A/N: I was thrilled with the response to the last chapter. Hopefully you will all enjoy this one as much as the previous. Thanks for the wonderful comments!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Joey stayed the night under the guise of making sure Jamie was okay in the morning. Eddie insisted Jamie be allowed to sleep until he woke on his own after the events of the previous night. After breakfast, Eddie took Frank for his daily walk. He liked to take a half hour stroll every day to keep his breathing strong and his body moving. Joey couldn't help but think that soon Frank and Jamie could take those walks together.

"Dad!" Joey said shaking his father awake. "Dad, rise and shine." Joey was dressed in a pair of NYPD sweats and an NYPD tee shirt.

Jamie stirred and groaned opening his eyes. "Hey, you slept over?"

Joey nodded, "Yeah, I was eager to get started on our sessions. That and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Mom and Grandpa were really shaken up. She'll have my hide for waking you but they'll only be gone a little while. How about we start with going to the bathroom. It's ten steps."

"Joey, I can barely walk two steps, ten steps, it might as well be a 100."

"No, but the aisle at St. Catherine's is 48 steps so we better get moving." Joey was all exuberance and excitement. Jamie had to smile at that. "Okay, I'll need my walker."

Joey got the steel contraption and put it at Jamie's bedside. He got up by pushing with his arms and manually moving his left leg until it hung over the side of the bed. Joey secured the brace to his foot and calf, then instructed, "Now put both feet on the floor and push down with your legs and pull up with your hands."

Joey had no formal experience as a trainer not to mention none as a physical therapist, but he was experienced at being a Reagan and an officer with the NYPD. That was the kind of push Jamie needed now, he was certain of it. "Come on Dad, you are going to make the toilet or pee on the floor and upset Mom. You can do this!"

Jamie gritted his teeth thinking of his beautiful wife's face, thinking how beautiful she would look if he stood and held her in his arms again. He pulled with both arms and pushed with both legs. The left barely cooperated, so he, as Roger had previously directed, shifted his weight to the right.

"You can do it, Dad," Joey encouraged again. "You are doing it. Just a little more."

Jamie pulled himself to his feet locking his right leg until he felt his much weaker left one slightly engage. Jamie remembered Roger's lessons, move the walker, the weak leg, then the strong one…He lifted the walker up and placed it less than arm's length away, then focused on his bad leg. He tried to lift it up but it refused. "Just push it, Dad. Get it moving, push that foot forward."

Jamie took Joey's advice on this too and used his hip and back to force his uncooperative leg forward. He gasped in surprise and delight when it did move. Jamie's 1000 watt smile was in full force when he pulled his right leg up beside his left, take one full if not sloppy step.

"One down, nine more to go!" Joey praised.

Ten minutes later Jamie reached the bathroom. He was beaming ear to ear. This was going to work, it really had potential anyway to work. With Joey watching for safety reasons, Jamie used the bathroom and got himself washed for the day. Slowly, but surely he walked back to the bed, then nearly collapsed in exhaustion.

"Done?" Joey asked. "We just got going. We didn't even…"

Joey looked at Jamie. Jamie's chest was heaving and his eyes were closing in fatigue. "Let's get you into clothes and resting before Mom catches us. We can tell her I'm helping you…"

Jamie raised his hand quickly, a gesture he used often to halt Joey speaking, "No. No, we must make is a surprise. If I fail at this, I don't want her hope to be crushed. I'm so tired now and we barely did a thing."

Joey nodded, "Well, we proved you can do it. You can walk at least a little. Stamina, I think that's the ticket. Let me rub your leg down…"

Joey got a tub of Blue Emu cream and began a strong, vigorous massage on Jamie's left leg. The muscles were already protesting their use. "I've got you, Dad," Joey soothed. "I know it's starting to hurt, but I've got you."

Eddie and Frank returned about ten minutes later. Frank went to go read his newspapers, and Eddie decided to go and wake Jamie. It was almost ten and he had to eat and take his medicine. She pushed the door open and found Joey leaning over Jamie rubbing his leg. "Hang in there, Dad," Joey said softly. "This one does not want to give, I'm so sorry."

"What's going on?" Eddie asked softly going to the bed. "Jamie…" He was sweating and his face contorted in pain. "Jamie…you are supposed to be resting, what were you doing?"

"I tried to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, Joey helped me but my leg…" He reached for Eddie's hand. She held onto him as Joey used strong hands to work on the cramp. "I got it now, I found the knot. I got it." As Joey made his proclamation, Jamie's body started to relax. Eddie offered him some water.

"Thanks Joe," she said smiling. "Sometimes I can't work the spasms out, my hands aren't strong enough."

"No problem, Mom," Joey replied. "How about I fix some eggs and stuff for Dad and you two have a little time? Dad, hard boiled eggs, rye toast and jelly?"

Jamie nodded and leaned back into the pillows. "Bad?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, just a couple side steps and my leg seized up," Jamie lied. "I'm glad Joey was here." He reached up and rubbed his neck. "Throat hurts."

"Yeah, it will for a day or two," Eddie soothed. "You are going to stay in bed today and rest, just like Sean said. We didn't get to talk yesterday, after…you were so tired but…You scared the Hell out of me, Jamie. I thought you were going to die right in front of me."

Jamie tightened his hold on Eddie, "I thought so too, and I don't want to waste one more moment, baby. Not one more moment."

Jamie turned his head and captured Eddie's lips in a strong kiss. He pulled her close to him and snuggled her. "When I get well, Eddie and finally make it back to work, I'm going to step down. We have wasted too much time, there are so many things that we have to do when I'm well, even if it is from a wheelchair."

Eddie reached up and cupped Jamie's cheek, "I'd like that. Remember after I got sick, and we took that trip to the Plaza Hotel, let's do that again, but this time let's go to London or Paris, let's really see the world, all the cities…"

"I'd like that," Jamie replied kissing her again as Joey entered with his breakfast.

"You two are gross," he laughed carrying the tray to his father with a cup of tea for his mother.

"You just wait," Jamie laughed, looking down at Eddie with a look of total adoration in his eyes. "One day you will feel this way, if you're lucky." He dropped a kiss on Eddie's nose then started to eat.

Jamie dozed off again after breakfast, so Eddie and Joey quietly exited the bedroom. "Mom, I want to run something by you."

Eddie nodded, sitting down. No matter what else was happening she always had time for her kids, something she had not been afforded as a child. Joey sat across from her, "I'm thinking of moving back home for a bit," Joey said. "You need help taking care of Dad, after what happened last night. Dad nearly died, Mom. He nearly died twice in the last six months and I screwed up. I've been a jerk, I've been selfish, and I've been everything that you and Dad raised me not to be. I'm ashamed of myself."

Eddie reached out and touched Joey's hand. "Joe, you got angry and like me you let it fester. The last few weeks especially you have been such a huge help with your father. He is so touched you are here for me and for him. I think you two are headed for reconciliation. You inherited the best of us Joey, but the worse of us too, his temper and my ability to hold a grudge."

"I hurt him Mom, and I hurt you. I never meant for it to go on so long," Joey sighed. "But this thing with me and Dad, it's gone on seventeen years, since you got sick. I really thought he didn't love me, that I was a nuisance to him."

"Oh, Joey, no never!" Eddie gasped. "No, sweetheart, you were our pride and joy, Joe. We gave you Uncle Joe's name. Dad insisted on giving his baby boy that name, a name that means so much to him."

Joey sighed, "I know that now. So, is it okay if I live at home for a bit? To help out and get my head on about a couple things too?"

Eddie smiled and gently caressed his cheek, "Joey, you can be here at home whenever you want and however you want. Your room is still there, it's just like you left it."

Joey smiled, "Thanks Mom. I was thinking the nights I'm not on tour, I can help Dad get ready for bed and we can talk. It will give you a chance to rest your arm too." Joey looked critically at his mother's left arm. "It looks better though, that's good."

Eddie smiled, "Speaking of, I have to go do my pumps. Listen for your dad."

Joey did just that, relieved he'd have more access to his father to carry out his plan. Little did he know, getting around his mother would be the least of his worries.