Chapter Eleven
"What color would you like Eddie?" Linda asked as the orthopedist delivered the diagnosis. Eddie had in fact broken her femur when she fell a few days earlier.
"Uh, Jamie likes Navy…" Eddie replied. She was exhausted from the day and just wanted to go home. "Is Jamie coming?"
"He's on his way, sweet girl," Henry soothed. "Danny went to get him, just rest."
"What color do you like?" the nurse asked. "Or do you want me to do stripes?"
Eddie smiled at that and chose navy blue and golden yellow for her striped cast. She allowed her eyes to close while the orthopedist began to cast her leg.
"Eddie Janko," Henry heard Jamie saying in his panic voice, the one he typically used when Eddie was having a setback. "I'm her boyfriend."
"Curtain three," the nurse advised.
Jamie hurried and found Eddie, eyes closed with Henry and Linda at her side. "Hey, thanks Linda, Pop. Danny is parking the car, then you guys can go."
Jamie put his hand on Eddie's shoulder, "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah," Eddie replied. 'I'm just really tired Jamie. I'm sorry…"
"Don't apologize, angel, it's all right," Jamie soothed. "Doctor, Jamie Reagan. What exactly is going on with Eddie?"
"She's fractured her thigh bone just above the knee. Normally, we'd operate to fix that bone, but the fracture is fairly stable and it's not possible that it will impede her ability to walk so we're going to cast it first and determine later on if surgery is necessary."
Jamie nodded, "So I can take her home after?"
"Yes, you can," the doctor replied. "Bed rest for a couple days to let the bone begin to heal and to minimize the AD flushes and ward off a more difficult episode."
Jamie sighed, "Hang in there, Angel. You're doing great."
"I know," Eddie replied. 'Jamie you can go back to work, Pop and Linda can help me. You don't have to run here every time I have a problem."
"Uh, yes I do," Jamie replied. "I really do need to do that. I need to make sure you are okay."
Eddie sighed and continue to rest her eyes while the doctor fixed her leg.
Two hours later, Jamie brought Eddie into the apartment, both of them were exhausted. "Jamie?" Eddie asked, her voice much weaker than Jamie would like.
"I'm right here," Jamie replied. 'What do you need?"
"You," Eddie replied. "I need you to hold me tonight okay? I just can't believe I did this to myself. I can't believe I let myself be so prideful that I hurt myself…"
"It's not your fault," Jamie replied. "It was an accident. Let's get to bed, you want me to stay with you?"
Eddie nodded, but didn't speak. Jamie could see, once again, she was not only suffering a broken leg, but a broken spirit as well.
Jamie carefully propped the broken leg on it's own set of pillows and put the "good leg" up on the wedge. Jamie laid down and moved Eddie so she was lying against him. "It's okay, you need a break from the heavy PT anyway. You have a really cool cast, I can sign it for you and I bet some of the guys will too. Renzulli has been asking to visit."
"Okay," Eddie replied. "I just feel…Maybe I made it worse by not listening when you wanted me to get checked. I scared Pop. His face was…"
"Pop is just fine, he was worried about you but now he is fine," Jamie comforted. "Pop loves you, he's always been a really sweet attentive grandpa, but he has a special spot for you just like I do. You having any pain?"
"No, it's not sore. That's kind of cool, I broke my arm as a kid and that hurt…"
Jamie smiled, "Well that's something."
Eddie fell asleep settled against Jamie's chest. Jamie cuddled her tight thanking God this break wasn't worse than it was. Jamie knew Eddie's bones were more brittle than an 80 year old woman, they were lucky all she had was a hairline crack in the thigh bone. Jamie fell asleep smiling thinking of how much worse things could have been.
Over the next couple of days, the broken leg proved to more complex to deal with than the quadriplegia. The cast required Eddie's leg be held out straight at all times making leaving the apartment more challenging. Also, a tub bath was totally out of the question until the plaster cast was removed and replaced with a brace. Henry tried his best, but Eddie was feeling modest and did not want full baths from anyone with her entire body exposed. Linda offered, but Eddie said no.
That Friday began three days off for Jamie, he planned to take Eddie to dinner and get her to let him wash her up. When Jamie got home, Henry shook his head. "She didn't let me even get her up today, she's being standoffish and very quiet."
Jamie nodded "She likes to be able to get up and go and this limitation is getting to her. I'm off for a few days and I can give her a little TLC.'
Henry got his coat, "Word of advice, try to treat Eddie like a lady…treat her like a girlfriend, I think she needs that from you."
Jamie patted Henry's shoulder "Yes, I know. Don't worry Pop, I have a plan."
Henry was sure Jamie did have a plan. Jamie headed into the bedroom. "What are you doing in pajamas?" Jamie asked. "It's date night. I have a whole evening set up for you. What do you want to wear?"
"Jamie, it's impossible to go anywhere with my leg like this, I get in the way…" Eddie protested.
"You won't get in the way, I'll be right there. You haven't been out of the house for days and I know you love going outside. They have a new sausage stand near the park that has all kinds of flavors and they have the cinnamon sticks you love just beyond that. Now what do you want to wear?"
Eddie relented to Jamie's enthusiasm. "My brown dress and the beige lamb sweater over it."
Jamie smiled, "Good choice." He'd given Eddie that sweater for Christmas.
Jamie got Eddie dressed and into her wheelchair. He carefully set up her leg and arms so that she was comfortable then changed into jeans and sweatshirt. Jamie draped two blankets on Eddie to keep her warm and put on his own jacket before heading out.
"I'll have one chicken parmesan and one traditional," Eddie told Jamie. "With the rice and peppers on the side."
Jamie placed their orders then wheeled Eddie to a table. New York was having a mild winter and that enabled them to go outside and experience the brisk air.
The cold air swirled around them comfortable as Jamie set Eddie's wheelchair to brake and took the seat across from her. "It's so nice out today," Eddie commented smiling over at Jamie. Her blond hair gently waved with the breeze.
"Yeah it is, let me know if you get cold I have another blanket I can put on you," Jamie said softly. His hand gently caressed her shoulder careful not to overstimulate her, moving to brush her hair back. "I'm glad you decided to come Eddie."
Eddie admitted she was glad too, despite her self-esteem thinking she gets in the way. "So did pop help you with this?" Eddie raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously wondering if she was set up.
Jamie only laughed at her, "No, Pop didn't help me, give me more credit than that Eddie."
"Thought I was," Eddie teased, laughing to show him she was only teasing.
"Funny girl," Jamie chuckled as he cut Eddie's food for her. "Eat up, if you want me let me know and I'll get you more."
Eddie began to eat, "This is incredibly good. Thanks for coming up with it."
"There's more where tonight came from. Nothing is too good for my girl." Jamie stood and moved to give Eddie a kiss on the cheek. Eddie liked to kiss so she quickly turned her had to capture Jamie's lip. "Let's do this a little more later," Eddie whispered. Jamie had no problem with that.
After sausage sandwiches and cinnamon pretzels, Jamie and Eddie went back to the apartment. "I'm going to miss being this close to the park," Eddie confessed. "And having the balcony to sit on, but I think you and I setting up in a new house as a new couple will be just what we need to break out of this caretaker/patient spell we're stuck in."
Jamie brought his hand down on Eddie's shoulder as they continued down the street, "I don't see it that way. I just want to take things slower since I'm technically still married and…"
"I'm not talking about that," Eddie replied quickly. "We aren't ready for THAT, but I'd really like for us to sleep in the same bed, unless my legs spasms are too weird for you or whatever."
"No, honey," Jamie said quickly. "No, I just don't want to rush, besides we've been sleeping in the same bed for awhile. I want to wait until we get to the new house and our very own bed that we'll pick out together."
Eddie smiled at that though, their very own bed.
When Jamie got Eddie home, he gently placed her on the bed. "I know you've been feeling like you need a better bath, I'm going to take care of you tonight."
"Jamie…" Eddie griped.
Jamie leaned down and kissed Eddie's lips softly, "Just trust me."
Of course she trusted him it was Jamie. He smiled being extra careful as her bones were brittle. He' d bought extra sensitive strawberry body wash just for her.
Sitting on her side with an arm wrapped around her Jamie gently cleaned her shoulders, moving down her arms. "You doing okay?"
"That smells good, you remember I like strawberries. I haven't told you ..."
"Since that day on patrol you came in smelling of strawberries, yeah I remember."
Jamie put the cloth back in the basic and with his open hand began to caress Eddie's shoulders up and down running his hand all across the parts of her upper body that had sensation, "Skin as smooth as silk."
Eddie sighed at the touch, "You too, your hands are so strong and soft. Jamie, I wish I could feel…"
"Ssh," Jamie whispered and moved over Eddie leaning down to give her a long passionate kiss. Their tongues met and dueled. Eddie moved her arms up in the mock hug Linda taught her, holding onto Jamie with all her might. "Oh…" Eddie sighed loving the slight pressure on her body that came from Jamie's attention.
Jamie continued to wash Eddie's body thoroughly, when he moved to her breasts, he took his time the carefully described his touch. "I have you in my hand…and your skin is silky soft. Touching you…I wish you could feel how my hands are touching you, rubbing the skin…Your body knows what I'm doing, it's responding to me. Your skin is turning a soft pink…Imagine this…" Jamie caressed Eddie's cheek. "Across your breast…just like a breath…"
Eddie sighed, loving this commentary and the attention. She felt her heart speeding up, the clue her body was responding even if she could not feel it. "Jamie…I want to…" Eddie sighed.
"I know you want to touch me…" Jamie had removed his shirt and took Eddie's hand helping her hold her arms up so she could use her wrist motion to explore his chest. They kissed deeply all the while exploring with little touched above their waists.
They explored for nearly an hour before Jamie finished Eddie's bath. When she laid under the blankets, clean and with more confidence than she had in a long time, Jamie cleaned up the basin then returned to snuggled Eddie close.
"Jamie, I wish I could do for you what…That I was able to be a true…"
"Ssh," Jamie whispered kissing Eddie's head again. "You want to do something for me? Find that confidence again, find that Eddie inside yourself, the Eddie I fell in love with three years ago. I am in love with you, Eddie, just as you said you are with me. All I want is my Eddie back. I can't imagine how hard this is, but please…"
Eddie sighed, "I'll work on bringing her back for you, Jamie, but can I have my Jamie back? Can you be my partner too, not my nurse. I need care yes, but I need the lover more."
Jamie smiled looking down at Eddie. He did not see her injuries in these most quiet moments, just the girl who held his true heart. "I think I need that too. Let's make a promise to find those parts of ourselves for each other."
Eddie beamed and leaned up to kiss Jamie's lips, things would get better now. Things would relax, she knew they would…
Next Update – September 17th – Baez joins the family for dinner, Danny give Jamie a lesson in comfort.