Special thanks to xxxErinMonafxxx for giving this the once over. I look forward to everyone's feedback.
Chapter Four
"How you doing, partner?" Maria Baez asked. It was the first time she could see Danny since the first day he was in the hospital.
"Better," he whispered. "How's the case?"
"Ice cold, but your statement helped us narrow down which gang was behind the shooting." Maria sighed, 'I'm just glad you pulled through if you hadn't...Have you talked to your brother lately?"
"He was here a few hours ago before his patrol, I'm sorry if he's bugging you."
"It's not that," Maria replied. "I don't mind him asking questions but he's obsessed, Danny. He will not let it go, he's starting to remind me of you."
"When he comes to see me tomorrow I'll talk to him," Danny replied. "I noticed the change myself. Usually he's a pretty level headed kid."
"Word on the street was he roughed up a guy pretty good for pushing his partner, that it was debatable whether or not it was necessary."
Danny sighed and grimaced as he moved, "I'll talk to him. He's so sensitive...my dad says he should have been a priest. Look out for him, Maria, please. I can't right now."
Baez agreed, "You got it, Reagan. Get some rest, I'll see you again soon."
"Ribs and beers?" Eddie asked Jamie after their tour. After her ultimatum Jamie tried to reign in his urge to protect her and keep her safe and respect her right to defend herself.
"Sure, but can we go to the BBQ place instead of Ralph's. They have darts and it's not a cop hang out. I don't want to see too many people from the job. I need to talk to you about something I found out about the case."
Eddie agreed, "You drive, I took the subway. You can drive me home after."
Jamie secured his weapon and closed his locker, "Let's go."
He drove to the restaurant and they ordered a pitcher of beer and two buckets of ribs. "So what did you find out?" Eddie asked.
"The 5-4 definitely had guys sitting on the Santos gang and we know it wasn't Danny or Detective Baez. That leaves thirteen detectives most of which are reporting daily, only two have been out sick or MIA since the shooting, Detective Bailey and Detective Tomlin. So if we track them down we'll know who ran away the night Danny got shot."
"We'll see if we can get addresses and visit them on our day off," Eddie agreed. She was still going along to keep him under control.
As they talked and ate Jamie relaxed, he even laughed. He was getting close to solving this puzzle; maybe that would help him regain his senses and become her Jamie again.
"You want to shoot some darts?" Eddie asked when they were done eating. Jamie smiled, he felt at ease with Eddie, he didn't want to go home to face the loneliness.
They played two rounds before Jamie had to use the bathroom. He left her to reset the game and came back to two guys surrounding her.
"I told you I'm with someone," Eddie said firmly. "I don't want to play."
"Is there a problem here?" Jamie asked coming to Eddie's side. "The lady said she was with someone. She's with me."
Eddie wasn't sure exactly what happened but before she knew it Jamie was in a full-fledged fight with the two guys. True, they were hassling her but it was two against one. Eddie leapt into action, her police training and partner instinct kicking in hard. One of the guys shoved her at the bar, she felt her head smack the corner and blood start to run into her eyes.
By this time the bar was full of cops, the owner having called. Sergeant Renzulli knelt by Eddie, "You have to get that checked, Janko. I think it needs a couple of stitches."
Eddie was disoriented, "Where's Jamie? They were hitting him."
"I'm here, Eddie," she heard a breathless Jamie replied. His face was battered, his lips bleeding, "Let's get you to St. Vic's and get your head checked. Lean on me, I'll help you."
Jamie was very sore, he gave out the same as he got in the fight, but now Eddie needed him. "Reagan, you get checked out," Renzulli ordered. "And next time just call us or arrest the guy huh? Stop playing Rocky."
Jamie agreed as he carefully put Eddie in his car driving quickly to the closest ER.
Three hours, one CAT scan, and ten stitches later Jamie helped Eddie into her apartment. Her head and neck ached so the last thing she needed was Jamie slamming her door in another mini meltdown.
"What the hell, Reagan?" she griped.
"Me!? What were you thinking, Eddie, taking on those guys?"
"I don't know that it was two against one, that you needed back up. That one guy, Marcus, was slamming you in the wall."
"I had it! Why do you do this, Eddie? Why do you put yourself in danger?"
"I'm a cop, Jamie. We both put ourselves in danger every day. I know it's different because we are friends now outside work, but I had the same training you had, I can defend myself and you have to let me."
"You couldn't defend yourself against two drunks twice your size."
"Jamie, they were nearly twice your size! You would never have brought that to blows before Danny got hurt, but this new Jamie the Hothead got us both in a jam!"
"They were..."
"What? They were what?"
"They were going to hurt you, I had to stop them..."
"Jamie, listen to me. Helping me, fighting those drunks, going hard core on perps, it won't undo what happened to Danny. It won't put you in that alley to protect him. It won't bring Joe back, or Vinny. All it will do is get you killed, I don't want to lose you."
Jamie sat down on Eddie's couch, all the anger seeming to disappear at her words and the tears running down her cheeks.
"You are frightening me, Jamie, because we know where you are is so dangerous for us both."
"I'm sorry, Eddie. I don't mean...I just... You are my best friend. I would never have made it through those first few days without you and I guess I realized how much I depend on you. The thought that you could get hurt...that I could lose you too...I can't..." Jamie's voice broke and his whole body began to shake.
Eddie moved quickly to hold onto him, it was coming out now and Jamie needed her. "You won't lose me," she promised him holding him to her breast. "I promise you, Jamie. I'm here, I'm right here..." He clung to her arm with pain and the anger welling up in his chest so badly he could hardly breathe. Eddie could feel how tightly wound he was, how hard he was still fighting to maintain control. "Let it go," she encouraged softly. "Let it go Jamie."
With her softly spoke permission he did. It came in waves of sobs and screams of pain and pent up anger. Jamie cried for Danny, her cried for Vinny and Joe, he even cried for his mother. Eddie kept a solid hold on him as he rode the waves. He pulled away a few times to pace. He picked up his water glass and threw it at the door. "How dare they!" he exploded. "He's my brother, they are my brothers...How dare they...and I didn't stop it! Why didn't' I stop it?"
"You couldn't Jamie, you couldn't stop it. You were too young for Joe and you weren't anywhere near Danny. If you were there you would have taken that bullet for him, I know you would have, you love him so much...I know how it feels to see someone you care about hurting so much and there's nothing you can do...this is killing me to see you in such pain."
Jamie threw some of Eddie's book on the floor, then one of her throw pillows hit the window. He hit his knees then and put his face in his hands. He was exhausted, the toss of the pillow releasing the last of the anger. He was left now only with pain.
Eddie moved and sat beside him on the floor. She held him as he sobbed out the pain of past losses and tried to absorb some of the anguish. She prayed he would not pass out from hyperventilation he was breathing so hard and gasping for air. "Jamie, slow it down, slow down your breathing...listen my voice...Can you hear me?"
He nodded once. "Good, listen to my voice, feel the beat of my heart on your cheek…and breathe…breathe like me…"
Slowly, Jamie's breathing even off and his shudders started to taper. Eddie felt him grow heavy against her. She shifted so she was sitting against the sofa with Jamie's head in her lap. He was drained and sighed deeply, "I'm here Jamie…I'm here…go to sleep…All through the night I'll be here."
