SURPRISE! Bonus Day! You guys have been so great with the reviews and such I decided to keep these next two related chapters together this week to keep the story rolling on.

Chapter 10

"Hey lambchop, um, it's like… geez, what's with the oh-dawn-hundred call?" Eddie worried the next morning as she answered her phone after a glance at the alarm clock showed it to be before six and nearly time for her to get up and ready for first shift. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, admittedly feeling a little lonely, thoroughly bored with his confinement, mixed up in his sleep patterns, and more than ready leave Kings County behind. "Just really missing you and counting down the hours until we're both at home. The vampires were just in and drained what felt like another quart, or it could have been today. Pretty sick of being a pin cushion here," he complained. "The doc said all the tests came back good again last night, so I don't understand why she had them do more. It's ridiculous. There's no reason they couldn't let me go this morning except for that stupid repeat CT scan I'm scheduled for after lunch. Seriously, this is a waste of time. I feel fine," he reiterated.

"I know, but it's almost over," she encouraged. "And better safe than sorry, right? Dr. Patricelli just wanted to make sure you're healing, and you're going to have to take it easy on the couch here for at least the next week, anyway. I managed to talk Maya into switching with Peterson and his partner, so we're working first today. That way I'll be able to pick you up in the morning and have you all to myself the rest of the weekend. You might be tired of it, but I'm looking forward to some downtime with you in bed. They even have a 48-hour Jaws and Shark Week marathon starting tomorrow night," she encouraged, knowing that was one of his all-time favorites and a go-to method of destressing now that his beloved Jets football season was over for another year. "We could binge on sushi and snuggle in bed."

"Sounds good," he sighed, although coming off as rather unenthusiastic about her offer.

"Aw, c'mon… what's really bugging you? Is it because your Dad hasn't been there? Pop says he hasn't been feeling well all week. The last thing he'd want to do is make you sick."

"I know, it's just that Gramps didn't come yesterday either," Jamie lamented as he was definitely feeling a little abandoned by the family, a state which was about to intensify even with the arrival of an unexpected visitor or two. "He went to 1PP to make sure the Commissioner had lunch and then didn't even call after… no one did."

"Sweetie, I think it's just because everyone understands there's someone else looking out for you now, so they don't want to intrude. I'm there every day after shift until they make me leave."

"Yeah, I know; you're probably right," he admitted ruefully, realizing she was sacrificing more than her fair share to keep him company. "I'm sure Erin's still focused on her case and Danny…" he trailed off, not really expecting that his older brother would have come anyway until their differences were settled. "I heard from Chief Bitner. Detective Reagan dropped his appeal, so it seems like he's accepted the suspension."

"Good. Then your brother did his part, so now it's your turn… just apologize for giving it to him in the first place already; you know it was out of line. The two of you need to make up and drop the rest of it," Eddie frowned as she sat up and pulled the covers off, determined to fix this sibling impasse now even if it had to be done long-distance. "You don't want to have another repeat of last week's dinner, do you? So why not send a text and invite him over to watch the movies with us on Saturday?"

"You mean in our bed?" he quipped involuntarily, back to bantering in their usual way.

"Shut up, on the couch, jerk," she returned, knowing full well he was trying to humor her and duck away from this conversation once more. "Start it with 'I'm sorry, let's talk,'" she directed with emphasis. "Bikini babes, gore and monster sharks… you guys will be best buds again in no time. I'll even go out and pick up some black diamond steaks from Rico's so the two of you can go full-on carnivore. Just no drinking for you until the meds are done, got it, Jameson?"

"Got it," he conceded, as a week of near isolation from the rest of the family had finally brought him back to his senses.

"Promise?"

"I promise, okay? I'll send the text as soon as I get off the phone with you," he vowed, knowing she was right and would no doubt follow up on it until he gave in, anyway. "You win. Satisfied?"

"You know it. So, you're going be all right by yourself until later? I'll check in at lunch, but I gotta get going now, or I'll be late for roll call, and you know how much my by-the-book CO hates that. I can't afford to get another writeup when you come back."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Stay safe out there Edit Janko-soon-to-be-Reagan," he trailed off, and the two said the rest of their goodbyes before hanging up as he began to contemplate the best approach to making good on that pledge seeking amends with a likewise stubborn brother. Taking a cue from his fiancée's suggestion, he decided to keep it simple, offer an apology, and appeal to two of Danny's strongest motivations: food and alcohol—all composed in 35 characters or less.

SRY 4B4. WAN2TLK? RICO'S 4DNR SAT. BYOB.

"There," Jamie huffed with courage as he hit the send button and then waited with bated breath for a reply that was agonizingly not forthcoming from a brother whose phone was almost always glued to his side. "Huh," he frowned in disappointment after several more minutes went by while trying to rationalize the letdown.

"He's probably just busy sleeping in or something," he sighed while that sad, guilty feeling for being on the outs with one of his family members crept in a little tighter as the time passed. "I guess he'll get back to me later… or maybe not ever."

"Mr. Reagan?" one of the nurse's soft voices interrupted his depressing thoughts. "There's been a request from downstairs to allow your sister up early. I know it's well before normal visiting hours, but she sounds insistent, and since you're already awake and rounds are done…"

"No, that's okay!" Jamie perked up and asserted as he sat up straighter, suddenly grateful for Erin's sometimes over-the-top pushy personality, especially given what was purported to be the increased security on this wing and therefore greater intolerance of exceptions.

"She's an ADA, and there's been this big case all week, so she probably only has a few minutes before work," he explained. "I want to see her."

"Then I'll tell them to let her up," the friendly nurse smiled as she went back to the desk and made the confirmation before moving further down to the end of the hall to attend another patient whose call button had just gone off. Jamie waited anxiously for Erin to rush in, imagining she was probably already dressed for court with mere minutes to spare for a sibling hug and a little conversation.

What he wasn't expecting was the twenty-something, oddly familiar-looking young woman with long, light brown hair who hastily turned the corner and entered his room before kicking the door closed.

"HEY!" he challenged, totally unprepared for this intrusion even as he quickly recognized Maureen Saunders as her reporter persona and errantly assumed her appearance here was simply a prying media attack given his last name. "Get out, or I'll call security!"

"No need," Saunders coolly assured as she took an unbearably long, uncomfortable, two full seconds to study his face in great detail—those same hazel eyes that greeted her in the mirror every morning were reflecting back anger at the moment, not that she blamed him, of course, having experienced a similar reaction herself several months earlier and every single day since. Milner was going to pay for that pain no matter how hard she had to push everyone else, she vowed. Given her own immeasurable heartache at discovering that a much-loved father was not exactly who she believed him to be—an event that occurred immediately following her mother's death—she had resolved before coming here today not to be the one who dispensed such news to another, at least not directly. That sentiment wasn't going to stop her from playing every card in the deck she had been given to make sure someone else had to though.

"I'm only here to deliver a message to your sister."

"My sister?" Jamie snapped at her unbelievable gall. "That's rich, considering you just lied by impersonating her to get up here! How'd you slip that past the desk? I could press charges!"

"Oh, you really don't want to challenge me on that one," Saunders replied cryptically but refrained once again from going into more detail at the moment, knowing that Erin or someone else in the Reagan clan would soon be hard pressed into doing so. A shocking and familiar last name had surfaced after successful use of her extensive network of contacts to uncover those sought-after patient files. A name that had her wondering now if a particular ADA was purposefully dragging her heels while pursuing the Milner indictment in an attempt to cover over an unflattering family secret, or skeleton in the hospital, as it were. As Frank had feared, once they had Mary's name, it didn't take long to do the math.

"So, you know who I am then?" she questioned tenaciously and tested that theory.

"Yeah, you're that reporter from New York 1, Maureen Saunders," Jamie answered correctly but didn't react to her presence in any other way that would suggest he knew of their true connection. "Now, why are you really here?" he demanded.

Once again, she paused for a long while to read him, staring directly into those honestly perplexed eyes until she was convinced that he was still in the dark.

"I told you, I have a message for your sister. Here I took this yesterday," she produced a close-up still photo for proof—one gleaned from the footage shot at the courthouse the day before. It showed Erin and Danny arguing with Anthony in the background—a moment that caught Jamie's focus for an entirely different reason as it clearly revealed a brother who was supposed to be suspended dressed in his usual detective ware down to the pin on his lapel and the gold shield on his waist.

"Wait, this was yesterday?" he puzzled for a moment as that betrayal sank in.

"Just tell ADA Reagan I have everything needed edited and ready to go on the five o'clock newscast tomorrow. One word from me and that segment will air and show everyone exactly why she failed to do her job… how she was willing to let Dr. William Milner, a known rapist, walk," Saunders' voice raised by an octave at the end showing clear intent to do just that.

"Look, I don't know what the hell you're trying to prove by coming here, or who this Milner guy is or what he did to you, but my sister would never let someone like that off for any reason if she could help it!" he insisted, taken back by the venom in her voice and incorrectly assuming she had been a direct victim of this so-called doctor's assault.

"Are you so sure?" she countered as her anger grew and the ugly secret between them was temptingly dangling there to be used to refute that argument. Once again though, she decided against using it as a vindictive weapon before continuing. "Because it doesn't look that way to me! Trust me, if you ask her about that, you're gonna be surprised at her answer! JUST TELL HER I'LL BURY HER CAREER IF MILNER DOESN'T PAY FOR WHAT HE DID!"

"LADY, NO ONE THREATENS MY FAMILY LIKE THAT AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! Now out! Or I'll call security, and have you arrested for harassment! Let's see what that does to your career!" Jamie barked back as the Reagan code of conduct had always allowed members to talk smack about one another amid interpersonal squabbles but required an immediate Defcon 1 response if anyone from the outside tried to do the same.

"No need, I'm going," Saunders backed down and softened, confident that she had raised his ire enough to ensure that a call to find out what this was all about would be immediately placed after she left.

"It was good to meet you, Jameson. I'm sure we'll talk again soon," she added cheekily over her shoulder with more familiarity than a stranger should have the right to express before opening the door and hurrying down the hall. Jamie was left fuming at this sudden, unanticipated intrusion in what had started off as an unbelievingly dull day but would end with him questioning everything that he ever thought he knew about himself and his family.

"Jesus, what was up with that?" he seethed as he watched her disappear before refocusing on that photo left lying next to his leg on the bed. "And what the hell is this?" he wondered after picking it up to study the image of his siblings arguing, once again noting with frustration that Danny's suspension seemed to be on paper only. "Figures," he grated while taking out his phone to document the evidence, correctly presuming his brother had been allowed to skate around the regulations by the Commissioner—working off the books once again to help Erin with whatever this Saunders woman was ranting about, or in the name of family peace, or… the reason honestly didn't matter to him anymore as he angrily composed a brief message to both and texted them together along with the attachment.

NVM NSRY. DNR OFF. SCRW U. BTW ERN, M SAUNDERS WH. SS SCRW U2.

"Screw everything!" he muttered before hitting send and making up his mind to leave, sick of the week's segregation, frustrated up to the gills with being confined in the hospital and whatever it was that had been going on behind his back. An absentee father, overcompensating grandfather and two siblings who had gone further MIA just dovetailed into this being some sort of widespread family conspiracy.

"I'm out of here!" he determined and began the process of detaching himself from all of the monitors, setting off alarms and alerting the staff to his intentions before pulling out the fresh set of clothes Eddie had brought for him the previous evening and starting to get dressed.

Throughout this entire confrontation with Maureen Saunders and the aftermath, Jamie had been acutely unaware that his heartbroken father was indeed nearby, down on the street level, sitting in his vehicle in front of the hospital for the last twenty minutes. Frank had been struggling to compose himself while trying to summon the courage to go upstairs and deliver some of the hardest news he'd ever had to break in this lifetime.

A near-hysterical phone call from Erin was about the disrupt that standstill and had the Commissioner scrambling to look up just in time to see the aforementioned woman reporter exiting the building via the front door. The chilling sight left no doubt in his mind that his son had already been informed of their paternal disconnection in the cruelest possible way by a virtual stranger who the rest of the family now knew shared more genetically in common with Jamie than Frank Reagan ever had himself.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed and threw the car door open, sending his detail members scrambling to keep up with their boss and secure the way as he hurried into the hospital and over to the closest public elevator without regard for protocol. He frantically punched in the number for Jamie's floor, all the while praying that he wasn't too late to make this right with the boy he had always loved fiercely as his own and would continue to do so for the rest of his life. His only hope was that his son would eventually feel the same way about his father again.

Uh-oh, Frank's little assumption about what Jamie already knows is not going to make this conversation any easier as Murphy's Law firmly kicks in and whatever could go wrong, will go wrong.