187 replies to this topic

[Sanjana R]

Post the next chapter soon! This is so entertaining.
I'm jealous; you do dialogue really well!

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

After almost a MONTH of waiting, here's Chapter 32, in Cindy's POV!!


Emerging Compassions

Chapter 32: Saving Jimmy!
(Cindy's POV)


Shortly after school let out, I flew outta there as fast as I could, with the help of the jetpack Jimmy had made me that past Christmas, no less. I just couldn't take the mockery anymore, which was strange for me, since I usually am opt to retort back to any teasing or nitpicking that may be aimed in my direction. This time, however, was different; the argument Jimmy and I had the previous evening had started it, but all the rude comments, name-calling, mockery, and whispering negatively behind my back really did it in for me. They called me things I'd rather not mention, but I will say that 2 of them rhymed with “door” and “glitch”. I was so utterly humiliated and let down by those words that I finally ran off when school let out, practically in tears, without a word to anyone, not even my best friend Libby.

I searched for the remotest place I could think of first, and the Andes of South America came to my mind first, so that's where I headed. I found what seemed to be the tallest peak there and settled on the crest, far away from anyone who'd mock me even more. It was rather cold that high up, but I didn't care. I just hugged my knees and cried my eyes out in humiliation...

It wasn't long before I heard a faint yet familiar distant whirring; it sounded like Jimmy's hovercar in the distance. He must've been concerned when he learned I ran away, so he pursued after me. Exactly HOW he knew where I was located was beyond me. But I didn't care about that at the moment; I just lifted my head up to see that he really was fast approaching me. He landed on a ledge not too far down from where I was, and I couldn't help but notice that Carl, Sheen, and Libby had tagged along, too. I then just let out a sigh of defeat and lowered my head again, still humiliated beyond belief.

I could faintly hear their voices, but I couldn't care less at the time. They're probably just here to mock me like the others at school did... I thought bitterly to myself, a tear or 2 streaking down my cheeks. That's when I heard it: a faint cry for help. I lifted my head up to listen better, and that's when I knew who was in trouble: Jimmy! !

I stood up to get a better view, and saw him dangling from the ledge he'd landed his hovercar on! With that, I hollered down to him, “Hold on, Jimmy! ! I'm on my way!” I activated my jetpack and began the rapid descent to come to his aid.

It seems as though I wasn't quick enough, because when I landed on the ledge and stooped over to grab his hand, it slipped and he began plummeting down the mountainside! It wasn't long before I saw his right arm get badly damaged from a side collision and, before I knew it, his body flipped 180 degrees and his head hit a boulder at a dangerously high speed, knocking him unconscious. Then his body flipped over again, and his shirt collar got caught on a branch sticking out of the mountain.

I reactivated my jetpack and zoomed down to his aid. I wrapped both my arms around his waist and lugged him back up to where his hovercar sat. He was rather heavy for my taste, but I didn't care. I hurried back up and laid him gently in his hovercar. I rapidly motioned for Libby, Sheen, and Carl to hop in with me, saying, “We've GOTTA get Jimmy to the hospital, and FAST! ! !”

They quickly hopped in and I took the controls, lifting the hovercar off the ledge and rapidly forward towards the nearest hospital. After I set the coordinates, I set it on autopilot so I could tend to him the best I could.

“Oh, no! Poor Jimmy! !” Carl wailed, almost in tears.

“NOOOO! ! ! ! He was so young! !” Sheen exclaimed.

“Calm down!” I informed them firmly, “He's only unconscious; he's not dead.” I then looked in the front compartment of the hovercar for a bit, then I found it, the first aid kit! I grabbed it and used whatever supplies I could to bandage his head up and splint and wrap up his arm with my somewhat limited first aid knowledge. I could easily see a blood stain become visible on the bandage I'd just wrapped his head in after putting antibiotic ointment on it.

A few minutes later, I saw him slowly open his eyes about halfway and heard him mutter, “Where- Where am I?”

“You're in your hovercar on autopilot, well on your way to the nearest U.S. hospital. You would've nearly died falling down that cliff, Jimmy, had I not saved you!” I gratefully told him, gently caressing the part of his face that wasn't injured with my hand.

Clearly remembering the spat we'd had the previous evening, he said, “Cindy, I'm so sorry...”

“Ah, don't mention it. You were bound to mess something up eventually,” I gently reminded him with a light chuckle.

“I only came after you cuz I care about you, Cindy...,” Jimmy told me, reminding me why he went after me.

“I know, and I commend you for that,” I added, giving him a light kiss on the lips, then put in, “And thanks.”

Goddard, who'd been with us the entire time, repeatedly licked his master over and over, clearly worried about his well-being. Using his arm that wasn't damaged, he reached over and patted his head reassuringly, saying, “Don't worry, boy. Cindy can handle this.”

He just licked his master's face once more with a whine, then settled down for a nap.

“Aw, that's sweet...,” Carl noticed, obviously touched by Goddard's actions.

I then looked at the others to see what they were doing. Libby was listening to her music as usual; Carl just yawned and slouched down for a nap; and Sheen was avidly playing his handheld UltraLord video game. Figures. I then turned my attention back to Jimmy, remaining at his side for the rest of the way to the hospital.

[Katia11]

I promised a more in depth review and now you shall get it.

This story is really interesting and I really like it. However, I do tend to get confused with all the point of view switching. I realize that you lay it out for us at the beginning, but me.. I'm just slow like that.

Also, just two little things I noticed, when typing a number like 2, I PERSONALLY think it looks better to actually right out the number two, unless you are telling the time like on a watch or clock.

When writing because, either abbreviate it cause or write it out in full, because cuz just kind of annoys me. But those are TINY, TINY little miniscule things that everyone does.

Otherwise, really, really enjoyed this.

Can't wait till you update again. Their kiss was awful sweet!

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

I could've SWORN I posted the newest update to this just yesterday! Did you delete it, Mara? If not, then my internet must've crapped out on me and just didn't post it like I wanted it to... Either way, it didn't get posted.

[Katia11]

you totally did.

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Where? Here or FF? Cuz I know for a fact that I posted it on FF, for SURE.(Geez, now I'm starting to sound like you! XD) I sure don't see it here, though...

[Katia11]

*shrugs* I thought it was here, but you could always post it again!

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

After one failed attempt at posting this a couple weeks ago, I give you Chapter 33!! Hope ya like it!


Emerging Compassions

Chapter 33: Hospital Care
(Libby's POV)


As soon as we arrived at the hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, Cindy parked the hovercar, shut it off, and immediately turned to face Jimmy again. “Brilliant, just brilliant...,” she muttered sarcastically, “He's unconscious again...”

I laid my hand on her shoulder and informed her, “Don't worry, Cin. With this kinda care, he'll come to before ya know it!”

“I sure hope so, Libs...,” Cindy replied with a worried sigh.

“Just one thing, though, Cindy,” Carl reminded her, “How are we gonna get him inside? I think he weighs at least 130 pounds...” Just like Carl to put health first before anything else. Figures...

“Point made...,” she noted, thinking for a few moments. Then her eyes lit up as she said, “Two of us will have to carry him in. I don't know the command he uses with Goddard to get him to transport an injured person... Libby and I will do just that.”

With that, the 2 of us carefully grabbed him, I grabbing his legs and laying them on my shoulders with his feet pointing ahead of me and getting a firm grip on his thighs while Cindy grabbed his arms and draped them over her arms while she wrapped her arms tightly around his chest. “He's still breathin', Cin, so try not to restrict it by holding him too tight,” I gently reminded her as we headed towards the hospital entrance with Carl, Sheen, and Goddard not far behind us.

After we were inside, we gently hurried up to the front desk. “Sheen, ring the bell, please,” I instructed him.

Being the immature guy he was, he banged on it repeatedly for, like, a minute until I cleared my throat and told him, “Sheen, that's enough. I can see someone comin' over here t' help us.”

Sure enough, the lady at the front desk approached us and inquired in a friendly tone, “May I help you?”

“Can you NOT see our friend is unconscious? ! !” Carl wailed, almost in tears.

“Take it easy, take it easy! !” she reassured us, “I'll take care of it right away! By the way, call me Flora.” With that, she picked up the service phone, dialed a few numbers, and urgently informed the personnel on the other end, “We have a group of teens, one of them badly injured and unconscious, at the front desk. Please attend to them immediately!” She then put the phone back and told us, “The doctor will be right with you.”

A few antagonizing minutes later, the doctor arrived with some attendants pushing a wheeled stretcher and said, “Gently lay him on the stretcher and we'll send him straight to the ER. Your friend is in good hands.”

Cindy and I nodded, and with a great heave on our part, we placed Jimmy ever so carefully on the stretcher with his head on a pillow and him on his back. After the attendants strapped him down gently yet securely, Cindy bent over and gave him a brief kiss on the lips, saying, “I love you... so much...”

As he was wheeled away, I glanced over at him, saw him barely open his eyes for a moment or 2, and heard him say in a low tone, “I love you, too, Cindy.” He then slipped back into unconsciousness as he disappeared around the corner towards the ER.

We each took our seats in the waiting room and began waiting for him to return, hopefully safe and sound, and well cared for, as well.

After about 5 minutes had passed, Sheen got restless and began squirming in his seat, looking around at the various people in the waiting room with us. I could tell he was getting rather impatient, not unlike back when he was 12. So I tapped him on his shoulder as he sat next to me and asked, “Sheen, honey, did ya bring anything to keep yourself entertained?”

“No,” he impatiently snapped, slapping his forehead, “For once, I didn't bring anything with me!”

“Well, there are a few things here you can do,” I told him, “There are magazines you can read, and there are some vending machines over there. Plus, there's a TV overhead you can watch TV on.”

“Boring! !” Sheen interjected, and he was soon fast asleep in his seat.

“I'm hungry, but I don't have any money with me,” Carl said to himself, glancing hungrily at the vending machines.

“Here,” I offered, leaning forward to the opposite row of seats where he sat with Cindy with a dollar in my outstretched hand, “Take this, an' keep the change.” I then leaned back in my chair and jammed to my music for a while.

“Thanks, Libby!” he gratefully thanked me, and moseyed over to one and got himself a snack, then returned to his seat. After his snack was finished, he slumped down in his seat, not unlike Sheen had already done, and began snoring loudly.

Cindy kept herself occupied with some of the available magazines for the next couple hours, which seemed to take an eternity! !

Several antagonizing hours later, I thought I saw Cindy say something, so I lifted up one of the speakers on my headphones, leaned forward, and asked, “What was that, Cin? ?”

“I said that I hear someone approaching us, most likely the doctor who's taking care of Jimmy,” she repeated, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the hallway.

I leaned to my right a tad and strained to see someone coming, and sure enough, he came down the hallway and approached the 4 of us, a concerned expression plastered across his face. “Well...?” I wanted to know, shaking Sheen's shoulder to awaken him.

“Psssst, Carl! Wake up; the doctor's here,” Cindy added, tapping his shoulder fervently. They both sat up straight and stretched, very quickly becoming alert and attentive to what the doctor had to say.

“Eh, what's up, doc?” Sheen playfully questioned with a snicker. Carl quietly giggled and commented, “Nice one, Sheen!”

The doctor just rolled his eyes slightly and informed us, “I get that a lot. My name is Doctor Ethan Lang. Now, listen up; your friend's health is slowly improving, though we're not sure yet if he'll be the same friend you knew before. He sustained moderate damage to his cranium, and we're not certain if this affected his speech, short-term memory, or anything else, and his arm was badly mangled. We had to perform surgery to insert screws into his radius and ulna to get them to align properly so they can heal. He is currently in recovery, but I hesitate to mention that he could slip into a coma if he does not improve within the next 2 weeks...”

Carl heard it all with a terrified look on his face, and remained silent for about a minute after Dr. Lang finished speaking, then cried, “Oh, NO! ! NOT Jimmy! ! ! ! He was so young! ! !” With that, he burst into tears.

Just then, an attendant rushed up to him and whispered something into his ear, causing his expression to progress from concerned to extremely worried. After a few moments of hesitation, he informed us, “I've just been informed that your friend Jimmy has slipped into a coma...”

With an extremely loud shriek, Carl fell over backwards and fainted out of pure agony. I couldn't help but feel for him. If what happened to Jimmy had instead happened to Cindy, I'd probably react the same way, seeing that she's my best friend. I believe she was the most nerve-wracked because that was her boyfriend who'd just slipped into a coma. I'd feel the same way if that happened to Sheen. All the same, Jimmy is a good friend, and I'd really HATE to see him pass on at age 17! He's the one who ultimately brought the 5 of us closer together as friends, starting when our parents were abducted by Yokians so many years ago...

My thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Lang spoke up for a final time that day, saying, “We're doing everything in our power to ensure that he recovers in the shortest amount of time possible. We will call to inform you of his progress as time passes.” After he said those things, he retreated back to the ER.

“What about school, Libby?” Sheen wanted to know, a worried look on his face.

“We'll just have to explain to them what happened and the reason why he's absent...,” I told him and the others as Cindy was shaking Carl awake from his fainted state.

Boy, things were gonna be SO much different now that Jimmy wasn't with us...!

[Katia11]

like it, Em! good job as always! XD

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

After 2 weeks of waiting, I think it's time I posted another chapter! Enjoy!


Emerging Compassions

Chapter 34: Not-So-Glamorous Hotel Stay
(Sheen's POV)


By the time we heard Jimmy had slipped into a coma, it was already going on 9pm at night. I was sure by now our parents were starting to get worried about us, and Mrs. Neutron wasn't gonna be happy when she hears about Jimmy. I swear, we had been in that waiting room for the past 4 and a half HOURS! ! Man, I was gonna go insane without anything to do!

Libby apparently saw me squirming around in my seat anxiously, so she rested her hand on my shoulder, gently yet firmly, and scolded, “Sheen, calm down, now... I'm sure everything's gonna be okay pretty soon.”

“I can't calm down, Libs! For one thing, I've gone 4 and a half hours without doing anything UltraLord-related! And another thing, my best friend's in a coma! ! ! He could be DYING in there! !” I exclaimed, spazzing out.

“Sheen! ! Get a hold of yo'self! !” she snapped, grabbing my shirt collar to keep me from running off. Dang, that girl is strong, especially since she was gonna have a baby soon! I kept struggling, but it was no use. I finally settled down after about 5 minutes, exhausted, and worried about Jimmy, especially!

“Yeah, that's right, Ultra-Dork! Either keep it down and stay calm, or I'm gonna do that FOR you! ! !” Cindy put in aggressively, threatening me with her fist. Dang, her hormones must've been raging or something!

“Cin, ease off on him, girl... Besides, it's practically 9 o' clock, an' we need a place t' sleep fo' the night...,” Libby told her best friend, taking her hand gently.

“I guess you're right, Libs. Anyway, the hovercar's beginning to run low on fuel, and we need to conserve as much as we can. We should stay at a local hotel tonight,” she informed us, getting up from her seat next to Carl and motioning for us to follow.

The rest of us followed suit and retreated out of the hospital, but not without Cindy casting a wistful glance back and whispering, “Hang in there, Jim. We're depending on you to recover...”

She and the rest of us got in the hovercar and she started it up, set the next location somehow, then switched it to autopilot. Shortly afterward, her cell phone began ringing. “I got this one, guys,” Cindy told us, and picked it up, saying, “Hello? Yes, this is Cindy; you've got the right number, Mrs. Neutron...”

Carl gasped and whispered, “It's Jimmy's mom! She's not gonna be happy when she hears about Jimmy! Be quiet and listen...”

“Um, here's the thing, Mrs. Neutron...,” she continued, growing progressively anxious in her tone of voice, “About Jimmy... He's- he's in the hospital in Phoenix... He had a horrible accident. Well, he got a broken arm, snapped in 2 on his forearm, radius and ulna region, and a moderate concussion. Yes, I'm aware you know what happened before we got back; he must've explained it to you. But what happened after school is another story... Just calm DOWN, Mrs. Neutron! ! Lemme explain: the kids at school were mocking me and Libby for being with child, and I finally couldn't take it anymore, so I quietly ran away to Chile using the jetpack he made me last Christmas. He apparently was concerned about my feelings, so he ran after me, and while on the ledge of the mountain I'd settled on, he inevitably backed too far to the edge, and before I could save him, he fell backwards, breaking his arm and receiving his concussion! He was left hanging by his shirt from a branch on the mountainside, so I swooped down and lugged him to his hovercar. I set the coordinates for Phoenix and rushed him to the hospital there, where he's in intensive care at this moment, ...in... ...a coma... Yes, YES, I'm upset about this, too! ! Okay, Judy, yes, he's in good hands; don't WORRY! ! ! Alright, talk to you later. 'Bye.”

“So, what did she say, Cindy?” Carl asked worriedly.

With a long sigh of anxiety, she reported, “She's extremely worried about him, seeing as he's her son and all, but I told her he was in good hands.” Cindy then turned to face the direction we were headed and added, pointing at the hotel, “Hey, we're here!”

“Finally! !” I exclaimed, “A nice, warm, cozy place to sleep!”

With that, we all, including Goddard, clambered out of the parked hovercar and headed inside up to the front desk. When we approached, the woman behind it greeted us, saying, “Hello, welcome to United Relaxation Suites! How may I help you?”

Drawing out a debit card from her wallet, Cindy requested, “We'd like 2 rooms, please. Preferably, one with 2 separated sleeping areas and one regular.”

She swiped Cindy's card and typed some on her computer, then returned it and 2 room keys to her and said, “You'll just love rooms 709 and 710! Room 709 has a deck and a built in indoor hot tub, plus a kitchen, bathrooms, and plenty of room! Room 710 has similar accommodations, with yet another hot tub, though smaller, and a double sleeping area. Enjoy, and we have wi-fi!”

“Thank you very much, ma'am!” Cindy thanked her, taking the room keys and putting away her debit card. Then she turn to us and instructed, “Let's head on up, guys.”

“Do let's!” Carl and I proclaimed in unison. Then, as we headed up the elevator towards our rooms, Carl added, “I hope Jimmy recovers soon...”

Cindy nodded with a worried look as the elevator stopped at the 7th floor and let us out. It wasn't long before we reached our rooms. Then she handed Libby and me a room key and told us, “You 2 take room 709, and Carl and I will take room 710, okay?”

“Sure thing, Cindy,” Libby and I replied in unison, and used the room key to head inside while Cindy and Carl did the same.

I had just ran to one of the beds and flopped on it, facing the ceiling, when we heard a knock at our door. “I'll get it, Sheen,” Libby informed me, and went over to open it. Standing before her with Jimmy's hypercube was Cindy. “I almost forgot! Don't forget your things!” she put in, pulling all the things we'd need out of it, from our clothes to our bathroom stuff.

Libby took them and thanked her, “Thanks, Cin!” She then shut the door again once Cindy retreated to her room.

“Okay, Sheen,” she said, laying our clothes neatly inside the dresser drawers provided, then placing our bathroom stuff and personal items in the bathroom, then returning to the bed I was still laying on and flopped beside me playfully, “Now what do we do?”

“I wanna order room service!” I immediately exclaimed, feeling all hyper, as usual.

“Sheen, it's almost 9:30 at night. We need to get ready for bed and get some sleep,” she gently reprimanded me, “B'sides, they're probably closed for the night. And I'm also worried about Jimmy a bit, but Cindy's probably more nervous about his well-being than I am.”

“Darn it!” I muttered loudly, sitting upright. Then I added, “Oh, well... We might as well do that.” Then I began undressing while Libby retreated to the bathroom to clean up.

Ten minutes later, she walked out wearing a silky nightgown, all pink and frilly. Whoa, BABY! ! She looks HOT! I thought excitedly, a stupid grin spreading on my face. “You look Ultra-AWESOME, Libs! !” I informed her.

She just giggled flirtatiously and commented, “Thanks, Sheen. Go get yo'self cleaned up an' teeth brushed, hon...”

As I went into the bathroom, I glanced out of the corner of my eye at her, hearing her giggle quietly to herself as she climbed into bed. I got myself cleaned up, then returned to bed and climbed in with her.

After a minute or 2, I noted with a slight shiver, “It's a bit chilly, babe. Let's pull up that extra blanket at the end of the bed...”

“Well, no wonder, silly goose! You've only got boxers on!” she replied, giggling while pulling up the more insulating blanket over us.

“That's better. Thanks, Libs!” I thanked her.

“Don't mention it, sweetie. Now let's get some sleep...,” Libby murmured, almost half asleep. She must've been in a friendly mood, because she right afterwords began cuddling with me, a favor of which I gladly returned. We fell asleep within half an hour after that.

Even as I slept, I never forgot about Jimmy. Heck, I even dreamed that he was gonna be back to normal the next day that night. I sure hoped that would eventually come true, cuz he's my best friend. During my dream, I felt myself muttering, “Hang in there, Jimmy... You're in good hands.”

Before I knew it, morning arrived. I gradually opened my eyes to the bright sunshine shining right in my eyes. Very gently, I shook Libby's shoulder to wake her. “It's morning, Libby,” I told her.

“'Mornin', Sheen,” she muttered sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Then they flew open, as she seemed to realize something. She sat bolt upright in bed and worriedly asked, “Sheen, how late did we sleep? !”

I turned to face the digital clock right next to us, and saw that it was rather late in the morning. “Ten-thirty, Libby...,” I told her, “What's up?”

“Sheen, we're REALLY late fo' school! ! It's 11:30am in Retroville! ! !” she shrieked, flying out of bed and scrambling to get some clothes on. I just sat up and stared, bewildered. “Well, don't just SIT there! Get movin'! !” she scolded, rapidly gathering our things, then added, “Put some clothes on, sheesh! !”

I looked down and felt my face turn beet red. Right then, a knock was heard at the door, followed by the doorknob jiggling. It opened a bit to reveal a cleaning lady, and a downright hot one at that! I just shrieked in embarrassment, causing her to quickly shut the door. Just brilliant... Great! How embarrassing! ! I must've kicked these off during the night! I thought, grimacing, picking up my shorts from the floor, Gotta get dressed, NOW! ! ! With that, I skeedaddled to the bathroom with some clothes and threw them on in a flash. Once I was wearing them, I felt my embarrassment leave me.

We finished picking up our things and ran to Cindy's room. Libby banged on the door and hollered, “Cin, Carl, get yo'selves in gear! ! We missed a TON o' school!”

We then heard her reply, “Sheen, Libby, cool your jets! There's no school today; teacher work day.”

“Well,” Libby replied worriedly, “We still gotta see how Jimmy's doin'! Aren't ya worried about him? !”

“Of course!” Cindy said, with some rustling around being heard in the room, “C'mon, Carl! Let's go!”

A minute or 2 later, she and Carl emerged with their stuff and the hypercube. We all piled it in, then rode the elevator and hit the lobby soon afterward. We grabbed a couple things from the brunch buffet, then hurried out to the hovercar, hoping against hope Jimmy was recovering fine...

[Katia11]

Have I ever told you that I love the way you write Libby?

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Aw, why, thank you, Kate! Since it's been over a week, I think it's time for another chapter, this time in Carl's POV!! Here ya go!


Emerging Compassions

Chapter 35: Wonderful News!
(Carl's POV)


Once we arrived at the hospital again, we all, including Goddard, hurried in to find out if Jimmy had improved any. We checked with the front desk, then retreated to the waiting room we'd been in only the previous day. We heard a call over the intercom stating that the doctor was on his way to inform us how our genius friend was doing. “Finally...,” I muttered, turning to face the direction he was headed from, “I hope it's some good news.”

“So do I, Carl,” Cindy sighed in agreement, looking in the same direction as I was.

A few moments later, Dr. Lang arrived. I could tell by the look on his face that it wasn't good news he was gonna share with us...

“Eh, what's up, doc?” Sheen asked playfully again. I couldn't help but giggle quietly to myself; that was a pretty good pun!

“That's beginning to get old, young man,” the doctor gently scolded him. Then he continued, “Your friend James continues to be in a coma. We're doing everything we can to keep him as stable as possible. We've been monitoring his health, and according to our calculations, he should come out of his coma within a week, seeing as his concussion wasn't as major as it could've been... We'll keep you informed as his condition progresses.” He then left to head back to his medical duties with his attendants at hand.

“Wow, even just a WEEK seems like an eternity to me! !” Sheen put in once he'd left.

“We're just gonna have to wait, Sheen,” Libby informed him, taking his hand in hers, “I'm sure these next several days will just FLY by...”

“I sure hope so,” I groaned, resting my chin in my palms with a sigh.

Goddard just cocked his head a bit, then licked me a couple times.

“Thanks, Goddard. I needed that,” I gratefully told him, patting him on the head.

About 2 hours later, which seemed to take forever, by the way, a nurse came up and informed us, “Visiting hours are over for a couple hours, kids...”

“Hey, we're not kids! We're teens, lady! !” Sheen barked at her, standing up immediately and glaring at her.

“SHEEN! ! !” Libby snapped, slapping his face, “Be polite!”

“Ow! Okay, Libby, jeez! !” he exclaimed, rubbing the side of his face.

Cindy just winked at her with a slightly ticked off look on her face, then politely told the nurse, “Okay, we'll be off now, ma'am... C'mon, guys. Let's head on home.”

We all got up from our seats and followed her out to the hovercar. She set the coordinates for Retroville, turned on the autopilot, and we were soon on our way.

About half an hour later, which is how long it took with how fast the hovercar was, we were home. Boy, it sure wasn't the same in Retroville without Jimmy.

Before we knew it, Judy and Hugh came rushing out of their home and right up to the 4 of us. Without a moment's hesitance, she anxiously asked, “Is my baby okay? ! How much longer is he going to be in the hospital? !”

“Calm down, calm DOWN, Mrs. Neutron!” Cindy reassured them, “With the current care he's receiving, they said he should be out of his coma within a week. I'm just as glad as you are that his concussion wasn't worse than it is now! Just call me if you need to talk, Judy.” With that, she gave Judy a big bear hug to reassure them that he'd be okay soon enough. She gladly returned the favor and replied gratefully, “Thank you, Cindy. I certainly will. Let's go, Hugh.” The 2 parents then left to head back into their home.

It would be a long 6 days before we heard anything about Jimmy again, and when that day finally came, boy, were we thrilled!

We were just minding our own business at the Candy Bar when Cindy's cell phone rang. She immediately grabbed it and informed us, “Hey, guys! I think this is the doctor who's taking care of Jimmy!”

THAT got our attention! We hurried over to her to see what the doctor would say...

“Hello? Yes, this is Cindy Vortex. Is this Dr. Ethan Lang? Oh, good! How is he? He IS? ! Wonderful! ! How soon may we come visit him? Today, you say, this afternoon? Excellent! See you then! Good-bye!” she conversed with him, then hung up with a huge, excited grin on her face.

“Well, someone's sure excited!” Sheen observed.

“I sure am! Dr. Lang said we could come visit him this afternoon, and he's scheduled to come home this evening! !” Cindy squealed with excitement.

“I am SO glad t' see my girl upbeat an' happy again!” Libby commented, “That is such wonderful news!”

“I know! !” she exclaimed, jumping out of her seat with the rest of us and giving her a tight squeeze out of sheer joy, which Libby gladly returned.

As for Sheen and me, we just hooked arms and “happy-danced” for, like, 2 minutes straight.

After we all calmed down, Cindy checked the time on her cell phone. “It's 3:20, so let's go pay him a visit, shall we?” she suggested, motioning us to follow her, which we happily did. We ended up at Jimmy's clubhouse, and there his newest rocket sat, ready to be used for the first time. It resembled his old JimBus from when he was 11, only more hi-tech and roomier.

“We'll be using this, since I've no idea what fuel he uses for his hovercar,” Cindy added, “So, hop in! I'll take the controls, since he taught me how to drive this thing in the 11^th grade when he made this.” We strapped ourselves in, she took the controls, and we blasted off toward Phoenix, making sure we brought Jimmy some fresh clothes since he was coming home that day. Boy, was he gonna be in for a SURPRISE! !

END OF PART 1...

[Katia11]

WOW! Congrats, Em!

good chappie, as always! XD

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Okay, so it's been almost a month since I last updated, but I only did so to increase the suspense and anticipation of this truly EPIC fic!! Okay, enough of my blabbering... ON with this fic!!!

PART 2 BEGIN!!!

Emerging Compassions

Chapter 36: Headed Home!
(Jimmy's POV)


I didn't know how long I was out cold, but what I do know was that I couldn't remember, or even sense, anything from memory or the world around me. Little did I know at the time I'd slipped into a coma for a week, but that all changed on the 8^th day I was at the hospital. First, I began hearing muddled voices that didn't make any logical sense at all when I began regaining consciousness; they only sounded like gibberish around me for the first couple hours. Then, it began to come into focus, first my hearing, then my other senses followed until I could sense everything around me. And when I was fully awake, I was in for a shock!

For one thing, my right arm was suspended in a sling held by pulleys bolted to a metal rod that was attached to the wall behind me. It hurt excruciatingly to maneuver it in the slightest. My head was also bandaged up, and I got severe headaches every now and then. An IV was attached to my left arm with a hospital wristband on it, along with my special watch they surprisingly let me keep with me. And, as usual for hospital stays, I donned a light blue hospital gown.

That afternoon on the day I regained consciousness, a nurse came in to assist me and check the usual medical vital signs. When she was finished taking my blood pressure and other such duties, I was surprised to learn she had some news for me. “I've got some exciting news for you, Jimmy!” the nurse, whose name was Theresa, informed me.

“What might that be? ?” I asked, my heart beginning to pound with excitement while I tried to keep a serious expression on my face.

Theresa just laughed and said, pointing to the heart monitor, “I can see right through your 'serious' expression, James. Your heart rate just increased dramatically, indicating you're excited about the news I'm about to give you! You're really rather amusing!”

“So, what's this exciting news of yours, ma'am?” I persisted, rather anxious to know what it was.

“You have 4 visitors coming to see you, and a robotic one, I believe, as well!” she told me, a confident look on her face.

“Holy Heisenberg!” I exclaimed, beaming with joy, “I know just who you're referring to! !”

Theresa giggled again and added as she left, “I'm sure you do! They'll be here in 20 minutes. Take care now.”

I just couldn't believe my ears! My best friends in the whole universe, plus Goddard, were coming to visit me! This was just so invigorating to hear! Just thinking about this made me almost hysterical with emotion, so much so that I temporarily forgot my arm was broken and moved it a bit. Boy, THAT really hurt! “OW! ! I forgot about that!” I groaned a bit, grimacing from that bit of pain I just experienced. But the feeling soon passed, for I just couldn't WAIT for them to get there and see me, especially Cindy!

It was about 10 minutes after that that I heard an impatient knock on my door. I just rolled my eyes sarcastically; I knew that was Sheen any day! “Come on in, you guys!” I hollered.

Sheen was the first to come in, spastic as he usually was, rushing in all hyped on sugar, I suspected. The rest of them entered in a calmer manner than him.

The moment Cindy laid eyes on me, she hurried over and gently hugged me, carefully avoiding my injured arm. She then kissed me and said with a sigh of relief, “I'd thought I'd LOST you, Jimmy! Oh, I'm so grateful that you're alive! !”

“I'd feel the same way if you were in my situation, Cindy. How long was I out of sorts, ya know, in a coma?” I wanted to know.

“You were out cold for a week, Jim,” she commented, caressing my cheek with her hand ever so gently.

“Thanks so much for saving me, Cindy,” I gratefully thanked her, gently pressing her hand against my face with my good hand, then I joked with a good laugh, “Looks like I'll have to force myself to be a lefty instead of a right-y!”

“You're 'right' about that!” Sheen teased, snickering.

“Good one, Sheen!” Carl noted, laughing.

Even Cindy laughed when she heard that one! That was a first! Then she replied to my grateful comment, “You are SO welcome, hon...”

Then I thought of something: how badly WAS my arm broken? I was about to call for the nurse again, but Cindy stopped me and added, “Whatever question you may have, Jimmy, I'm positive I can answer it for you.”

“Do you know how badly my arm was broken?” I questioned her.

“Your forearm was literally snapped in 2, radius and ulna region, so they had to perform surgery to straighten them so they can heal properly. Dr. Lang informed me of that,” she explained.

Right at that moment, Nurse Theresa walked in, seeming to hear Cindy's last comment, because she informed us, “These screws that we inserted into your forearm are biological; they will remain partially metallic while your arm straightens and heals. Once completely healed, they will gradually degrade into the same material your bones are made of within 2 weeks afterwords. It's our latest advancement in bone regeneration.”

“Incredible!” I gasped in awe, “Leapin' leptons, your hospital's medical marvels are astounding! !”

“I'm very glad you think so, James,” Theresa said with a smile. Then she added, removing the IV and the wristband, “We need to get you ready to go home this evening. I'll very carefully lift your bandaged arm out of this sling, then set in this rolling support rod and come with me. We're gonna fit you for a cast that you'll be able to use at home or on the go. The rest of you, please go wait in the waiting room downstairs, if you would, please.”

As they were leaving, I couldn't help but hear Sheen tease me, saying, “I see London, I see- Oh, dang! Say no to crack!” With that, he began laughing hysterically. Feeling myself blush extremely hard, I used my free hand to keep the back of my gown shut. Now THAT was embarrassing! !

While the rest of them retreated to the downstairs waiting room, I was taken upstairs to the X-ray/cast-manufacturing room. As I was taken in, I took a look around and thought, Whoa! This hi-tech equipment is incredible! Totally state of the art! ! I just took it all in with an amazed and awestruck expression, taking a seat in one of the chairs provided next to one of the examination tables. Very carefully, but not without wincing in pain a bit, I extremely cautiously laid my injured arm on the table to be examined. Measurements were soon taken, and the former bandage was incredibly carefully removed. Then my arm was very carefully bandaged in gauze up to just below my elbow until firm, then a sturdier material was used to cover that. A final colored material was the outermost layer that made the cast incredibly strong, so much so that not even a hammer could crack it, thus protecting my forearm from further damage.

Once that was finished, Theresa returned to assess my head injuries. She cautiously removed the bandages, then told me, “Your wounds are healing splendidly! You'll only need a small bandage over your head wounds this time.” She took a piece of gauze, sprayed some antibiotics on it, then placed it on my forehead and secured it with a couple strips of medical tape. The spray stung a little, but I just reminded myself that it was just killing the disease-carrying organisms so my wound could heal.

I was then led back out and headed downstairs to the lobby where the others were waiting, still clutching the back of my gown so I wouldn't embarrass myself again.

“Hey, Neutron!” Libby hollered at me, “We broughtcha some extra clothes! Here, Cindy, take them to him.”

“Thanks, Libs, I will,” she replied, taking my hypercube to me, then telling me discretely, pointing, “Your clothes are in there. You can change in the nearby bathroom.”

Luckily, I could still clutch things in my right hand, I just couldn't move my wrist any. While still using my left to cover myself up, I took it with the other, saying, “Thanks, Cin.” I then went to the bathroom to change, emerging about 5 minutes later, feeling very relieved to be dressed normally again.

I just then noticed that Goddard was with them, so I called, “Here, boy! Here, Goddard!” He bounded up to me, jumped up, and began licking my face like crazy! I just laughed and gently pushed him away, saying, “Okay, boy, that's enough! I'm glad to see you, too!”

The 5 of us, plus Goddard, returned to the front desk. The woman managing it informed us, starting with me, “Well, James Neutron, you are recovering just splendidly! Your friends really have proved their true loyalty to you, and I commend you all for that. Dr. Lang has given you permission to return home. Just stay out of trouble while your body's healing, alright? All of you have a wonderful day, now! Take care now!”

“Thanks, ma'am!” we thanked her, and returned to our current mode of transportation, which happened to be my newest rocket that time. Then I wondered something: what happened to my hovercar? So I questioned, “Cindy, where's my hovercar?”

“At your place,” she replied, “I didn't know what fuel you used for it since it ran out last, so I used this one, since you taught me how to drive it and all, heh-heh...”

“Well, that's fine with me, Cin,” I informed her politely, taking the controls, starting it up, and rocketing out of there in no time at all. It was surprisingly easy to do so even with a cast on my arm.

With that rapid form of transportation, we were back in Retroville within 20 minutes. I had just landed in my front yard and stepped out with the rest of them when my mom came running up to me with outstretched arms. I hugged her back as she said, “Jimmy, oh, Jimmy! ! I was so desperately WORRIED about you! I'm so glad you're alright now! ! !”

“I'm fine now, Mom,” I reassured her, “Those doctors in Phoenix were the best ever! It was a miracle I was only in a coma for a week!” Then I remembered something and added, “The screws that they've put inside my arm are part biological, Mom! Once my arm has completely healed, within 2 weeks, they'll take on the exact same material that my bones are made of.”

“Is technology incredible or what, sweetie? !” she gasped in awe.

“It sure is, Mom, it sure is!” I responded confidently.

Then, suddenly, we heard a familiar cry of pain. I turned to see where it originated and saw that it was Cindy!

She groaned in pain as she gasped, “Jimmy, quick! Get a doctor! ! I think I'm in LABOR! ! ! EEEERRRRRGGGHHH! ! ! ! !”

It wasn't long before I heard yet another cry of agony, and saw that it was Libby! “Make that 2 ladies in labor, Neutron! DO somethin'! AAAUUGH! ! ! !”

Brilliant, just brilliant... I thought sarcastically to myself, In labor right on graduation day...! !

[Katia11]

Oh dear!

Also, Sheen's joke about being 'right' made me laugh out loud. for serious. XD

[Neutron12]

Part 2 is off to a great start! Both of them in labor on graduation day? What are the odds! This will definitely make it an interesting graduation night for the gang.

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

I think 6 days is long enough to wait for this chapter, Chapter 37!! Hope ya like it!!


Emerging Compassions

Chapter 37: Adding Injury to Labor Pains...
(Cindy's POV)


The feeling of being in labor can be compared to the feeling of turning inside-out or being split in half from the general waist area upward, and that's what being in labor felt like to me that day. It couldn't have happened on a worse day, which was the day we were scheduled to have our graduation ceremony.

“Cindy, are you okay? ?” Carl wanted to know, concerned.

With a huge strain in my voice as I tried to ride through the intense pain I was experiencing, I snapped, “Do I look okay, Llama-Boy? ! I'm in LABOR, here! ! !” I looked over at Libby and saw that she was in similar pain to mine. Her contractions had forced her to sit right where she stood, straining immensely hard against it. With the both of us going through the same thing, I understood how she felt... I felt another intense contraction, then it finally subsided for the time being. “Whew! They're finished, at least for now...,” I muttered, breathing a sigh of relief.

Libby groaned immensely, straining under the pain and pressure, then breathed a sigh of relief as her contractions seemed to subside for the moment, saying as she stood back up, “Phew, for the time bein', they're over...”

“Now...,” I told them with a sigh of relief, “We oughtta start getting ready for our graduation ceremony! It starts at 7:30, so we have about 3 hours to prepare.”

“I agree, Cin! Let's go!” Libby agreed, the 2 of us about to head to my place, but Jimmy stopped us.

“Cindy, Libby, are you kidding me? ! !” Jimmy exclaimed in disbelief, “Your bodies need this time to prepare for the birth of your children! ! You've just had your first set of contractions, and they're bound to become progressively more frequent as time passes!”

Sheen nodded and added, “He makes a forceful argument...”

“Jimmy,” I retorted, “I've waited my entire LIFE for this moment, and I am NOT about to pass up this glorious opportunity, labor pains or not! I'm not about to ruin my perfect attendance record, and that includes our graduation ceremony! !”

Emitting a sigh of defeat, he said, “Alright, Cindy, you win. But, as SOON as the ceremony's over, I'm escorting the both of you to the hospital! Are we clear? !”

“Crystal,” the 2 of us chimed in unison. Then I put in, “Let's go prepare ourselves, shall we? Libs and I will head to my place, and the 3 of you boys will use Jimmy's place.”

“Deal!” the 5 of us agreed in unison, heading in separate directions to opposite homes.

Libby and I then headed to my place to prepare for the ceremony. After we headed inside and as we were ascending the stairs towards my room, I groaned as another contraction made itself known, forcing me to grab the railing as I bent over under the pressure.

Libby turned around and asked, “Cin, are ya SURE you're okay? ?”

Righting myself after a few moments, I replied with a deep breath, “Whew... Yeah, I'm fine. That was just a little one...”

She just glared at me slightly and muttered, “For now...”

The 2 of us retreated the rest of the way to my room, then shut the door behind us.

Libby took a seat in one of my fluffy lounge chairs, then wanted to know, “So, ya got any fancy outfits fo' us to wear this evenin'?”

I gave her a wink and nodded, saying, “You bet, Libs!” I reassured her, opening my closet's folding doors to reveal its contents, then picked out the 2 dresses we each would wear that evening and laid them neatly on my bed.

Then, Libby suddenly hunched over and groaned again, complaining, “Oh, great... Another contraction...” A few moments later, it seemed to subside as she sat upright again. “It's gone for now...,” she informed me, then took a look at the dresses I'd laid out and got all starry-eyed.

“Well, what do ya think?” I asked, hands on my hips.

“Oh, it's absolutely gorgeous! ! ! Lavender is TOTALLY my color, and I adore the decorative rhinestones! ! Thank goodness this came with spaghetti straps an' in maternity size!” Libby exclaimed, leaping from her seat, picking up the dress, and holding it up to herself while admiring herself in my full-length mirror.

“Well...,” I suggested, “Why don't ya go try it on in my bathroom? I'll try on mine, as well.” My dress was just like hers, except it was a deep hunter green and it had a little bit of a lime green lace trim just above the bust area and below the skirt's hemline at the ankles.

“Awesome! !” she squealed, and did just that while I changed into mine in my bedroom. She emerged right as I finished zipping mine up. We took one look at eachother and squealed with delight at how beautiful we looked.

When we caught our breath a few moments later, Libby put in, “Let's pick out our shoes now!”

“Do let's!” I agreed, and we each picked out open-toe stiletto heels that matched our dresses and large rhinestones adorning the toe area. I gasped and practically squeaked, “Oh, my gosh! SO CUTE! !”

“Let's do our hair an' make-up now!” Libby told me excitedly, so we both hurried into the bathroom and applied it to our faces, lipstick, blush, eye shadow, the like... I spritzed on some body glitter spray, strawberry-scented, to my neck, chest, temple, and cheek bone regions for good measure, as did Libby.

I first braided my ponytail into a few braids, then twisted them around to form a bun and secured it with a few large, sparkly green flower clips. Libby stuck with her classic look adorned with mini lavender butterfly clips. All that primping took a good 2 and a half hours since we had contractions every so often.

“Last, but not least, jewelry!” I announced, rushing over to my jewelry box with her and selecting green rhinestone themed jewelry while Libby chose some amethyst pieces.

We each grabbed our matching purses, each with lipstick and our cell phones, and my Eau d' Amino Acid perfume in mine for good measure, as we headed out of the house and waited for Jimmy to escort us to Lindbergh High School in his hovercar.

The boys emerged from Jimmy's place within minutes, and I had to admit, they looked pretty fashionable for a few nerds, but that hardly even covered the surface when it came to Jimmy... He donned a tuxedo, not unlike what he had worn at that fake wedding for Jet Fusion and Beautiful Gorgeous so many years ago, and his hair was slicked back just like the time we were kid newscasters. He was definitely a LOT hotter compared to back then! !

I snapped back to reality with a jolt, making me suddenly jump a bit, when I heard Jimmy ask of us, seated in his hovercar's driver's seat with Carl and Sheen, “So, Cindy, Libby, shall we head over to the school now?”

“Oh, yes, of course!” I managed to say as she and I climbed in, I choosing the seat right next to him. Out of the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but notice Libby rolling her eyes at me sarcastically.

“Are we all buckled in?” Jimmy wanted to know before we took off.

“We are, but Carl isn't,” Sheen teased, poking Carl playfully.

“Ow! Be careful, Sheen!” he yelped, rubbing his shoulder, “And yes, I AM buckled up, Sheen! ! !” He then blew a strawberry at him for good measure.

“You 2 either settle down or I'll have your parents take you!” Jimmy scolded.

“Sorry...,” the 2 boys muttered in unison, buckling themselves in like he, Libby, and I had already done.

“Good. Now, let's go,” he told us, starting up his hovercar and taking us on our way.

It only took us 10 minutes at the most to reach our school, then he piloted the hovercar to the parking lot and settled into a parking space. We all got out and proceeded to head inside.

We were heading upstairs to the second level and towards the rooms where we'd prepare for the ceremony when I grabbed the railing and lurched forward again, yet again in the pains of another contraction. That time, it lasted almost a whole minute before I could catch my breath again. Jimmy took notice and questioned, concerned, “Are you SURE you still wanna go through with this, Cin? ?”

I caught my breath and stood straight up again, then remarked with a light scoff, “Jimmy, are you kidding me? ! Like I told ya before, I can handle myself, and I am NOT about to pass this up! ! !”

“If you say so, Cindy...,” he said, but not without a stroke of intense concern in his tone of voice.

We then continued up the stairs to the second level of the school, then split into guys and girls as we headed to separate rooms to prepare for the ceremony.

When Libby and I arrived, we noticed that several more of our female classmates had gathered in the same room as us, putting the finishing touches on their hair, make-up, or anything else that needed last-minute primping.

Just before we headed down one of the hallways that connected the dressing rooms, guys and girls, to the auditorium where the graduation ceremony was taking place, I grabbed Britney's arm and snapped, “Britney Tenelli, a word? !”

“Uh, sure, Cindy...,” she replied in an unsure tone, following me to where we were out of hearing range of the others. Then she added with a questionable look in her eyes, “What, like, IS it, Cindy? ?”

“Remember a couple weeks ago, when my friends and I finally got back from being missing for a couple months? SOMEONE started a rumor back then about Libby and me being sluts and the 2 of us sleeping around. Was that you? !” I hissed, tightly clutching my lime green pocketbook.

“Like, it was NOT me-,” she began, but I didn't let her finish.

“Look, I KNOW it was you, cuz both you and Oleander are the school blabbermouths! Either admit it, or you'll be walking out of this school tied hand and foot with only your hair! ! !” I sneered, getting close to getting up IN her face. When it involves clearing things up about some rumor, I sure as heck don't mess around!

“Okay, OKAY, Cindy, jeez! !” Britney stammered, gently pushing me away from her, “Just get outta my, like, personal space, okay? ? I admit it; it was, like, me who started the rumor... Just don't hurt me! !”

I finally let go of her, satisfied that she'd admitted the truth to me. The 2 of us then joined the rest of the girls, and by then, they were already lined up alphabetically according to last name.

While waiting for my name to be called, I yet again felt another excruciating contraction, forcing me to bend over from the pain while clutching my protruding stomach. Britney obviously noticed my cries of pain, so she turned to face me and asked, taking one of my hands to support me, “Like, are you okay, Cindy? Do you, like, need to sit down?”

After an excruciating 5 minutes of labor pains, I stood upright again and informed her, “No, I'm fine now, Brit.” I looked ahead of me and saw that they were all the way down to the “N's”, with Jimmy accepting his diploma next.

This continued in an orderly fashion for the next 10 minutes until I heard my name being called by Principal Willoughby, me being one of the last students, with only Nissa Wellington, Carl Wheezer, and Ike Wolvermein still to accept theirs. I walked formally up to accept my diploma when I felt something wet. I knew immediately what had happened: my water had just broken and I had just started to go into true labor! With that, I walked quickly up to the principal, grabbed my diploma, then hurried offstage to the first 2 rows of seats and up to where Jimmy was already seated with Libby and Sheen not far off, breathing heavily.

“Is it time? !” he anxiously wanted to know.

“You bet! !” I told him as Carl was receiving his diploma. He apparently saw how much in pain I was, so he hurried down and joined us.

“We have GOT to get you to the hospital, STAT! !” Jimmy exclaimed, grabbing my arm and rushing me to the nearest exit, then down the stairs to the first floor with the others not far behind.

I was apparently running too fast in my stiletto heels, so on the last step to the first floor, I tripped and, since Jimmy was still clutching my arm, sent both of us flying forward and onto our stomachs. Thankfully, the floor below was carpeted and that softened the blow a bit.

“Ouch...,” he muttered, rubbing his left forearm with his other hand, though it had the cast on it. He then sat up and looked over at me, saying while grabbing one of my arms and helping me up, “Cindy, are you alright? !”

Sitting completely upright, I stated, “I think so... I-” But when I tried to stand up, an intense pain flew through my right ankle as I put pressure on it. “YEOW! ! !” I yelped, the pain sending me back down onto my left knee with my right leg extended in front of me, “I think I just sprained it!”

Libby hurried over to me, being careful not to fall herself since she was also wearing stiletto heels, and knelt down beside me, asking while putting slight finger pressure on my ankle, “Does that hurt?”

I grimaced in pain as I replied, trying not to yell and attract attention, “Yes, OW! !” Then another familiar pain made itself known: another contraction, only that time I was in actual labor! I winced and groaned immensely, trying my hardest to fight the urge to push.

“It's sprained, all right! Let's get you to the hospital now!” Jimmy exclaimed, then added while picking me up, “Looks like I'll be carrying you since your ankle's sprained! Let's go, guys!”

With that, he whisked me off to the hovercar with the others not far behind. I just wrapped my arms around his neck gently while he rushed me over there. He then set me in the back of his hovercar, saying, “You'll do best in the back where there's more room for you to lay down. Sheen, you can take the front with me.”

“Sweet! Shotgun! !” Sheen announced while clambering into the front passenger seat. Carl and Libby got in on either side of me and buckled themselves in, then Libby, being the awesome best friend she is, buckled me in, as well. Sheen and Jimmy were the last ones to buckle up, then he started it up and sent us outta there in a flash!

While on the way there, Libby gasped and looked down at her lap, then interjected hurriedly, “Neutron, ya better hurry up! My water just broke, too!”

I laid my arm around her shoulder and reassured her, straining against the urge to push, “Just hang in there, Libs. I'm sure we'll be just fine!”

“Hang in there, ladies! We're almost there!” Jimmy put in as we fast approached the hospital.

[Katia11]

Intense!

[Neutron12]

Yay, new chapter! And this story keeps getter better and better

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

Now, this next chapter's gonna be a real "gripper"!! It gets pretty intense at times, but that's what makes it so special! Here's Chapter 38! Hope ya enjoy it!


Emerging Compassions

Chapter 38: Two Little Miracles!
(Libby's POV)


Right as we entered the parking lot of Retroville Memorial Hospital, I heard a familiar ringtone resound. I checked inside my pocketbook to see if it was mine, but my phone wasn't ringing. I glanced over and saw Cindy pick hers up, even though she was in an incredible amount of pain, as was I. She apparently saw me with a questionable look on my face, so she told me, “It's Nissa...

“Yes, Nissa. I'm fully aware of that! What did you call for when Libs and I are about to head into the hospital while in labor? ! You should be fully aware of that; you saw me with my contractions while at the ceremony! Yes, you may come see them after they're born, but for the time being, we need to be alone with our friends. Thanks, Nissa; we'll need it... Good-bye, Nissa,” she informed the individual on the other end, then hung up.

“So, that was Nissa?” I asked, trying to keep my cool while straining against the urge to push.

“Yeah, Libs,” Cindy told me, then added, “We'd better get in there! Our kids are gonna be born any time now! !”

Jimmy clambered out of his hovercar, then grabbed Cindy from her post in the back seat. “Hang in there, Cindy! We're on our way in!” he reassured her, carrying her ever so gently while she had her arms draped around his neck.

Sheen, being the wonderful boyfriend that he is, helped me out, then let me lay my arm over his shoulder as he walked me inside while Carl got out on his own and hurried up to the rest of us.

While Sheen gently yet somewhat quickly walked me into the hospital, Jimmy, on the other hand, with amazing endurance and strength for someone his height and build, rapidly rushed Cindy inside while making sure to hold onto her tightly. As soon as they reached the front desk, Sheen and I arrived a couple moments later with Carl rushing up behind us, breathing heavily to catch his breath.

“May I help you?” the woman at the front desk questioned helpfully, a friendly smile on her face.

“Hello? ! ! I'm in LABOR, here! !” Cindy snapped, glaring at her despite the pain she was experiencing.

“You GOTTA help my girlfriend! She's gonna have a baby! !” Sheen exclaimed, banging the counter with his fist.

I just screamed in pain as it continued to worsen while the seconds ticked by, breathing heavily, which I'm sure made everyone around me cringe.

She immediately got a frightened look on her face, then rushed off to find a labor and delivery doctor to assist us.

Moments later, she returned with a doctor to assist us. He appeared to have a Japanese ancestry, yet spoke with a perfect American accent when he introduced himself and said, “I am Dr. Watoshi. Please send these ladies to the Labor and Delivery ward, stat! Young man, I'm going to have to request that you let your girlfriend stand on her own.”

“With all due respect, doctor,” Jimmy informed him, a frustrated look on his face, “Cindy here has a sprained ankle!”

“Very well, then,” he replied, then turned to an attendant and requested, “Please get Cindy a wheelchair, if you will.”

The attendant hurried off for a few moments, then returned with a wheelchair at hand. Jimmy then very carefully set Cindy into it, making sure not to jar her sprained ankle. After they kissed eachother briefly, the attendant wheeled Cindy away to the delivery room.

Then, suddenly, my contractions became almost unbearable. “I can't...take it...anymore!” I cried with a huge strain in my voice, “I GOTTA sit down! !”

“Breathe, Libby, breathe!” Sheen urged me, “It helps a bit! Just like in Ep-”

“Not...NOW, Sheen...,” I snapped, breathing rhythmically. Right then was not the time for a childish UltraLord reference! Before I knew it, another attendant brought a wheelchair up, in which I gratefully sat down in. Sheen gave me a quick kiss, then the attendant wheeled me off with Dr. Watoshi at her side.

A few antagonizing minutes later, I was wheeled into the Labor and Delivery room, then handed a hospital gown to change into. I got up and made my way to the spare bathroom nearby with it, then emerged a minute or 2 later with my belongings in a plastic bag and carefully climbed into the bed provided. The attendant, Natasha, took my belongings to a nearby chair and set them beside it for me. It was only then that I looked over to my left and saw Cindy about 7 feet away, her ankle wrapped firmly in an Ace bandage to keep it secure. For the moment, she was resting in order to save energy for when it came time to deliver her child. That didn't seem like a half-bad idea to me, so I laid down and tried to relax. The contractions seemed to leave me for the time being, so then I could completely relax and rest myself. It was so comfortable I accidentally ended up falling asleep...

I was awakened by screams a few hours later around midnight, so I sat bolt upright and looked over at Cindy. She was in so much pain that she had broken into a sweat and become red in the face, practically in tears as she hunched over in the pain of another contraction. A nurse hurried in to check on her condition, then lifted the sheet and examined her. With a nod, she said to herself, “Mm-hm! Ten centimeters, fully dilated!” She got out a radio and informed the other end, “Cindy Vortex is ready to deliver her child!”

Almost immediately, 2 other nurses hurried in and prepared her for her big moment. Then, after her feet were placed in the provided footrests, the head nurse, Layla, encouraged her, “Okay, Cindy, take a deep breath and PUSH! !”

Gritting her teeth and red in the face, she strained and pushed as hard as she could as they counted to 10, then took a breather. These actions were repeated several times.

Then, I heard the door open and to my surprise, in came Jimmy and Sheen with masks and scrubs over their clothes.

“Sheen? Neutron? !” I gasped, “What are y'all doin' here? !”

Sheen came over to my bedside and stated, “I'd NEVER miss my girlfriend's big moment, Libs!”

“Same here! The doctor gave us permission to be here with you,” Jimmy added, then turned to Cindy and urged gently, “Hang in there, Cin! I can see a head emerging!”

With one last push, I heard another cry, but this time it wasn't Cindy! She'd just given birth to her child! As the child fully emerged, Jimmy excitedly informed her, “It's a girl, Cindy! It's our daughter!”

The umbilical cord was gently disconnected, then she was taken to be cleaned off and wrapped in a blanket.

“So, Cin,” I asked her, “What's her name?”

“Marie Curie Neutron,” she commented confidently, breathing a sigh of relief.

Then, almost like clockwork, I suddenly felt an almost unbearable pain that made me practically scream in agony. “It hurts! IT HURTS! ! !” I yelled, hunching over and placing my feet in the footrests while I grabbed the bed's handrails like a vicegrip.

Sheen laid his hand on mine and told me, “Hang in there, Libby! !”

While Marie was brought back in, Layla and a couple other nurses came to me and prepared me for labor. She lifted the sheet to check, then added to the others, “Yep, she's fully dilated! Libby, it's time.”

“Thank goodness!” I gasped.

“You probably feel an urge to push, right?” the second nurse, Christie, wanted to know.

I could only nod my reply as I grimaced through the pain.

“Now you can act on it!” she reassured me, then the same process Cindy went through was repeated several times, and an antagonizing 5 minutes later, I heard a welcome cry as my child entered the world. I breathed a sigh of relief as her umbilical cord was cut, then she was taken to be cleaned and wrapped up.

“What's her name, Libs?” Sheen asked.

“Taylor Swift Estevez,” I replied, a satisfied smile spread across my face.

“Aw, Libs, she's beautiful!” Cindy cooed as Taylor was brought back to me and placed in my arms.

“Thanks, Cindy... Marie is just darlin'!” I commented.

“Isn't she, though? ?” Jimmy whole-heartedly agreed with me, very tenderly stroking his daughter's chin.

Marie opened her sapphire eyes and gazed at her parents for a moment or 2, then I was astounded as she opened her mouth and uttered her first words, right after birth, “Mama. Dada.”

Sheen just stared, wide-eyed, and exclaimed, “Whoa! !”

“That's one smart child you've got there, Cin!” I complimented her as I began to nurse Taylor.

“I'm very impressed,” Cindy noted with a proud look in her eyes.

“Likewise! My parents once told me that, when I was first born, I'd spoken my first words, as well,” Jimmy added, a thoughtful look on his face, “Just like her to take after her father. I think we have a little genius here!”

“Congrats, Jimmy!” Sheen put in with a huge grin on his face.

“Yeah,” I agreed, “Congratulations!”

Adventures for our 2 little families were only just beginning!