Chapter 9—
A/N: Thank you for the review, as it was appreciated. But again any and all reviews are appreciated.
When Frank got home Denise was waiting for him. Frank walked through the door, and he looked overwhelmed and exhausted.
"Hi, honey." Denise said quietly, as she was feeling the same emotions.
"Hi, how do you feel about pizza tonight with Jeremy at the hospital?" Frank asked without looking at Denise.
"I like that idea."
"Good, I told Jeremy that we would bring pizza." Frank said walking out of the room to his office. He sat down at his desk and put his face in his hands. This feeling of helplessness was a new experience for him. He felt somewhat responsible for Jeremy's injuries. Had Frank not gotten so mad and threw Jeremy out of the house and disowned him; Jeremy would not have found the recruiting office, and he would not be blind, he would have been safe at either West Point or away at college studying to be an architect. Frank felt like a failure as a father, and he came close to admitting that to Jeremy so many months ago on the training course at Fort Benning. That day on the training course, he had told Jeremy that he had not taught him everything man should learn from his father and that was because he was not there for Jeremy. And had Frank been a better father, Jeremy would be safe and not going through this hell, or so Frank thought.
Frank looked up and saw Denise standing in the doorway of the office, just watching Frank. Frank was able to put a small smile on his face before he said,
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to tell you that none of this is your fault." It was not that Denise could read minds; it was just the fact that she had been married to Frank for almost twenty-five years. The fact that in those twenty-five years Frank had been gone a lot of the time, made what little time together more special, and they connected more.
"How did you know that was what I was thinking?" Denise just shook her head, and walked over to the desk and sat on top of the desk and leaned toward Frank, and finally said,
"It's partially because I blame myself, and also I sometimes know how you think. Look it has been a very difficult day and it is only 4 o'clock. Why don't you come upstairs with me and help me get some of Jeremy's things together, to take back to the hospital?" Denise answered, because she too blamed herself for letting Jeremy enlist, she should have insisted that he come home. They were both being irrational, because they both hated seeing Jeremy struggle.
"Why is this your fault?" Frank frowned.
"Same reason that it is yours, we both let Jeremy enlist." Denise replied very bluntly.
"And the only way I know how to make it better is try and support Jeremy in whatever way we can. I agree Jeremy should never have laid a hand on me, but neither one of us handled it very well. You have to admit that." This was one of the many reasons that Frank loved Denise; she was always sensible and wise.
"Yeah, neither one of handled it very well… and our son has to suffer the consequences. I hated seeing him fumbling around at the table at the cafeteria today. He could not find is soda cup and he knocked it over and spilled it all over the table and Michael. I know that he did not mean to do it, but it was such a simple thing. Also when I went into the hospital room I asked him if he wanted to use the crutches or the wheelchair. He originally said the crutches and immediately changed his mind, and I think it was because he was not sure if he could maneuver with them, and not being able see. I am not so worried about his knee, as I am worried about him coping." Frank was not the type of man to generally be so verbal about his feelings, but he knew that Denise would understand.
"Do you remember when Jeremy was a baby, and he was learning how to walk? I was so afraid that he would fall and hurt himself? Do you remember what you told me then?" This was the only metaphor Denise could come up with.
"No I really do not recall as to what I said." Frank was curious as to the advice he gave all those years ago.
"To paraphrase what you said: The boy has to learn, and he is going to have a lot of bumps and bruises that you are not going to like, but that is the only way he was going to grow. And as much as we hate seeing him struggle, he is going to have to endure the struggle, the only thing we can do is provide some padding so the bumps and bruises do not hurt as much." Denise was getting very tired, and had a hard time being the optimistic one, as Jeremy was her only child.
"I never realized how insightful I am." Frank smiles and laughed a little.
"Yeah, you were insightful then, now you are just Army." Denise every so often gave a little jab to the Army as Frank was a talented and respected officer, but sometimes took it to the extreme.
They both started to laugh, and they then headed upstairs to pack some of Jeremy's things. Denise headed straight to the closet, and started throwing t-shirts, workout pants, shorts on the bed. And Frank just stood there.
Denise again shaking and smiling her head said, "What are you going to just stand there? What are you doing… supervising?"
Frank replied, "I just do not know what to pack."
"Frank, give me a break, how many times have you packed for yourself." Denise asked in dismay. It always bewildered her that Frank could lead troops into battle, but some of the simplest things could escape him.
"This is different; I usually have a dozen t-shirts, and a dozen pair of camouflage pants, socks and underwear. I do not know what Jeremy is going to need. And does he not have a lot of this stuff already at the hospital?" Frank did know what to pack but he liked to be difficult to his wife.
"Yes, Jeremy has some clothes, but not enough to fully start the rehab process, and when I came home earlier I brought some of his dirty laundry home with me. So my point is that needs some comfortable clothes. And perhaps some stuff to help him feel at home, or at least to make the hospital a little more comfortable. I am going to bring him some t-shirts, and workout pants, and of course socks and underwear, that kind of stuff." Denise said with authority.
Frank helped Denise pack some of the clothes that Jeremy needed. It was just a challenge trying to pick out a few items from his room to take to the hospital. First, Jeremy had not been in the room in months, and he had changed in so many ways it was like the room was his childhood, and the minute that he left his adulthood began. And really it did, the day that Frank told Jeremy to leave was in essence the end of his childhood. He made the decision to enlist in the Army, and the rest is his adult life. Unfortunately, being an adult, for Jeremy at the moment left a lot to be desired.
Denise and Frank loaded the car, and Frank called Savitinos, a pizza place and ordered a family size pizza with everything on it including but onions and green peppers and a family size salad (Of course, the salad was more to appease Denise.) Denise usually called this pizza the heart attack on a crust, but she also knew that it was Jeremy, and for that matter Frank's favorite… they call it the manly pizza.
The packing escapade had done Denise and Frank some good, as they were bantering back and forth as they picked up the pizza and heading to the hospital. They had both come to the conclusion that they had to present a positive attitude, and try to encourage rather than discourage Jeremy.
As they walked into the hospital toward Jeremy's room, there was an uneasy calmness in the corridors. Denise calmness was just before the storm.