Chapter Eleven
Under Henry's watchful eye, Eddie recovered a week later and was finally able to be transferred to Burke Rehabilitation Hospital. It had been over two weeks since Jamie and Eddie had their falling out, but today, Jamie had set his mind to making things right. Jamie leaned over the counter finishing the paperwork to have Eddie admitted to the rehab center. Just as Jamie finished signing the last paper he turned around in time to see Eddie being wheeled in on a stretcher.
"Hey, wait a second," Jamie ordered firmly, raising his hand for extra emphasis.
The transport team stopped on the dime watching the young blonde's face scrunch up in anger. Jamie hadn't come to see her for weeks, even while she was horribly ill. She had called for him and he never showed up.
With one quick look Jamie could tell something wasn't right. Eddie lay with her legs and arms curled, not straight. The doctors, when he was visiting, had made a point of keeping her legs straight.
"Has she been getting therapy?" Jamie reached out to examine Eddie's position. It was clear that her muscles were beginning to atrophy.
The transporters exchanged looks waiting for the other to answer. When neither did Jamie moved in closer softening his voice for Eddie. "Hey Eddie, I'm here. Have you been getting therapy? Are you in any pain?"
Eddie turned her head to smile at him sarcastically. "I can see that you're here, Jamie, there's nothing wrong with my eyesight." Eddie was angry and hurt that he hadn't come back, she had asked for him when she was sick, didn't she? Maybe not, she had a little pride left, not much.
"Hey, look, I know I haven't been coming around, but I told my Dad and Syd as soon as you called for me I would be there" Jamie assured her. "I didn't want to make you more upset." Jamie eyes turned back to the transport team. "Has she been getting her therapy?"
The younger if not braver of the pair spoke, "For a few days, Ms. Janko denied her therapy and since then her tolerance for it has gone down. They had remove the halo a few days ago because of infection and she's getting over a bad UTI."
Jamie sighed, none of this would have happened on his watch. "Let's get her settled into bed," Jamie politely ordered.
The transport team and two nurses from the hospital saw to putting Eddie in her bed. The room was huge, decorated like a bedroom at home not a hospital except for the functional bed. No matter how carefully she was being moved, Eddie fussed when she was lifted from the gurney to the bed. She still marveled that she could not feel a gentle touch or an itch, but she could feel the most intense sensations of pain, especially in her back and pelvis.
"Keep her sitting up," the nurse ordered at Eddie's distress hoping to combat any blood pressure problems.
"When she has pain like that," Jamie piped up. "Take her socks off and rub her feet, it seems to help, I have no idea why but it does. My Pop discovered that."
Eddie was surprised to learn Jamie' family had kept him informed of the little things if not the major things.
"We can do that," the nurse replied. "We must get her settled first." The nurse took a green foam wedge and placed it on the bed. Carefully they arranged Eddie's body, straightening her legs resting them on the wedge. Eddie winced as they straightened her legs, Jamie could see clearly the once shapely things had loss muscle mass at a rapid pace.
Another nurse straightened Eddie's arms and propped them on pillows. "There. BP is good," she smiled. "I'll let you rest a little while and visit. Your first whirlpool session is at 2 pm with Jerry then massage with Janice. Tomorrow the real work begins.'
She patted Eddie's shoulder then left her with Jamie who sat on the edge of her bed. "You didn't send for me when you got sick. And no one told me which means you asked them not to. Why?"
"I asked them not to because it didn't matter, Jamie. It didn't matter, there was nothing you could do but waste more time sitting with me and driving us both crazy. If you could have helped…"
"I could have been there," Jamie replied. "It's more than that."
Eddie sighed, "I was in such pain, I knew you'd push things that I didn't want, I wanted to just be left alone, the pain was so bad, Jamie. You'd have pushed and now I know I'm facing the consequences, but…"
Jamie sighed "You didn't ask for me because you felt like I wouldn't listen to you. That's fair enough, I didn't listen to you before when you were trying to tell me something that you needed from me." Jamie took a breath, "I'd like to fix it, Eddie. I'd like to start coming back to see you and I'd like to be here when you are needing my help. You're going to be working really hard, maybe having pain and those spells you get and I want to be there. I want to be your best friend again, I want to have your back. Will you let me?"
Eddie studied her hands, "Yes…I needed you Jamie, I just…I was so scared you wouldn't come. That you were so angry at me. I did ask for you once or twice, but you never came and I couldn't…"
"If I knew, if I had heard you needed me…" Jamie's jaw clenched. "I promise not to do that again. I won't. No matter how angry we are with each other…"
Eddie smiled and nodded, "Maybe the therapists here can fix it so I don't hurt so much on my back. It's like…all of my upper body is pressing on my hips and they ache."
Jamie nodded, "I'll mention it to the doctor and you make sure you speak up to the therapists. They can't help if they don't know."
Eddie nodded and leaned back, "Can you move the bed down a little? I feel better and want to shift some weight off my hips."
Jamie moved the bed so Eddie's legs went up and her back down. "Rest, Eddie. I'll stay until therapist comes, then I have to leave. It's the rules that I have to go and only come at night so you get well."
Eddie smiled, "Hey, can you go and get some good lunch? Lamb gyro and some of those Greek olives in caper sauce."
Jamie smiled, "I'll get you a rootbeer too." Jamie kissed the side of Eddie's head and went off to meet her food request.
"He's very handsome," the nurse told Eddie when she came in to hang up her therapy schedule.
"He's just Jamie," she replied. "We were partners on the job and now we're best friends but he's married and she's my friend too."
"Well, your lunch will be coming in soon, then your therapy will begin. We explained the visiting policy to your friend, but if you are having a hard day, you can request a visitor."
"Lot of good that does," Eddie scoffed. "I asked for him at the hospital I was just in when I was sick and the nurse never called. I asked his wife too…but I guess she thought he'd get upset."
Jamie raised his eyebrow, "Who else did you ask to call me, Eddie?"
"Just the nurse and Sydney the once," Eddie replied as Jamie set up her lunch. Jamie's face turned dark. "I must not have heard her when she told me, I was half asleep a few nights when she came home." Jamie covered his anger, he knew Eddie needed him and Sydney, he didn't want to create another rift. Jamie offered Eddie a bit of her gyro and a sip of soda, then took a bite of his own. They settled into a comfortable rhythm.
"Don't be angry at your Dad or Grandpa, Jamie," Eddie told him as they ate. "I asked him not to tell you, I was still so hurt and angry…"
"It hurt to hear you say you wanted to die," Jamie's voice choked up. "Eddie, you were there. You were at death's door after the accident. I sat by your bed, day in and day out…"
Eddie sighed. "Jamie…" she whispered softly. "Hold my hand…you can hold my hand, it's okay…"
Jamie sighed and reached out and held Eddie's hand gently. "I thought I was going to lose you, Eddie. I love Sydney, she's my wife, but you are my best friend, the closest since Joe and I…"
"Jamie, I'm sorry I said it…You have no idea how this feels though. You have no idea how hard it is to go from being a cop, chasing perps to this…You can't know Jamie, and I got angry when you…tried to I guess."
Jamie sighed, "There's a class here, it's called "Your Loved One's Path…" They simulate your condition and I'm going to sign up for that as well as the other classes to learn to take care of you."
"I'm going to have nurses," Eddie replied. "Sydney told me I'm going to have nurses so you don't…"
"Well, you'll have nurses sometimes, but I'm going to be there too. I'm not abandoning you, not again." Jamie gently lifted Eddie's arm and kissed her hand. "Let's finish it's almost two."
Jamie headed out when Eddie's therapist came in. "You work hard, but don't overdo it. I'll see you tomorrow." Jamie dropped a kiss on her forehead and drove home, itching to confront his wife.
Sydney was home, as it was Saturday, Jamie called out to her as soon as he opened the door. "Syd?" Jamie closed the front door, searching for his wife finding her in the kitchen.
Syd turned to look up at him with a smile, changing the smile into a frown seeing his face.
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? I was just down at Burke admitting Eddie. Why didn't you tell me she was asking for me? You lied to me I asked you that night!"
Sighing, Syd put the knife down on the counter turning to face him.
"Jamie I," Sydney sighed. "Jamie, she was very sick…"
"Exactly!" Jamie snapped. "She was very sick and I should have been notified by the hospital but if they failed to do it, you should have! Eddie begged Pop not to and he listened but she told me she thought she asked you and your face tells me that she did!"
"I'm sorry, I…You were doing well. You were sleeping again, working again, you were relaxing, and I just…I made a mistake, Jamie. I am sorry and I'll tell Eddie I'm sorry too." Sydney oved closer to Jamie and took his hands. "It's hard on you to see your best friend suffer, it's hard on me to see my husband do it. I was wrong, I will never do it again. I made a mistake…" Sydney bit her lip and let a few tears escape.
Jamie sighed and pulled her close, "I know it's hard to watch me care for another woman, and you are being really reasonable about it. I know I put myself through the ringer…She's got no one, Syd. Here…" Jamie handed Sydney the brochure for the classes. "We start tomorrow. We're going to learn how to take care of Eddie for when she's not with nurses. We can't have nurses 24/7."
Syd nodded, "I have two coming tomorrow morning and this is at one so it works out fine, we'll make dinner, then can visit Eddie."
"Eddie only has morning therapy on Sunday so I'm going to keep her company with Pop for dinner," Jamie informed his wife. "You can meet me there after dinner again."
Sydney knew not to argue with Jamie now, she dodge a huge temper bullet with him tonight and wanted to keep the piece. She would meet him after dinner, she would go to classes, but she would not lose Jamie again to caring for Eddie, she just wouldn't.
A/N: Well Sydney sidestepped Jamie for now, but she is not going to be sharing at least that's her current thought. Jamie and Eddie are back to being friends again and as we know they are a formidable team. She will for sure be working hard with Jamie pushing and cheering her one.
Next Update – May 30th – Jamie makes a decision about Eddie's future after speaking with her therapist.
