Author's Note: This chapter was difficult to write. Don't get me wrong, I didn't like Roy for the longest time after the break up but the way I view it is that he's not a bad guy, he just wasn't right for Pam. Anyway, on to the chapter!
Jim woke slowly, vision fading in and out. He slowly turned his head from side to side and his eyes widened when he realized there was something in his throat. He began to gag and cough, eyes watering.
“Hey,” A blurry face leaned over him. “You’re fine. Just relax; you have a tube down your throat.”
Jim tried to relax the best he could but his whole body was tense and trembling faintly. He could feel more than see the people moving around him until a face came sharply into focus.
“Okay, on three I need you to cough, we’re going to get this thing out,” The doctor smiled. Jim winced at the feeling of the tube being moved as the doctor took a hold of it.
Jim coughed when the doctor reached three and the horrible sensation of the tube being pulled out almost made him sick to his stomach. He could feel an oxygen mask being placed over his face and after a few shaky breaths, collapsed back into the pillows.
“I’m going to go page Dr. Pressman,” The doctor smiled again. “Just hold on for a bit.”
He took deep breaths through the oxygen mask but could feel exhaustion beginning to set in. That was when he became aware of the bizarre feeling in his chest. Glancing down, Jim could make out the beginning of a surgical incision peeking out from the collar of his hospital gown. He moved a shaky hand downward and instantly let out a gasp when he discovered a rectangular lump beneath his skin.
“Jim,” He looked up to see Chris walk in, smiling. “I’m glad to see you are up and awake.”
“What happened?” Jim asked, voice raspy and weak.
“You went into cardiac arrest,” Chris’s expression suddenly turned very serious. “You stopped breathing and it took us a while to get your heart back. After a few tries it became apparent that your heart wasn’t going to keep beating on its own so we rushed you to surgery and installed a pacemaker, which I see you’ve already discovered.”
“A pacemaker?” Jim asked in disbelief. His grandfather had a pacemaker installed when he was seventy-two and here Jim was at twenty-six going through the same thing.
“I’m afraid so,” Chris nodded solemnly. “I’m going to let you get some sleep, don’t be afraid to call me when you have any more questions.”
Jim nodded slowly, still feeling foggy and watched as Chris stepped out of the room.
At that moment, amidst the beeping and gossiping nurses in the background, he allowed the tears to fall and curled into himself sobbing.
~*~
Pam frowned as Roy pulled the car over on the side of the road, eyes downcast.
“Pam, I think we need to talk,” He mumbled, still staring at his hands on the steering wheel. “I know that Halpert is your best friend and that you care for him dearly. But, I thought the person you were supposed to marry was your best friend. I thought you were supposed to think about the person you loved all the time, and I don’t feel like you feel that way with me.”
Pam sat there speechless and put a hand to her mouth in shock. “What are you talking about? Are you breaking up with me?”
“I love you Pam,” Roy looked at her in the eye, serious. “But I can’t marry you if you love someone else; it’s not fair to you. Do you love him?”
“I…I don’t know,” Pam said tearfully. “I love you Roy but I’m not sure if I’m just staying with you because I’ve been with you for so long. I loved you at one point, I swear, but now I don’t know.”
“It’s Halpert isn’t it?” Roy said sadly. “I know, it’s okay. He’s always been there for you when I never had and I’m sorry for that.”
“Roy,” She whispered and placed her hand over his.
“Pam, I want you to be happy, and I’ve never seen you happier than when you were with him,” He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “Do you want me to drive you back to the hospital?”
“Yes,” She said softly and he nodded. As they drove in silence, Pam twisted the engagement ring off and handed it to him when they pulled into the parking lot.
“I hope you’re happy with him,” Roy smiled at her sweetly and left her in the hospital entry way, feeling empty.
~*~
Pam walked up to the ICU in a complete daze. Walking into the waiting room, she saw the entire Halpert family sitting in their previous seats, surrounded by empty soda bottles and candy wrappers.
“May I go into his room?” She asked softly and after a small pause, Larissa nodded.
Pam walked to the room, smiling at the nurses behind the giant nurses’ station. She paused for a moment outside of Jim’s room before sliding open the glass door and stepping behind the curtain.
She saw that he was fast asleep but the sheets had slipped down enough to reveal the beginnings of the deep incision.
Pam sat down in a nearby chair and grabbed his hand, before laying her head down by his side.
“I think I may have feelings for you as well,” She whispered softly, remembering the rumor that had been started and his denial of that rumor, then squeezed his hand as he continued to sleep peacefully.
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© 2006-2023 More Than That | Skin created by Kali
© 2006-2023 More Than That | Skin created by Kali