Author's Note: First of all, I was just reading some fics on the site and I came upon On A Perfect Day by Boschette and I just want to let everyone know I am in no way trying to copy that fic! I wrote Holding Your Hand long before that fic appeared on this site so just in case there's any suspicions, I am not trying to copy anyone else's work!
OK, that stuff out of the way, I want to thank Jessica and Yelak for your feedback. Here's more!
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Jack did not know how much time had passed before Pacey came bursting into the Emergency Room. He hurried over to where Jack sat between Officers Mike and Lisa and with one look at the expression on Jack's face, all he said was, "Oh, God."
Mike stood up. "It's not what you think. Well, we don't quite know what it is yet but there's hope."
Pacey looked at him urgently.
Casting a worried glance in Jack's direction, Mike said, "Why don't we take a walk while we talk, ok?"
"Sure …"
They returned shortly and as soon as they did, Pacey took the empty seat beside Jack. The two men looked at each other and without a word, embraced. Both could feel the other's pain, the other's distress, and both were grateful to have someone there who knew on some level what the other was going through.
When they pulled away, Pacey turned quickly to Mike beside him. "What time is it?"
"One-twelve."
Pacey turned back to Jack. "Look, I'm going to call Joey and tell her what's going on and get her to pick up Kelly, and Amy too, after school. Do you want her to bring Amy here?"
Jack did not even hesitate as he shook his head. "No- no way. I don't want her in this place."
"Ok, Jo can just take them back to our place." He paused and considered how he would word his next question. "What- what do you want her to tell Amy, Jack?"
Jack took time to think this time. Though he doubted himself, Jack finally came up with the only solution that seemed right. "Tell her that Doug or I couldn't pick her up because- because something came up. Tell her that I will come and pick her up this evening and I will explain everything to her."
"What are you going to tell her?"
"The
truth. She needs to know the truth
about her parent."
Pacey nodded. "Right, of course. I'll go call Jo." He disappeared off around a corner as he dialed his cell phone.
Jack knew that it would be difficult for their daughter to sit and wait while she had no idea where her parents were or what they were doing but also knew that she would be fine. She would be patient, she would understand. Jack knew that the little girl he and Doug had raised would be strong in this difficult time. He also knew that he needed to be the one to tell her. True, Joey was her aunt and it was a comfort to know that Amy was in such good hands, but he did not want it to be her to tell his daughter of this tragedy. Amy would also be with her cousin and best friend in the world. Though Kelly was a year younger than her, Amy was inseparable from Pacey and Joey's daughter.
The day passed slowly. Jack did not think he had ever lived through a longer day. Every once in a while, someone would get a doctor and attempt to find out about Doug's condition. The answer, however, was always the same: "He's still in surgery. Someone will let you know when it's over."
At six o'clock that evening, there was still no news on Doug. Jack did not want to leave him; he could not imagine missing the moment when Doug would need him the most. He knew that Amy needed him, though. He needed to tell her what was going on, even if he hardly knew himself. He turned to Pacey who sat beside him.
"Pace- I think I'd better go talk to Amy."
Pacey looked at him and nodded. "Yeah- you're right."
There was a brief silence.
"Jesus, I don't want to leave him …"
"I could ask Jo to talk to Amy-"
"No. Sorry, Pace, but no. I need to be the one to tell her."
Pacey nodded: he understood.
"I'm going to have my cell on me the whole time, though. I need you to call me the moment you find out what's going on."
"Of course, Jack. I-"
"Excuse me- are you the family of Douglas Witter?"
The two men turned quickly towards the source of the voice- a middle-aged man in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck: a doctor. Pacey and Jack jumped to their feet.
"Yes," they said in unison.
The doctor held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Doctor Hillcoat. I was Sheriff Witter's surgeon today."
Pacey and Jack looked expectantly back at him.
"Well, I'll be honest- the injuries Sheriff Witter sustained were quite serious and have caused some critical damage …"
Doctor Hillcoat went on for what seemed like a long time to tell them that Doug's chest wound had missed his heart but punctured a lung. They still could not say for sure whether or not Doug would be all right- he was in Intensive Care at the moment- but there was hope. The other shot had hit Doug in the shin, just below the knee on his right leg and if Doug got better, there was a chance that that leg would be useless.
"… I wish I could give you more reassuring news but at the moment, we are just at the waiting and seeing stage. He is conscious now but quite out of it. One person can go in and see him at a time for a very brief visit. I need to ask, however, that only immediate family go in at the moment … what exactly are your relations to Sheriff Witter?"
"I'm his brother," Pacey said. "Pacey Witter."
"All right, Mr. Witter. I can take you to your brother in a moment." He looked expectantly at Jack.
Jack chose his words carefully. "I'm Doug's- his partner."
"Oh. I didn't realize the sheriff worked with a partner …"
"No- that's not what I meant. Doug and I are-" he hated this term so much! "-life partners."
Dr. Hillcoat's eyes widened slightly as comprehension dawned. "Ah, I, um, I see. Well, like I said, I can only allow immediate family in at the moment so-"
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Pace …" Jack did not want to jump in and be aggressive but leave it to Pacey to try to be the hero.
"Listen, Doctor, Jack deserves to be in that room more than I do. He deserves to be in that room just as a husband does for his wife or a wife does for her husband and if you think-"
"All right, Mr. Witter! I suppose we could bend the rules just this once. Please understand, however, that this hospital does not recognize 'life partner' as a qualifying immediate family-relation." And with a wary glance in Jack's direction, Doctor Hillcoat turned and began to walk down a hall.
Pacey looked about to jump on him but Jack held him back. "Look, Pace," he said quietly, "just forget it, all right? I appreciate your sentiment but let's just not make a big deal out of this. I don't feel like it- I just want to see Doug."
Pacey relaxed and nodded. "Yeah, right. Me too."
The two men exchanged a look of understanding and followed Doctor Hillcoat towards the IC unit.
********
Pacey went in first and so as Jack sat outside the room, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Doctor Hillcoat's attitude towards him had, of course, annoyed him but it was almost expected. Jack was used to facing this kind of thing all the time but together, he and Doug had learned to move past it. Jack's memory flashed to Amy's first day of school when she started in kindergarten. For the first day, parents were allowed to accompany their children to class and so both he and Doug took the day off in order to be with Amy.
"Look at all the toys!" Amy said as they stepped into the classroom.
"Yeah," Jack said, crouching down to be at her level, "what are you going to play with first?"
Amy shrugged, suddenly blushing as she looked around the classroom.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"I don't know anyone here!"
"Well, go make some friends," Doug said.
Amy buried her face in Doug's shoulder. "They might not like me."
"Of course they will!" Jack said. "You're the coolest girl in the room!"
She looked at him, grinning. "'Kay …" She scampered off to join the other children.
"Well, isn't she the sweetest thing!"
Jack and Doug turned around to the source of the voice they'd just heard and found themselves facing a young couple; a man and a woman.
"Hi," the woman said, holding out a hand, "I'm Karen and this is Ben. We're Max's parents." She indicated a blonde boy playing with building blocks across the room.
"Hi, I'm Doug."
"I'm Jack. We're Amy's parents."
"Nice to meet you," Karen said. She was now looking at them uncertainly. "Sorry, not to prod or anything, but which of you is Amy's biological father?"
Jack and Doug exchanged a weary glance. "Neither of us," Doug said. "We adopted Amy from a close friend of Jack's who passed away when Amy was a baby."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Karen said, not sounding very sorry at all. She rushed on with more questions. "So are you two brothers or something? I mean, why would two men want to raise a little girl together anyways?" She laughed as if to lighten the mood but her laugh sounded like Cruella Deville's from 101 Dalmatians.
Jack and Doug were not so amused. "No," Jack said steadily, "we're not brothers. We want to raise Amy together because we love her and we want to have a family together. Doug and I are a couple."
The smile disappeared from Karen's face and even Ben, who had not yet said a word, looked at Jack and Doug sourly.
"Well, I- I mean, I never- since when have queers been allowed to raise children?" Karen demanded, all her friendly demeanor from before was now completely gone.
"There's no law against it," Jack said, trying to keep his tone calm, "and there is no reason why we should not be allowed to raise a child."
"Really?" Karen demanded. "What about the immoral behavior you are teaching that poor little girl? What about the fact that she does not have a mother? What about the confused image she is getting of the world? What about-"
"Look, lady, don't talk about things you don't even know about." Jack did not care anymore about keeping his tone calm. He did not care about the people around them turning to stare or the nearby children pausing in their games. "You're so ignorant you probably don't even-"
"Jack," Doug said suddenly, his tone calm but firm. Jack stopped suddenly and looked at Doug and was immediately subdued. One look in Doug's serene eyes, at his gentle face, and Jack realized he was going to far. Doug spoke again, "Don't waste your breath, hon. Forget it."
Jack took Doug's hand and the couple moved away from the two angry but speechless parents.
Jack looked back on that day with pride. He remembered how one moment he had felt angry and so incredibly tired of people's hatred and how the next moment he felt calm and certain of what he was doing. Taking his love's hand in his own had felt so right and walking through the classroom with their heads held high had felt so good. He and Doug had soon found that while there were always parents much like Karen and Ben, there were also always parents who supported Jack and Doug and treated them like any other parents. And Jack felt like any other parent. He was so proud of the little family he had with Doug and Amy but now …
"Mr. McPhee?"
Jack looked up sharply and saw Doctor Hillcoat in front of him.
"Mr. Witter is done. You can go in but only for about ten minutes."
Jack nodded. "Thanks."