She was reminded of when her uncle was in the hospital after his stroke. How everyone had acted around her aunt as she sat in the waiting room. That was when it hit her. These people were here for her as much as for Jim. They were treating her like Jim's wife. She leaned her head into Kelly's shoulder. She had been so worried about letting people in the office know she had feelings for Jim. And they already knew. Granted, her display when the ambulance arrived hadn't been subtle. "Oh well," she thought, "If Jim's alright I might as well..." If Jim was alright. That brought another wave of tears.

When Pam finally recovered, she looked saw Michael. He was sitting apart from the others, looking miserable. Pam knew she would have to apologize for yelling at him. Her boss was so easily wounded. She took a deep breath and walked to him.

"Hey."

"Hi," Michael replied.

"I'm really sorry I shouted at you," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Michael managed a smile. "I'm sorry too, I..."

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's just, it seemed like everyone else knew about this and I never did."

"We thought it was over," Michael said. "I mean as far as we knew there was the one time when he was in college and again right after he started work. He told us everything was fine."

"What happened?" she asked.

"It's a heart thing; an irregular heartbeat, or something. That's why he had to stop playing college ball."

"So, he was good," Pam said, piecing things together.

"Are you kidding?" Michael asked. "He was all-state in high school. He wasn't recruited that heavily, I think he was a late bloomer or something, so he went to junior college. They wanted him to go to Temple; full scholarship. Then he passed out in the middle of a game during his freshman year."

A buzz of activity caused Pam to turn around. Another person had entered the waiting room. She was a tall older woman with eyes like Jim's.

Michael got up and walked over to greet her. "I'm so sorry Larissa," he said.

"I got a call from an Andy at your office," Larissa Halpert said to Michael. "You're looking well," she managed. Pam's coworkers were all coming up to greet Jim's mom.

"So are you," Michael replied. "I've tried to get some information from the nurses, but they won't say anything. I told them I was Jim's best friend but they just walked away." Pam could tell he was about to start pouting again.

Larissa scanned the crowd and called out, "Hello Dwight."

"Hello Mrs. Halpert," Dwight answered extending his hand.

She shook his hand and said, "Dwight, I'd like for you to do me a favor, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Dwight said.

"Could you please go to the nurses' station and tell them that Jim Halpert's mother, the person with his power of attorney, is in the waiting room and that you are her representative. Say that she would like an update of her son's condition at their earliest convenience."

In spite of the situation, Dwight smiled. "It would be a pleasure," he said before marching into battle.

Larissa allowed herself a small smile. "That should take care of things, Michael," she replied. She turned her head to the right and asked, "Stanley, it's good to see you. How is your oldest daughter doing?"

"She's fourteen and spoiled rotten, Larissa. I guess it's hard not to indulge them at that age."

"You're probably right," Larissa agreed. She greeted Angela, Kevin, and Phyllis before turning to the receptionist. "You must be Pam."

"Yes, Mrs. Halpert," Pam said nervously.

"Larissa, please. Jim has told me so much about you, I feel I know you already." She turned to the assembled coworkers and said. "If you'll excuse me for a minute, I think I'd like to visit the chapel for a moment. Pam, will you come with me?"

Pam nodded and followed Jim's mom. They walked to the hospital chapel and sat in the empty room.

"You've been here before?" Pam asked.

"This is the third time I've been here for Jim," she replied. "I was here once when my husband passed away. It has an uncomfortable familiarity." She shook her head and laughed bitterly.

Pam was fidgeting. "I...I'm really sorry about everything."

"What do you mean, child?" Larissa asked.

"I don't know how much Jim has told you about..."

"Jim and I are extremely close, and you have nothing to apologize for."

"It's just that he left, then he came back and he was so skinny, and he wouldn't have pushed himself playing basketball if it wasn't for me and...'

Larissa raised her hand. "Please, take a breath before you pass out." She took a deep breath and looked at the receptionist. "How much do you know about Jim's condition?"

"I didn't know anything about it before today."

"That sounds like my son. He always had so much trouble dealing with it. When he had to quit the basketball team, it was like he just wanted to start over again. He dropped out, got a job at Dunder Mifflin, and that was supposed to cure everything. He never took his medication. After the second time I was here, the doctor said that if he didn't start taking his health seriously, he was going to be dead in six months. I needed a miracle."

"What happened?" Pam asked.

"Two weeks after he was released from the hospital, I called him and he spent the next hour talking about the new receptionist Michael had hired. It was the first time I'd heard him laugh in a year. Something about you, Dwight, and an accusation of murder."

Pam smiled at the memory.

"I believe that you gave my son something to look forward to; a reason to try to get better. The next time he had a physical, the doctor said he was taking his medication and his EKG was nearly normal." The older woman was starting to cry. "Whatever happens, you gave me another three years with my little boy and I can never repay you for that."

Michael, Dwight, and a doctor appeared at the Chapel door. "Mrs. Halpert, I'd like to talk to you about your son's condition," the doctor said.

Larissa took Pam's hand as she got up. "We can do this," she whispered to Pam.