Chapter Thirteen

“Why isn’t she calling an ambulance?” Richie asked when they were in the elevator.

Kim sighed. “Because Jason is extremely and I mean… extremely …afraid of hospitals.” She started to explain.

“He was four when his dad died in hospital. He was there with us. Fran wanted her husband see him again. It’s not that he was in the room when Michael passed away. But he remembers being in a hospital, seeing his dad and then his dad was dead.”

Jon and Richie swallowed hard. “He wasn’t able to make the connection that his dad was in the hospital to get help. We tried to explain it to him and I’m sure today he understands, but nevertheless he’s still extremely afraid of hospitals. He goes crazy …really crazy when he is in one. We tried it, it’s not working.”

Kim sighed again trying to push the pictures away from that horrible day in the hospital that would always come back when she was talking about Michael’s death. She’d never seen her best friend so devastated.

“So, for now he and I made a deal.” She continued. “When he gets hurt, I’m coming and when I’m able to help him without taking him to the hospital I will do it. If he needs to go to the hospital I will not leave his side.”

“Sounds like a good deal.” Jon said watching her carefully. He sure saw the emotions in her eyes. Kim nodded and finally the elevator doors opened.

“Come on, move it.” She said and sprinted out of the building. Jon and Richie watched her stunned for a second, then followed her.

Surprised they realized she was running down the street. They hurried to catch up with her, which wasn’t an easy task with all the people walking around and the heavy suitcases in their hands.

Jon, who was running a couple meters in front of Richie, could hear Kim Shouting: “Excuse me…excuse me…” Every time she was coming close to a pedestrian.

Richie suddenly showed up next to him, gasping strongly. He really needed to get in shape again. “Do…you…have…any …idea…where…Fran…lives?” he asked.

“No.” Jon answered and rushed to follow Kim around a corner. He was glad about his work out right now and wondered how she could run like that in those high heels she was wearing. Training, he guessed.

Suddenly Kim stopped and walked up to the door of a four story apartment building. She turned around and waved them to hurry up.

Breathless the to men followed her into the building and especially Richie was glad when Kim didn’t walked upstairs, but turned to enter one of the apartments on the street level.

“Fran...it’s me!” She knocked at the door loudly. A few seconds later the door was ripped open by an obviously very scared Fran.

“Oh, Kim…there’s all this blood…my little baby. He’s everything I still have…” Fran sobbed loudly.

“I know Fran…where is he? In his room?” Kim hugged her best friend shortly and crossed the small living room with big steps, when Fran indicated where Jason was.

She had to check on him first. When he was fine, Fran would calm down on her own, but right now she was not the well trained nurse she was working with in the hospital everyday, right now she was an extremely worried mother.

“Hi Jason…what happened, buddy?” Kim asked in a light tone when she entered his room and saw him lying on the floor with a big towel under his head. Blood was visible on the floor and the distance he was laying to his loft bed gave her a rather good idea what happened.

“Hi, Auntie Kim.” The boy said with a smile on his face. He wasn’t really worried it seemed. “I…uhm…jumped.” He added hesitant.

Kim gave him a stern look. “I thought we had the deal you stop jumping around up there.” She pointed up to his bed.

“Yeah…I know…I forgot…” he said contrite. “But I’m fine!” Jon had to grin. Jason sounded a lot like Jake.

“Fine!” Fran said with a trembling voice. “Jason, you…” she stopped when Kim glared at her.

Kim shook her head in disbelieve. “Well, I think from now on you will remember, right?”

“Yep!” the boy answered grinning, but turned serious when he saw his sniffing and upset mother.

“Ok, let’s see how huge the damage is.” Kim said and put on some disposable gloves. Carefully she examined Jason and checked for broken bones or internal bleedings. But except of a laceration on the back of his head he was fine.

“How in hell did you hit the back of your head?” Kim wondered while she checked him for symptoms of a concussion by flashing him with a light.

“Back flip…” Jason mumbled. Kim put the flashlight down and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah, I know stupid idea…” he said. Richie needed to cough to cover his laughter. That little boy was great. Jon shot him a warning glance, but couldn’t hide his grin either.

“Was he unconscious, Fran?” Kim asked her still shaking friend.

“No, but he didn’t cry either.”

“Mom, I’m seven!” Jason protested. Kim nearly laughed out loud.

“Yeah, you are The man….” Kim said and ruffled his hair. “Ok, I have to suture the laceration…” Jason gulped.

“With a needle?”

“Yes, buddy.” Kim said and looked at him apologetic. He grimaced.

“Do you really think we shouldn’t take him to the hospital…?” Fran started and made Jason sit up immediately.

“NO!” he screamed in panic. Kim hurried to press the towel to the back of his head.

“It’s really not necessary, Fran. I can take care of it here.” Kim said calmly. But her friend started to protest again.

“Fran, stop!” Kim said and got up from the floor. “Jon, could you please continue to press the towel to Jason’s head?”

“Sure.” Jon said and winked at the boy. Jason smiled.

“Fran come with me…” Kim pulled her gently out of Jason’s room. “Fran, I know you are scared, but he’s fine….” her best friend tried to interrupt her, but she didn’t let her have it.

“Listen, you know very well, I would take him to the hospital immediately, if it would be necessary. Just because he’s afraid of going there, wouldn’t make me risked his health or his life. And you know that head wounds always look more dramatic than they really are.” Kim said in a calm, but demanding voice.

“I know he’s your last connection to Michael…”she continued softer and pulled Fran into her arms when tears started to shine in her best friends eyes again. “…I know you are scared to loss him, but that will not happen…I will not let it happen. Ok?” she searched Fran’s eyes.

“Ok.” The other woman nodded.

“Good. I want you to sit down in the living room and wait until I’m finished.”

“But…” Fran started, but stopped when she saw the look on her friends face.

“Ok.”

“Good...maybe Richie can bear you some company.” Kim said and looked at the guitar player standing in the doorframe watching the interaction between the friends. You could see how close they were and he could totally understand Fran’s panic. He would go crazy when Ava gets hurt.

“Richie?” Fran asked confused.

“Hi darling.” Rich said softly and stepped closer.

“Oh, my God.” Fran whispered. She hadn’t realized at all that Jon and Richie were in her apartment. She was focused that much on Jason.

Kim smiled and indicated Richie to sit down with Fran on the couch.