“Dunder-Mifflin this is Pam,” Jim glanced up at her voice and watched her for a few moments. Pam soon realized that Jim was looking at her and smiled slightly.
Jim smiled back quickly and turned back to his computer, lightly tugging on his collar. He felt like he had caught a nasty cold and the horrible feverish feeling left him shivering. The younger man coughed harshly and got a disgusted look from Dwight and a concerned look from Phyllis.
Standing slowly, he made his way to the kitchen and only allowed his body to sag with exhaustion when the door closed. Jim made himself a cup of tea, hoping it would help his cold.
Suddenly, searing pain flashed through his chest and the mug fell to the ground, shattering. Jim gripped the counter and gasped. A painfully sharp cough ripped from his chest and splattered blood across the counter.
“You okay? We heard something break,” He heard Oscar’s voice as the door opened. The accountant completely froze when he saw the blood-splattered, gasping man.
“Can’t breathe,” Jim gasped out, legs giving way. Thankfully, Oscar was close enough to lunge forward and grab him. Blood was still trickling out of his mouth with every cough and his dazed mind barely heard Oscar shouting for help.
Colors and shapes began to blend into a pain-filled haze. Jim could hear the paramedics coming and felt the oxygen mask being placed over his face. Before his vision went completely black he saw Pam’s horrified face leaning over him.
~*~
Pam sat in the emergency waiting room, trying to not let tears fall. She had heard Oscar’s panicked cries to call 911 and after glancing up to see him standing in the break room doorway, covered in blood.
The call and waiting for the ambulance were all a blur but she remembered looking into Jim’s terrified green eyes as they put him on the gurney. The color of his white dress shirt was stained in blood and it completely covered his mouth and chin.
Roy had driven the dazed Pam to the hospital and now she was sitting on the uncomfortable plastic chair, watching Jim’s worried parents. She was gripping Roy’s hand tightly and he was rubbing her back. The warehouse employee had been startled by Jim’s appearance and knowing that he was one of her best friends, followed the ambulance.
“He’ll be fine Pammy,” Roy mumbled into her hair and kissed her forehead sweetly. Pam nodded slowly and wiped tears away.
A middle aged man came through the doors and smiled at the Halperts. He was rather squat with a head of salt-and-pepper colored hair and a friendly smile.
“Larissa,” He shook Jim’s parent’s hands. “And Rob, I wish we could meet under better circumstances.”
“What happened?” Larissa asked tearfully.
The doctor glanced over to the couple awkwardly, not wanting to continue while they were in the room.
“You can talk about it, they’re friends of Jim’s,” Rob said gently, smiling at Pam and Roy. Pam stood slowly to her feet and was quickly followed by her fiancée.
“Jim has suffered a pulmonary embolism,” The doctor said gently. “We looked further into it and have found that he has endocarditis. A patch of bacteria must have broken off and gone into his lungs, blocking the artery. This is actually a very common complication with his condition.”
“Condition?” Pam asked softly, not sure if it was her place. She could hardly see through her tears but the doctor’s confused expression was clear.
“I’m sorry?” The doctor frowned, obviously thinking that they knew.
“It’s alright Chris,” Larissa said gently. “I’m sorry but we didn’t know that you didn’t know.” She gave the couple a small smile.
“Alright,” Chris nodded. “I’m Chris Pressman, Jim’s cardiologist. When he was in high school his heart stopped and we discovered he had a heart defect and had gone into heart failure.”
“Oh God,” Pam’s eyes teared up more if that was possible and she quickly put her hand up to her mouth.
“We had thought that the heart failure wasn’t progressing quickly but I think that we are wrong. We did an echo and have put through blood tests but simply by the echo I believe the infection is pretty severe,” Chris said sadly.
Larissa closed her eyes and let out a small cry. Rob quickly wrapped his arms around her and turned damp eyes towards the shocked Pam and Roy.
“We might need to cut the parts of infected heart out,” Chris continued. “He’s awake and breathing normally now if you want to see him. I’m only going to allow family back, I’m sorry.”
“We’ll tell him that you both came by,” Rob said softly, smiling at them.
“We need to call Pete and Tom,” Larissa said quietly as they walked through the doors.
~*~
“Hey Jimmy,” Larissa hurried over to her youngest son and grabbed his hand. “Has the doctor already talked to you?”
“Surgery?” Jim asked groggily.
“Yes sweetie,” His mother smiled and began to stroke his hand. “Some of your friends are outside. They’re very sweet and very worried.”
“Who?” Jim’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Pam and Roy. Poor Pam was in tears the whole time,” Rob shook his head and then noticed the horrified look on her son’s face.
“You told them!” Jim shot up in bed, anxiety heightening.
“Jim, calm down,” Rob tried to calm his son down.
“Calm down! I had no intention of telling anyone!” Jim spat, his heart rate monitor beeping wildly.
“Jim, I’m sorry we didn’t know,” Larissa sounded worried and gripped Jim’s shoulder. He began to calm down and fell back onto the pillows.
“It’s fine,” Jim said tiredly.
“Do you want to see them?” Larissa asked softly.
“No,” Jim replied solemnly, pulled the sheets up to his chin, and turned onto his side. Larissa bit her lip, hesitated, and left the room.
~*~
Pam walked through the doors slowly, clutching the iPod like a lifeline. She had noticed Jim’s forgotten iPod on his desk and had grabbed it when she returned to work.
Now, on a Saturday morning, she had decided Jim would be bored sitting in the hospital for too long. She did not count on being so nervous however.
“Hi, I’m here to visit Jim Halpert,” Pam said to the receptionist, proud that her voice did not shake. The receptionist smiled at her warmly and told her what room to go into.
Pam walked down the seemingly endless hallway until she was standing in front of her best friend’s door. After lifting a trembling fist several times, she finally knocked quietly on the door and opened it.
“Hey,” She gave him a small, nervous smile. Jim usually turned towards her with a warm smile but currently he looked at her and quickly turned to look at his hands.
“I brought your iPod,” She held up the small device but Jim continued to look at his hands. “How are you feeling?”
“Super,” Jim replied harshly, making her wince. “I’m feeling just fine.”
“Sorry,” Pam muttered, staring at the iPod. “You just scared me at the office and I didn’t know you were sick.”
“Well, I’m sorry I scared you but no one was supposed to know!” He suddenly snapped.
Pam froze and tightened her grip on the iPod. Jim sighed harshly and fell back onto the pillows, closing his eyes.
“I know now,” Pam almost whispered. “I know your heart is failing and that you’ve been sick for a long time. What I don’t understand was why you didn’t tell me? I thought we were friends Jim, good friends. We should be able to tell these things to each other!”
As she continued talking, her voice got louder and louder until she was almost shouting. Jim simply stared at her blankly and closed his eyes.
“I was first diagnosed with heart failure when I was seventeen. When my friends found out, they treated me like glass. I didn’t want our friendship to suffer because I’m sick,” Jim’s voice was tried and rough. He suddenly did not look like the confident young man she had become friends with but a tried ill person who had lost hope.
“I’m so sorry,” Pam muttered then turned to look at him with tears in her eyes. “Why didn’t you ever tell me? You would know that I wouldn’t judge you.”
“I know,” Jim nodded slowly. “But how would I bring in that fact that my heart is failing into a conversation?”
“Good point,” Pam allowed herself a weak smile.
“Thanks for bringing my iPod, by the way,” Jim gave her a more realistic smile. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”
“It’s alright,” Pam gently placed it on his bedside table. “What happens now?”
“Well, I guess I go into surgery in a few days after they try to get rid of some of the infection with some antibiotics,” Jim tried to ignore the stricken look on her face. “It’s fine. It’s not my first heart surgery.”
“I figured,” Pam smiled faintly. She quickly sat down in the plastic chair near his bed. “You won’t believe what Dwight did yesterday.”
“Fun,” Jim grinned and sat up a little straighter.
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© 2006-2023 More Than That | Skin created by Kali
© 2006-2023 More Than That | Skin created by Kali