
"You guys can come to the house. I think Doc's making it this year." He brushed some of the hair out of her face.
"I wanna see the kids."
"I'll call Bobby and Mel. They'll bring 'em to the hospital."
"You riding with us?" Alex asked.
"Absolutely." He said.
Alex and Doc loaded Kim into the back and then Jimmy climbed in. Faith shut the doors behind them and gave them a knock to let the driver know that they were secure and the rig took off for the hospital.
"Hell of a day." Bosco said as he walked up next to her.
"You said it."
"But it had a good ending."
"Yeah it did."
Bosco looked over at where Tony was sitting in the back of their RMP. "How many times should we waffle that guy?"
"Oh seven at least." Faith smiled.
"That's what I thought."
"I'll buy you breakfast after we sign out."
"Sounds good to me." Bosco smiled.
(#(#(#(#(#(#(
"Jimmy!" Melanie called when she, Bobby, and the kids, minus R.J., arrived in the crowded ER. "Where is she?"
"The doctor sent her up for some x-rays. She's got a pretty nasty bump on the head courtesy of Tony." He said taking Charlie from Bobbie. "Where's R.J.?"
"My mom's." Bobby said. "She sends her love."
"Speaking of moms, Mel, you should go tell your mom the news. I haven't had a chance to get up there yet."
"No problem. Bobby, you got Abby?"
"Yeah, we're good. Right Abby?"
Abby nodded sleepily.
"I'll be back soon." Melanie said.
"Dad?" Joey said.
"Yeah buddy?"
"Is Mom okay?"
"Yeah, she's gonna be fine."
Bobby was looking around them. "What? Did everyone from the house come down?"
"Pretty much." He caught sight of Mary Proctor waving at him. "I'm gonna go see what she wants." He looked around. "Hey, D.K.?"
"Yeah?" The firefighter stopped as he passed by.
"Can you keep an eye on her till Mel gets back and can help Bobby?"
"Sure." D.K. took the little girl. "Hey there Charlie."
"I'll be back." Jimmy told Bobby.
Jimmy made his way over to Mary. "What's up?"
"Kim's back from CT if you wanna go in and see her."
"Thanks." He went back toward the exam rooms and poked his head in. "Mind if I come in?"
"Not at all Mr. Doherty." The doctor stitching Kim's head up said. "Just about done. Her films should be back soon. Depending on what we see we may want to keep her over night."
Jimmy nodded. "Well I guess it's a chair for a bed for me tonight."
"You don't have to stay." Kim protested.
"Yes I do." Jimmy said with a grin. "Bobby's out in the waiting room with the kids. You want me to go get them?"
"Yeah. Where's Mel?"
"She went up to see your mom."
"How is she?"
"She's fine. Lucky hard heads run in your family, huh?" Jimmy kidded her.
"Haha." Kim grinned.
"Mom!" Joey said excitedly as he came in followed by Bobby and Charlie.
"Hey sweetie." She said accepting a hug from him. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Are you?"
"I'm fine sweetie." Kim smiled. Then she looked at Charlie. "Hey honey. How are you doing?"
"I'm okay Mommy, just tired." She said leaning her head on Bobby's shoulder.
"Can I have a hug or are you too sleepy?"
"Hug." Charlie said firmly. "Let me down Uncle Bobby."
"Yes ma'am." Bobby said and set the little girl down. "We'll see you guys in a few." He left to let the little family have some time together.
^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^
Two weeks later-
"Hi Dad." Joey said as he passed by the TV room of the firehouse.
"Hi Daddy." Charlie called as she followed her brother.
"Hi Uncle Jimmy." Abby said following her cousins. "Where's Daddy?"
"Kitchen. Hi Jimmy." Kim said passing by.
"Hey Jimmy." Melanie called as she walked by carrying R.J.
Jimmy got out of his chair confused. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked as he followed them into the kitchen. "And what are you carrying?"
"Dinner." Kim smiled. "Mel did you remember the peas?"
"Check Joey's bag."
"Doc's in charge of dinner." Jimmy said.
"He's doing the turkey." Melanie said.
"And to give him a break, we're doing everything else. Well except the pies. Ma and Mrs. Caffey are bringing those by."
"Uh, okay. Kim, are you sure you're up to this?"
"I think I proved last night-"
"Children in the room." Bobby said.
"Anyone sleeping?"
"No."
"Upstairs." Kim said as she turned and marched up the stairs. Jimmy followed. She turned when he reached the top of the stairs. "Okay, honey I really appreciate this and everything but I'm fine. I had a concussion, I wasn't broken."
"Kim, I just want to make sure you're okay. That you're not overdoing it. I almost lost you. I think I'm entitled to a little paranoia."
"A little yes but Jimmy, this is taking it to extremes. I start back to work tomorrow, what are you going to do then? Follow me around?"
"Of course not but since you are going back to work-" Jimmy broke off when saw Kim's expression. "I'm not gonna win this one, am I?"
"No." Kim smiled. She took Jimmy's hands in hers. "I am okay. I am alive. I am here and I intend to stay for a very long time. When it comes down to it Doherty, we're going out in a blaze of glory."
"Promise?"
"Oh yeah."
Jimmy looked up when he saw two figures emerge from the building. The other was supporting one. When they came closer he recognized Faith and Kim.
"Thank God." He breathed. He stayed behind police lines, knowing that the Lieu would bite his head off if he got closer.
Doc and Alex quickly approached Kim and Faith and relieved the cop of crutch duty.
"How ya doing Kim?" Alex asked her friend.
"My head is killing me." She groaned.
"We'll see what we can do about that." Doc told her as they got her onto a stretcher. He looked over at Jimmy and motioned for him to come closer. "Someone here to see you," he said to Kim.
"Is he tall, dark, and handsome?" Kim smiled.
"No. Ty's over talking to Sully." Alex kidded.
"Funny Taylor." Jimmy said as he took a spot at Kim's side. He picked Kim's hand up and looked at her. "How ya feeling?"
"I think Melanie's doing Thanksgiving next week." She smiled.
"You guys can come to the house. I think Doc's making it this year." He brushed some of the hair out of her face.
"I wanna see the kids."
"I'll call Bobby and Mel. They'll bring 'em to the hospital."
"You riding with us?" Alex asked.
"Absolutely." He said.
Alex and Doc loaded Kim into the back and then Jimmy climbed in. Faith shut the doors behind them and gave them a knock to let the driver know that they were secure and the rig took off for the hospital.
"Hell of a day." Bosco said as he walked up next to her.
"You said it."
"But it had a good ending."
"Yeah it did."
Bosco looked over at where Tony was sitting in the back of their RMP. "How many times should we waffle that guy?"
"Oh seven at least." Faith smiled.
"That's what I thought."
"I'll buy you breakfast after we sign out."
"Sounds good to me." Bosco smiled.
(#(#(#(#(#(#(
"Jimmy!" Melanie called when she, Bobby, and the kids, minus R.J., arrived in the crowded ER. "Where is she?"
"The doctor sent her up for some x-rays. She's got a pretty nasty bump on the head courtesy of Tony." He said taking Charlie from Bobbie. "Where's R.J.?"
"My mom's." Bobby said. "She sends her love."
"Speaking of moms, Mel, you should go tell your mom the news. I haven't had a chance to get up there yet."
"No problem. Bobby, you got Abby?"
"Yeah, we're good. Right Abby?"
Abby nodded sleepily.
"I'll be back soon." Melanie said.
"Dad?" Joey said.
"Yeah buddy?"
"Is Mom okay?"
"Yeah, she's gonna be fine."
Bobby was looking around them. "What? Did everyone from the house come down?"
"Pretty much." He caught sight of Mary Proctor waving at him. "I'm gonna go see what she wants." He looked around. "Hey, D.K.?"
"Yeah?" The firefighter stopped as he passed by.
"Can you keep an eye on her till Mel gets back and can help Bobby?"
"Sure." D.K. took the little girl. "Hey there Charlie."
"I'll be back." Jimmy told Bobby.
Jimmy made his way over to Mary. "What's up?"
"Kim's back from CT if you wanna go in and see her."
"Thanks." He went back toward the exam rooms and poked his head in. "Mind if I come in?"
"Not at all Mr. Doherty." The doctor stitching Kim's head up said. "Just about done. Her films should be back soon. Depending on what we see we may want to keep her over night."
Jimmy nodded. "Well I guess it's a chair for a bed for me tonight."
"You don't have to stay." Kim protested.
"Yes I do." Jimmy said with a grin. "Bobby's out in the waiting room with the kids. You want me to go get them?"
"Yeah. Where's Mel?"
"She went up to see your mom."
"How is she?"
"She's fine. Lucky hard heads run in your family, huh?" Jimmy kidded her.
"Haha." Kim grinned.
"Mom!" Joey said excitedly as he came in followed by Bobby and Charlie.
"Hey sweetie." She said accepting a hug from him. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Are you?"
"I'm fine sweetie." Kim smiled. Then she looked at Charlie. "Hey honey. How are you doing?"
"I'm okay Mommy, just tired." She said leaning her head on Bobby's shoulder.
"Can I have a hug or are you too sleepy?"
"Hug." Charlie said firmly. "Let me down Uncle Bobby."
"Yes ma'am." Bobby said and set the little girl down. "We'll see you guys in a few." He left to let the little family have some time together.
^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^
Two weeks later-
"Hi Dad." Joey said as he passed by the TV room of the firehouse.
"Hi Daddy." Charlie called as she followed her brother.
"Hi Uncle Jimmy." Abby said following her cousins. "Where's Daddy?"
"Kitchen. Hi Jimmy." Kim said passing by.
"Hey Jimmy." Melanie called as she walked by carrying R.J.
Jimmy got out of his chair confused. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked as he followed them into the kitchen. "And what are you carrying?"
"Dinner." Kim smiled. "Mel did you remember the peas?"
"Check Joey's bag."
"Doc's in charge of dinner." Jimmy said.
"He's doing the turkey." Melanie said.
"And to give him a break, we're doing everything else. Well except the pies. Ma and Mrs. Caffey are bringing those by."
"Uh, okay. Kim, are you sure you're up to this?"
"I think I proved last night-"
"Children in the room." Bobby said.
"Anyone sleeping?"
"No."
"Upstairs." Kim said as she turned and marched up the stairs. Jimmy followed. She turned when he reached the top of the stairs. "Okay, honey I really appreciate this and everything but I'm fine. I had a concussion, I wasn't broken."
"Kim, I just want to make sure you're okay. That you're not overdoing it. I almost lost you. I think I'm entitled to a little paranoia."
"A little yes but Jimmy, this is taking it to extremes. I start back to work tomorrow, what are you going to do then? Follow me around?"
"Of course not but since you are going back to work-" Jimmy broke off when saw Kim's expression. "I'm not gonna win this one, am I?"
"No." Kim smiled. She took Jimmy's hands in hers. "I am okay. I am alive. I am here and I intend to stay for a very long time. When it comes down to it Doherty, we're going out in a blaze of glory."
"Promise?"
"Oh yeah."