The Nephew

The Office

Chapter thirty-three

A/n: Ah, here we are—the final chapter! I want to thank everyone for their kind reviews (the most I've had on a story to date). Thanks for sticking with this story and I! Much appreciated. Enjoy.

"To lose a brother is to lose someone with whom you can share the experience of growing old, who is supposed to bring you a sister-in-law and nieces and nephews, creatures who people the tree of your life and give it new branches. To lose your father is to lose the one whose guidance and help you seek, who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches. To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you. It is like losing—I'm sorry, I would rather not go on"

- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

The day had finally come. The first game of the season for Elijah Halpert's Little League team. Everyone was coming. Everyone was there. Except, of course, Jim.

"We're going to be late." Jim groaned. The game started in less than five minutes. He kept nervously checking his watch.

"We'll be fine, Jim, we'll just slip in. No one will notice." Pam reassured him. Unconvinced, Jim checked his watch again.

"Everyone's probably there already." He muttered.

"I assure you Jim, you're not missing much." Pam laughed. Jim muttered something unintelligent as he flipped on his turn signal and headed into the parking lot, which was nothing but grass and a few high schoolers pointing the way.

For some reason, Pam felt a certain sense of dread wash over her as Jim put the car in park and eagerly hopped out.

"Whoa." Jim whispered, standing stark still. Pam heard the whirling sound of the ambulance and slowly got out of the car. Jim's towering height could see over the cars in the way, but the ambulance turned into the dirt-woven grass and stopped.

"Did somebody get hurt?" Pam asked, touching Jim's arm lightly. He shook his head in confusion, stepping forward slightly to get a look at the people surrounding the ambulance. His vision was blocked, however, when a police car rushed into view, lights blazing.

"Is that your mother?" Pam asked, squinting.

"What?"

"Talking to the EMT. Is that her?" Pam reiterated. Jim followed her gaze. Indeed his mother, looking harried, was talking quickly to the EMT, who was trying to attend to someone on the stretcher. Meanwhile, Pam noticed two policemen running out of the car and heading onto the field.

Ring.

"That's you." Jim said without glancing at Pam. Frowning, Pam glanced at her phone, which was silent.

"No," she shook her head. "That's your phone."

Ring.

"Oh." Jim took his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open without glancing at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"It's Pete. Listen, I don't know where you are but Elijah's been hurt."

"What?" Jim started walking very fast, and it was hard for Pam to keep up with his lanky legs. "What are you talking-?"

"It was him, Jim. It was that bastard Garrett." Pete was speaking as fast as Jim was walking. The ambulance was leaving. Cursing, Jim almost ran after it.

"Garrett?" Jim repeated dumbly.

"Yes!" Pete said. "The whole time. The whole damn time, Jim! Do you believe me now?"

Jim spotted Tom, Isabella, and his parents. His father looked livid.

"Oh my gosh," Jim whispered. Pam had caught up with him, and she was beginning to put the pieces together. She put her hand over her mouth in shock.

Tom spotted them. Larissa and Daniel came into view. Vanessa was hiding behind her grandmother. Jim had never seen Tom look so guilty in his life.

It took Jim a few moments to realize that Pete had hung up on him, and that the Halperts had disappeared and followed the ambulance. He watched in a daze as the police took Coach Garrett and handcuffed him, pushing him into their car. It was not until Pam tugged on his arm and took the car keys from him that he agreed to head to the hospital.

"Pam!" Isabella Halpert had spotted Pam first when they arrived at the hospital, and ran over to her, giving her a hug. "I'm so glad you're here."

"What the hell happened?" Jim walked past his girlfriend and sister-in-law in shock, staring at his father. Gerald was, for once, speechless.

"Larissa walked in on Coach Garrett hitting Elijah with a baseball bat before the game started." Daniel explained with a cringe. He was beyond tense, his shoulders squared. The Halperts filled the ER waiting room, all standing, except for Tom, who had his head in his hands.

Jim's shoulders slumped. "Oh my gosh."

"I called 9-1-1, and then I called Pete." Larissa explained. "Dan kept Garrett where he was until the police came."

"Wh-where are they?" Jim asked. "Pete and Elijah?"

"They're in the hospital room." Jim's mother explained. "He won't let anyone in."

"Apparently, Eli wasn't the only one to get hurt." Isabella said, and everyone turned to where Pam and Isabella stood together. "Eli was just the only one to be hurt…bad enough to get noticed."

"How is he?" Pam asked.

"We don't know yet." Gerald shrugged helplessly.

At that moment, Pete Halpert entered the waiting room to greet his family. Tom stood up immediately, his face drained of color.

"Pete-" Tom walked up to Pete, who walked past him evenly. "Pete." Tom tried again, grabbing his arm and stopping him. "Please listen to me. I…I don't know what to say, man." Tom rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm so sorry. I am. I'm so sorry." He apologized profusely. "I just…I care about the little guy. I didn't want anything bad to happen to him."

Pete nodded and turned to his parents. "He's going to be fine." Pete cleared his throat. "He's awake, and, uh, he's just really drowsy, so, I think we should let him be alone." He then turned towards his sister, who gave him a forced smile.

"Thank you, Ris." Pete said, kissing her on the cheek. He nodded at Dan. "Thank you, too."

"Of course." Daniel nodded, his hands behind his back.

"Jim," Pete glanced at his youngest sibling. "Don't look so sad. Eli's going to be fine."

"Pete…" Jim was almost as pale as Tom. "I...if I had known I-"

"I would never hurt my own son, Jim." Pete whispered. "I hope you know that, now. I would never do that."

"I'm so sorry, Pete. I thought-"

"He's the only bit of Julia I have left, you know?" Pete continued. He patted his brother on the back.

"Pete-"

"It's okay, Jim." Pete nodded. "It's okay."

"No, no, it's not. I-" Jim was stopped by Pam's gentle hand on his back. He leaned into her touch, shutting his mouth. Pete nodded at Pam.

"I better head back." Pete said. "He'll want to see his uncle."

"Of course." Jim nodded vigorously. "Of course."

Pete smiled again and turned around, heading back to the room. He stopped, however, right before he reached the hallway. With a swift movement, he pulled Tom into a crushing embrace. Tom was shaking so horribly he hardly bring himself to wrap his arms around his brother, so he stood limply as Pete hugged him. When Pete pulled back, Tom's eyes were wet. He wiped his eyes quickly, clearing his throat.

"Too proud to say sorry, huh?" Pete asked.

"No." Tom let out a half-sob, and then recollected himself. "No, I'm sorry, Pete. I was such an idiot."

"Yeah, you were." Pete agreed, glancing over at Isabella. "You know, you're lucky to have Isabella, you know that? You're one lucky bastard."

Tom nodded, wiping his eyes again. "I know. I know."

"Maybe someday you two will have a family of your own-" (more muffled tears from Tom) "-and then you'll understand. Trust me." Pete patted his brother on the back once more, and then headed back towards his son's room. The Halperts watched him as he walked away. As Isabella slowly came to embrace her husband, Jim placed his arm around Pam. Pam glanced up at him.

"Thanks." Jim whispered to her.

"For what?" Pam asked.

"For being here with me." Jim kissed the top of her head. "I'm just as lucky as Tom, aren't I?"

"Luckier, I think." Pam muttered, and then glanced up at Jim with a wicked grin. Jim pulled her into a hug. Yes, he was the luckiest man on the planet.