So, yeah… Hope you're having fun…

Jack grimaced as he stripped out of his uniform. His shoulder was throwing fits. Not all that surprising, given that a couple of bullets had shredded up most of the muscles in the area, and taken out a few bones in their process.

He rid himself of the shirt and made short process of the t-shirt by cutting the fabric. There was no way he would be able to either put on or take off anything else than button downs on his own for the next couple of weeks.

He stared at the dressings in the mirror. They were waterproof, but the paddings were colored rust by his blood. He had an appointment with his doctor tomorrow to change them. He wasn't all that keen on seeing the wounds again, the first time around had been bad enough.

He turned around and looked at the shower. He wouldn't be able to shower without some kind of sling, but showering with the white sling he had on wasn't really an option either.

"Better go all football playoff '84 on this one…" he murmured to himself and stepped over to the drawers. He opened the top right one and searched through it until he found an elastic pantyhose. He tied a noose and tread his arm through it. Then he adjusted it and tied a second noose on it and placed it around his wrist. Then he unbuckled the real sling.

"Good thing my comrades won't see this…" he mused as he cast a second look in the mirror.

Then he turned on the water and stepped into the soothing cool-ish shower.

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After a good while, he turned the water off and stepped out. He dried himself off, and wrapped the towel around his waist when he realized that he had forgotten to grab a clean set of clothes before the shower.

Not thinking anything of it, he picked up the white sling off the floor and shoved the uniform into the basket filled with dirty clothes. Then he unlocked the bathroom door and headed towards his old bedroom.

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He had managed to put on some pants by the time the door to the bedroom was pulled open. Leaving him standing in a pair of worn-out jeans and his improvised pantyhose sling.

"Man, a little privacy. That's all I ask for!" he grumbled as he turned around to face his twin.

Nick was left standing dumb folded for a few seconds before he could react. His eyes were glued to the bloody dressings all around Jack's shoulder, and the one on his side, half-hidden by Jack's elbow.

"I was just going to say that the pancakes are done… But…" Nick furrowed his brows, studying the bandages. "What the heck really happened to your shoulder?"

"I dislocated it…"

"…And?" Nick demanded.

Jack shrugged his good shoulder and looked down to see that he was still partly undressed. Meaning his wounds couldn't be kept secret anymore.

"Crap." Jack sighed, "Okay, don't let Ma know… But I kinda…"

"You kinda what?"

"Kinda took a few bullets…" Jack grimaced, like he was ashamed of the fact.

"You really think I'm gonna let you make them believe that your shoulder is only dislocated?"

"I was hoping for that…"

"You're impossible…" Nick rolled his eyes, "Mom's gonna find out either way, and her wrath is not going to be any milder the longer you wait…"

"Nicky, please?"

"She's going to be pissed if you sweep this under the rug…" Nick reasoned.

"But…"

"Look, I can keep your secret. But Ma is going to be more pissed the longer it takes for you to tell her, or for her to figure it out on her own… What part of that don't you understand?"

"The part where I actually have to tell her… She'll look at me like I'm the clumsiest kid to ever walk this planet."

"Well, that's old news. Besides, I think we all agreed that you didn't only walk the earth, you came skidding in from the side, tackling everything in your way. You know… Tables, chairs, the occasional mailbox…"

Jack tried his best not to laugh, it was no secret that he had a wild streak in him. Enough for a whole football team actually.

"Alright… Guess you're right…"

"Now, you wanna get dressed before the pancakes get cold?"

Jack looked at the shirt he had placed on his old bed, and at the sling lying beside it, and the tan pantyhose currently holding his arm in an okay position.

"Yeah…" he sighed, looing at the Nick.

There was a pause when neither of them made a move. They both kept looking at the shirt and sling on the bed.

"Hey, man… Since you already know…" Jack trailed off, not sure if he should ask. "Could you…"

Jack nodded towards the things on his bed, and followed it up by a insecure smile.

"Help you?"

"Mhmm…" Jack nodded.

"Sure…" Nick walked closer, "But you're confessing to those injuries as soon as Ma and Pa gets home…"

"I swear…" Jack held his good hand up in a mock salute.

"Good… Now, how do you want to do this?"

"Shirt first…"

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"That's it!" Rita smiled as her younger brothers entered the kitchen again, "You look a little more familiar with a plaid shirt on…"

"Well, sure feels more like home…" Jack smiled back, taking his old seat at the dinner table.

"You ready for pancakes?"

"Born ready!" Jack grinned even wider, craving for one of his favorite comfort foods.

"But first Jackie here has something to tell us…" Nick said as he sat down beside Jack.

"Okay…?" Rita cocked her head sideways as she placed a plate with a stack of pancakes in front of Jack.

"I…" Jack bit his lower lip, searching for the best way to explain the situation. "I might have downplayed this whole shoulder thing…"

"Okay, so… Did you tear anything?"

"Kinda…"

"Kinda?"

"Go ahead, tell her. Or I will…"

"I got shot, okay."

"YOU GOT SHOT?" Rita yelped, her hand pressing down on her chest.

"Hey, nothing major! I'll be back in business soon…"

"Nothing major? How come I don't trust you on that one?" Rita asked as she planted her hands on her hips. "When were you going to tell us?"

"I didn't plan on telling anyone…" Jack admitted, looking down at the tabletop.

"Okay. No lies. No sugarcoating. How bad?"

"Five bullets, shoulder area. Three through and through's, two lodged in there. Surgically removed. Plus one near-miss to my side…"

"Near-miss?"

"Grace wound, have gotten worse wounds from barbed wire…"

"Okay…" Rita ran her hands through her long brunette hair, "Bone injuries?"

"Yeah…"

"It wasn't a question of if, it was meant as how many and where…"

"Oh…" Jack scratched his neck. "I have the X-rays in my duffle… You can see them later, Rizz…"

"Oh, JD…" Rita shook her head and kneeled down in front of her little brother, "You sure know how to keep your family on our toes, don't you?"

She finished with ruffling her hand through Jack's short hair.

Okay, so… Obviously, this was before Jack's wardrobe started to consist of ONLY dark colored fabrics. And a young Jack in a plaid shirt and worn out jeans? Whew! I'd like to see that!

Hope you're enjoying this so far!