Chapter Eleven

The alarm went off at 6:30am nine days later. Jamie reached out to shut it off not wanting it to disturb Eddie. She had been up and down most of the night with back pain, and had fallen again coming back from the bathroom.

Eddie opened her eyes though, and looked straight at Jamie. "Can you call Detective Meyers and cancel your meetings? I don't think I can get up to help your Dad or take Lila to the doctor. Please Jamie."

It broke Jamie's heart to heart that soft plea from his wife. There was no way he could stay home all day as much as he wanted to. "I know when I take the next pill it will only get worse."

Jamie sighed, the doctor said that it could take six weeks for her to get back to herself with her new medicines. "I can't cancel my whole day, sweetheart. I can see if Lila can come over now and take care of you and Dad, I'll leave at one and take her to the doctor and come home when we're through."

Eddie nodded, she knew it was a lot to ask but on the very bad days, she just wanted Jamie. Jamie dialed Lila's cell phone waking her up out of sound sleep. "I'm sorry to wake you Kitten but I need you at the house in an hour. I have to work the morning and Mom isn't having a good day."

"I'm up and I'll get ready now, I can grab a nap if I need…Oh what about my appointment? Should I see if Aunt Erin…"

"Grandpa should be fine with Mom during your appointment, I'll take you to the doctor then come home and take over," Jamie told Lila. "I will see you later…"

"I'll see you later, Dad," Lila replied and got up to get washed and dressed.

Jamie ate his breakfast and drank his coffee. He woke Frank and started his morning nebulizer. "Eddie's really bad today, Dad. She's been in pain all night, up and down, she's weak this morning and up in bed. Lila is going to be here to help out until her doctor's appointment."

"I'll take her some tea and sit with her," Frank replied getting up. "I'll make sure she has all her medications as soon as I've done mine."

Jamie smiled, "You take such good care of us, Dad. Thanks…just don't give yourself into a spell climbing the steps."

Jamie headed out to the SUV just as Lila arrived. "Hey, thanks for doing this. I feel terrible leaving her, she actually ASKED for me not to go in but I have no choice. Make sure she eats something even if it comes back up and a cold cloth on the back of her neck that seems to ease a lot of the pain."

"I know, Dad," Lila told Jamie. "Stop worrying. I'll handle it. My appointment is at 2, so I'll see you here at 1." Lila gave Jamie a hug and hurried inside to see to her mother.

Lila made oatmeal with cashew milk, her mother's secret and carried it upstairs. Eddie was on her side, her eyes closed. "Mom, I have you pills and your breakfast. Can you sit up?"

Eddie nodded and pushed herself up in bed, "I'm sorry honey, I…"

"Ssh, eat so you can lie down and rest, Mom. The doctor said this would happen while you adjusted, there's nothing to be afraid of," Lila soothed. "Here…I made it your way and added cinnamon to it too."

Lila sat on the bed with her feet up, "Steven and I started looking at houses on line and we found a few we really liked. "We're going to talk to Daddy about a budget and all that but some of these places are really great.'

Eddie smiled, "I'm happy for you honey. Has Steven fixed things with his parents?"

Lila shook her head, "He had this huge fight with his Dad about that dinner and they aren't speaking. I talked to Joey and he said he and Molly aren't coming Sunday, something with his case. He's really being hit from all sides. He's always been your baby, and I've always been Dad's but that's changing."

"You have BOTH always been my babies," Eddie corrected. "And you both always will be. I don't love one or you less or more. I love you differently and you will see that soon yourself honey. You will love both of those babies more than anything but you will love one for their tenacity and the other just as much for their ability to back off…You'll see baby."

Eddie finished her breakfast just as Frank arrived with tea, "This will make you feel better," he said confidently before sitting in the big recliner and opening his morning paper.

Lila and Eddie napped until just before Jamie got home. He changed quietly and nudged Lila, "Hey, Kitten, you ready? The detail is downstairs listening to Grandpa's stories."

"The detail?"

Jamie nodded, "Yes, big public place…no choice. I'm sorry. They won't come into the room, I promise."

Lila laughed a little bit at the thought of a police escort to her OB appointment. She got her shoes on and headed out with Jamie. "Mom did well, she ate and took her pills then drank tea for Grandpa."

"Good, that's good," Jamie replied. "Are you sure about those shoes?"

Lila looked down at her flip flops with a slight wedge heel, "Yeah, they're comfortable, let's go we'll be late."

Lila got into the SUV and buckled in as Jamie directed the driver to the hospital. They parked in front of the women's center and did a security sweep of the entrance before allowing Jamie and Lila out of the car. They walked into the maternity suite after another security sweep. A few of the mothers waiting looked them over uncomfortable with the intrusion. Finally Jamie sat down next to Lila and opened a magazine flipping through it scoffing at some of the things that were now considered "bad". "We used to put you and Joey on the dryer all the time, let you melt and relax. Now apparently it's bad."

Lila rubbed her belly, "Well if I am relying you and Mom to help I think I'll stick with the tried and true methods."

Jamie kissed her brow, "You feeling them yet?"

"Just a little bit, the one on top a lot more than the one on the bottom," Lila said. "That one is a little shy."

Jamie covered Lila's hand, "Mention it to the doctor."

A half hour later the nurse called Lila in, "Do you want me to come in?" Jamie asked and Lila nodded her head. "You can hear their heart beats."

Jamie smiled and took Lila's hand. The nurse checked her weight. "Very good, your weight is right on target." She took Lila's blood pressure, "It's little elevated, what have you been eating?"

Lila thought, "Lots of Indian and Thai food and Oreos, can't get enough Oreos."

"You might need to cut back on the salty foods," the nurse advised. "But let's see what Dr. Mianni says."

Lila laid back and sighed, she was nervous but didn't want to let on in front of her father, but Jamie still knew. He rubbed her head gently, "It's all right, Kitten. Don't worry or it will affect the reading? Try closing your eyes, going into your breathe and just letting everything flow. That's my good girl."

"Hello, Lila," Dr. Mianni greeted smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," she replied smiling. "This is my father, Commissioner Jamie Reagan."

"Nice to meet you, I heard we had a celebrity."

Jamie blushed as the exam began. "All right, I see you had a little elevation in your blood pressure, so for the next few weeks I want you to try to avoid stressing and lower the sodium in your diet. It's not generally gestational this early but we'll keep an eye on it. Are they moving?"

"Yes, the higher twin moves more than the lower twin, is that normal?"

"Yes, some babies are more active than others," Dr. Mianni explained. "Let's listen to their heart beats and we'll schedule your fetal anatomy for three weeks."

Jamie held Lila's hand as the doctor took the doplar machine out and moved it around Lila's belly. The heartbeats were loud, fast, and very strong. "That's baby A, the lower baby," the doctor described. "Beat is nice and strong and this…" She moved the Machine higher, "Is baby B. Also, nice and strong."

Jamie felt his throat close, he remembered this moment with Joey and Lila and now his grandchildren. "How's that for special, Grandpa?" Lila asked.

"This is the most precious moment I can remember for a long time…" Jamie stroked Lila's hair. "So she's all right?"

Dr. Mianni nodded, "Lila and the babies are fine. Cut back on the salt, take some time to put your feet up a few times a day, and try to take time to relax, all right?"

Lila nodded and smiled as she slid off the table. "Daddy, don't start to worry, I'm going to take good care of myself but I can still help with Mom. I will help her and get my rest too."

Jamie kissed Lila's head, she could read him as well as Eddie could. "Let's go home baby," Jamie offered. "You can lie down by Mom for a bit and we'll order deli for dinner."

Lila slid her arm around Jamie's waist, "Sound good to me."

A/N: Special moment for Grandpa Jamie, hearing those heartbeats, a nice way to end the day. Got to love Frank, still taking care of his kids even at his age. Don't count the old man out yet!

Next up: Joey, Jack, and Sean catch up over beers, Joey discusses his challenging case with Jamie.