"Friends"

"Friends" Chapter 31

JIMMY'S POV

I watched Higgins hold onto Nancy as she sobbed into his arms. I was so confused and I didn't understand why everyone was so mad at me... What was Higgins talking about when he asked me about drugs?
All I remember was having a few beers... Okay and maybe having a few shots... Or an entire bottle of tequila...
Oh my gosh what did I do?
When Nancy told me that I might not ever be able to see my daughter again, I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest... Winnie was my world and if she was taken from me, I don't know if I'd make it.
I watched as Higgins and Nancy carefully stood up off the floor and he pulled her out of the room. I was now alone.
I just wanted to rip all the needles out of my arm and run. I wanted to go hold my sweet little baby in my arms and tell her how sorry I was. I'm so glad I didn't have Winnie last night, if I did, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.
I wiped the tears away from my face and looked down at my hand that was in the cast. I don't remember hurting myself... I tried to move my wrist and a shooting pain made me wince. I carefully set my hand back down on the bed and I heard the door open again. I looked over and Higgins walked in by himself. He walked over to the side of my bed and brought his hands up to his eyes.
"Okay... Before someone screams at me again... Can I please ask you a few questions?" My voice was raspy and it hurt to swallow.
"Yeah, Jimmy... I guess." He sat down in the chair next to my bed.
"What the hell happened?"
He leaned forward and began to roll up his sleeves.
"You want the entire story?"
"Yeah... Tell me everything."
He took his time as he rolled up his sleeves and then sat back in the chair.
"Well, I went up to the studio and I was running really late... I went into your office and you weren't there. I asked around and no one had seen you that morning and apparently you missed a meeting? Anyways, I was really concerned so Miles and I went to your apartment and we found you lying on the floor, unconscious. When I got to you, you were barley breathing. I called 911 and Miles tried to get you to wake up. I have never seen him be so distraught. He couldn't stop crying..." He ran his fingers through his messy hair and took off his glasses. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked down at the floor. "Anyways, the ambulance got there and you were barely even alive... You had an insane amount of alcohol in your system and there was..." He shook his head and rubbed his forehead.
"What? There was what?" I sat up in my bed and tried not to focus on the pain that was throbbing in my head.
"There was... a bag of cocaine on your bathroom countertop. I wont even get into that yet... So... I got into the ambulance with you and that's when your heart stopped. Gosh, Jimmy... I..." His voice got quiet. "I thought that was it. I thought my best friend was gone..." He wiped his eyes and still kept his eyes down at the shiny hospital floor. "Then they shocked you, multiple times. You kept on coming back and then your heart would stop again... We got to the hospital and as they rolled you in, technically, you were dead. There was no pulse. They rolled you into a room and I couldn't go in. I honestly thought that that was it... Miles met up with me at the hospital and we just waited for a doctor to come out and tell us anything. I had to call your parents, Justin and Nancy." He looked up into my eyes. "Those were the hardest phone calls I have EVER had to make." His hands shook as he spoke. "So, they all arrived at the hospital and we all just waited... Finally, a doctor came out and said that you were alive and stable. They said that you had experienced a heart attack from the drugs and alcohol and that basically, you overdosed. Your entire family was crying and so shocked... So I came back here and waited till you woke up, and now you're here." He sat back in the chair and crossed his legs. "Now, before I ask you the question that every single person in that waiting room wants to know, I want you to understand that you are so fucking close to losing The Tonight Show, you understand me?"
I couldn't believe I did this. This all felt like a nightmare.
"Yeah..." I could hardly get the word out.
"Okay, now... When the hell did you get into cocaine, Jimmy? I want to know when, who, and how." He spoke to me so sternly, almost like a dad would.
"Steve..." His eyes shot up to mine. "I need you to listen to me, okay? I am not lying when I tell you that I don't know where I got it... I am so shocked and so confused by everything that just happened and I cant remember anything... I must've drank a lot and somehow got some... You and I both know that I don't do that stuff... Yeah sure I smoked back during SNL, but everyone did! I would never do cocaine... That's not me."
"But it was you, Jimmy. Do you realize what you have done? You could go to jail!! You could even be put in rehab..." He stood up and began to walk around the room. "Listen, I really need to go and talk to Lorne and the police... I believe you, Jimmy. I really do. I know that is not you but the police don't know that... The public doesn't know that!"
"Wait, people know?"
"Yeah, people know. It's kind of difficult to NOT notice Jimmy Fallon, Host of The Tonight Show being rolled in, on a stretcher, with a doctor straddling you, trying to get your heart to beat... People know... Now, I need to go make sure that you wont be put in jail..." He could tell that I was really concerned by the look on my face. "Jimmy," He took a step towards me and set his hand on my arm. "I wont let you loose your life, the one thing you love most in this world, okay? I'm not only talking about Winnie, I'm talking about your reputation, the show... I will try my best to... I will do the best I can, okay?" I shook my head.
He stormed out of the room and right before he left I called out his name. He stopped in the doorway and looked over to me.
"Can you please send my parents in?" He gave me a small smile and left me in the room.
Minutes later, I heard my door open and I saw my mom, my dad followed closely behind her.
"James..." Tears filled my mom's eyes and she ran over to me. She wrapped my arms around my head and buried her face into my neck. It was so hard, seeing her cry.
I can't believe I put my family and the people who love me into this situation... I could feel the knot in my throat get bigger. I wrapped my good arm around her and looked up to my dad. I couldn't tell if he was disappointed in me or mad or what...
"I- I'm so sorry..." My emotions took over me and I began to cry into my mom's hair. My dad walked to the other side of my bed and kissed me on my head. I felt him hold onto me tight.
"It's okay, son... It's okay..."
VALERIE'S POV
I woke up the next morning and looked at my phone.
12:48. I rolled over and saw Gio sleeping soundly next to me. I was completely happy until his name came into my head. I jumped out of bed and ran over to the couch. I opened my laptop and took a deep breath. I immediately typed in Jimmy's name into google.com and the first thing that came up was an article about what happened.

"The Tonight Show Host, Jimmy Fallon was found in his apartment yesterday afternoon by friends of the funnyman. There were complications and he was immediately rushed to the hospital. No further information has been released about Mr. Fallon."

I swore last night the News Anchor said that he had alcohol and drugs in his system... Hmmm. Maybe I dreamt that. I felt two hands began to massage my shoulders and I leaned back on the couch.
"Hi, Baby..." Gio leaned down to my ear and kissed my cheek. "What are you doing?" He continued to rub my shoulders.
"Oh, I was just looking up something... Jimmy is in the hospital." As soon as I said it, He stopped massaging me and he walked around and sat down.
"Oh, Is he alright?" He reached out and held my hand.
"I'm not sure..." I honestly couldn't tell if I was really upset about Jimmy or if I was just shocked.
"Well, I know you and him used to be really close... If you don't mind me asking, what happened with him?"
"Well, we dated around the time that my dad died... He was really good to me and just a really great thing for me, but things just didn't work out. I needed him and he couldn't be there for me. Simple as that." I closed the laptop and set it on the coffee table.
"Well, maybe you should call his family... make sure that he's oka-"
"No... We didn't really end on good terms... It's fine. I'm fine. Don't worry about it." I took my hand out of his and walked into the kitchen. I began to make some coffee when I heard Gio talking to someone on the phone. I completely ignored him and sat down at the kitchen table.
All of my memories with Jimmy began replaying through my head...

"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Jimmy!!! Happy Birthday to youuuuu!!!!" I watched Jimmy look down at the cake that his mom had just set down in front of him. He smiled and blew out the candles.
We had gone to his parent's house for his birthday and it was just really nice. It was just us four and I just loved being around his parents.
We all cheered and I felt someone's hand wrap around me. I looked up and Jim smiled down at me.
"How are you, Valerie? Jimmy hasn't brought you here in a while! You need to come more often..."
"Oh, I have been pretty good! And I agree with you... Your son needs to bring me down here more. I love it here." I smiled and looked back over to Jimmy. He was looking at us weird and then stood up. He ran over to me and pointed at my dad.
"Is he making you uncomfortable? Dad, stop being creepy..." We all laughed and Jim tightened his grip on me.
"No, son... I was just telling her how you should bring her here more often."
"I couldn't agree more, Dad. I would if I could..." He smiled at me and winked at me. "Come here." He pulled me away from his dad and we walked over to the cake. "You want some?" He reached for the knife and began to cut the cake.
"Nah, I'm good for now..."
"You sure?" He gave me a funny look and continued to cut more pieces.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Here, just try it..." He grabbed a piece of the cake with his bare hands and held it up to me. I jumped back and shook my head.
"You're disgusting! No!"
"Come on..." He took a step towards me.
"Jimmy, I said I'm fine!"
"Pleeeaaasseee? Just a little taste? Come on, its my birthday..." He made a sad face and I threw my hands up.
"Ugh fineeee..." I took a step towards him and he held the cake up to me. I began to take a bite when he shoved the entire piece into my face. I could hear him laughing but I couldn't see, due to the frosting that was now covering my eyes.
"Oh, you little asshole!" I wiped my eyes and playfully slapped him in the face with my hand that had icing on in.
"Oh game on!!!" He laughed and grabbed more of the cake. He reached up and hit the side of my head with more icing. I went to grab more of the cake to hit him with but he wrapped his arm around me and brought me to the floor. I couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous we were. In that moment, we were both truly happy. God, I miss having fun like that...

"Babe?" I looked up from my daydream and Gio was wearing some jeans and a plaid shirt, just like Jimmy used to. "I've been talking to you for like five minutes, are you alright?" He rolled up his sleeves and put on his glasses.
"Yeah I'm good."
"Okay... Well I have to go. They're having some sort of festival at the school today. Want to go with me?"
"No, I think I'll stay here today..."
"Okay, hun." He walked over to me and kissed me on my forehead. "Love you."
"Love you too..."
He walked out the door and I was left sitting there, drowning in my own thoughts.