Chapter Five

Lila had been silent most of the ride home. Steven knew she was put out with him for not speaking up at dinner, but he'd been caught so off his guard, he hadn't known what to say.

"Lil," he began as they entered their small apartment. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything I just…"

Lila raised her hand, "I do not want to hear it Steven! Tonight was a disaster. You had to know they were going to pull something like that!"

"I didn't," Steven protested. "I knew they weren't happy about the twins but I didn't know they were going to do this. I'm sorry."

Lila turned around angrily unmaking their bed, "Okay, I believe that you didn't know what they were going to say but I can't believe that you just sat there and let them say we should give up our babies! OUR BABIES!" Lila threw his pillow at him with all her weight.

"Lila," Steven moved closer. "I love you and I love the babies, honey. I just…"

"You just weren't man enough to speak up! You let them attack me, attack my family, and say we should give our babies up and you just sat there! My grandfather was more use than you were!"

"I know," Steven sighed. "I know…I'm sorry honey."

"You know something, sorry just doesn't cut it! If this is the kind of support I can expect from you, I might as well go back with my parents, they were far more supportive of me that you were today. Maybe you feel like your parents do!"

Steven sighed, "Lila…" His denial was not coming fast enough for her.

"You do!" she snapped. "You do feel this way, don't you? You don't think we're ready for these babies either! You don't want to be a father! Get out!"

Steven was shocked, usually Lila was calm and even tempered, but tonight she was a real Reagan. "Lila, I am sorry!" Steven moved and pulled her close. She fought his grip with all her strength. "Let me go! I will call my brother to…"

"Ssh…stop and listen!" Steven loosened his grip. "I love you, I love the babies, but I love and honor my parents as much as you love and honor yours. I didn't want to disrespect them but I didn't want to hurt you either. I'm sorry I didn't speak up, and I will from now on. You and the babies mean the world to me, sweetheart."

Steven kissed her head, "I promise you I will never ever do this again. I won't ever let you hang like that again. I'm sorry."

Lila let her body go limp, she was tired and still hurt, but she let Steven cradled her in his strong arms. "Let's go to bed, okay? The next ultrasound, I want to go with you. I'll rearrange things so I can be there."

Lila sighed as Steven let her over to their bed. "I know your work is important but I'd like you to be at the twenty week sonogram. They will be able to see their little features and we can find out the sexes if we decide we want to."

Steven pulled the covers over Lila, she was often very tired from the pregnancy. "We'll talk about that baby, you sleep well. I'll lock up and be right back."

Lila was crying when Steven slid into bed. "What's wrong?" he asked softly not sure if it was the same thing or something else.

"Grandpa," she sighed. "That was one of his worst in a while. He's getting sicker and…I want him to see the twins. I'm upset that your parents that don't even want the twins might see them and my grandpa that wants so badly to hold his great grandchildren…might not make it."

Steven sighed, "He'll make it, and he is the strongest man I know. He will hold those babies."

Lila laid her head on Steven's chest, "So tired…"

Steven stroked her golden hair. "Sleep, baby. Sleep…"

When Lila dozed off, Steven texted his father. "We must talk…meet me for coffee. Pick a time…"

"Cough cough. Wheeze. Cough cough cough…Wheeze Cough."

Eddie woke to that sound from a sound sleep. Jamie was sitting up beside her. "He's been doing that for at least fifteen minutes."

"I better go down and check on him," Eddie sighed. "You get more rest." She kissed his temple. "I'll call you if I need you."

Eddie slid out of bed and padded downstairs to check on Frank. "Dad…you okay?"

Frank was coughing and wheezing, holding his breathing machine tubing in his hand. He'd been doing the machine but wasn't getting much relief.

"Can't…breathe," Frank wheezed as Eddie climbed onto the bed. She held the nebulizer and turned up the delivery. "Lie back and try to breathe in as much as you can." Eddie held his hand and stroked Frank's brow. "Easy…"

Jamie could hear the coughing continue, he pulled on his robe and brace and headed downstairs, "Eddie?"

"He's pretty tight, if his oxygen level doesn't come up in a few minutes, I'm going to call a bus." She held the pulse ox machine and watched the number hover at about 88%. Frank was getting incredibly tired trying to breathe in the medication.

"I'm calling," Jamie sighed seeing his father fading. Eddie held Frank tight, supporting his back. Jamie dialed 911, "This is Commissioner Jamison Reagan, I need a bus at my home forthwith. My father is having trouble breathing."

Not ten minutes later FDNY medics were taking Frank out of the house on a stretcher. Jamie quickly got dressed and went in the bus with Frank while Eddie called Erin and Danny to meet them at Lutheran.

She arrived twenty minutes after Frank was brought in the ER. Jamie sat next to Frank's gurney, he was on an oxygen mist trying to break up the tightness in his chest. His oxygen level said 91%. Frank's mouth was open as he struggled for air.

Eddie came up behind Jamie and slid her arms around him. "How you doing, Dad?"

Frank responded by moving his hand side to side. The stress was too much for him today, Eddie felt her anger sore. "You're going to be okay, Dad. The doctors will fix you right up. Did they page Dr. Burg?"

Jamie nodded, "Woke him up out of his bed, he's on his way in."

"Good," Eddie replied. "I have been trying to get him in for a week. The medications aren't working any more. He's working too hard to breath, he's so tired."

Eddie stroked Frank's forehead. Slowly the medication began to work. Danny and Linda arrived just as the nurse's removed the mist and fixed an oxygen mask to Frank's face. "Dad, are you okay?"

Frank only nodded his head, he was too tired to talk. Erin arrived next, she hurried to her father's side. "Dad, what happened?"

Frank smiled again, still not speaking enjoying the feel of oxygen in his lungs.

"He had a couple of attacks today," Eddie explained. "This one didn't resolve so we called for help. He's doing a lot better, he came in at 88 and now he's up to 94."

Erin rubbed Eddie's arm, she was grateful for her sister-in-law. "Dad, have you been taking your medication?"

Frank nodded his answer as his pulmonologist, Dr. Burg came in. "All right, let me have some time to examine Frank. I'll be out to speak to you soon. Jamie, I assume you will be staying?"

Jamie nodded as Eddie and the rest of the family headed to the waiting room.

The doctor was with Frank twenty minutes before coming out with Jamie by his side. Eddie could read the news on her husband's face.

"We're going to admit Frank for some more tests, but it's evident just from the increase frequency of his attacks that the COPD is entering the end stage. I'd like to put him on oxygen for sleeping and if he's going to be active during the day, I'd like him to use it then too. It will help him breathe efficiently and get a benefit from doing that. I'm going to increase his inhaled steroids as well as the oral steroid."

"What's the prognosis here doc?" Danny asked point blank. Even in his mid-seventies he was a force to be reckoned with.

"Most people in the end stages live 2-4 years, but given your father's age, six months to a year," Dr. Burg replied. "That's not to say that with increased meds, a moderate exercise program, and the oxygen therapy we can't significantly improve that outlook. I wish I had better news, but at this point this is the best we can do."

Erin sighed, "Thank you doctor…" When the doctor left to see about Frank's admittance and tests the family moved together.

"I can stay over a few nights," Erin offered. "If he's getting up and down a lot you two will get tired out. I can write at night and sleep during the day."

Eddie smiled, "If it comes to that we'll appreciate it Erin, but maybe let's just start with Saturday night so you can help us with getting him to church on Sunday?"

Erin nodded as Linda spoke, "I'll come by a few times a day and check him over, make sure he's stable so we can see an attack coming and ward it off."

Jamie thanked her for that. He knew when he took the house Frank's care as he aged would fall on his shoulders, but he was grateful to have his family to back him up and offer support just as Frank would have asked them to do had he been able. Sometimes, for Jamie, being a Reagan was a pain, he still liked his privacy, but times like these, there was no other last name in the world he'd rather possess.

A/N: Poor Frank! He's getting a little too old to get so riled up but no worries, he'll be hanging in there for a bit. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing so steadily, it makes the words flow so much faster. Thanks to Lawslave, Werks, and Yanks20 for their feedback and direction with this story. I required more assistance this installment than the previous ones. There are many more installments to go, I hope we'll all be together for all of them.