By 8 o clock that night everyone in the family went home to the places they called home, except DJ and Jerry who went with Jackie to her house. Mark and Becky went back to their trailer while Darlene and David went to their apartment in Chicago.
Jerry slept in Andy's crib and D.J. slept on the couch. In the middle of the night DJ woke up to noises coming from the kitchen. He walked in and not surprisingly he found Jackie standing in the corner of her kitchen.
"What's wrong D.J.?" Jackie could see the silhouette of her nephew.
DJ thought if the words. "I'm worried about my dad."
Jackie walked from the corner and put her hand on DJ's shoulder. "I am too. But he really loves you DJ. It hurts him really bad to leave you, especially after your mom died."
DJ shook his head. That was exactly what his dad said. "I remember grandma told me he was an alcoholic and that he was going to die. Mom got mad at her and told her that he didn't drink enough for the life that he leads. As far back as I remember dad drank, I'm worried that he'll be different when he comes back."
Jackie forced a half smile. "DJ your dad will still be your dad. He'll still make those stupid jokes, and tell us his football stories, and watch F Troop and Bonanza, he'll still throw chips at the TV when the Bears quarterback gets sacked. He'll just do all of it sober."
This satisfied DJ and he went back to sleep. In the morning he woke up to Jackie feeding Jerry. "Good morning Aunt Jackie." He said rather cheerfully.
"Good morning, hey your dad wanted you to go to school today."
"What about Jerry?" Jackie looked at Jerry.
"I guess I'll have to call your grandma. Actually could you?"
DJ called Bev and asked her to come to Jackie's to watch Jerry, then ate a bowl of cereal and left to go to school.
Bev knocked on the door. The mother and daughter locked eyes and Bev walked in.
"I suppose this proves that you need me."' Bev said, her first words stabbing Jackie in the heart.
"Actually this proves that Dan needs you. I'm watching the boys for him."
Bev pointed an accusatory finger at Jackie. "Why where is he?"
Jackie was not about to tell her mother about Dan.
"Dan went away to deal with a few things he'll be back February."
"Well that is a long time to leave your family. He is turning into his father."
Jackie wanted to go ballistic on her mom but because of Dan, Jerry and the Leon she bit her tongue. "Mom please watch Jerry so I can go to work. Leon has gone almost a week without me or Roseanne."
Jackie didn't wait for her mom to answer; she grabbed her coat, her keys and left the house.
At the Lanford Lunchbox, Jackie walked through the door to the happiness of Leon and Nancy. "Jackie. I am so glad you're back. I don't like the new people we hired." Said Nancy in her self absorbed way.
Jackie smiled sheepishly. "Yeah well so am I. Going back to work Is just what I need to get my mind off of the last few days."
Leon came over to Jackie. "How's Dan?"
Jackie looked at Leon. "He's, he's in the hospital."
Leon looked at Jackie and spoke at a whisper. "He's in rehab isn't he?"
Jackie cocked her head. "How'd you know?"
Leon talked sympathetically. "Well when you're an alcoholic it gets easy to spot other alcoholics."
Jackie mumbled to herself and got to work.
After a few days Fred brought Andy back to Jackie, and she and DJ got into a routine. DJ would get up and feed Jerry, get ready for school and leave, and then Bev would come and Jackie would leave without saying anything important to her mother. Jackie would get home at 5 and Bev would leave. In the night they would take care of the babies and just watch TV.
One night about a week and two days later, D.J. sat at the table writing on a sheet of loose leaf. He had no school books so Jackie figured he wasn't doing homework.
"What are you doing D.J.?"
"I'm writing a letter to my dad."
"You call him every night."
"I know. I want to write to him so he can read the letters when I don't call him."
DJ finished the letter and then put it in an envelope and addressed it and stuck a stamp on it, and then he went to the phone and dialed. By now he had the number memorized. The same lady who answers every day answered and DJ asked for Dan Conner.
After a minute his dad answered. "Hi son. How are you?" D.J. could hear the phoniness in his dad's voice, but ignored it.
"Good. I got a 92 on my math test."
"Good job." DJ knew his dad's mood was worse than it sounded.
"Hey, dad. Have you ever read Tom Sawyer?" DJ wanted to ask his dad a different question than he always asked,
Dan went quiet for a second. "Uh no. I was supposed to in school but I didn't."
"Oh well we're supposed to read it next week."
"Cool. Hey I got to go bye DJ."
Dan hung up. DJ stood there, shocked that his dad didn't tell him he loved him.
At the hospital Dan, looked at the receiver and felt bad about not telling him he loved him. The shaking had stopped a few days ago, but Dan still felt himself wanting a drink. Dr. John was still his doctor and told Dan that the first week after the withdrawal can be the hardest.
Dan wandered around a little bit and then met with Dr. John. "How do you feel today?"
"Like crap. Thanks for asking."
"Dan do you know you look like you've lost weight?"
Dan looked down at himself. He did look like he's lost weight.
"Is that normal?"
"Alcohol affects the body's ability to lose weight, and you eat healthy here and from what I tell you're always moving."
"At home I just drink and watch TV. Makes sense I'd lose weight." Dan was joking, and his tone proved it. Dr. John appreciated his sense of humor.
