Chapter Fourteen
"Be careful Sean," Danny warned his son. "Eddie is really tired, but Uncle Jamie will kill me if I don't give her these medicines here."
"I won't hurt," Sean assured Danny. "I'm going to poke her to wake her up on her shoulder like we do at dinner and help her. That's all."
"Okay," Danny replied as Sean hurried to the bedroom. He patted Eddie on the face to wake her up. "Eddie, wake up please."
Eddie shook her head side to side and opened her eyes, "Jamie?"
She turned to the side to try to get to Jamie and was surprised to see Sean. "Hey, Buddy? Danny, where is he?"
Danny saw the real fear on Eddie's face and stepped over to calm her down. "He got called in and couldn't get out of it," Danny explained. "Sean wanted to come help you."
Eddie sighed and smiled at Sean, "Thanks Sean. You have my breakfast there, thanks so much. Can you get that block wedge and put that behind my back for me?"
Sean put Eddie's pad behind her back and she worked herself into a sitting position. "Do I take this block off?" He asked referring to Eddie's leg wedge.
"Yes, but you need to move my legs off of it first, I think we should have Dad do that. You can't bend my broken leg at all."
"I can do it, please let me help," Sean begged. The twelve year old loved to help Eddie, he found her ability to manage with so little intriguing.
"Okay, Sean, why don't you hold Eddie's leg straight for her and I'll move the wedge and get Eddie's tray okay?"
Sean moved the covers, "Whoa, your legs are really skinny!"
Eddie smiled, "Yes, the muscles have shrunk up because I can't use them. Hold that leg up there, good job…."
Danny had never been a prouder father.
Danny had been given strict orders not to move Eddie out of bed, moving her was delicate because of her uncasted leg. Jamie arrived home a little after noon, exhausted and very sore. Henry arrived around eight to take of the caregiving, having rearranged his schedule. He was in the bedroom with Eddie watching the TV when Jamie came in. "How you doing?" he asked Henry. Eddie was sound asleep.
"I'm okay, she's running a bit of a temp, I cleaned the sores with the salt solution and she struggled a little bit but I think she's going to be okay."
"She is," Jamie replied. "She's going to flip when she sees how banged up I got though. One of the things Eddie is worried about is me getting hurt."
"Hurt?" Eddie had been loosely listening to their conversation. "Jamie, are you okay? Let me see!"
"I'm good," Jamie replied. "Just some bruises on my arm, that's all. Since I took that smack in the arm, Sarge is letting me keep my time off so we can have our special time like we planned."
"Let us see that arm," Henry instructed. Jamie removed his shirt and showed Henry and Eddie a line of angry bruises. "He did this with a bag of oranges. Caught him red handed ripping off a farm stand."
"Jamie…my God…" Eddie gasped. "You need to get ice on that."
"Doc already checked me and I'm good," Jamie replied. "I just need to cuddle from my best girl."
Henry smiled as Jamie took Eddie close, "I love you," Jamie whispered. "I love you and everything is okay."
"I know, I do I know," Eddie sighed. She smiled as Jamie kissed her head up and down.
"I'm going to let you love birds have your time, I'll be around Sunday night with left overs. Your Dad is going to handle things, okay?"
Jamie smiled, "Thanks Pop."
Henry slipped out the door and left Jamie and Eddie alone. "You okay? I'm sorry about having to leave."
"It's okay, I'm just glad…Jamie…I love you. I love you so much. Can we just do this today? Can you just lay with me and hold me?"
"I'd love that, but let's get you on the couch so we can change your pressure and position."
Jamie took Eddie to the couch then settled her beside him, holding his arms tightly around Eddie. He smiled down at her, there was nothing he needed more than to hold her against him and feel her small body tucked safely by his side where it belongs. Jamie felt Eddie breathing softly against him as she relaxed in his arms, her curly blond hair brushing against her shoulder with each breath. Eddie shifted slightly so she could lay her head against his shoulder, she broke the silence. "Jamie, have you heard from Sydney?"
Jamie took an uneven breath surprised she would ask that question. Jamie didn't want Eddie to know about the encounter he had with Syd at the court house. Jamie shook his head. "No, not since the divorce papers were served, why? Has she called you when I wasn't here?" Jamie meant for it to come out softly, it wasn't Eddie's fault if Syd had called, but ended up a littler firmer then he planned.
Eddie shifted to look up at him eyes twinkling up at him while wiggling her arm so her and touched Jamie's, a clue that she wanted to hold hands. "No, Jamie I'm sorry for bringing this up; I know her leaving was tough on you and I'm not trying to bring up harsh memories, but she was your wife and my friend for so long. I just wonder if she thinks about how we're doing."
"I doubt it Eddie..." Jamie scoffed. "Sydney has no use for either of us, Eddie. I am finally learning that I made a horrific mistake marrying her, I should have put the brakes on it when she wasn't supportive of my finding Joe's killer but I didn't and now you are paying the price and I'm sorry."
"It's all my fault," Eddie said not hearing him. "I should have insisted on going to an assisted living early on, and not stayed with you no matter how much you wanted to do it."
"Eddie, please stop this,' Jamie sighed. "This happened because it was meant to happen, angel. Or do you not feel the same way about me that I do about you. I have said "I love you" several times and you haven't said it so much. Why?"
"I…" Eddie sighed. "Jamie I do love you so much, I just don't feel confident or safe saying it yet. I'm so sorry."
Jamie dropped a kiss on Eddie's head, "Stop worrying about my divorce. We are splitting things even, there's no reason to be worried about it. In a week or so when this leg is in a brace we can go pick out a new bed, a couch, all that cool stuff."
"That will be fun," Eddie replied. "Can you put on the TV for a bit?"
Jamie turned on the TV and inhaled Eddie's shampoo. "Help me turn around so I can air the sores on the back of my legs and…That was not how that was supposed to sound at all."
Jamie smiled, "I have a better idea." Jamie moved Eddie so she was sitting independently and went to the kitchen to pop some of her favorite popcorn. Jamie returned with the bowl and Eddie's scoop to eat.
Jamie settled next to Eddie and turned on Miracle. "I love Kurt Russel in the movie," Eddie observed scooping some popcorn into her mouth. "You made my favorite popcorn…"
"I am trying. How is your leg? Let me see"
"It's good, Jamie, we'll move in a little while. Oh here's the part where he wants them all to take his test!"
Jamie smiled at Eddie, she was having a good time just relaxing in his arms. She was such a simple girl, little things had always delighted her. Jamie kissed Eddie's hair, the moved the golden man to the side and kissed his way down her throat. "How does that feel?"
"Oooh," Eddie moaned unable to find words. Her neck and shoulders were much more sensitive since losing sensation in the rest of her body so Jamie's touch there made her eyes roll back and her breath catch. "Jamie…that feels…"
"I hope," Jamie sighed. "I hope so. You are so pretty, so beautiful, you fit…" Jamie intensified his kissed, nibbling at Eddie's ear lobe.
Eddie looked at Jamie, "Help me?"
Jamie nodded and pulled Eddie over so they were lying chest to chest. Their lips met in a heated kiss, Jamie's mouth possessed Eddie's with hunger, stroking every surface, awakening nerves and sensations Eddie had never experienced before in her life.
A loan groan vibrated from Jamie's chest. He pulled Eddie closer holding her body flush against his chest. Jamie felt Eddie pull up on her arms trying her best to press herself closer to him. Jamie's hands moved down to cup Eddie's bottom holding her closer to his body. The pleasure of Jamie's kiss made Eddie weak. If Jamie wasn't holding her flush to his body, she would have fallen to the floor, even the muscles she had command over ceased to function in Jamie's strong arms. Jamie sensed her need and gripped her tighter.
"I've got you," Jamie assured Eddie. "I've got you in my arms where you belong. You belong here, you only you."
Eddie dropped her jaw to permit Jamie more access. "Only you," she echoed. "I have been loved in a long time."
"You'll be loved for a long time," Jamie murmured. "I'm not letting you go baby, not ever."
Jamie dipped his head and took Eddie's lips again. Holding her like this it was easy to forget things hadn't been like this forever and that they were not just a young thirtysomething couple making their way. There were challenges and baggage, lots of baggage, namely that fact he was still married.
Jamie felt his body stirring and responding to the closeness. He was thankful that Eddie could not feel his masculinity pressing against her belly. Jamie took a deep breath and pulled his mouth back.
Eddie pulled back at the same time. She worked her arm up, putting all her concentration on making the limb obey. When it did all that it could, Eddie silently asking Jamie to move her hand so it rested on his cheek.
"The worst day of my life was the accident," Eddie said holding Jamie's eyes. "It took so much from me, my independence, my career…But in a way, it was also the best day of my life because that horrible accident led to this moment, right here, right now. All of the pain, all of the fear, all of the anguish, everything has led us here, to be holding each other, loving each other….And you know what? If I was given a choice to be able to go back before the accident but never have this with you…I wouldn't change a thing. This is how I want to spend my life; if this was my last moment, this is where I want to spend it."
Jamie felt his throat ache, he was fighting to keep back the tears that Eddie's words were bringing to his eyes. He lost the battle when he felt her slowly rub his cheek the best she could, she was trying so hard to give him affection. Eddie suffered so much but she would actively choose that to be here with him. The tears fell down Jamie's cheeks and onto Eddie's hand. She didn't feel them as much as she saw them.
"Jamie? Did I…"
"No," Jamie rasped. "No…I…If I doubted anything earlier, I don't…I would give anything but this to have you not suffer anymore pain, anything but this…"
Eddie smiled and laid her head on his chest, "Jamie, my next appointment with Dr. Camden, we need to talk about how we could…"
"Ssh…" Jamie murmured. "Let's just be for now, Angel. Let's just be."
A/N: I love me some Sean, he's got his mother's healing spirit and a genuine love for Eddie. He's a sweet soul.
Next Update – September 26th – Jamie and Eddie visit Armin in prison.