Chapter 11 – Telling the Family

Jamie Reagan's Hospital Room

"Do you think we should wake him up? It looks like he needs his rest."

"Yeah, we should, but not until I get a picture. Look at him drooling everywhere."

"Danny! Don't do that. He'd be embarrassed for anyone to see."

"That's kind of the point, Erin." Danny snickered.

The voices of his siblings gradually worked their way into Jamie's consciousness, and he forced his eyes open. "Hey, guys," he mumbled. He swiped a hand across his mouth. Damn. He really had been drooling.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Erin pushed Danny aside and picked up book that Jamie had dropped onto his chest when he fell asleep sometime earlier. "How are you feeling?"

Jamie took a quick survey. "Okay. Getting better." He smiled as he remembered the events from earlier that day. "Lots better."

"Where's your trusty sidekick, kid?" Danny asked. "Kinda expected her to be here."

"Eddie had plans with her best friend tonight," Jamie said without thinking. "And Eddie is not my sidekick," he quickly added.

"So what is she?" Danny asked.

Jamie glanced from one sibling to the other. Did they know something about Eddie and him, or were they just guessing? Well, he wasn't going to confirm anything. "Ed's my partner, Danny. You know that."

"Hmph," Danny grumbled at Jamie's stubbornness. Now that Jamie was fully conscious, he clearly was not going to blurt out any more fodder for the family gossip mill.

Erin glanced at her brother, trying to figure out what was going on between her younger brother and Eddie. She'd been sure he would have discussed his feelings with her at lunch, and that smile would indicate that discussion had gone well. Maybe she could get something out of him over food. "Jamie, are you ready for dinner?" Erin asked.

"It's dinnertime already?" Although, now that Erin had mentioned food, his stomach was rumbling.

"Yup. Grandpa's getting it all set up down the hall." Danny motioned for the orderly standing near the door with a wheelchair, then tossed his grandfather's night robe onto the bed. "Here. Put that on and get in the chair, and let's go. I'm hungry, even if you aren't."

Jamie scooted to the side of the bed and draped the robe around his shoulders. "If you'd waited until tomorrow, I'd be on crutches," he grumbled as Danny and the orderly helped settle him in the wheelchair.

"Too bad. Gramps didn't want to wait." Danny exchanged a glance with Erin. He had a feeling there was a certain bet he had with his sister that was going to make him money tonight.

==BB==BB==

Jamie could smell his grandfather's dinner even before they got to the break room his family had appropriated. Pot roast… Nothing smelled as good as Grandpa's pot roast.

"Jamie! There's my grandson!" Henry walked over and gently slapped him on the back. "Dinner's all ready for you. Push him up to the table right here," Henry instructed the orderly.

Jamie glanced around the room as the orderly settled him into place. They'd managed to get the entire family together, and on a weeknight. "Hi, guys," he greeted. "You didn't all have to come tonight."

"Uncle Jamie, we're all glad you're okay," Jack told him.

"And Grandpop said you have some news," she added with a glance at her great-grandfather.

"He did?"

"He did," Henry smirked.

"Before we get to that, let's say grace and serve. Pop, I think you should do it tonight."

Henry sent short glare at his son, but quickly complied. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. "Bless us, O Lord, for these gifts which we are about to receive from your bountiful hands through Christ our Lord. Amen."

"Amen," echoed around the table.

Henry picked up the dish of pot roast and held it to his injured grandson. "Jamie, you get first pick."

"Thanks, Grandpa." Jamie served himself, then passed the dish on. He reached for the mashed potatoes and added a spoonful to his plate.

"So, Jamie, your father tells me you have some news for us?" Henry asked.

Jamie sighed as he felt the eyes of everyone in the room on him. "I've decided to take the patrol sergeant's exam next time it's offered."

As the family offered their congratulations, Henry frowned at his grandson. "And…"

"And what? I'm sure I'll pass it, and then I'll get moved up to patrol sergeant sometime soon after," Jamie explained, knowing he was avoiding the news his grandfather wanted to hear.

"Anything behind this decision?" Henry pushed.

Danny snickered. "Like maybe a certain short blond patrol officer?"

Jamie glanced around at the faces of his family, all of whom were staring at him. "Okay. Okay. And I asked Eddie to be my girlfriend," he finally added.

"It's about damn time," Henry muttered.

"And did she say yes?" Erin asked. "It only counts if she said yes," she added with a look at Danny.

"No, it only counts if they kissed," Danny argued back. "And the bet was when and where, not if."

Jamie glared at his siblings. "You two seriously were betting on when Eddie and I would kiss?"

"Yeah we were, and I only win if it was here in the hospital, so 'fess up," Danny demanded

Jamie sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I'm not saying. None of your beeswax."

"That's okay. We can ask you, Francis." Henry added.

"Dad? What do you know?" Erin asked.

Frank sat up straighter. "Anything I may have witnessed when I visited your brother earlier today is his business, and his girlfriend's, not mine or yours."

Danny looked over at his brother and laughed. "You did it. You kissed her right in your hospital room! And Dad walked in on you two?"

"Not sayin'," Jamie muttered.

"You did. Look at you blushing," Danny teased.

Linda glanced sympathetically at Jamie. "Well, I think it's good that your brother is looking so healthy only a few days after surgery. Maybe we should let him eat so he can keep getting better?"

"We should," Jamie agreed with a grateful glance at Linda. He shoveled a bite of the pot roast into his mouth.

For a few minutes, the family concentrated on eating dinner, and conversation moved on to other subjects. As they were finishing the meal, Henry finally brought the conversation back around to Jamie and his new relationship. "Jamie, I'd heard several rumors about you and Edit. Had you heard them also?"

"Grandpa, she prefers Eddie. And I'd heard a few people say things. Didn't know about the betting pools," he griped.

"My friend, the Grand Rabbi, had a saying. 'When one person calls you a donkey, ignore him. If two, look in the mirror. If three, start shopping for a saddle.'"

"What are you saying, Grandpa?" Jamie asked, although he had a pretty good idea. He'd been ignoring what was obvious to everyone – his romantic feelings for his partner – for far too long.

Danny snickered. "I think he's saying that you should have bought a saddle a long time ago. Or, you know, an engagement ring."

"Dan, really? We've only been in a relationship for a few hours!" Jamie stated, then realized he'd fallen right into Danny's trap and confirmed not only the existence of his new relationship with Eddie but also the time it had started.

"Only if you don't count the three years you've worked together and socialized together," Erin added.

"Yeah, kid. If you count that, you've been together plenty long enough to be engaged. And you already have the ring. I saw that box hidden in your underwear drawer."

"God, do I not have any privacy?" Jamie griped.

"I wasn't looking for it, kid. I just happened to see it when I was packing some stuff for you to wear here."

"He already bought a ring?" Erin asked. "Jamie, you already bought a ring?"

"No. Well, I have a ring. I didn't buy it."

"Uncle Jamie, you didn't steal it, did you?" Sean asked.

"No. Jeez. When Danny and I were sorting through Joe's stuff last month, I found an engagement ring in one of the boxes." Jamie explained. "Joe was planning on asking Angie to marry him. It looks like he never got the chance…" Jamie suddenly found himself choking up.

"I think he'd be honored if you used that ring, son," Frank jumped in.

Danny reached over to grab his brother's shoulder. "I second that."

"I third that," Erin added. "But I want to see this ring. Make sure it's pretty enough."

"I fourth that. And come on, Sis. Of course it's pretty enough. The jeweler helped me pick it out," Joe added.

Danny pulled out his phone. "I've got a picture. Thought you guys might want a look."

"Ohh, let me see," Nicki took the phone from Danny and showed the picture to her mother.

"That is a nice one," Erin commented. " Jamie, you've got to ask Eddie soon. The ring will look so good on her."

"Guys, come on. We haven't even had a real date yet," Jamie argued.

"So what are you planning for your first date?" Erin asked.

Danny nodded. "You need to make it something good, since you've already been sort-of dating for a while."

"I don't know," Jamie argued. "Haven't had a lot of time to think about it."

"How about ice skating?" Jack suggested. At his family's questioning glance, he added, "What? That's where I took Charlotte."

"Because Uncle Jamie can't ice skate right now, doofus," Sean informed his brother.

"So, Sean, what's your suggestion?" Frank asked.

Sean thought for a moment. "A soccer game. My team's playing next week."

"But that's not very romantic. How about an art museum?" Nicki suggested. "Mom met a guy there."

"Yeah, that would work right up until gimpy here crutches into a podium and knocks some priceless statute to the ground," Danny teased as he squeezed his brother's shoulder.

"A relationship didn't last very long. Thanks for the reminder," Erin added. "Jamie, a nice dinner is always a good choice for a first date."

"You know, we'll be having a nice dinner this Sunday," Henry suggested.

"Grandpa, I'm not bringing Eddie to Sunday dinner for our first date."

"How about a trip to the fishing pier?" Frank asked, only partially in jest. "It's a good way to get to know someone."

"Some good suggestions," Jamie said around a huge yawn. "I'll come up with something."

"Guys, I think it's time for someone to head back to their room," Linda suggested as she noticed Jamie's energy flagging. "The doctors will be doing their rounds soon, and I promised them he'd be back in bed by then."

Jamie smiled a Linda, grateful that she'd managed to find a way to cover for his exhaustion.

==BB==BB==

Half an hour later, Jamie was settled back in his hospital bed, thinking about his new girlfriend and their first kiss earlier in the day.

"Jamie and Edit, lying on a bed, k-i-s-s-ed," Joe improvised appropriate lyrics to the old playground song. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Eddie with a baby carriage."

Girlfriend. Wife. Mother of his children. Jamie shook his head to stop that train of thought. God, he was getting so far ahead of things. He and Eddie hadn't even had a first date yet.

"So, kiddo, where are you taking that little blond spitfire for your first real date?"

Jamie smiled again. His family had given him a few ideas for good ideas for actual dates. Like Danny had told him, he and Eddie were practically dating already when they had drinks or dinner together after work. He needed to throw in something more special than that for their official dates.

"Eddie has some good ideas. You should ask her," Joe suggested. "Spent some time with her tonight, by the way. She really likes you. You should've seen her, telling her friend all about you, discussing ideas for dates, practicing writing her name with yours last name, like you were already married or something."

Jamie wondered how long he would need to date Eddie before she'd be open to him proposing marriage, and how long they would need to be engaged before they could actually marry. Hopefully, not too long!

"Six months minimum. Wedding planning is a lot of work, or so I've heard. You'd better rest up." Joe rubbed the bridge of his brother's nose.

But all that sounded like too much work right now. He unsuccessfully tried to fight off a yawn. Between the lingering effects of the concussion, the pain meds and fighting off that infection, he was exhausted. "G'night, Joey."

"Sleep tight, little brother. I'll see you later. You've got some big events coming up – a promotion, an engagement and a wedding. Don't even think I won't be there for every one of them."

And that brings us to the end of this story. Thanks to all who read and reviewed and favorited!

For those who were wondering, I am working on writing the seatbelt story referenced a few chapters ago. It (and the story behind Erin damaging her father's car) are going to be the next installment of the "There a Story Behind That" series.