Six weeks later Dan was called into Dr. John's office, where he received good news. Dr. John told him he thought he was ready to go home. He gave Dan one more day, to say goodbye and to make plans to leave. Once again Dan decided to leave the hospital without telling his family. He said goodbye, to his poker buddies, and his roommate Alex who was 22 years and suicidal. Dan and Alex had become close, and Dan had taught Alex how to throw a football and then play football.
Alex was sad when Dan told him he was leaving but Dan cheered him up by telling him would write to him and that Alex could come over anytime he wanted when he left the hospital. Alex hugged Dan and Dan walked out the doors. He called a cab, and gave the cabbie directions to Jackie's house.
It was 11 in the morning when Dan knocked on Jackie's door. To his surprise and horror Beverly answered.
She stood there holding Andy, looking Dan up and down as if he were the devil. Dan walked in and held his arms out for Bev to give him Andy.
"This is Andy." Bev said as if Dan didn't know his own son.
"I know, Bev." Dan said coolly, as if Bev's words didn't bother him.
Bev handed Dan Andy, and Dan held up Andy in the air and smiled. "Where's Jerry?" Dan asked.
"He's asleep; he downed an entire bottle before stealing Andy's toys." Dan brushed everything his mother in law said, and carried Jerry into Andy's nursery where his son was asleep in the crib. He could tell Andy was tired so he laid Andy in the crib then cheerfully went to the kitchen and took a bottle from the cabinet, filled it up with milk and placed it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Dan stood there smiling at Bev until the microwave beeped.
When the bottle was warmed he took it out walked to the nursery. When Andy saw the bottle his uncle made, he reached out for it. Dan put the bottle in his small hands. Andy glad held onto it and drank it. Dan made sure the baby monitor was on and left the room. He saw that Bev had been watching him.
They just looked at each other, until Bev spoke up.
"I don't know how I feel about you taking care of Jerry be yourself."
Dan just stared at her expressionless.
"Well I don't know how I feel about that myself so join the club." Dan tried to keep his voice at a normal conversation level and to try to keep his tone the same way.
"Dan you know that when Roseanne started dating you, me and Al did not approve."
Dan shook his head; he felt himself balling up his fists for a split second but stopped himself. In Group Therapy they had learned anger management skills and Dan remembered what he learned in order to go through this tough conversation without making his relationship with Bev harder than it already was. If he did anything to Bev, dire consequences would follow.
"Yes, Bev I am aware of that. When Becky started dating Mark we didn't approve so I guess what does around really does come around." Dan was doing a good job keeping his temper under control.
Bev was not blind. She could see Dan working to control his temper and remain calm, she was just waiting to dig her knives in Dan wanting him to explode and give her a reason-and a way-to get what she really wanted; the ability to raise Jerry by herself. She picked one way that would really cause Dan to lose it.
"All those years that DJ and the girls were growing up you went to work dry walling the basements of Lanford, Roseanne bought their food, bought their clothes, made their dinner, drove them to the places they needed to go and you just sat there drinking and watching TV. If you weren't doing that you were off building your boat or fixing something. You were avoiding your family and when you were forced to be with them you drank."
Dan listened to her words carefully. A million, vulgar, hateful, and just plain mean responses filled his head, but they stayed in his head as he just blinked and took every word she said like he should. These next words hurt when they were said because they weren't necessarily true, but they were said anyway, and in a quiet calm manner.
"You're right Bev. Roseanne did all the parenting while I fixed something, built something or watched something while I just sat there with a beer in my hand. Having just gotten out of therapy I see that now. But I'm not going to drink anymore, and I am going to become one the best single dads there had ever been in Illinois. I'm going take care of everything the boys need; I'm going to pay for DJ to go to College just like I am for Darlene. I'm going to take Jerry to his first day of Kindergarten and teach him to ride a bike and everything else. I'm going to find a steady job and stay there too." Dan's words were delivered in such a calm and peaceful manner that Bev left the house defeated.
Dan sat on the couch and found himself falling asleep. He woke up to DJ staring at him.
"Dad! You're home." The first thing that Dan noticed was his sons hair, it was long and shaggy. He also noticed his son had grown considerable in the last six weeks.
"And for good this time." He said while giving DJ a hug.
"Where's grandma?" DJ asked, looking around.
"She left." Dan said quietly.
DJ looked at Dan and smiled. "You must have scared away, with that beard you look like grizzly bear."
Dan rubbed his hand on his chin and felt the itchy effect of his beard. He hadn't shaved for a very long time (although he could've been shaved at the hospital once a week on Saturday. He elected to sleep in on Saturdays.)
"Oh totally forgot about that. When does Aunt Jackie get home?"
DJ looked at the clock. "She worked the breakfast shift today so she should be getting home now." The two listened and heard Jackie's car pull into the driveway. Dan decided to once again pull a prank on Jackie. He opened the basement door and walked on the first step and closed it. DJ got the idea and sat on the couch and turned on the TV.
Jackie walked in holding a bag of groceries. "Hi, DJ." She said tiredly.
"Hi, Jackie. Is that it?" DJ asked, offering to help her bring in the rest.
"No, just got stuff for breakfast." Jackie went into the kitchen then came back in again. The boys were usually asleep during this time so she went to check on them.
Before she passed the basement door flew open Dan jumped from it. "BOO!"
Jackie jumped about three feet. The look on her face could've won her first prize on America's Funniest Home Video's.
"God Damn it Dan!" Dan and DJ and laughed so hard they wound up on the floor, with their sides hurting. It took a solid five minutes for either one to compose themselves enough to speak.
Jackie found herself joining them. Eventually they heard Jerry crying and Dan went in and brought him out. Jerry had grown so much since Dan and left him that it was unbelievable. Before Jerry was chunky, now he was long and skinny. Dan couldn't figure out who Jerry was taking after, him or Roseanne. Although Ed had shown Roseanne a picture of Dan when he was baby and Jerry looked just like him, so Dan figured he took after him.
Jerry looked his dad right in the eyes and Dan felt like Jerry remembered him.
Jackie, Dan and DJ had pizza and fed their kids, then Jackie drove the boys home, all three of them.
The house was dark, and dusty. No one had been there since the day Dan left, and somehow the house had lost its homey feeling. DJ went through and found all the light switches by memory. Dan took his bag into his and Roseanne's room, while holding Jerry. The bedroom was the same as he left it, except someone had made the bed. He remembered the last night he laid in that bed and ended up on the couch because he couldn't sleep. He hoped that wouldn't happen again but somehow knew it would.
