Chapter Thirty Six

Eddie and Lila ran inside the ER doors with Danny, Erin, and Linda bringing Frank behind them. Eddie went straight to Jamie and threw her arms around him, "What do you know? Is he okay? Are you okay?"

Jamie brought his arms up to hold her hands, "I'm fine. Joe is probably all right too honey, he was grazed but he lost some blood, Sean will be out to see us any minute now."

Danny reached down and clasped Jamie's shoulder, "You did good, Kid? You did really good I'm proud of you."

Jamie smiled, "The perp died on the table. He was just a mixed up kid, I really didn't want to give that order but…"

"Uncle Jamie," Sean said as he hurried out from the treatment area. "Aunt Eddie…" He greeted his grandpa, aunt, and cousin along with his parents. "Joey's going to be fine, he's getting stitched up and you can take him home. You'll need to do neuro checks on him every two hours because of the head injury but I expect he'll be up and around in a day or two."

Eddie breathed a sigh of relief, Joey hadn't been hurt in the line of duty before, it was terrifying to her as a mother to hear her boy had been shot. "Can we see him?" She had to see him for herself to be sure he really was okay.

"Sure, you can come on back and…" Sean stopped as three uniformed officers walked into the ER. One he recognized as Joey's partner, Annie.

"Commissioner, Detective Reagan," she greeted passing her hat from one hand to the other. She knew that Joey had probably told them about his their ill-fated discussion. "I heard about what happened but command didn't tell us which hospital until…How is Joey?"

Eddie glared at her, "My son is resting and he needs peace and quiet right now. I'll tell him you stopped by."

Jamie looked at Eddie's face, it was set firm and hard. "Eddie, they are partners and friends, it should be up to Joe." Jamie didn't want a big scene in front of the other officers.

"We're going to see him now and we'll let him know you are here," Jamie told Annie. "If he's feeling up to seeing you, you're welcome to visit him here or at home."

Sean led Jamie and Eddie back, "He's a little woozy and very tired but he is going to be fine."

Joey was lying on the cubicle bed, his arm in a sling and a bandage around his head. His arm felt numb but his head throbbed especially with the lights over the bed. Still he smiled when he saw Jamie and Eddie come around the privacy curtain. Jamie moved to the side of the bed and touched Joey's leg through the covers while Eddie began to stroke his hair, "Are you all right?" she asked quickly. "Do you hurt?"

"Mom, I'm fine…" Joey grimaced as she fussed. "I'm a grown man, don't pet me."

"You are a grown man, but you are still my little boy and I'll pet you if I want to after you get shot," Eddie demanded. "Sean says you can come home soon, you can rest in your old room upstairs."

Joey smiled, "Thanks Mom, but I'm really okay. I have a thick skull. My arm feels kind of numb, you'd know about that right Dad?"

Jamie nodded, "It's a very odd feeling but I'm sure it's just temporary. I didn't get to tell you how proud you made me out there."

"What were you doing at Markman's anyway?" Eddie asked. "You weren't on duty, you didn't roger a call."

Joey had to think fast as not to ruin his Dad's surprise, "Lila's wedding, I wanted to get her a pin for it. I didn't get to order it yet when the robbery happened. How is the guy? Jeremy?"

"Died on the table," Jamie replied. "We did our best, Joe, that's all we can do. I don't want you to feel guilty about it, all right. I gave the order, you just did what you had to do."

Joey groaned, "He had potential to be helped, he was human inside, not like some of the animals on the street."

Jamie nodded, "It came down to you or him Joe, and you know that was not a choice for me as a Commissioner or as a father."

Eddie saw Joey's eyes getting heavy, "Sleep now, Dad and I will be right at your side to take you home. Your sister and some friends are outside, we'll let them see you at home okay?"

Joey nodded, he knew the only other person he wanted t see besides his sister would never have come, not after what happened. He let his eyes drift closed and his body float away under the effects of drugs and blood loss.

"We got lucky today, Jamie,' Eddie sighed as she watched their son sleep.

"Yeah, we did. It was a disaster area down there, people tripping all over each other, no one using their brains…Jack has a long way to go before he's ready to be a leader of the department. It's such that I have to discuss appointing a different successor or reconsider my decision to retire."

"Jamie, you told me that once you proved to yourself and everyone else the stroke didn't inhibit your ability to lead you were going to retire, you promised me that,' Eddie reminded him sharply.

"I know I did, honey. But I might have been premature in that choice. We are both too tired and emotional to deal with this now, let's just rejoice in the fact that our son is alive and he's not hurt too badly." Jamie reached over Joey's legs and captured one of Eddie's hands. "Let's just focus on that for now."

Eddie turned her attention back to Joey, while Jamie pushed himself to the waiting room. "He's resting now and can go home shortly. Lila if you want to go back and sit with your Mom I have to speak to a few officers. Annie, I know you want to see him, you're welcome to stop by the house tomorrow."

Lila headed back to Joey's room while Jamie discussed the aftermath of the shooting with Jack and the support staff. "I'll hold a press conference in the morning alongside the Chief of Department to address the shooting death and my involvement in that death," Jamie replied. "I'd like you to keep the press away from Eddie and Joe, our family relationships should not have anything to do with this case, and the fact that Joe is my son should not have any bearing on anything."

Jamie's team was busy taking notes from him as if he never left. Danny watched as his son and brother put their heads together. He was so proud that Jamie had chosen to groom Jack for the big office on the fourteenth floor. He couldn't be prouder of his sons, now they just needed to find nice young ladies and make him a grandpa before his 20 year old niece did that same for his younger brother.

A few hours later Eddie pushed Joey's wheelchair while Lila pushed Jamie's. Joey fussed that he didn't need all the fuss and the fanfare but the hospital insisted. Danny drove Joey home with Eddie, Erin, Lila, and Linda while Frank and Jamie hopped a cab. When Eddie got Joey inside she ushered him upstairs. "I'll clean you wounds and you can lie down. Make sure you take the medicine that Sean prescribed."

"Yes, Mom," Joey sighed. "I really am okay, it's Dad you need to fuss over working so hard for that long."

"I will give your father plenty of fuss, trust me," Eddie assured Joey. "You know lots of people are going to want to visit you, so...you just tell me who you want to keep away and I…"

"She's still my friend, Mom," Joey replied getting into the bed Eddie just unmade for him. "I know you're upset at her for upsetting me, you're my mom, that's your job, but she's my friend and my partner, we have to work it out."

Eddie nodded as she heard Jamie and Frank return. "Get some sleep, if you need us, you just call out. If Dad and I don't hear you Grandpa or Lila will come get us. I love you." Eddie kissed Joey's head and made sure his arm was properly elevated before going downstairs to tend to Jamie.

When Eddie entered their bedroom, she found Jamie had laid out his grey suit. "I'm going to need you to help me with the tie tomorrow, honey. Lou thinks if I hold a joint conference with Jack tomorrow it will put everything to rest. We need to do that for Joey."

"Jamie," Eddie replied as she sat down on the bed. "I am going to ask you this once and I would really appreciate an honest answer. Are you starting to think about not retiring in the fall?"

Jamie turned to Eddie and sighed, "I am starting to think that I was making too many decisions too fast, I have decided I need to think about it some more before making a final decision. I want to have time with you, I want to travel and enjoy our grandchildren when they come but I don't think the city is safe just yet…I don't think Jack is ready, I think he needs more time."

Eddie sighed, "Who said that Jack has to succeed you? The mayor can appoint someone else…"

"It's important to me that someone who has the same ideals as I do follows in my footsteps. Joe is too young, it has to be Jack, for my peace of mind!"

Eddie nodded, this was not an argument to take up tonight, she would address this with Jamie many times in the future she was sure of it.

When Eddie awoke with Jamie the next morning, they were both surprised to find Joey and Annie having coffee in the family kitchen.

"I know Ann," Joey said smiling at her gently. "I don't want to lose that either. I guess I just felt that I had to be honest with you and myself to keep our friendship. I have to admit part of me thought you might have felt the same."

Annie blushed when she saw Jamie and Eddie enter the room. Joey turned, "Hey, Annie had an early tour and asked to stop by. We are going to run to the corner or some breakfast, can we get you anything?"

"No, I'm heading to 1PP for the press conference," Jamie replied. "Don't stay out too long, you need to rest your head, all right?"

Joey agreed and left with Annie for a meal before obeying his father and mother's request to come home and rest.

A/N: So Joey ended up relatively okay and he and Annie have patched things up for now. Big surprises coming as we wrap this story up. Seven more chapters to go. Looking forward to your reactions to this and future chapter as we draw closer to the end of the story and Lila's long awaited wedding.