Yay! Sooo, this is it! Had a lot of amazing ideas from you guys, you deserve an applause! Though I couldn't just decide on one of them, I mixed some of them together. I did have to rewrite the last paragraph of chapter eight in order to make it possible. Here's to you, amazing readers and commenters :) Have fun, and let me know how I did!
Jamie opened his eyes, once more, this time to a dimly lit white ceiling. The machines beeped peacefully next to him and he carefully tried to lift his head. He grunted when he didn't have the strength and then he heard muffled sounds near the window.
"Hey, kid brother, how are you feeling?" Danny asked and moved into his vision. Jamie couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips when Danny squeezed his hand right hand.
"You came," he quacked, his voice strained and hoarse.
"Damn right, I did. You gave all of us a pretty big scare, you and Eddie," he said and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Jamie's face turned grave when he heard the name of his partner.
"How is she? She was shot," Jamie remembers, Danny could almost see the color drain from the kid's face.
"She is fine, believe it or not, the gun shot was just a flesh wound. Other than that, she just had some sore ribs and a couple of bumps and bruises. She was discharged a couple of hours ago and went home to rest," Danny insured his brother. Only then Jamie took a good look at his face, the hard features were only more expressed by the dark circles under his sleep deprived eyes.
"How long was I out?" Jamie asked, trying to connect the dots.
"Since we found you, Monday… that would be three and a half days," he said and looked at Jamie's tired but attentive expression. "I'll go get a doctor," he said and let go of Jamies's hand. Jamie watched him leave and closed his eyes for what seemed like a second.
"Jamie, you're awake, how wonderful," an unfamiliar voice said, lulling him out of his doze again. He smiled weakly when a doctor came in, followed by Danny. "Let me start by telling you, that you'll be fine. We have relocated your shoulder and even the concussion is improving, you had a lot of people worried, with that one. You'll look like a color palette the next couple of days though," the doctor said while he examined Jamie. "However, we did have some problems during the surgery," the doctor said when he finished. Danny was seated again, his face showing the concern he was feeling.
"What surgery?" Jamie asked, his level of concern spiking. He didn't know he had needed surgery.
"Some fragments from the explosion was buried in your back and your right side, mostly superficial, we extracted those, of course, but some of it managed to knick your liver, just a little puncture wound. It turned out to be leaking a little bit, so we stitched you together and we will keep you under observation for a week, until we are sure, that it won't deteriorate," he explained, very slow and calming. Soon after, he left, leaving Jamie to his thoughts and the company of his brother. Danny pulled the chair closer.
"I called dad to let him know you woke up, so he'll be here first thing in the morning," Danny said, resting his tired eyes on his brother.
"The mole?" Jamie asked, pushing aside his own medical condition.
"Baez and I arrested him Monday evening. We had the evidence to back it up. It turned out to be DEA Agent Gary O'Hara. He was being blackmailed by the head of the Black Spades to report to them on any kind of operation. He's making a deal to reduce his sentence," Danny said and smiled when he recalled the evening he had the pleasure to slap the cuffs on the almost weeping giant in front of the whole department.
"You know, I was worried, when we realized there was a mole, but somehow I knew, I just knew, you would come out on top," Jamie said, pride in his eyes and voice.
"Get some rest, kid, we'll be here, when you wake up again," Danny said, smiling, and squeezed Jamie's hand again. Jamie needed no more encouragement and closed his eyes.
He slowly resurfaced to the sound of a door opening and shuffling feet. The ceiling was now lit up by actual sunlight, Jamie noticed and turned his head to the sound.
"Heyy, dad," he rasped, his voice dry again. He cleared his throat and smiled at his father who sat down in the chair Danny had vacated.
"Hello, son, are you feeling better?" Frank asked with a tight smile under the moustache and clear eyes. His big frame would have surely been escorted to the door by his security detail. Jamie motioned to sit up and Frank helped him place a couple of pillows behind his back.
"As good as expected, I guess," Jamie responded, thinking of the gnawing he had felt in the morning. He had woken up in the small hours when the pain had suddenly jumped at him from his insides. He had assumed it was just the pain meds wearing of, so he had gone back to sleep, because it wasn't too bad, it just stung a little bit once in a while.
"Danny just left to go clean up, he'll be back in no time. Erin has court this morning, so when she finishes, she and Nicky will stop by with pops," Frank commented.
"Sounds good to me," Jamie answered and yawned. His energy was quickly running out, but he managed to not look too tired. "Did the doctors tell you, they wouldn't let me come home for another week?" Jamie asked and thought of the Sunday dinner, in just two days, he was going to miss.
"Yes, they did," Frank said and remembered the day he had walked through the doors to the hospital. He had been the first of the Reagan's to arrive at the emergency room. It took him only a couple of minutes to locate a growling Danny, sitting on a bed, shirtless and with a bandage wrapped around his ribs. He had cuts and bruises on his face, already treated. He had looked impatient and anxiety was written all over his face. They had known nothing about Jamie's condition, as he was rushed in to surgery, just like Eddie. Then Baez had arrived, looking tired but relieved, after getting the text from Danny, updating her on the situation. Then Erin, Nicky and Henry announced their arrival with Henry's recognizable voice demanding to see his grandsons. They had all waited for hours, when Linda and the boys arrived and they got news on the two officers. Eddie was resting, still sedated, but they were positive about her recovery. Jamie had been transferred to the ICU for monitoring and if his condition, regarding the liver, took a turn for the worse, they would have to put him in a medical induced coma. Then Danny and Baez went back to work the same night and only Erin and Frank stayed until the early morning. Then Danny came back and they had gone home to rest. Tuesday afternoon, Danny had called him because they pulled Jamie out of ICU and Eddie was awake. Nothing had changed on Jamie's condition until he had woken up the day before.
"Is Danny doing all right?" Jamie asked when a chill rushed down his spine. "He looked like a dead man walking, yesterday," Jamie noted, lifting his good hand to rub his face and scratch his neck. His left arm, the one that was dislocated, was still uncomfortably painful. Frank looked out the window for a second, hesitating to answer right away.
"He was a bit 'out there' until you woke up. I have never seen him like that, before," Frank confessed. "You did give him, all of us, a pretty good scare, though, so I wouldn't blame him for worrying," he continued.
"You didn't know if it would be Joe, all over again," Jamie mentioned, phrasing what Frank had been struggling to say. He looked down at the blanket and blinked away the few tears threatening to appear, just by the memory of his beloved brother. He couldn't even imagine the pain it would have caused him, if he knew Joe had been fighting for his life for hours, with the family not knowing whether he would make it or not. Frank looked at him, everything that needed saying, was in their eyes. The door burst open and Danny strolled inside with a cup of hospital coffee in his hands. He looked better than the night before, Jamie thought as he shuddered.
"Well, good morning, sleeping beauty," Danny teased as he pulled a second chair closer and sat down next to Frank. "What?" he asked suspiciously when they both looked at him, their faces turning into smiles.
"Nothing," Jamie responded and coughed weakly before leaning his head back down. "As pleased as I am, with both of you here, don't you have jobs to do? I don't need anyone to hover around me, when I'm sleeping off the meds," Jamie joked. He was still tired, and from the looks of it, so were his father and brother. "It's not like I'm going to wander off," he commented with a smile. Both Frank and Danny took the hint and motioned to leave.
"Stay put, kid, I'll swing by later," Danny called from the door and left.
"He that raises a large family does, indeed, while he lives to observe them, stand a broader mark for sorrow; but then he stands a broader mark for pleasure too," Frank quoted from the door way, hands in his pockets, tipping on his toes.
"Benjamin Franklin," Jamie commented, and received a smile from his father across the room before he left and the door was closed. Jamie rested back in the pillows and coughed frailly, before he closed his eyes and shuddered. He was looking forward to the pain meds, he thought, before he drifted into a light, uneasy sleep.
A soft touch on his hand brought him back to reality.
"Earth to Reagan, come in," a familiar voice sounded not far away. Jamie opened his eyes to see Eddie, his best friend whom he had fallen in love with, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Eddie," was all he could manage before he coughed hoarsely. Eddie grimaced by the crackling sound from her partner. "You look better," he said when he could speak again, his voice no more than a whisper on sandpaper.
"Well, someone has to be the good looking one in this partnership," she said with a sparkle in her eye and a grin on her lips, articulating at the air between them, before resting her free hand on Jamie's again. Her right arm was in a sling, so she wouldn't strain the gunshot wound. His hand twisted around and, as if natural, their fingers intertwined.
"I'm glad to see you," he noted and smiled, however, it was a bit forced.
"Me too," Eddie replied and looked down on their hands, speculating.
"Hey," Jamie rasped and waited until their eyes met again. "We can survive anything," he told her, genuineness in his eyes. A silent promise. A hopeful statement. She smiled, nothing more needed to be said.
"I know," she simply whispered and sat down in the chair next to her without letting go of her partner. She pulled her feet up and leaned her shoulder on the bed, finally able to relax. Jamie fell asleep not long after, his fingers and head twitching lightly every now and then.
About an hour later, Eddie noticed his breathing changed to more than shallow. "Jamie?" she tried and nudged his hand gently. When he didn't respond, she stood up an emphasized her voice and touch to a light pat on his chin. Nothing happened so she ran to the door and called for help.
Danny and Baez were at their desks working, mouths filled with the lunch they had bought from the Turkish kitchen a block down from the 54th, when his cell phone rang. He swallowed hard and took a sip from his drink before he answered.
"Reagan," he said while he looked through the list on his computer.
"Danny…" a female voice said. A lump formed in his throat. It sounded almost familiar if it wasn't for the rough patches of concern.
"Eddie? Are you all right? What happened?" Danny asked, suddenly uneasy about the call.
"I'm at the hospital… visiting Jamie… I don't know what happened, they won't tell me anything… you should be here… all of you… as in right now," Eddie said, clearly trying to keep her act together. Danny was already on his way to the stairs with Baez right behind him.
"Thanks, Eddie, I'll be there in five minutes. I have to call dad and Erin," he said. Baez saw the worry in his face when they raced for the car.
"Give me the keys, Danny," she commandeered and he didn't contradict her. Shortly after, he was in the passenger seat, fumbling with his phone. The sound of Eddie's frightened voice had been enough for him to know to hurry.
"Dad," he said, when he heard the phone being answered.
"Danny, what is it?" Frank asked, obviously noting the squashy voice of his oldest.
"It's Jamie... Eddie called me, she was scared, she said something happened," he reported.
"I'm on my way. Does anybody else know?" Frank asked in his gruff voice, Danny could already hear his footsteps.
"No, I was going to call Erin, just now," Danny answered and they disconnected.
Henry and Nicky looked at the phone next to her, when it buzzed and then looked in the direction of the toilettes, where it owner, Erin, had gone just ten seconds earlier. The small but lovely sidewalk café they were having lunch at was buzzing with activity. When Nicky recognized the caller ID she didn't hesitate to answer the call.
"Hi Uncle Danny, it's Nicky," she said, pushing a piece of bread around the plate with the fork. Henry was at looking at his great-granddaughter talking and kept an eye out for Erin.
"Uhm, Nicky, where is Erin at?" Danny asked his niece, now trying to keep up the façade of everything being fine. He wanted Erin to know first.
"Mmmh, she's... right here, just a second," Nicky answered when Henry gestured towards Erin, walking to their table. "Mom, it's Uncle Danny," she said and handed her mother the phone with a smile. Erin took it and sat down.
"Hi Danny, what do you need?" she asked and shortly after her face fell. "No, we'll be there in twenty minutes," she said and hung up. Her face was slightly greyer, than before. "It's Jamie," she explained to the two faces when they looked at her, horrified.
"Eddie?" Danny called when he entered the waiting room. Baez had dropped him off at the entrance so she could park the car. The blonde was in a chair, her good arm around her knees and she stood up abruptly when her name was called. Danny could see, she was on the verge of crying, but she was too strong to let other people see it, he thought hastily. "What happened?" he asked when he got nearer, his own voice almost unrecognizable. She looked at him, rather terrified and didn't know where to start. Danny sensed it and got all soft, when he pulled her into a comforting and calming hug. Eddie hesitated for a moment but leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around the strong Reagan brother. He could feel her tremble in his arms. She let out a shaking sigh and pulled away again, looking down at the floor for a second.
"They took him to surgery. His liver was leaking," was all she could say when she looked at her best friend's big brother. "They haven't been out to update yet," she said and sat down. Right now she didn't trust her own legs and her voice was all hollow. This was almost more than she could handle on top of the two days held captive. The door swung open and Frank stepped in with his security detail standing by the door. Eddie jumped up and stood to attention all at once.
"At ease, Officer Janko," Frank muttered and Eddie tried to relax. The presence of her boss and her partner's father did nothing to help her do it.
"Yes, Sir," she said but didn't sit down again.
"Please, Eddie, don't call me 'Sir', we are not on duty right now," Frank said and turned to the other door when it opened.
"Are you here for Jamison Reagan?" a nurse asked the trio and they turned, acknowledging.
"How is he?" Frank asked with concern in his voice and worry in his face.
"Jamison's liver was ruptured, but we managed to stop the bleeding for the moment. Due to the stress and trauma he has been through, it will take some time before his immune system will kick start, which is also why his blood can't coagulate for the time being. We will keep him sedated for the moment and give him another treatment with antibiotics. He is in critical but stable condition for the moment. We will let you know if anything changes," the nurse said and waited for the usual questions.
"When can we see him?" Danny and Frank asked simultaneously, briefly looking at each other.
"We will let you know when he wakes up, and if the doctor thinks, that Jamison is strong enough, he will allow a couple of visitations," the nurse answered and left the three, possibly even more worried than before. Erin and Nicky stormed through the doors, with Henry right behind them, walking hurriedly. Eddie pulled away for a second, when she felt like she was intruding the family. Shortly after Erin tapped her on the shoulder and she turned.
"Thank you for being here, and calling Danny," she started in a soft tone when she saw Eddie's red rimmed eyes.
"That's the least I could do," Eddie responded and shrugged.
"I'm sure Jamie would appreciate you being here, you know," Erin tried again, still out of earshot to the rest of the Reagan's. "How are you holding up, after everything that has happened, Eddie?" They looked at each other for a second or two.
"I feel terrible for being out here, unable to have my partner's back. I feel like everything that happened was my fault and I couldn't protect my best friend. I feel helpless because I can do about this much to help him," Eddie held up two fingers with an inch between them, her voice getting louder by each sentence. "I am worried sick, because the man I love is now fighting for his life, in there," she said and articulated to the door. At once she felt all the eyes coming to rest on her. Erin smiled softly and Eddie sighed, rushing a shaking hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, I need some air," she mumbled under her breath and hastily retrieved out the door.
Exiting or what? Well, I cant wait to post the next chapter! I'm hoping to get some time to write in the weekend. What did you think of the concept of you coming with ideas? Remember to let me know how I did :) Good night!