Jim looked up at the neon numbers at the elevator stopped. Third floor. For a minute he seemed more nervous to get off the elevator now than he had this morning when he first arrived. The doors slid open and Jim shuffled out. He was now strangely aware of his appearance. While clothes and hair weren’t normally things he put a lot of energy into, there was just something about mismatched shoes, faded pajamas and really bad bed head that made him self-conscious. He walked slowly down the hallway towards Pam’s room. As he rounded the corner he stopped short.

Pam’s parents and brother were all standing with their backs towards him talking to a man whose face Jim couldn’t see clearly. As he approached, Rick shifted to the side and Jim had a plain view of the man.

It was Roy. He had one hand shoved in his pocket and the other was hanging loosely by his side. Jim could see a couple of cuts on his face, but they didn’t look half as bad as the cuts that Pam had received from the accident. Richard was talking quietly. Roy had his eyes glued to the floor. Even though he couldn’t hear it Jim could tell that the conversation was not a pleasant one. Jenn had her arms wrapped around her sides and he could hear her sniffling. Rick had his hands in his pockets and he looked very tense.

Jim didn’t know if he should approach them or turn around and go back to the elevator. While he was trying to make up his mind Rick turned around and saw him. “Hey Jim.” Rick said softly. Roy’s eyes darted upwards to make contact with Jim’s. Normally Jim avoided Roy. There was something about his muscular build and the look of constant edginess on his face that made him the last person Jim would want to seek out. Jim could see immediately that Roy had a problem with him being there. His hand had come out of his pocket and he kept balling it into a fist. “Is he seriously going to try and fight me now? Here? While she’s in there like this?” Jim thought has he walked forward. Somehow though, now, he didn’t care about Roy. He didn’t care that Roy could probably pummel him into the ground. He didn’t care about the look of anger that flashed across Roy’s face. He just didn’t care about any of it anymore.

“Hey.” he said to Rick as he came to a stop beside Pam’s mom. Jenn looked at her and he was concerned at the tears that were slowly falling from her eyes. “Is everything okay?”

“No change.” Richard whispered. “She’s the same”.

“Halpert….” The low sound of Roy growling his name made Jim look up at him.

“Roy….” he said looking Roy square in the eyes.

Jim could see his muscles tensing up. “What the hell are you doing here?” Roy asked.

Before Jim could answer, Jenn stepped in. “Jim is here because he cares about Pam. He is here because that is what Pam needs.”

“Always have to be the hero…don’t you Halpert?” Roy said taking a step towards him.

“Lay off Roy…” Rick interjected.

Jim felt a surge of anger deep inside of him. Pam was in the hospital…in a coma…because of an accident she was in…with Roy and all Roy seemed to care about was the fact that Jim was here and how that in some way diminished his manhood.

“It’s your fault.” Roy continued. “It’s your fault this happened….that she’s in there. It’s all your fault.”

“Oh really?” Jim asked. “How is this my fault?” He wanted to add “I wasn’t driving the car”, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want add anymore to the situation.

“You just had to tell her. You just had to tell her about your stupid crush. You just couldn’t go and find someone else. You had to have her. I always knew it was something. Even though she tried to tell me it wasn‘t. She always tried to play it off, but I knew there was something there.” Jim thought that Roy was giving himself too much credit. He didn’t know anything about Pam. She was a thing to him…not a person and Jim couldn’t believe that Roy actually paid enough attention to her to know about any of her feelings. He could see the anger rising in Roy. He balled his fist together more furiously and his face was turning red.

Jim knew that this was going too far. He watched Roy move closer and closer to him, raising his arm and began to brace himself for a punch. When Roy was about a foot from Jim, Richard suddenly stepped between them.

“Get out of here Roy.” he said calmly. His words made Roy stop dead in his tracks.

“What?” Roy asked.

“Get out of here. Leave…go home. She doesn’t need you here…doing this. She doesn‘t need you doing this to her anymore.” Jim was surprised at how calm and even Richard’s tone was despite the fact that Roy was twice his size. Roy looked crestfallen. He dropped his arm weekly to his side and took a step back. “Richard….Jenn….” he faltered.

“Go Roy. She will be fine.” Jenn looked at Jim. “Now, she will be just fine.”

Roy’s shoulders slumped and Jim couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him. 10 years of his life was gone just like that. Roy cast one more pitiful glance at the Beesly’s, but didn’t dare to look at Jim.

“Tell her I’m sorry. I am so sorry.” he muttered and with that he turned and walked away without looking back.

Jim let out a sigh of relief and was a little embarrassed by the knowing smile that Rick cast his way. Richard and Jenn turned and walked into Pam’s room. “You coming?” Rick asked. “Yeah…of course.” Jim said and followed him in.

The sun was shining through the window and creating a soft glow on Pam’s face. “She looks like she has some color.” Jenn said sitting in the chair by the bed. Richard and Rick both slumped onto the matching couch that was in the room. Jim took the other arm chair. “You must be exhausted Jim.” Richard said turning to look at him. “I’m sure we all are.” Jim said. “Jenn…maybe we should go to Pam’s…shower…maybe take a quick nap…eat some real food.” Richard whispered softly to his wife. “We can’t leave her here by herself.” Jenn responded. “I’ll stay mom.“ Rick said standing up and putting his hand gently on Jenn’s shoulder. “You guys go over to the apartment. Change…eat…and then come back. I’ll call you immediately if anything changes.”

Jenn seemed unsure about the thought of leaving Pam, but she finally agreed.

“What about you Jim? You want to take a little break?” Richard asked, standing and taking his wife’s hand.

Jim looked down at his rumpled clothes. “Well despite how nicely I dressed up…I am sure you all would appreciate it if I took a shower.”

Jenn and Richard both laughed. “Well now that you mention it…..”

Jim grinned at them. “Can you please call me if anything changes?” Jim asked Rick.

“Of course….what yours number?” Rick quickly programmed Jim’s number into his phone.

“I’ll be back soon.” he said. “Thanks Jim,” Jenn said stepping forward to give him a hug. “It really means a lot that you’re here.”

“Do you need me to get anything?” Jim asked.

“Naw…we should be okay. Thanks. We’ll see you back here in a couple of hours.” Jenn gave Rick a hug and then followed Richard from the room.

“I’ll see you later.” Jim said to Rick as he headed towards the door.

“Yeah….definitely. Hey Jim?” Jim stopped and turned around. “She’s going to be okay. I just know it.” Rick smiled at Jim and then sat down in the chair next to his sister’s bed.

“Yeah…she will.” Jim said and walked out of the room.

As Jim was walking down the hall to the elevator he heard someone call out his name. He turned to find Jon rushing towards him. “Hey!” Jon called out. “Any news?”

“No…nothing new.” Jim said giving his brother a quick hug. “her brother is with her now. Her parents left to go change and I was thinking I should go do the same.”

Jon looked at his brothers scruffy face and wrinkled clothes. “Probably a good idea. You don’t want her to see you like this! Come on…I’ll drive you home.”

Jim followed Jon out to the parking lot. He half expected Roy to be out there waiting for him, but he wasn’t. Jim climbed into Jon’s car and closed his eyes as he rested his head back against the seat.