Deviating from the Norm (A "Freaks and Geeks" Fanfic)

Chapter 32 - and thin... (Part 2)

About a half-hour after we talked, Kim appeared in front of the doorway to my mother's hospital room, knocking softly on the metal frame.

"Hi," she said, somewhat sheepishly. A pained look overcame her face as I watched her eyes quickly flicker from my mother to the floor.

I stood up and went to meet her, catching my father quickly throw a glance upward, murmuring a 'hello' before turning back to the piece of paper he had been scribbling questions on just beforehand. There was a lot going on and a lot we wanted to know. He wanted to be prepared with all the problems he could think of when the hospitalist did drop by. Even though there was little chance that the aspirin overdose could have caused liver damage or even acute failure in my mother (mainly because of how quickly it was dealt with), it still brought about a whole slew of other concerns we needed to tackle.

"Hi," I quietly returned her greeting, embracing her in a hug.

"You okay?" She squeezed me tightly.

"Been better," I sighed, actually feeling more at ease with her there and holding me.

"Stupid question, huh?"

I felt her shift against me and turn her head towards the wall. I could only assume she was trying to avert her gaze from my mother once again, and I couldn't really blame her. I didn't doubt that I would be the epitome of uncomfortable if I were in her shoes.

"Do you wanna go out to the waiting area? I don't think there is anyone else out there and I could use a break from being in here."

She nodded against me, loosening her hold just slightly.

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Kim heaved a heavy sigh as we sat down. "I'm sorry. I probably seem like a huge bitch not wanting to be in there with your mom, but-"

"No, you don't seem like a bitch at all," I interrupted, knowing her reasons before she even needed to state them. "It's hard to see. Period. Believe me, I thought I had seen her at her worst times before this, but now..."

Kim wrapped her hand around mine. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, alright Donovan? I mean, she's in the hospital, so they're gonna help her."

I nodded, still feeling hopeless... and suddenly very tired.

"God, you look exhausted. Have you slept? Or even eaten?"

"Slept a little in those hard-ass chairs. I guess I forgot to eat, though."

She let out a huff of discontent and stood up, still holding my hand in hers and yanking me up alongside her. "There's a cafeteria down on the first floor. Come on, we're getting you something to eat."

I began to shake my head in protest, but Kim just pulled me behind her without giving me a proper chance to decline.

The whole thing kind of reminded me of the night Daniel turned into a punker for Jenna and left Kim all by her lonesome. It wasn't our first hookup that I was thinking about, but just being there for her when she needed someone... just as she was for me in my time of need. I loved my father dearly, but there was simply something about the situation that he couldn't make me feel at ease about, but Kim's presence did.

We made our way to the lunchroom and I was not very surprised that the food offered was only marginally better than the junk we were used to being served at school on a daily basis. The only saving grace in the selection of unappetizing slop was a Monte Cristo sandwich and French fries combo. Odd, but workable and thankfully we could have the food charged to the overall bill for my mother's stay since we somehow forgot we had spent the last little bit of our collective money on pizza not too long ago.