his eyes. “What did she want you to give me?” His voice was hardly audible.
Barely speaking above a whisper, Jamie motioned with her finger for Rick to come closer. “This.”
She gently grabbed both of Rick’s earlobes and pulled his face down to hers. Opening her hands to caress both sides of his neck, she kissed his lips. The heartfelt and private kiss made Kevin and Ben look away. Jamie pulled back but made eye contact with Rick. “She said not to be sad anymore. She’s in a very good place.”
Rick didn’t speak, but appeared visibly shaken. He drew Jamie close again and whispered in her ear, “Thank you, Jamie, thank you.” He rose to his feet and walked away, obviously needing a few minutes to himself to digest it all. He voiced no doubts about what Jamie had told him.
She sat back down, exhausted again, emotionally and physically.
“I know it all sounds so crazy, but I swear I’m not making any of this up,” she pleaded to both Kevin and Ben, wanting them to believe her.
Kevin’s eyes were wide. “I do believe you. I never mentioned Tommy’s mother’s name to you. But even more convincing,” Kevin looked over at Ben, “is the way you pulled Rick’s ears to bring him down to you.” Kevin swallowed hard. “That was how Roseanne kissed him. She joked that she worried about disfiguring his ears after so many years but that was how she pulled the big guy down to her.” Kevin’s eyes were wide, unblinking.
“Wow!” Ben added. “If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. Jamie, you had no way of ever knowing that. It’s something we all witnessed but never speak about since she’s been gone. We don’t talk about her at all for Rick’s sake.”
Suddenly feeling weak, Jamie put her head in her hands. She had a hard time believing it herself when she spoke about it out loud. But inside, she had no doubts and now felt a kinship with Roseanne. Could that be why I felt such a bond with Tommy so quickly? Trying to figure some things out could drive you crazy. Jamie sat there motionless, and then lowered herself unto her back, drained. She started shivering again.
With Doc at his side, Tommy approached, trying not to spill any of the hot tea for Jamie.
“You’re still hypothermic Jamie, and your blood pressure’s low. I want you to load up on warm drinks,” Doc instructed her.
“Okay, Doc. Thanks for all you’ve done.”
“Actually, now that you’re awake, I want to take a look at your side again and listen to your lungs. I’m worried you could’ve fractured a rib.” Doc pulled his stethoscope out of his pocket then helped Jamie sit up. He lifted up the back of her fleece top and slid his stethoscope underneath it. “Deep breaths now.” She followed his instructions and winced as he slid the stethoscope over the bruised area. “Good breath sounds.” Doc assured her. “Hard to tell if there are any fractures though. Any pain there with taking deep breaths?”
“The whole area is a little sore with any movement but I don’t think there are any broken ribs, Doc,” Jamie assured him.
“Let me be the doctor, okay? I want you to be real careful of that area and let me know if you get any pleuritic pain.”
“Yes, sir.” Jamie promised.
“Pleuritic pain? What’s that?” Ben asked.
“That’s medical jargon, Ben, don’t worry,” Jamie answered.
“It means pain with breathing. I want Jamie to let me know. And if you notice it with her, you let me know, okay?” Doc explained to the guys.
“Gotcha,” Ben answered.
Jamie sipped her hot tea with lemon. She was surprised how quickly she consumed it.
“Want some more?” Ben asked.
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love some.” He hurried off for a refill.
“I’ll be back to check on you again, Jamie. C’mon, Tommy. Let’s go find your dad,” Doc said, leaving Jamie and Kevin alone.
Kevin sat down next to Jamie. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she automatically shot
Barely speaking above a whisper, Jamie motioned with her finger for Rick to come closer. “This.”
She gently grabbed both of Rick’s earlobes and pulled his face down to hers. Opening her hands to caress both sides of his neck, she kissed his lips. The heartfelt and private kiss made Kevin and Ben look away. Jamie pulled back but made eye contact with Rick. “She said not to be sad anymore. She’s in a very good place.”
Rick didn’t speak, but appeared visibly shaken. He drew Jamie close again and whispered in her ear, “Thank you, Jamie, thank you.” He rose to his feet and walked away, obviously needing a few minutes to himself to digest it all. He voiced no doubts about what Jamie had told him.
She sat back down, exhausted again, emotionally and physically.
“I know it all sounds so crazy, but I swear I’m not making any of this up,” she pleaded to both Kevin and Ben, wanting them to believe her.
Kevin’s eyes were wide. “I do believe you. I never mentioned Tommy’s mother’s name to you. But even more convincing,” Kevin looked over at Ben, “is the way you pulled Rick’s ears to bring him down to you.” Kevin swallowed hard. “That was how Roseanne kissed him. She joked that she worried about disfiguring his ears after so many years but that was how she pulled the big guy down to her.” Kevin’s eyes were wide, unblinking.
“Wow!” Ben added. “If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. Jamie, you had no way of ever knowing that. It’s something we all witnessed but never speak about since she’s been gone. We don’t talk about her at all for Rick’s sake.”
Suddenly feeling weak, Jamie put her head in her hands. She had a hard time believing it herself when she spoke about it out loud. But inside, she had no doubts and now felt a kinship with Roseanne. Could that be why I felt such a bond with Tommy so quickly? Trying to figure some things out could drive you crazy. Jamie sat there motionless, and then lowered herself unto her back, drained. She started shivering again.
With Doc at his side, Tommy approached, trying not to spill any of the hot tea for Jamie.
“You’re still hypothermic Jamie, and your blood pressure’s low. I want you to load up on warm drinks,” Doc instructed her.
“Okay, Doc. Thanks for all you’ve done.”
“Actually, now that you’re awake, I want to take a look at your side again and listen to your lungs. I’m worried you could’ve fractured a rib.” Doc pulled his stethoscope out of his pocket then helped Jamie sit up. He lifted up the back of her fleece top and slid his stethoscope underneath it. “Deep breaths now.” She followed his instructions and winced as he slid the stethoscope over the bruised area. “Good breath sounds.” Doc assured her. “Hard to tell if there are any fractures though. Any pain there with taking deep breaths?”
“The whole area is a little sore with any movement but I don’t think there are any broken ribs, Doc,” Jamie assured him.
“Let me be the doctor, okay? I want you to be real careful of that area and let me know if you get any pleuritic pain.”
“Yes, sir.” Jamie promised.
“Pleuritic pain? What’s that?” Ben asked.
“That’s medical jargon, Ben, don’t worry,” Jamie answered.
“It means pain with breathing. I want Jamie to let me know. And if you notice it with her, you let me know, okay?” Doc explained to the guys.
“Gotcha,” Ben answered.
Jamie sipped her hot tea with lemon. She was surprised how quickly she consumed it.
“Want some more?” Ben asked.
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love some.” He hurried off for a refill.
“I’ll be back to check on you again, Jamie. C’mon, Tommy. Let’s go find your dad,” Doc said, leaving Jamie and Kevin alone.
Kevin sat down next to Jamie. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she automatically shot
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