I own none of the characters of October Road
"Janet." Eddie moaned. She woke up and slowly pulled herself up and out of her husband's lap.
"How are you feeling?"
"Horrible." He had tears in his eyes and Janet's heart broke for him. She gently kissed him.
"Come on. Let's get you off of this cold floor and into our warm bed."
"I like that idea." Janet pulled herself to her feet, reached out a hand pulled Eddie to his feet.
"Oh hell." He mumbled as soon as he was on his feet his stomach retched and had his head back in the toilet.
"Not again." Janet moaned as her stomach lurched and she had her head in the trashcan.
"Janet out of the bathroom." Laura ordered walking into the bathroom. "There is a trashcan already next to your bed but I don't think you'll need it." Janet nodded and did as her mother-in law instructed. As soon as she was out of the bathroom she instantly felt better.
As Eddie continued to puke Laura took care of him like she did when he was a little boy. She placed a cold washcloth on his neck and rubbed his back until he was done heaving. "Come on sweetheart. Let's get you to bed." She hoisted him to his feet and helped him into bed.
"Mom what are you doing here?" He mumbled as she tucked him in.
"Janet called me to help take care of you."
"She's sick too." He mumbled.
"She'll be fine. Do you need anything?" He shook his head. "Just sleep now." She kissed his head and walked out of the room.
"Laura thank you so much for coming." Janet said when Laura came into the living room. "Is he okay?"
"He's sleeping."
"I don't understand it. I felt fine all day until Eddie got sick and then every time he got sick I got sick. It's like the smell trigged my vomit reflex but I've dealt with vomit before. I work at a bar for crying out loud." Tears filled Janet's eyes. "I just can't take care of him and I hate it."
"You're pregnant Janet. Your sense of smell is super sensitive right now and stuff that never bothered you before will bother you now, like the smell or sound of vomit."
"I'm reacting like this because of the pregnancy?" Laura nodded. "So because I'm pregnant I won't be able to talk care of my husband."
"Not when he's throwing up."
"Well that just sucks." Laura laughed.
"So what's the word on Eddie? What should I know?"
"He stared his new chemo med yesterday and the side effects stared today. He can't keep any of his medications down so he's wearing a pain patch because he has or had a really bad headache."
"Didn't Dr. Turner give him anything for the nausea and vomiting?"
"He did but he couldn't keep the pills down and he refuses to use the suppository."
"We'll I'm going to fix that. Follow me." Laura stormed back into the bedroom, flipping on the lights.
"What the hell?" Eddie groaned.
"Are you enjoying throwing up?" Laura snapped
"Mom what are you talking about?"
"Do you like throwing up?"
"No."
"Then why aren't you doing something about it?"
"I took the pills but I threw them back up. Now please let me sleep."
"Pills aren't your only option."
"Great Janet. You had to rat me out didn't you." He snapped.
"Grow up Eddie. She didn't rat you out. I asked and she told me. Now get your ass up and in the bathroom and put the suppository in." Laura demanded.
"I'm not shoving anything up my ass."
"If you don't do it yourself I will call your father over here and he will hold you down and I will shove the suppository up your ass myself." Eddie pulled himself into a sitting position and glared at his mom and she glared right back. Janet couldn't help but grin.
"You are so mean. Janet is nicer then you."
"She still is a newbie. She'll learn. So what's it going to be? Do I need to call your father?"
"I'll do it myself. Where is it?"
"I'll get it." Janet went into the bathroom and returned with the suppository and handed it to him.
"I can't believe this." He mumbled climbing of bed.
"It'll help you feel better." Janet told him.
"I don't like either of you very much right now." He said as he disappeared into the bathroom.
"I love you too son."
From the other side of the bathroom Janet and Laura listened as Eddie dry heaved and then cussed out practically everything. He returned ten minutes later looking pale and miserable.
"Did you take care of it?" Laura asked.
"Would you like to check?" Eddie snapped.
"I don't think it's necessary."
"Can I sleep now?"
"Yell if you need anything." Eddie nodded, his eyes already closed. Janet walked over to the bed and kissed him softly.
"I know you're angry with me right now but I love you." She whispered. "I just want you to feel better."
"I know Janet. I'm really tired right now."
"Okay." She walked out of the room with tears in her eyes. "He's furious with me."
"No he's not sweetie. Eddie is a very prideful man and anything that he feels is making him less than a man, such as a suppository, is what pisses him off. Trust me Janet. It's not you. He adores you."
--
When Eddie woke up a few hours later he felt better which meant that there would be hell to pay when admitted that fact to his mom and wife. He still felt nauseated but it was a strong as before and at least time he could stand up without puking. He threw on a pair of sweat pants and tee shirt and headed downstairs.
"Look whose up." Laura commented when he walked into the living room. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." He mumbled walking over to the couch where Janet and Katie were sitting. "Move it." He told his sister. Katie stuck her tongue out at her brother and got off of the couch. Once Katie vacated the couch Eddie laid down with his head on Janet's lap. She reached behind her on the couch, grabbed the blanket and covered him up.
"I'm sorry. I must not have heard you. Did you say that you are feeling better?" Laura said with a smirk.
"I'm still really nauseated, exhausted and weak but I can move now without getting sick so if you want to consider that better then yeah ma I'm better."
"I consider that better so what do you say to your mommy?" Eddie sighed and mumbled something that no one could understand. "What was that?"
"You were right mom."
"That's mommy's good boy." Laura said and Katie burst out laughing.
"Shut up bug." Eddie said.
"Come on Kate. Help me with dinner." Laura said.
"But it's…"
"Kate help me with dinner." Laura grabbed Kate's arm and drug her to the kitchen.
"That was subtle." Eddie commented when his mom and sister disappeared.
"Your mom is going to stay with us for a while and help out."
"Why?"
"Because the baby doesn't like that you're sick." Janet said with a smile. "I guess that I'm really sensitive right now and every time that you get sick I get too and I can't take care of you."
"Great, I'm a newlywed and my mom is living with me." He muttered and Janet's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry." She said tearfully. A tear slipped from her eye and landed on his cheek. "I just didn't know what else to do."
"Aww hell baby." Eddie sat up and pulled Janet to his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. I know that you just want me to feel better and I'm making it difficult. I just feel like such shit. I'm sorry for being a pain in the ass sweetheart."
"It's okay."
"Janet I don't know if I can continue to do this." Janet sat up and looked at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"I never wanted the chemo because I knew how sick it would make me. I've only had one dose of this new medicine and I've never felt worse. I hate feeling like this and I don't know if I want to continue to feel like this."
"Eddie it's only going to last for a few weeks. Isn't a few weeks of misery worth the extra time you'll get with your family, friends, me and our baby?"
"It's a long shot Janet that it's going to give me extra time."
"I know your miserable but can you please continue the meds for me?" She reached for his hand and placed it on her belly. "For us? This may be selfish but I want you around for as long as you can be."
"I'll stay on the medicine Janet. For you. For our family."
"I love you so much."
"I love you too." Eddie pulled his wife to his face and kissed her until his mom and Kate walked back into the living room interrupting them.
"Eddie it's time to eat." Laura said.
"I'm not hungry." He said snuggling next to Janet. He had no appetite.
"I didn't ask. Here." She handed him a can of Ensure. "Drink." Eddie slowly reached out and took the can from his mom.
"I'll drink it later."
"No. You'll drink it now." Janet spoke. A look of shock passed over Eddie's face and Laura smiled proudly.
"Fine." Eddie took a drink and then made a face. "It tastes like chalk."
"I bought other flavors. Chocolate and strawberry."
"Oh goody." Eddie quipped and the women around him laughed.
--
"Mrs. Latekka?" Both Janet and Laura stood up and walked over to the doctor. "I need to speak with Mr. Latekka's wife."
"This is his mom. I want her to stay." Janet said.
"Okay. Your husband is stable. We gave him IV fluids, and we gave him another medication for his vomiting which seems to have helped."
"Can I see him?"
"Sure. We have moved him upstairs to a private room. I spoke with Dr. Turner and since Eddie only has two more days of this high dose chemo Dr. Turner agrees that Eddie should remain in the hospital until he finishes it."
"I think that would be for the best." Janet agreed.
"Dr. Turner said that he will come down here and see Eddie before he is discharged."
"Thank you Dr. Williams."
"I'll take you to his room." Janet hugged Jack and Laura goodbye and then followed Dr. Williams upstairs to Eddie's room. "The medication for the nausea combined with the pain medication made him extremely drowsy so he will probably sleep all night." Janet nodded and Dr. Williams left them alone.
"Hey sweetheart." Janet whispered to the sleeping form in front of her. She pulled the chair over next to his bed and took his hand in hers. "I am so glad that you are feeling better. You really gave us quite a scare tonight."
Over the past week and a half Eddie had been tolerating the medicine fairly well. He was tired, weak and had some vomiting but the suppository had been keeping that at bay until very early this morning. He had woken up with severe vomiting that nothing would help. By mid-morning Laura and Janet wanted to take Eddie to the hospital but he refused, insisting that the medicine just needed to kick in. Eddie managed to make it downstairs later in the evening, with the help of his dad to join his family. When he tried to get up and go to the bathroom he collapsed on the floor and was barely conscious. Janet called 911 and Eddie was rushed to the hospital.
"I love you so much Eddie, so damned much. You've almost made it through the first, hardest round of your medicine. Two more days then it's a lot easier from here on out. I know it hasn't been easy and I'm so proud of you. You continue to amaze me Eddie." She leaned forward, kissed his still lips. "Sleep well my sweet man." She laid her head on the bed next to him and quickly dozed off.
--
"Janet." Eddie groaned sleepily. Her head immediately shot up.
"Hey babe."
"What the hell are you doing?"
"What?"
"Why are you here and not at home?" She smiled softly at him.
"Because I want to be here with you. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Stronger. Tired as hell."
"It's the new medication that's making you tired and the fluids they gave you because you were so dehydrated is why you are stronger. They're keeping you in here until you finish the chemo meds."
"Baby I'm so tired."
"Sleep Eddie."
"Go home."
"What?"
"It can't be good for you to sleep on a chair all night. You're pregnant and you need a good night sleep. I'll take care of myself if you go home and take care of our baby."
"Okay. I'll go but I'm coming back first thing in the morning."
"I'm counting on it." Janet stood slowly and stiffly. "See. You're sore. You need to be home in bed."
"I'm going." She kissed him softly. "I love you and I'll see you in the morning."
"Love you too." Janet slowly walked out of the hospital and drove to her empty home. As she climbed into her big empty bed she was overcome with loneliness. Even though he had been sick they still spent every night in bed together, wrapped in each other's arms and the thought of in the next few months that she would be spending the rest of her life in their bed alone was almost too much to bear. That night she cried herself to sleep.
--
"Happy Birthday sweetheart." Eddie said with a big grin when Janet walked into his hospital room.
"Thank you." He held out his arms and she walked into them and he gave her a big birthday kiss.
"Delivery for Janet Latekka." Janet broke away from Eddie and turned around to face a hospital employee holding a vase full of daises.
"Oh Eddie, they're beautiful." Janet said taking the flowers.
"It's the best I could do being stuck here in the hospital."
"It's perfect." Before she could show him her gratitude Dr. Turner walked in.
"Hello Janet. How are you?"
"I'm good Dr. Turner. Thanks for coming down here to see Eddie."
"No problem. I have your latest MRI results Eddie."
"You know I'm getting really sick of that damn machine. The jack hammer in my head doesn't do much for my headaches."
"Head phones aren't working?"
"Not so much."
"Do you have a headache now?"
"Nothing I can't handle but after my MRI's it gets really bad. The nurse gave me something yesterday for the pain and now I'm as good as new."
"I can start sedating you before the MRI's if you like."
"I can suck up."
"If it gets too bad let me know." Eddie nodded. "Okay now these MRI results." Dr. Turner put the films in the scanner. "The good news is that there are no new tumors."
"The bad news?" Janet asked.
"One tumor has grown a half a millimeter."
"So the medicine is not working" Janet whispered.
"We can't jump to that conclusion yet. The growth was very small which may have happened before the medication took effect." Janet and Eddie both nodded. "I want another MRI in two weeks and we'll check your progress. Now that you are on the lower dose of the chemo drug you should be feeling better. You may still have some residual nausea but you are through the worst of it." Dr. Turner shook both of their hands. "I'll you guys in two weeks."
"Janet let's blow this joint." Eddie said with a grin when the doctor left the room.
"You got it."
--
"SURPRISE!" Eddie had convinced Janet that he was starving and wanted some of Sully's onion rings and since he hadn't been out in public in two weeks he wanted to eat at Sully's. To Janet's shock when they walked into the bar all of their friends and Eddie's family were there for a party, a surprise birthday party for her.
"Happy birthday baby." Eddie whispered in her ear before he kissed her.
"How? Why?"
"Because I love you and you deserve it and I have connections."
"I don't know what to say." Janet mumbled tearfully.
"You don't have to say anything. Just enjoy yourself. You deserve it. You'll get your present from me at home."
"I'm sure I will." Janet said with a wink.
"Happy Birthday dear." Janet turned around and came face to face with her mom.
"I…uh…thanks."
""Go enjoy your party." Sharon said walking over to the bar. Janet turned around to glare at him.
"I called her."
"Eddie."
"It's your birthday Janet and she should be here. You and the baby are going to need her when I'm gone. Talk with her Janet."
"We will talk about this later." She told him.
"I'm sure we will." He mumbled as she walked over to Hannah.
"You look like you're in trouble." Nick commented to Eddie.
"Apparently I am."
"What did you do?"
"Invited her mom."
"Man don't you know that you never come between a woman and her mom?"
"I do now. Did you get Janet's present for me?" Nick reached into his pocket and handed Eddie a small gift box. "Thanks. I owe you man."
"No you don't. It wasn't a problem and Hannah said that Janet will love it."
"I hope so."
--
"Hey mom what are you doing out here?" Janet asked. She saw her mom walk outside and she followed her. All night she had been standing off to the side by herself looking bored and miserable.
"I just needed some air."
"Thanks for coming."
"Your husband called and he can be very convincing."
"Yeah he can be."
"It's been a long time since we've been together on your birthday. Maybe we can spend the day together tomorrow if you don't have any plans."
"I'm pregnant mom."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm pregnant. Eddie and I are having a baby."
"It's a little soon don't you think?"
"It's not soon enough." Janet whispered tearfully.
"What does that mean?"
"Eddie's dying mom. He has cancer and he will be dead in a few months. He probably won't be around when the baby is born." Janet wiped away the tears that had fallen
"Is that why you got married, because he is dying?"
"No. We got married because we're in love."
"Did you know about his cancer when you married him?"
"Yes I did."
"Then why did you marry him and allow yourself to become pregnant?"
"Again I married him because I love him more than anything mom and the baby was an accident but it was the best thing that could have happened. When he is gone I'm always going to have a part of him." Janet was sobbing softly now.
"I just can't understand why you married a dying man?"
"Why wouldn't I? Married or not I love him and it would hurt just the same when he dies. Why can't you just support me?"
"I'm your mother and I don't want you to suffer and hurt."
"Mom it's going to hurt. It hurts now. When I see him sick and miserable it hurts me but being with him makes me so happy. No one has ever loved me like he loves me. Please mom can't you be happy for me?"
"I am happy for you Janet but I know what you are going to go through when he dies. Nothing will ever hurt as badly as it will hurt when Eddie dies."
"How do I get through it? How did you get through daddy's death?" Sharon took her sobbing daughter in her arms.
"I can't tell you that because I don't think I ever got over your dad's death. I never got to say goodbye. At least you will get to say goodbye."
"I don't wanna say goodbye."
"I know Janet I know. Just treasure every moment that you have with your husband and those memories will get you through when he is gone."
"Will it be enough?" Janet sniffed.
"No honey. Memories will never be enough."
"Janet is every thing okay?" Eddie had walked outside and saw Sharon and Janet crying and holding each other.
"Yeah. It's good." Janet said pulling away from her mom with a smile in her direction. She then walked over to Eddie and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's really good." She whispered in his ear.
--
"Now for your final present." They were lying in bed when Eddie handed Janet the box Nick had given him.
"You've already done too much. You shouldn't have."
"Just shut up and open the present." Janet slowly took the wrapping off and opened the jewelry box.
"Eddie it's beautiful. " She pulled out a gorgeous gold bracelet with a simple gold heart in the middle. The heart was engraved I love you forever E. "You've been in the hospital and home for the past couple of weeks. How did you manage this?"
"Nick bought it for me. I showed him the picture in the catalog and he went out and picked it up for me. Do you like it?"
"I love it." She held out her wrist. "Will you put it on?"
"Of course." Eddie concentrated on fastening the bracelet. "Did you have a nice birthday?"
"This was the best I have ever had."
"So you're not pissed at me for calling your mom?"
"No baby. I'm glad you did. We had a really good talk. She is the only one who will know what I will go through when you… She's taking me shopping for maternity clothes tomorrow. I think that it will be fun."
"You should know that when I called her she was so excited to be invited and hesitate for a second to accept the invitation. She really wanted to be here."
"Thanks for making this the best birthday ever. I love you." Janet pulled Eddie to her and showed him just how grateful and happy she was.