Chapter 54

"Jamie! Look at you! You're up out of bed already! That's great!" Erin practically squealed with delight as she came around the corner before lunchtime to find her younger brother sitting up in what everyone else considered the comfortable recliner instead of his usual spot. What she failed to notice was the rather stark stare he returned as the effort of getting rewrapped and fitted for his brace and then into that chair had consumed nearly his entire scheduled morning PE session and left him shaky and weak. Just the change to a vertical position after nearly two weeks basically horizontal was completely taxing to his body, and it had taken both Aaron and William supporting him and a plethora of equipment to learn a simple pivot move over. As desperate as he had been to get out of that bed, he was now eyeing a return trip back to its safety as his father had been right… so far today had been rather discouraging and painful as the nerve block was allowed to wear off and his brain reacquainted itself with his intensely sore right hip and the rest of his leg down to his knee although he was still waiting for the blessed numbness to subside below that.

"Hey," he managed to rasp out instead, his voice still a bit raw and rough.

"How are you feeling?" she asked with genuine concern as she reached over and gave him a gentle hug and kiss on the cheek. "Missed talking to you, but Dad said it seems like the rest helped."

"Been better… and worse I guess," he acknowledged with a small sad frown. "Thanks for coming again. Marguerite said you were in a few times since the surgery… not that I remember any of that."

"Of course I came… So… this stuff is kinda cool," she fluffed while trying to judge his attitude given her contentious state with Eddie while feigning interest in some of his new bedside apparatuses which included a swinging angled hand bar on the side and a trapeze grip to help him maneuver in and out. "You always wanted a jungle gym in your room when you were little, remember? I think you scared the bejesus out of Mom that one time when she found you dressed all in black and hanging upside down by your knees from the bar in the closet when she came to tuck you in and you said you were going to try sleeping that way because bats did. She almost called a priest. Dad said you'll have the same stuff at home… they gave him a list."

"Yeah, he said that he was taking care of it with Eddie when they were here last night," Jamie answered showing no apparent concern that there might be tension brewing between his sister and wife as Erin blew out a sigh of relief and thanked God for that small favor. If no one else had brought up the tiff over the papers, she sure wasn't going to be the first.

"So, did they say when you might be able to come home yet?" Erin asked, trying to sound optimistic as she turned her attention back to her brother and noted the intricately padded and adjusted hinged brace that was now covering almost the whole of his leg but still apparently locked at a straight angle.

"Um, Aaron said not until I can do some of this on my own," Jamie reported tiredly as he unsuccessfully tried to suppress a low moan and grimace while he shifted in the seat as the ache in his hip became intense once more and it was growing close to the time for another hit on the happy button as his sister looked over with mounting concern. "I guess I'm behind on that week timeline 'cause I lost three more days. Took two of them to get me over here this morning… Ed shouldn't lift anything now, so I'm not sure," he admitted. "She really wants me home by Christmas Eve at least for Kaylin... I can tell. Gotta try for that… can't let them down. I miss sweetness," he trailed off sadly as the thought of disappointing his wife and daughter like that after all this time of not seeing her just about broke his heart.

"Jamie, don't do that," Erin frowned and the frustration in her tone notched up a bit as in her mind this just further proved her point that Eddie was being unrealistic given his injuries. "Don't risk hurting yourself or get discouraged if you can't… the last thing anyone wants to see is you in worse shape because you're pushing too hard so you don't upset someone else. If it's not safe for you to leave by then… we'll just have to figure out something else. Maybe we can all come here and have a room downstairs like we did for Grandpa at Thanksgiving when he had his heart attack, okay? That way you can spend time with Kaylin but won't have to make the trip all the way home and have to worry about the rest if you're not up to it. Eddie should see that and not be putting pressure on you!" she insisted.

"She's not, Erin… please don't go all ballistic momma llama bear now," he sighed and rubbed his face knowing his sister's propensity to do exactly that but not aware the line had been crisscrossed numerous times by this point. "I just know what she's thinking. Ed's gotta go to her doctor's appointment Wednesday by herself; they already told me I won't be able to get released from this floor even downstairs for an hour to do a video call by that point. It's her turn, and I can't be there for her when she really needs me… imagine how that feels? I don't want her to be alone in case something…" he paused with a heavy heart and a prayer before continuing. "In case they say something's really wrong. Dad already told me he let it slip to you about the baby's issues, maybe you could go with her?" he asked hopefully as he put on his best pair of puppy eyes and continued totally to misread the current situation between the two women. "I mean just stay out in the waiting room to drive her home if she's upset?"

"ME?!" Erin reacted and her mind whirred at a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out how to get out of that one without tipping him off that Eddie would probably prefer pushing her out of a moving car on the FDR rather than accepting a ride along at this point. The classic fall back to work seemed like the best route to take even though it was a complete lie. "Oh, sorry, I have court in the afternoon. What about her mom? I would think Eva would want to be there and it's not too far from your house."

"She can't. Kaylin has her final play practice and a party afterwards and we don't want her to miss that. Pop's going too since grandparents are invited, and you know Eddie and I can't… don't worry, I'll find someone else. Ed says she can go by herself… I just would feel better if she had someone, you know? She's been getting emotional a lot lately with me here… Dad's way too busy. Maybe Linda can be on standby if she's working at St. Vic's."

"Linda's back is still bad. Danny said she's out all this week."

"Terrific," he grimaced again and took a sharp breath as a deep throbbing pain crept up the middle of his leg and knifed directly through his lower back as his face went pale and he closed his eyes to ride through it even as the intensity notched up higher.

"Jamie…" Erin started with concern as she noticed. "Do I need to get someone?"

"Yeah... no wait, just have to…" he reached over and conceded by hitting the little red button and waiting for the relief it would bring before speaking again in a few minutes. "Sorry, I didn't want to while you were here, but… hurts..."

"Hey, no… don't worry, I understand," she assured with a bit of self righteousness in her voice and convinced herself of the fact that he would have held off even longer if Eddie had been here. "Why don't we get you reclined back a little more so you can rest easier or do you want me to have them come and get you back in bed? Are you cold? Do you want another blanket or a pillow?"

"No, should s-stay here…" he replied slowly as the medication dulled the pain and his mind alike. "S-supposed to have... lunch soon... sitting up. Stay here," he repeated. "I'm 'kay now… it's gettin' better," he insisted. "Gotta eat and work on doin' this or can't come home."

"Jamie, I'm worried about you," his sister continued. "We all are."

"I'm 'kay... told you… 'nd you always worry 'bout me too much."

"No, you're not okay, and I do know you… you're gonna push yourself to go home too early because you're worried about Eddie more than yourself. You can't do that this time, Jamie… this time it has to be more about what's best for you than her for a change… this week and afterwards too."

"For a change? What'r you sayin'?... S'all been 'bout me. Ed's here too much," he countered as one tired eye now blinked back while the other one was covered with two fingers digging into his forehead above his eyebrows trying to stave off an impending headache. "She's tired from work, comes t'see me... goes home to Kaylin… everythin's for me. I'm put'in her through hell."

"Jamie, I know that Eddie loves you with all her heart… I would never say different after watching the two of you together for the last year, but please admit that some of the stuff you've gone through is because she's been way over the top emotional and you know it, little brother," Erin chided but with definite underlying concern. "You get stressed out because she's upset and react badly to the anesthesia, then when you're trying to wake up she's got you in a panic attack which makes everything worse. It happened more than once hasn't it? What do you think she'll be like when you come home?"

"She's p'rgnant, Erin… s'posed to be 'motional. S'it s'my job... to be better… and get the ice cream," he tried to lighten, thankful that the modified dose of whatever he was receiving now at least let him remain somewhat connected if just a bit fuzzy.

"No, Jamie… she wants everything to be perfect again. She knows it's not, but she says she won't believe it until that's what she's told… said that first day you were up here," Erin insisted and she knew those words resonated with him, even if he was impaired. "I told her to be positive with you, and she said she won't accept anything but full function because you always bounce back from things like this and you'll do it again. She thinks you're going to go back on patrol and gets mad whenever anyone insinuates that might not be possible," she added softly knowing how much the truth hurt… probably more than the obvious physical pain he was in. "I'm just trying to be honest, Jamie," she added as she watched his expression fall although he was not surprised his sister would be the one to address it… the same thoughts had been there in the back of his worried mind whenever he was lucid enough. "Somebody has to put you first."

"And y'don't think Ed is?"

"I know she wants to," Erin admitted thoughtfully since she could tell by the fact he hadn't gotten instantly red-lined defensive that this wasn't exactly a shock, and maybe something he needed to get off his chest too. "She tries, but with everything else that's happening… I don't think it's possible right now."

"Like me getting all way better?"

"Grandpa and I… Dad too by now I think… and Danny... Jamie, we all want that to be possible, but we know what you already know too. Pop said he saw it in your face when you were watching that hostage situation on the news. Even with help from an amazing staff and the latest high-tech medicine here…" she allowed her point to hang out there as she held her breath waiting for his response. "You need to consider other options."

"There's only so much can do… I know, 'Rin," he conceded softly in defeat, suddenly growing tired as his mind had enough of this acceptance business and sought to retreat once more. "She just… she needs to believe right now, 'kay? Maybe me too. We'll work on it…" he trailed off before deep, even breathing signaled an end to this conversation as he shut her out, intentional or not and left a sister worried once more that she had taken things too far.

###

"Hey, look it's effing sleeping beauty… all ninety pounds of her!" came a deep, crass voice that didn't register in Jamie's familiar catalog. At first he imagined it was Danny for whatever reason given the familiar contempt, but a quick blink open of the eyes revealed a looming mountain of a man that challenged his own father's stature standing outside his door instead… one that was likewise dressed in a robe and slippers, but didn't seem to be letting that bother him. "The hell?! Is that an EFFING HARVARD BLANKIE you got there, sweetheart? No wonder they've been hiding this girl out back here, Dave!" he thundered down the hall at his compatriot… the sound of which had Marguerite and William charging out of one of the supply rooms in the back at full press.

"He's a freaking ring knocker!" came the equally loud reply back. "I heard about him! The SEAL guys think he's cute! No wonder he gets special treatment and helicopter rides!"

"Corporals Daniels and Richards!" the nurse bristled at her two newest charges who had arrived on the wing for their own procedures while Jamie had slept through the afternoon… under the auspicious red fleece college blanket that Erin had carefully tucked around him before taking her leave he soon realized. "That will be enough! Back to your bed! You will not harass the other patients in my ward!" she asserted before another voice… one that was instantly recognizable broke in from behind.

"Hey, how about you guys take it back from where you came from? That's my brother in there!" Daniel Reagan snarled like a pit bull backing up a doberman as he stared up at the much larger Corporal with full intent when the man turned around. "Two tours in Fallujah in case you're wondering. Semper Fi."

"You're related to that ivy-league brat? They're taught to sell guys like us out for a headline!"

"And you should shut your face… you don't know anything about him! Or we could just take this outside, Nancy."

"NO, NO!" Marguerite inserted herself once more and pushed the two apart. "I will not have any of this! Beds, now!" she ordered before giving Jamie an apologetic look after the hallway emptied. "I'm sorry… Marines you know. They will be respectful to officers but it's in their nature to treat everyone under that less so unless you win their regard. William will be in to get you back in bed once we settle these two, we didn't want to wake you before… and don't worry I'll make sure they stay quiet. Once they have their procedures, they won't be so eager to roam and will probably be begging for painkillers like candy," she assured before stepping away to see to her responsibilities.

"Jesus, kid… what are you trying to do in here?" Danny softened until he walked in the room. "Why don't you just paint a freaking target on your back instead?!" he demanded with an incredulous look at the blanket with its evident emblem.

"Erin must have done that before she left. She brought it… was her idea," Jamie answered while shaking his head at his pair of diverse siblings as he managed to find the side control to sit up a bit. "Let me get this straight. You're ready to throw down with that knucklehead even though he agrees with everything you usually say about me?"

"Reagan family rule number one," Danny reminded. "Reagans can talk smack all night long. Outsiders talk smack, there's gonna be a fight."

"Way to have my back."

"Glad to help, and good to see you out of bed finally," his older brother added. "Dad said you were doing better," he encouraged while remaining mindful of that basic order to be positive he had received in no uncertain terms from his father.

"Yeah, and now you get to see if I can get back in it," Jamie groaned as William came around the corner with a few accessories. "He might need some help, m'not doin' so good at that today. Gotta finish before Ed gets here," he begged with a nervous eye to the time as he realized it was coming up on five o'clock and her usual arrival after shift so they could share dinner together. "I don't want her to watch."

"No worries, man," William assured as Danny quickly took his jacket off and jumped in ready to support his little brother on one side, relieved at last to be able to offer some tangible help after all this. "Once you get the hang of this in a couple of days, you'll be able to swing in and out like Tarzan."

"Ha, this reminds me of that time with you in the…" Danny started before being nearly silenced by a death stare. "Remember?"

"I know… closet… Mom… priest," Jamie summarized succinctly while he grabbed the overhead bar to the best of his one-handed ability and cut that duplicate walk down memory lane short as the return trip into bed was completed with less fanfare although Danny was disheartened to see the obvious discomfort any movement caused his brother and the sight of that bulky brace, both of which Jamie was obviously trying to downplay for his wife. "Can we take this off now?" he begged. "I think the swelling is making the rest of my leg numb… still can't feel my foot although the top part up towards my hip is pounding," he complained.

"Sorry, no can do," William advised. "Dr. Kenzie was up here earlier when you were sleeping… she said she'd stop back later to check it. Gotta keep everything immobilized for now until the therapist breaks the hinge when you get some range of motion in your knee, otherwise you'll lose the extension. I'll take it off for a bit when I come back later to get you ready for the night, okay? Dinner's soon, try not to dose before that if you can. You didn't get much lunch and we can't have you not eating," he warned.

"Yeah, okay… thanks," Jamie sighed as the nurse left, grateful though that everything had been accomplished swiftly as judging from the pair of catcall whistles emanating from the hall his wife had just arrived.

"Geez, what nice neighbors you've got now," Eddie acknowledged as she appeared at the doorway with a frown since she knew her husband's first urge would have been to jump up to defend her honor if he was able. "Makes me miss Quincy… although he kept hounding me for Annabel's number. Aw… did I get here too late?" she asked while stepping in and noticing the blanket draped to the side. "Were you already in the chair? I wanted to be able to see what you have to do so I know I have everything set up right at home. They're supposed to deliver all this and the bed Wednesday while I have the day off to go to the doctor and the ramp people are coming in the afternoon."

"It's not rocket science, Ed," Jamie groaned. "And please take that blanket home before it gets me bushwhacked in the middle of the night," he sighed.

"I'll explain later," Danny assured before folding it up and putting it neatly away on the window seat out of sight. "His new roomies aren't exactly fans," he explained when her look said in no uncertain terms to spit it out.

"Well they better not mess with him!" Eddie replied loudly enough as she stepped back to the doorway so that the entire hall was well aware of her position on that matter. "Hey, you two newbies… you listen to me! You want a piece of my husband, you got to go through me first!"

"Oh, come on, Ed, that is so not gonna help," Jamie sighed and blushed with embarrassment at his wife's defense, certain now he was going to pay for that at some point during his stay here unless Marguerite made good on her pledge to chemically restrain his new wardmates. "Can we just move on? How was your day, dears?" he mocked in his best Julia Roberts voice from Pretty Women, bringing a tinge of red to Danny's face as well as he recalled covering his little brother's eyes for that rather explicit implied nudity scene in his favorite movie where the VHS tape had literally been worn through by constant rewinding. Had Jackie been a redhead… he mused before those impure thoughts were thankfully interrupted.

"I broke a nail answering six hundred and nineteen phone calls," Eddie exaggerated with a grump, although completely relieved at just how much better Jamie was looking today despite the added pain from the block wearing off. She had been fidgeting with nerves over that all day at her desk and this now gave her hope that a homecoming for Christmas was possible. "Twelfth precinct, Officer Reagan speaking. How may I direct your call?"

"I solved my body dump case from last night," Danny admitted while leaving out all implicit details like the location and the fact the victim's name mirrored their own brother's. "Well, my partner did anyway," he added truthfully. "Drug dealer… his supplier apparently had it in for him," he shrugged with that completely benign explanation to what at first presented as one of those Templar coincidences. Maybe Jackie had been right about that too, he pondered. Further nosing around revealed that Detective Altemose from the 2-7 who shared Lydia Gonsalves' badge number also lived on Staten Island, not two miles away from his own house and could have very well just heaved that out the window as a protest to the investigation which saw him brought up on charges and lose his pension. Suddenly this whole Templar resurgence case was falling apart at the seams, he thought to himself and there had been no time to review any more of those videos. That just left the cat and the car… seemingly unrelated and not much else. "Maria had the case all tied up in a bow for Carver by the time I got into work this morning," he admitted. "Even managed to get her to give us Wednesday off so she could finish baking her cookies."

"Oh, so you both have Wednesday off," Jamie's gaze sharpened. "Danny, can I ask you a favor?" he started.

"Sure, kid. Anything."

"Anything?" Jamie repeated just as Eddie caught on, knowing how much her husband was completely against her going to that doctor's appointment alone.

"Reagan, no… please, we talked about this," she warned, frankly weirded out by the notion of her brother-in-law accompanying her to an OBGYN's office… that just seemed so wrong on so many levels. "I told you I can go alone."

"Eddie has to see Dr. Geisner at St. Vic's for an ultrasound at two o'clock," Jamie continued on a forward track, anyway. "I can be on speaker phone, but nothing else. Listen, we didn't bring anything up because of all this…" he frowned with a look down at his leg. "And I would never ask otherwise because of Linda..." he admitted before trailing off.

"You knew about that?" Danny reasoned as he looked down and chewed his lip with regret considering his wife's wish it remain private. Not that anything in the Reagan family ever was. "Dad?"

"Kinda guessed… he just confirmed… Grandpa's interrogation techniques," Jamie admitted sheepishly. "Don't know the details… and don't have to," he offered hurriedly. "I know that's really personal stuff and not our business either way, but we were kind of doing the same thing," he admitted and took Eddie's hand which was now shaking as hearing all of this announced out loud broke her resolve and made it all too real again. "The part about not being completely honest," he continued. "The day before I left for Washington, we… um, well, we found out the baby might have some issues," he revealed while Danny's eyes stayed steady for a second before dropping down… a classic tell of guilt. "Wait, you knew too, didn't you?"

"Yeah," his older brother admitted. "They said something that first night after the meeting here when we were on the phone… Gramps, Erin and Dad already knew by then, so I put it together. I mean not the details or anything like you said… and I didn't tell Linda or the boys because we were all wrapped up with her back issues," he admitted without coming totally clean on that either. "Erin just said it was probably nothing but the doc was watching something."

"Well, then just about everyone knows anyway… even Marguerite," Jamie defended as Eddie was shaking her head. "There's no point in trying to hide it anymore. So it might be nothing," he turned back to his brother to explain. "But one of the kidneys is bigger than it should be and it's something they see in like one out of every hundred babies born, but they're able to check closer now that we're further along to see if there's more involved or just how bad… or if it's anything to worry about at all," he encouraged instead. "I just don't want Eddie to be there alone and everyone… I mean everyone else is busy."

"Damn, I'm sorry guys, but what exactly do you want me to do at the lady doctor?" Danny edged, equally mortified with the thought of escorting his sister-in-law to… well, he couldn't even bring himself to say the words. "I mean I can't go in there with her," he clarified. Christ, just the thought of doing that with Linda again gave him the heebie-jeebies and night sweats.

"Not in there, in there," Jamie insisted with a roll of his eyes. "Just stay in the waiting room or even the parking lot, for God's sake! I just don't want her to have to drive home alone if she's upset!"

"Oh," Danny sat back as he considered a more reasonable request. "I guess I can… I mean if it's okay with Eddie… I can do that," he conceded and forced the words out much to his own dismay.

"Ed?" Jamie prodded, and she knew there was no other way around this to ease his mind.

"If it makes you happy, dear," she drawled out painfully with an apologetic grimace directed at Danny.

"Perfect, it's a date," Jamie concluded with a sigh of relief. Actually it was far from it, but at least it was a start he thought as he prayed once more that it turned out there was no need for any of this in the first place even while plotting his own solo doctor discussion regarding the outlook for things to come since maybe his sister was right, Eddie wasn't capable of accepting anything less than perfect just now.


Lots of stuff happening over the course of these upcoming chapters now as some of the major storylines in this one intersect in surprising ways after months of buildup in the "werks" whew! You can all thank (or blame, ha! No please don't do that!) lawslave for some of this detail as she has a knack for pointing out interesting little subplots which I then feel compelled to include! Also, while I'm at it, I'd like to give a huge shout out to jlmayer for being a sounding board for some of the military issues included. As for what's next (thanks for asking, Anne Educator!), I have started a new standalone story about Betty and Henry, our two favorite greyhairs, that sort of segues between the end of this one and the epilogue that will follow as Series II wraps up.

Next, Jamie has an upfront discussion with Dr. Kenzie and a third party we haven't heard from in a while as he seeks an unbiased viewpoint to base a major decision on, which will only serve to make Eddie feel like even her husband sees the need to keep her out of the loop until the two have a moment to come together as a team again.