Hello, again :) Sorry to say this, but we are almost finished :) I promise more will come - I published an appetizer a couple of days ago and I already have one more in my mind. To this fic, there might be a chapter or two left, if you put in some response and some good ideas for an ending? Read on and have fun :)
Outside Eddie paced around for a few minutes, trying to calm herself with her breathing. Finally she sat down on a bench in the shade of the building and sighed with her hands in her hair.
"That just didn't happen," she moaned to herself, almost ashamed. The last sentence she had said, well, spoken out loudly, would be the term, had surprised her as much as it had surprised the Reagan family – if not even more.
"It kind of did," Danny's voice sounded behind her and she turned around, startled. He sat down next to her and was silent for a few seconds. "You, being partnered with Jamie might have been the best thing that has happened to him these last few years," Danny said, looking straight ahead. "We have always tried to be there for him, you know, me, Erin and dad, but that isn't the same thing as a partner," Danny continued. Eddie too, looked at a spot straight ahead.
"He is a good partner," Eddie finally said and she felt some of the tension in her shoulders leave. Danny just nodded firmly.
"Everything with mom and Joe, Sydney and Vinnie has left him… vulnerable, exposed," Danny decided and turned his head to look at the blonde next to him. He sighed. "Listen, what I'm trying to say is, that Jamie wouldn't be the same without you," he finally managed to express himself.
"I guess… I apologize for my outburst earlier. I don't know what I was thinking," Eddie started.
"Stop that," Danny said, denying her to say more. "You love him, that's all you have to know, trust me. And don't apologize, we saw it coming. Well, maybe you took us by surprise but we all knew it would happen eventually," Danny said with a smile when he saw the confusion in her eyes.
"What do you mean? You knew… all of you? How?" Eddie asked, astonished.
"Ever since you were partnered he started complaining about how bossy you could be, that you would make plans for him without consulting him first, your eating habits, stuff like that. And you think, being in a car with the same person all day, would make you want some time alone, uh uh, not you two. Erin noticed too, but was confirmed when she and Jamie had a talk. Something about that he cared for you, but wouldn't want another partner. Even Renzulli knows something, but he doesn't want to know. The way he is protective of you, remember that UC op we needed you for? And when you went all momma-bear after your car was hit with a Molotov? Even…" Danny continued until Eddie cut him off with her good hand raised in surrender.
"I get it, I get it," she said with a small smile on her lips. She hadn't realized they had so many tell tale signs. She could only guess the number of people who knew something about them. She sighed and put her hand down again. "I guess it's been a long time coming, huh?" Eddie asked with a strained laugh. "I didn't mean for everybody to know, but these last weeks have been stressful and it just slipped out in a heated moment. Even Jamie doesn't know what I feel for him," Eddie said. Danny laughed half heartedly.
"Even Pops had been hoping to add another chair to the Sunday Dinner," Danny said with the small laughter. "And Nicky," Danny found it odd, that he was able to even find a laughter at this time. Eddie looked at him for a moment until she smiled herself. "Come on inside, when you are ready," Danny noted when he stood up and straightened his tie. He turned back to walk inside when Eddie's words stopped him in his tracks.
"He will get through this, right? I really need him to get better," she said. He didn't turn. He didn't know what to say.
"He's as stubborn as they come," Danny said when he turned to Eddie. "He's got someone to live for," he continued with a nod and a calming smile before he turned and walked inside.
A few hours had passed and they were all still waiting for news. Linda had arrived with Jack and Sean, both of which were worried and restless. They both wanted to see their uncle. Eddie came to know, that patience wasn't mandatory for a Reagan. Danny was probably as restless as his boys. Linda and Erin were more calm, but still worried.
"Francis, would you stop pacing a hole in the floor, please?" Henry asked as he observed his son pacing, with the hands in his pockets. Frank only sighed in response and sat down on a vacant chair in the corner of the private room, they had been assigned.
"What about Sunday dinner tomorrow?" Nicky asked, and received several tired eyes from the family. "What? We can't not have dinner, right?" she asked Erin, who sat the closest. They all recalled the Thanksgiving, where Henry had been hospitalized.
"We will figure it out later, sweetheart. Right now, we have other things to think of," Erin responded her daughter and pulled her in for a hug and everyone went silent for minutes.
"Reagan family?" a doctor asked from the open door. She was younger than the nurse but looked older than she probably was. Everybody stood at once. Linda had a hand on each of her boy's shoulders and Erin had an arm around Nicky. Eddie stood with her one arm in a sling and the other wrapped around her waist.
"What's the word?" Danny asked, as he was the closest. Frank moved to the door, hands clamped together on his back, lips tightened under the moustache.
"When Jamie was admitted we were a little hesitant to cauterize the wound in his liver, because of the side effects and damage it could do to his liver. So we hoped it wouldn't be necessary. But this morning the wound reopened itself, probably because of a cough or something similar, so we had to cauterize it. There is a slight chance that his liver might scar from it but we kept it to a minimal. He is improving and if all goes well, we can start taking him off the meds in half an hour and you will be able to see him then, two at a time," the doctor reported with her hands firmly clasped in front of her.
"That's a relief," Henry sighed and it was like a lot of tension left the room.
"I sense a 'but' coming?" Frank asked, tipping on his toes. All the eyes in the room darted to him and then shot back to the doctor. She looked down for less than a second.
"If the liver scars too much, Jamie might need to reconsider his choice of career. That and a few weeks of rehabilitation," the doctor finished.
"Thank you," Linda mumbled and the doctor turned and left. Erin was the first to sit down again, followed by Danny and Eddie.
"This can't be happening," Danny said.
"I know, it feels like the nightmare just got a hell of a lot worse," Erin chimed and brushed her fingers through her hair. Danny rubbed his face with his hands as the rest of the Reagan's sat down again.
"Being a cop… it means the world to him," Nicky said silently.
"He'll be back on the streets," Eddie said from her chair, strangely calm, and they all turned to her.
"How can you be so sure of that?" Henry asked, wonder in his gruff voice. He didn't mean to sound that annoyed with her. Eddie looked at the oldest of the Reagan and smiled through a thin layer of tears.
"Easy. Reason number one… he's my partner," she said and looked down on her hands for a second.
"And reason number two?" Danny encouraged her. She looked up at him, hope in her eyes.
"That's simple… he's a Reagan and he won't give up without a fight," she said. Her voice and eyes were filled with strong hope. It didn't matter if it was true or not, but she needed the hope. She needed the reassurance.
Not long after, Eddie had somehow been persuaded by Erin to get some food in the cantina. They had walked down the hallway in silence and when they stepped into the elevator Eddie could feel that Erin wanted to say something.
"Whatever it is, just say it. I can't handle anymore waiting, not to mention I'm exhausted by the emotional rollercoaster by now," Eddie said, sounding just as tired as she looked. She combed through her hair, with her left hand. Her right arm was still in a sling and it only took her two days, to remember not to use it her dominant hand. Erin sighed next to her.
"I can't imagine what you have gone through… both of you. It must have been hell," Erin started.
"Oh, it was worse than hell, believe me," Eddie said, founding the last shred of irony left in her. The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. They walked out and found their way to the cantina.
"I don't doubt it for a second. We are all happy to see you in one piece, Eddie. Jamie too, I know. Did you have a chance to talk with him, before… all this?" Erin asked and waved her arm around her, indicating Jamie's turn for the worse. Eddie shook her head, tiredly.
"Maybe five minutes before he fell asleep… I can't believe it was only six hours ago," Eddie said, cursing at the time. It felt like days, since he was taken into surgery again.
"Yeah, it feels longer. Coffee?" Erin asked and stopped by the coffee table.
Jamie was so tired he didn't even want to open his eyes. He grunted and sighed almost soundless. Then he felt a warm hand on his arm, squeezing it lightly. He heard a faint mumbling but couldn't make out the words or who they belonged to. He grunted again and sighed, this time louder.
"Jamie," a deep voice fell through the surface and Jamie forced himself to react, to open his eyes.
"Dad," he whispered, completely dried out. He needed no more than the fuzzy outline of the moustache to recognize his own father. Jamie smiled faintly, so did Frank.
"Are you feeling any better, son?" Frank asked when Jamie slowly closed and reopened his eyes. Just the act of blinking was tiresome.
"Compared to what?" Jamie joked and tried to smile. He had regained some of his color and the spirit in his eyes. His face turned serious again. "My… Eddie was here?" he asked and Frank nodded.
"She hasn't left, either," he replied and leaned back in the chair. "I'll tell her to come in. Goodnight, son," Frank said when he stood up and exited the room. Jamie smiled his thanks and closed his eyes for a few seconds, until he heard the door open again. He smiled by the sight of her and turned his hand around, inviting.
"Jamie?" Eddie asked quietly. She sat down in the vacated chair and just like earlier in the day their hands ended up interlaced.
"I've realized something," he said, wetting his lips insecurely and looking her in the eyes. He brushed his thumb over her fingers. "The other day, after the explosion," he continued. Her eyes shifted, silently saying 'yes, go on'. "I couldn't have cared less about the whole thing, you know why?" he asked her, locking her eyes with his. She shook her head, she didn't know what he was coming at. After all, this could be the rest of the medicine talking.
"No, why?" she asked, almost silent. Why was her heart pumping faster, than just a few minutes ago, she wondered.
"All that mattered to me," he paused involuntarily, searching for a way to formulate the sentence. "All that mattered, was being with you till the end," he confessed and searched her eyes. "I care about you, more than anything else," he said and closed his eyes for a second when the pain was returning. Screw it, he thought and opened his eyes again when the stinging wave passed. He sighed, partially frustrated, partially exhausted. "Eddie, I love you," he finally admitted and sighed. It felt like the weight of the whole world had been lifted from his shoulders. Eddie, however, looked speechless. That's a first, Jamie thought distantly and smiled when her grip tightened around his hand.
"I love you, too, Reagan," she responded quietly with a little smile. "I can't remember exactly when it happened, but you have always been there for me," she said. "So now, I'm returning the favor, because you're not getting rid of me that easily," she laughed. Jamie smiled too and managed to find enough strength to lift her hand to his mouth and gently kiss her knuckles. "You do realize, that you're stuck with me, Reagan?" She asked, still with the laughter in her voice and Jamie nodded.
"Nothing I can do about that, huh?" he mumbled and pulled her closer. "I wouldn't trade it for the world," he whispered in her ear and faintly brushed his lips over hers. It was just about to grow in intensity when Eddie saw the wince of pain in his face.
"I'll go find a doctor for you, okay?" she said and cupped his cheek when she kissed him one last time. Jamie nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating on reducing the pain.
"Can you tell them to relax and go home? They need a break," Jamie asked her, half asleep, when she stood up.
Eddie walked back out to the waiting room and when she opened the door Danny and Erin quickly stood up.
"How is he?" Erin asked when Eddie closed the door behind her.
"He is… alive. And tired. The doctor just gave him another dose of morphine to sleep on," she said and stood for a second, rubbing her temples. "He told me, to tell you, to go home and relax," Eddie sighed and shrugged. Only Jamie would do that, she thought and looked at Danny, when his phone rang. He too sighed and answered the call with his usual barking.
"Reagan," he sounded even more grumpy than normal. No response so Danny glanced at the caller ID. Blocked. "Hello?" he asked again. "Who is this?" he asked and the line was cut. He sighed, again in frustration and slipped the phone in his pocket.
"What was that about, Danny?" Henry asked but Danny just whisked it away.
"You should go home and get some rest," Eddie tried. "You sure look like you need some," she said, almost apologetic right after, when she got the 'Reagan-look'. "I'll call you, if anything changes," she promised and was finally left alone after a little, heated discussion.
So, how did I do with all the emotions? I have to admit: I know nothing about the science of medicine, so just think about it as fiction, too :) Let me know how I did and, please, leave a review :) It means a lot if you comment, especially to write faster :) Good night!