Chapter 6
James Possible parked their car at the hospital parking lot near the entrance. It was the middle of dawn and the hospital was not yet open for visitors, but since this was about Kimberly Ann Possible, the daughter of Middleton's renowned neurosurgeon, that rule doesn't apply to them. So the couple along with their sons entered the hospital premise, took the elevator to get to the private room they intended to go.
Upon arriving at the hall of the floor where Kim's room was located, Anne Possible noticed two things, 1. There was no one at the nurse’s station and 2. there's a commotion inside Kim's room. That scenario sent a shiver down the older red-heads spine causing her heart to gallop, dear Lord, may this be a good sign not a bad one...Oh please, the older read head said within herself as if she was reciting a prayer. The Possibles slowly approached the group of medical staff in Kim's room
A female nurse suddenly jerked her head to the side, seeing the approaching doctor she smiled, “Dr. Possible,” she greeted. The smile on her face made a calming effect on Anne Possible's nerve. The neurosurgeon nods her head to acknowledge the gesture and then walk passed everyone, she then went directly to Kim's bed followed by her husband and sons. There she saw Dr. White taking Kim's blood pressure herself. Kim was sleeping peacefully.
“Edna?” Anne called out calmly, the lady doctor raised her head and smiled when she saw Anne and her family there. She removed the ear piece of her stethoscope and looked at the people around
“Will you all please go back to your post now?” She told the nurses and nursing aids in the room. There was no answer instead they heard footsteps of people moving out of the room
“Edna, what happened?” Anne said, confident that nothing bad happened because the expression on the psychiatrist-somnologist’s face was not congruent with an expression that will report a bad news.
“Alright,” Dr. White said walking towards Anne and holding the red head, “I think we should talk at the couch and leave Kim for a while.” She said smiling then tilting her head sideward towards the room's couch. She closed the curtain that separated the bed from the receiving area of the room and followed the Possibles who are now sitting on the large cream couch. “I have good news and bad news.”
“I want the good news first.” James Possible interjected, Dr. White looked at James then at Anne, when the older red head nods at her, she smiled again
“Kim just woke up earlier, about 30 minutes ago. I've just gotten in 10 minutes ago,” at this Anne and James smile widely
“That was good news.” James said once again, “So my Kimmie-cub is alright?” he asked, his question brought a sad expression on the psychiatrist-somnologist face though
“I couldn't say that.” Dr. White said, Anne looked at the lady doctor silently asking for explanation, the psychiatrist sighed, “Well, that is the bad news. Physically I could say that Kim is alright, all her vital signs are normal. I requested a repeat of her laboratories and a repeat EEG but it hadn't been done yet - “
“Why?” Anne asked interjecting
“Kim was actually out of control when she woke up. She kept on shouting, she even pulled off the IV line in her right hand, they have to use force to restrain her and I have to give her a light sedative to calm her down.”
silence
“And she kept on calling out names before she actually succumb to sleep.”
“Names?” Anne asked, her brows scrunching
“Yes, and the staff saw her clutching this - “ Dr. White brought out a green and black cat suit which caused Anne Possible's eyes to widen “- on her chest before she went ballistic.”
Silence
“Anne?” Dr. White looked at the red headed doctor
“What names did Kim called out for?” Anne asked, her face have a passive expression
“I think they were Kish, Shane and...the one she repeatedly calls out is...ahhh - “ The doctor scrunched her forehead to remember the name the staff told her Kim was calling out, “Yeah! The name was Shego I think...”
Anne did not even finish Dr. White's sentence, she stood up, walked to the room's window and took her mobile phone out. She dialed...
-this is Wade... - the Afro-American boy said yawning, -how may I help ... -
“Wade! This is Mrs. Dr. - “
-Mrs. Dr. Possible? What... -
“Tell me Wade, were you able to locate Shego?” there was no answer on the other line, “Wade, please answer me!”
-No ma'am, I wasn't. - Wade's voice was now alive and full of concern, -did something happen to Kim?-
“Kim woke up 30 minutes ago Wade, she went ballistic and she was calling out for Shego and 2 other names, Kish and Shane - “
-Who are they? I mean Kish and Shane...-
“That's not the reason I am calling Wade, Dr. White showed us Shego's trademark cat suit, she said Kim was clutching it on her chest before she went ballistic.”
-Kim is actually keeping one of Shego's cat suit with her, remember when she was forced by Dr. Drakken to wear one when she was mind controlled?- Wade said trying to pacify Dr. Possible who seems to be losing her nerve
“I know about that Wade. The problem was that Kim tore that cat suit down once when she had a fight with Shego right?” silence, “So I know that Kim doesn't have Shego's cat suit anymore.”
-If Kim tore the cat suit then that means...-
“Shego was here! She brought Kim back to us... and the problem is that Kim wants her!”
-That is a big problem...- Wade said seriously -I think I should try to find Shego...-
“Please do Wade, and Thank you.” Anne said nodding as if the boy-genius could see her
-No problem Mrs. Dr. Possible. - Wade said ending the conversation. Anne sighed before she returned to the couch with the others.
KPKPKP
The sunlight passing through the slightly covered window of the room brought her back to her senses. Slowly she opened her eyes, olive colored eyes started darting side wards taking in her surroundings, “Shego - “ she whispered, she turned her head but there was no Shego, “Shego?!” she calls a bit louder, there was still no answer. Kim knows that Shego will not leave her in the hospital alone, she knows that her wife will be there... “Shego?!” she calls louder.
The sound of Kim calling out brought Mrs. Dr. Possible to her senses, the good doctor was lying on the couch sleeping. She sent Mr. Possible and the twin home to rest while she stayed to look after Kim. She stood up and made her way to the younger red head, “Kimmie - “
“Mom!” Kim called out when she saw her mother approached her bed, “Shego?” she asked, her eyes were already beginning to water, “Where is she? Kish and Shane? Where are they?
Anne Possible smiled. She leaned forward and hugged her daughter, “Welcome back Kimmie.” she whispered. Kim pushed her mother away a bit to look at her face
“Welcome back?” she asked bewildered, “Where is Shego? My daughters? Where are they?”
Anne shook her head...
(Flashback)
“So what are we dealing here Edna?” Anne Possible asked once she seated herself on the couch beside her husband
The psychiatrist rests her back on the single couch she was sitting on, “I think we may have a problem with Kim's situation.”
“Explain that further please.” James asked, he is not going to leave the hospital without any explanation as to why his Kimmie keeps on calling out for Shego, his daughter's arch enemy and the side kick of his former friend Andrew Lipsky.
“You see, we are happy that Kim was pulled out of her animated state by whatever force there could have been, but the problem resides with Kim's mind still strongly bound to her animated world.”
“You mean...”
“Yes, when Kim woke up, her body and brain did not recognize that she actually woke up to her real world instead of waking up in the animated one.”
silence
“So how do we go about it?”
“There are two ways...”
“Lets hear it!” James said excitedly
“One, we can try all possible way to explain to her that this is her real world. This is good but it may take her a longer time before she could piece the information together.” Dr. White said smiling at the family in front of her, “We treat her like someone who has undergone amnesia, but in this case, we are not feeding her memories, we feed her with strong emotional bond that would tell her brain that where she is now is the real one.”
“Okay...but I thought we are not the strong bond?” James asked scrunching his forehead
“That is our second option, and the best one that is.”
“So?” James ask again, Anne remained silent and let her husband do the interrogation.
“Our second option is to find the force that pulls her out of her state. That is our best option since that force is greater than her bond to the animated world.”
silence
“So what will happen to my Kimmie-cub if we can't do any of it?”
“I am afraid she might succumb to depression, if her brain believes that this is still her animated world and we took something from her that was from the other world, it may lead to depression.” she explained, James who was still oblivious to what Dr. White was explaining just scrunched his forehead, this did not go unnoticed by the two female doctors
“Honey,” Anne said reaching out to hold her husband's hand, “Edna is saying that the best way to help Kim cope up with her state right now is to find the one who wakes her up from her dream world.”
“So why can't we just do that?”
Anne sighed, “Because honey, If my hunch is right, the one who brought her back to us is Shego.”
Silence
Then James turned his head to looked at his wife, his face stern, “Why her? She tried to kill Kimmie-cub -” he was interrupted by Anne shaking her head
“Look honey, If Shego really wants to get rid of our Kimmie, then why did she come here and pulled her out of her animated state?” Anne asked her husband
“And what made you think it was Shego who did that?” he argued, Anne did not answer instead she took the green and black cat suit and gave it to James
“That is Shego’s. The smell was Shego’s.” Anne finally said
“but-but - “ James said as if a child trying to argue his way out of it,
“But?”
“But what if Shego did it just to try to kill her again?”
“Then Kim will take care of it, but right now Kim needs Shego, we need Shego to bring Kim back to us...whole.” no answer, “The problem is, Shego will come if she wants, but if she wanted to hide, then we have no choice but wait for her to come to us...”
“Or we could find her, by hook - “ Jim Possible, one of the twins said
“or by crook!” Tim ended
Anne just looked at her sons and smiled
(End flashback)
“Mom?” Kim said, her tears flowing freely on her face, “Please tell them to come here, I need to see them, please?” Kim clutched at her mother's clothes, then she buried her face in her shoulder and cried hard, “I need to see them please...”
“Oh, Kimmie! We will find Shego honey, we will...”
“Please, I need to see them, please...” Kim said her voice tuning down, “please...” that plead was already a whisper
“Rest Kimmie, honey, we will find Shego.” There’s no answer, instead Anne just watched her daughter curl to the side and started crying silently Oh Wade, find Shego...
KPKPKP
It has been a week since Kim woke up from her animated world, the red headed heroine remained silent, occasionally speaking just to look for Shego, or Kish or Shane, the two other name she claimed to be her daughters. They took Kim home and brought her to the Possible’s house instead of bringing Kim to her own apartment. The young red head just looked around their house like a lost puppy, occasionally saying ... “This isn't my home, bring me home.” then this will be followed by faint sobs. At night, Anne will be awaken by Kim's crying, she will find Kim curled in a corner, her pandaroo and Shego's cat suit clutched in her chest.
If not for Anne's vigilance, Kim would have smell a lot like a rotten egg, the red headed heroine just forget about hygiene all the same, It was Anne's continued prompting that keeps the younger red head intact.
2 weeks past, still there were no reports on Shego's whereabouts. There was no sign of Drakken making any 'take over the world ' scheme, so if there’s no Drakken then there’s no Shego. Monique and Ron have to take an abrupt vacation to be with Kim, but their presence has no effect at all.
3 weeks, Kim showed a bit of progress, her sudden outburst of sobs decreased, she goes out of her room without prompting from her mother or from her friends, she groomed herself on her own as well, mingle with the family though she was still silent and her eyes still lost that sparkle that made her Kim Possible, the woman who can do anything...perhaps anything except live without Shego.
1 month...
James Possible decided to have a cook out in his house, he wanted to remind Kim in his own way that she is living in the real world, not the world she thought was real. Invited in the affair were his brother slim and daughter Joss, Ron and Yori, Monique, Felix, Wade and Mrs. Load, he also invited his mother Nana Possible to come and see Kim for herself.
Before Lunch arrives, the people he was expecting have all came including Nana, they were seated around a table that James and Ron put up for the said occasion and everyone was merrily eating and exchanging stories. Kim was just there eating, the young red head was not even listening to the conversation.
“Oh – Oh!” Nana Possible cuts Ron who was telling everyone his experience in Japan
“Nana!” James scolded his mother, “Ronald is telling us a story.”
“But I have one too, and I am afraid that this story might be forgotten If I don't tell it now.” she said then her lower lips started quivering
“Oh, not the mother of all puppy dog pouts!” Ron screamed as he raised his hands on the air, “Okay- okay, the table is yours Nana!” he conceded good naturedly
“Okay, Do you know that me and my friends at the 'home' have this karaoke nights every Friday?” Everyone nodded at her question except Yori and Kim, “Well, Leandro, one of my friend there started taking us into this piano bar somewhere near our place, It's a good Piano bar and Saturday nights are the most famous nights there.”
“So what makes Saturday special? Free beer?” Ron asked teasing the old woman, then he hi-five with Felix who joined Ron in laughing
“Well aside from that, their best singer performs every Saturday night.”
“Nana, what is special with your story? It's just a piano bar? It's not as if there's a black hole there after every performance?” James asked his mother
“James!” Anne said laughing as she slaps James' arms lightly
“Well, I was wondering about the performer, I know I've seen her before, It's not everyday you can see a green skinned female anywhere, so I was wondering where I've seen her before.” Nana said scrunching her forehead to recall some memories
There was silence
Wade looked at Anne while Anne looked at Kim who was oblivious to what was happening
“I think we have to take Nana home James.” Anne said looking at her husband
“Oh, no need Anne, I have book a 2 way ticket to Florida, so - “
“We are taking you home!” Anne and James said simultaneously
There was silence as everyone realized what was happening...
“Wow, a family reunion at a 'home', how sweet!” Ron said while Rufus went out of his pocket cheering. He stopped his tirade when he found several sets of eyes looking at him.
-end chapter 6-
A/N: Next chapter is finale. My idea of Kim going into depression after being pulled from an animated state has no scientific basis, I did not consult any book (and I am not sure if there is such a book that would discuss suspended animation.), it is not base on experience. So the idea here is purely a product of my imagination coupled with a bit (a very-very tiny bit) of knowledge in psychiatry.