Please note that I do not have medical training! If I make a mistake regarding any medical condition or treatment, I apologize. Please accept it as merely part of the story.

Previously...

Chicago, June 1970

"Jack is a good boy," Dylan McNamara reminded his daughter. "And he's going to be a good man. You raised him to be responsible and to do what's right. You can't stop him when he decides to go and do it."

Ellen sighed. "Of course I won't stop him. I couldn't if I wanted to. He'll be eligible for the draft in four months, anyway. Maybe this will give him some choices, like he said."

Dylan nodded. "Maybe so."

The next day Jack and Aaron went to the Air Force recruiting office to sign up. As it turned out, Aaron was rejected because of his eyesight, but Jack was in perfect health, and was accepted immediately.

xx

"What happened, Aaron?" Jack asked his friend as the two men stepped back after their greeting. "I didn't know she had any heart problems..."

"Neither did I." Aaron was Ellen's regular physician. "She never mentioned symptoms, and she always checked out fine on her regular visits. The cardiologist, Dr. Samuelson, diagnosed an infarction, which was caused by a clot developing silently."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 8

Chicago General Hospital, April 11, 2009

"What's her prognosis?" Jack asked Aaron, looking over at Ellen's still form as he spoke.

Aaron shook his head. "Not good." He laid a hand on Jack's arm. "The scans we took showed heart damage. There was a blockage in the right coronary artery."

"I thought blockages could be dissolved?" Jack frowned as he asked the question.

"Yes, they can. But it has to be done quickly. Ellen was alone in her room when this happened, Jack, and she wasn't found for quite some time. We think it was at least three hours. The damage had been done."

"I see." Jack lowered his head and closed his eyes, rubbing at a spot between his eyes that was beginning to ache.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a headache." He straightened. "Any idea what her chances are?"

"Dr. Samuelson performed an angioplasty to open the artery, and she's on clot-busting meds. It's all he can do. Now we just have to wait and see."

"Nick called me this morning to let me know," Jack said. "He told me I should hurry home because she isn't expected to live through the night."

Aaron frowned, thinking that Nick Regan had all the tact of bull in a china shop. He was definitely not the person Aaron would have picked to notify Jack of what had happened! He nodded reluctantly. "As I said, Samuelson has done what he can..." His grip on Jack's arm tightened as he saw Jack's face pale. "Sit down, Jack." Aaron forcibly urged him back into the chair and pulled over another to sit beside him, fingers automatically reaching to check his friend's pulse.

"I'm okay. Stop that!" Jack insisted, batting the hand away.

Aaron poured water from a pitcher on the side table into a paper cup, and held it out. "Here, drink this." Jack took the cup and drank, but not without a glare at his friend, a look that Aaron ignored. "When did you eat last?"

Jack shrugged shortly. "I don't know! Breakfast?" He put up a hand to forestall the doctor's next words. "I'm not the patient here, Aaron."

"And I don't want you to be. But you will if you don't take care of yourself."

"You sound like my wife," Jack grumbled.

"Very smart lady." Just then the door opened and Sam put her head in. Aaron smiled. "Speaking of whom..."

Sam stepped into the room, and frowned as she took in their relative positions and the look on Jack's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

Aaron's voice overrode Jack's. "I was just about to tell your husband he should go get something to eat." He rose and turned to embrace her. "How are you, Sam?"

"I'm fine, Aaron. How about you?"

"I'm good." He kissed her cheek. "Why don't you take this man to get some food?"

"I think food is a great idea," Sam agreed. "You missed lunch, Jack. Daniel and I snacked on the plane, but you didn't have anything."

"I'm not hungry," Jack objected, somewhat belligerently.

"Well, why don't we at least take a walk. Stretch your legs. You've been in here for over an hour."

Jack frowned. It couldn't have been that long. "I don't..."

"Molly's son Ben just arrived from Louisiana," she continued, ignoring his attempt to interrupt. "He'd like to come in and see Ellen."

Jack drew a breath and sighed. "Okay. But I don't want to stay away..." He reached over to clasp Ellen's hand for a moment longer. "Thanks, Aaron," he said.

"I'll be around if you need me. Just have me paged," Aaron said quietly, glancing at Sam.

"Come on, Jack," she said softly.

Jack released Ellen's hand, and rose. He took his uniform jacket from the chair and slipped it on, then put his arm around his wife. "Okay."

Aaron followed Jack and Sam out of the room and moved off down the corridor.

Out in the hallway Jack was greeted by Molly's oldest son, Ben Standley. Ben was in his mid forties, a tall, rangy carbon copy of his father, John. He'd been Jack's shadow when he was a kid and Jack was a teenager. The two men shook hands warmly.

"How's it going down in Louisiana, kid?" Jack asked. `

Ben grinned. "Very well, thanks, Jack." A lawyer like his dad, Ben had moved his family to the South a number of years earlier to work for a firm in New Orleans. He glanced at Jack's shoulders. "I heard you got another set of stars. Congratulations."

"Nah..." Jack waved a careless hand. "Playthings."

"Looks like these guys take 'em seriously." Ben indicated Major Johnston, and the AF Lieutenant who had joined him outside Ellen's door.

"Don't worry about that," Jack told him. "How's your family?"

"Very good. Sharon's still teaching at Holy Cross. Joe is at Loyola Law and Dylan's in med school at Tulane."

"That's great." He glanced around. "They're not with you?"

"Sharon's taking a late flight tonight, and both the boys will be up tomorrow." Ben rested his hand on Jack's shoulder, and nodded toward Ellen's room door. "I didn't mean to disturb you..."

"It's okay. Go on in and see her. I think she knows we're all here."

"Yeah, I'm sure she does," Ben said softly, squeezing Jack's arm. "I'll see you later." He quietly opened the door and stepped in and closed the door behind him.

"Jack."

He turned at the sound of his name, and nodded to the priest who had approached as Ben disappeared. "Nick. Good to see you. You remember my wife, Samantha." Jack's arm curled around Sam's waist, drawing her near. He needed the support right now, and was grateful when she put her arm around him.

"Of course, I do." Father Nick Regan reached out and shook her hand. "How are you, Samantha?"

"Very well, Father, thank you."

Regan smiled at her. He was a good-looking man, despite the scar that marred one side of his face. His blond hair, though cut short, was thick and shiny, and he had warm green eyes. His smile was equally warm and genuine.

Father Regan turned to Jack. "How are you holding up, Jack?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly, Nick, I don't know. This was a real shock."

"It was to us all. No one no one thought she had any heart troubles." The priest shook his head sadly.

"Yeah. That's what Aaron said."

"I was just taking Jack to get something to eat, Father," Sam interjected, intent on fulfilling her mission, and not allowing Jack to be distracted. "Would you like to join us?"

Father Regan saw the determined look in Sam's eyes. "No, thank you. I want to go in and sit with Sister Ellen for a few minutes after Ben leaves. I'll see you later, Jack."

Sam and Jack headed back to the waiting area, followed by the AF escort, and announced that they were going to the cafeteria. Daniel joined them, along with David and Jo and their children Denis and Bridget, as well as Betsy, Karen and Sandy. They picked up sandwiches, salads and drinks from the food line, and found a large table.

Jack drank his coffee and stared at the turkey sandwich he had chosen until Sam insisted that he take a few bites. He knew better than to argue with her, and after eating about half the sandwich, he had to admit that he felt steadier. He listened to the conversation around the table. Denis was interested in the fact that Daniel was an archeologist. Karen and Bridget, who were the same age, and had always been close, were comparing notes on their lives. Sam was talking with Sandy, who was majoring in physics at the University of Chicago. Jack's thoughts wandered, and eventually the voices became simply background noise...

TBC. Upcoming: More of Jack's memories.