“Do you want me to come hang out for awhile?” Jon asked as he pulled up in front of the hospital.

“No…that’s okay. I’ll just be sitting around. You’ve done enough already. Thanks for coming man.” Jim said as he started to get out of the car.

“Thanks….I will. See ya.” Jim shut the door and waved as Jon drove off. He checked to see that the card was stuck inside the flowers and made his way into the hospital. He took the elevator up to the third floor and started down the corridor to Pam’s room. He didn’t see Jenn or Richard, so he quietly knocked on the door. Richard opened it.

Jim walked into the room and saw Rick sleeping on the couch and Jenn reading a magazine in the chair beside Pam’s bed.

“Any change?” Jim asked.

“Not really,” Richard replied. “But, the doctor says that her vitals are a bit stronger so that’s a good sign.”

“Jim! Those flowers are beautiful!” Jenn said rising to give Jim a hug.

“Thanks…hope she‘ll like them.” Jim set the vase of flowers down on the table by Pam’s bed. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the gold medal. He carefully placed it around the vase. He couldn’t tell if Richard or Jenn noticed, but if they did they didn’t say anything. They just seemed to know that it was something that was important.

Rick sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Hey Jim. When did you get back?”

“Well we had our turn to rest.” Jenn said going to sit by Rick on the couch. She motioned for Jim to take the seat next to Pam’s bed. “Why don’t you run over to Pam’s and take a nap. Your probably jetlagged after your flight.”

“Yeah…maybe I will. Call me with anything though.” Rick stood up and stretched.

Jim waved as Rick walked out of the room. Then he turned his attention to Pam. In the daylight he could see the cuts and bruises on her face more clearly. He reached out and gently touched her cheek. “Hey…” he whispered softly.

Jenn watched Jim intently. It was amazing to her that even though they had just made Jim earlier that day she could already tell that he was more suited for her daughter than Roy had ever been. She leaned close to Richard and whispered, “Let’s give them a while.” Richard nodded. “Hey Jim, do you mind staying here while we run down and grab some coffee?”

Jenn patted Jim on the shoulder and then followed Richard out of the room.

When he heard the door close he moved the chair a little bit closer to Pam. He took her hand in his and held it gently. “I brought you something.” he said. “I know the card is a little corny, but romantic lines have never been a strong point of mine.” Tears began to well up in his eyes and he looked down at her beautiful face. He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against it. “Come on Pam….you have to come back. I need you. I am so sorry. I am sorry for everything.” He moved the chair even closer so that he could touch her hair. He began to stroke it softly. He couldn’t cry right now. He just wanted to talk to her. “Did I ever tell you about sending Dwight faxes from future Dwight? Or about the time that I put Andy’s stapler in Jell-O. Man…that guy can not take a joke. He flipped out!! Just like he did when he went all Rocky during Oscar’s welcome back party…which by the way had to be one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.” Jim was so engrossed in talking to Pam that he didn’t hear the door open. He stopped talking when he heard a light tapping. He turned around to find Karen standing in the doorway.

“Hey…” she said softly.

“Hey…” Jim carefully let go of Pam’s hand and stood up. “What are you….”, but before he could finish Karen held up a hand to stop him. “I just came to see if you were okay.” She cast a glance over his shoulder at Pam. “Jim….I understand now. I understand why you have to be here. I understand why there was always a part of you that you couldn’t share with me. It’s her. It’s always been her.

“Karen…I am so sorry.”

Karen smiled weakly, “It’s okay Jim. Really. I couldn’t understand it before…but now…seeing you with her…like this. I understand and it’s okay. I‘m okay.”

Karen stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I hope she’ll be good to you.”

She took a step back and smiled at him again. “Good bye Halpert.”

“Goodbye Karen.” And just like that she was gone. Jim knew at that moment that he would always be grateful to Karen. He would always appreciate the things that she taught him, but most of all he would appreciate the fact that she let him go. He couldn’t quite put into words what he felt for Karen right then. He just knew he was grateful.

Jim quietly shut the door and returned to the seat by Pam. He took her hand in his and leaned over and softly kissed her head. “I love you Pam.” He started talking to her about all the memories they shared together. He talked about pranks on Dwight and yearbook photos. He talked about Flonkerton and alliances and how funny the frustrated look on her face was when she had tried to help him move Dwight‘s desk into the men‘s room. He laughed out loud at some of the memories, remembering how her whole face would light up when she laughed. Then he just sat with her in silence. He just held onto her hand never wanting to let go.

It was a good hour or so before Jenn and Richard returned. The time passed by slowly as they kept watch by Pam’s bedside. They talked and laughed as they shared stories of Pam. Jim told them about putting Dwight’s resume on Monster.com and about how Pam had done a Darth Vader impression over the intercom at the grocery store. Jim listened intently as Jenn and Richard told stories from Pam’s childhood, feeling as though he was able to finally catch a glimpse of what made her into the girl he fell in love with. Jenn couldn’t help, but stare at Jim while they were talking. She noticed the smile that was in his eyes when he spoke of Pam. She loved the way that Jim tenderly held her daughter’s hand and hoped that perhaps in some way Pam could feel that he was there.

It was about 4:00 when Rick returned to the hospital.

“I brought food!” he said setting down a box of pizza and a 6-pack of coke on the table. As Richard opened the pizza box Jim’s cell phone began to ring.

“Excuse me for a minute.” he said as he quickly stepped out of the room.

“Hello?” he answered as he walked down the hall. At the end of the hall
was a set of double doors. Through the doors was a small rooftop garden. Jim walked to the closest bench and sat down.

“Jim…it’s Phyllis.” the voice on the other end of the phone began.

“Hey Phyllis. How are you?”

“Good….just calling to check on Pam.”

“Oh yeah…well nothing’s really changed. They did say that her vitals were a little better so that was reassuring I guess.” Jim said dryly, a lump catching in his throat.

“Think positively Jim. She’ll come out. She’ll be okay.”

Jim wished that he could have Phyllis’s optimism. “Yeah….I hope so. I’ll call you if anything changes.”

“Please do. We wanted to stop by with some flowers. Do you think that would be okay?”

“I’m sure it would be fine. Let me check with Pam’s parents and I will call you back.”

“That’d be great. Thanks. Oh and Jim….it will be okay.”

“Thanks Phyllis. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” Jim hung up the phone and looked around the garden. It was beautiful. There were trees and flowers everywhere. There was even a little stream that ran beside the pathway that crossed back and forth across the garden. Out in the distance he could see the tops of buildings dotting the horizon. Pam would love this, the thought to himself. As much as he tried to push them away, tears began to fill his eyes. He rested his forearms on his knees and dropped his head down. Running his fingers through his hair he was struck with the sudden realization of what it would mean if she didn’t wake up. He couldn’t bear the thought of what he would do without her. He felt the tears begin to stream down his cheeks. His heart was throbbing in his chest and he felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. “I can’t think like this….this isn’t helping.” he tried to tell himself. “This is ridiculous….she’s going to be fine.”

“Jim?” a voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

He quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked up to find Rick standing in front of him.

“Hey…sorry I was just….” Jim faltered when he noticed the paled look on Rick’s face. He quickly rose to his feet. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“No Jim…it’s fine.” Rick said with a smile. “It’s just….she’s awake.”