A/N – I know, it's been forever. I'm so sorry, I've had writers block. I won't give up on this story, don't worry, I love you guys too much to let you down. Maybe this chapter will make you guys happy, it's my longest chapter so far.
Thanks for the reviews, Marla's Lost and TieDyeJackson, they made me smile.
Anyways, onto the next chapter.
June 29, 2001
It was early the next morning when Jackie opened her eyes. It was brighter in the room, meaning the sun was out, so it wasn't too, too early. Jackie looked over at the alarm clock on the table between the beds. 7:00 A.M. It was still a little too early for Jackie though.
She sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment, thinking back to the previous night when she was begging Eric to stay with her. She had wondered if he actually stayed, she wondered if he wasn't just lying and he still got up to go be sick.
Jackie looked over to her right and looked at the bed on the other side of the room. Callie and Chris were both laying facing each other, their hands barely touching. Jackie smiled at how sweet they looked. She then decided to see if Eric was still next to her, and she was surprised she hadn't noticed him before.
She was laying on her back and she felt some weight on her stomach. Jackie looked down at saw Eric's head laying on her belly, his eyes closed as he breathed in and out softly. He had his arm thrown across her waist and his hand was gripping the side of her shirt gently. Jackie smiled down at him as she slowly lifted her hand and pushed it into his hair. It was if she couldn't help herself.
He was dreaming about something, as he held an odd expression. He looked almost fearful, but he wasn't talking in his sleep or even moving that much, so at least it wasn't as bad as Jackie's seen before, like the day she found out he was depressed.
When Eric gripped Jackie's shirt a little tighter and moved a little closer, she smiled and moved her hands down to his shoulders, his very frail shoulders. She needed to get some food in him and make sure he kept it in his stomach.
Jackie gently nudged Eric, attempting to wake him, but he stayed in the same position, "Eric," Jackie whispered in his ear, making Eric groan sleepily, "Rise and shine, sleepy head," She giggled as Eric slowly opened his eyes.
It took Eric a moment to come out of his sleepy trance and realize where he was. Point Place, Wisconsin. He widened his eyes a little at the realization that he was here to see his family before he really realized where he was. He was laying on Jackie, in quite a compromising position.
Eric blushed a little when he realized where his head was laying, but he figured she didn't feel any embarrassment over it since she had her arms around his shoulders. But no matter how much Eric wanted to lay there with her, he had to get up. He had to get ready so he could go to his old childhood home and see his parents and Laurie.
"Good morning," He heard Jackie say quietly.
Eric looked up at her and smiled softly, "'Morning…"
Jackie moved away from him and gave him some room as he slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes of sleep. Jackie sat behind him and tried not to look at the scars at his waist where his shirt had rid up just a bit. It was hard to look at them and not feel instantly saddened.
Jackie peeled her eyes away from them and looked at Eric, who was running his fingers through his shaggy hair, "You were dreaming again."
Eric looked over at Jackie briefly and furrowed his brow, "Yeah… I've been having some weird dreams lately. It's like… Something bad is going to happen…"
Jackie shrugged, "They're probably just dreams."
Eric nodded, trying to believe her, "Yeah, probably…" He then looked over towards the bathroom, "I might as well shower so we can get going."
Jackie nodded in agreement, but kept a watchful eye on him. He looked sickly. If he didn't start eating soon he'd be hospitalized, that's how bad it was getting. Jackie was starting to worry about him all the time, with him or not. Like, what would happen if he just collapsed and no one was there to help him? What would happen? Would he be okay?
As Eric went to get up, Jackie grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him back into bed, "Eric."
He turned to look at her curiously, his brow furrowed. He looked adorable, Jackie thought.
"I better hear water running," Jackie said, "I'm going to come check on you in two minutes, and if you're not behind the curtain and instead you're puking your guts out, I'm going to kick your skinny little ass."
Eric smiled and nodded, "Duly noted."
Jackie smiled and patted him on the back, "Good, now go," Jackie released his shirt and let him get up, "We should be at your parent's house by at least noon."
Eric nodded in agreement before he went to his bag and pulled out clean clothes before he disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. After a second, Jackie heard the shower kick on and smiled to herself, but she was still going to check on him in a second, make sure he was actually in the shower.
Apparently the shower kicking on disturbed Callie, because she groaned and rolled onto her back, rubbing her eyes irritably.
Jackie smiled and peered over at her, "Good morning."
Callie cracked an eye open and peered up at Jackie through her fingers and grumbled something incoherent.
Jackie giggled, "Sleep well?"
Callie shook her head, "Chris kicks in his sleep."
Jackie giggled once again and looked over at the two. Chris was awake now too, but he was still curled up next to Callie, rubbing his eyes.
Callie looked over at him and smiled a little though, instantly forgiving him for his sleeping habits, "But it's hard to stay mad at a face like that."
Chris looked over at Callie and smiled sleepily before he rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling as Callie sat up and stretched. Jackie smiled at the two and snickered. They were so cute. Then Jackie remembered something.
"Um, Callie?" Jackie said, her expression completely changed.
Callie looked over at her curiously, her arms stretched over her head, "Yeah?"
"Did you ever get around to calling your mother last night?" Jackie asked, nervous for Callie.
Callie's eyes widened and she instantly hopped out of bed, barely escaping the wrath of the blankets twisted around her ankles, "Oh crap!" She cried as she grabbed the phone on the table between the two beds, "I was so tired I completely forgot!"
Jackie gazed at her nervously, as did Chris. They both watched as Callie dialed her mother's number quickly and held it up to her ear, waiting anxiously for her to answer.
Jackie looked over at Chris before standing, "I'm going to go see if Eric needs a towel, I think he forgot one," Jackie lied, not wanting to fill the kids on with what was going on with Eric.
Chris nodded and sat up, shaking his head and stretching, "Do I have to call my Mom, too?" He asked, his voice low. He didn't really want to call her, she was being a bitch before he left.
Jackie gazed at the boy sympathetically before smiling sadly and shaking her head, "No. She deserves to worry just a little bit longer. I'm sure Donna will tell her eventually."
Chris smiled at that and nodded, "Thanks Jackie."
Jackie nodded, "No problem," She said before she went to the bathroom door and knocked, but she didn't receive an answer. She checked the door, seeing if it was locked. It wasn't. Jackie covered her eyes with her hand and opened the door, stepping in just a tad, "Are you in the shower?"
It took a moment for Eric to respond, but he did eventually, "Yes."
Jackie took her hand away from her eyes, just to make sure he wasn't lying. He was behind the curtain, thank God. This could have been a lot more awkward, but at least he wasn't puking his guts out.
"Okay, just checking," She said before she left the bathroom and closed the door behind her, but she stayed right outside the door, making sure he wasn't being sneaky.
It took a few minutes before Eric turned the shower off and got out, Jackie still sat right outside the door. After a moment, Eric opened the door, wearing a pair of baggy jeans, but he was shirtless, and still a little wet. Jackie averted his gaze and cleared her throat, feeling a blush rise up her neck.
"Did you, uh, forget something?" Jackie asked, standing straight and fiddling with her shirt.
Eric nodded, "Yeah, can you get me a shirt?" Jackie could hear the smile in his voice. Was he teasing her? How dare he. That was her job.
Jackie nodded and turned to go back into the room where the beds were, going over to Eric's bag and searching through it for a clean shirt. After a moment, she pulled out a black and white striped t-shirt and went back into the bathroom to hand it to Eric.
"Here ye' go," She said awkwardly, stuffing the shirt into his empty hand.
"Thanks Jackie," Eric smiled, drying his hair with the towel.
Jackie nodded, still not looking at him directly, "No problem."
With that, she turned and went back into the room to see if Callie was off the phone with her mother yet. Jackie was trying to compose herself, make herself not look so flushed.
When she entered the room, her face still pink, but not as bright as it was before, she saw Callie standing next to the table, the phone still up to her ear.
"Yes, I know. Okay—" Callie was trying to speak, but apparently Donna was scolding her pretty sternly. Jackie smirked a little and watched as Callie tried to get a word in, "Yes—I'm sorry… Okay. Yes, I'm safe… I'm with Eric and Jackie… Yes, he's here too… Tell his Mom not to worry… Okay… I'm really sorry… I know I am… Okay… I'll see you Monday… I love you, too… Bye…"
Callie hung up and bit her bottom lip nervously before she turned to face Jackie, her face red with embarrassment of being yelled at over the phone.
Callie smiled a fake smile and scrunched her shoulders nervously, "She's pretty mad... She told me I'm grounded for two months with no TV or Game Boy, so… I've got that to look forward to."
Jackie smirked and tilted her head, "You brought this on yourself."
Callie nodded and sat on the edge of the bed in front of Chris, "Yeah, I know…" Callie looked back at Chris and they smiled at each other, "But it was worth it."
Jackie watched the two for a moment longer, a warm smile lit up her face. How were they NOT together, yet?
As that thought popped into her head, Eric walked into the room, his hair slightly dried and his t-shirt sagging over his shoulders heavily. Jackie smiled softly as he entered the room and peered up at him. He looked so nervous. It was cute.
Jackie turned to look back at the kid's, her arms still crossed, "Come on, guys. Get dressed. We need to get breakfast before we go to Red and Kitty's place."
Callie and Chris both nodded and jumped out of bed, going straight to their small bags. There probably wasn't enough clothes in there for the whole weekend, they only packed a small bag each. Probably so it was easier for them to sneak out.
Jackie turned back to Eric as the kid's rifled through their stuff, letting her arms fall down by her sides, "Hungry?"
Eric looked down at his feet, a nervous smile on his face, "You know I'm not, but I'm going to have to eat anyway, so…"
Jackie nodded and rubbed his arm smoothly, "Just eat a little bit, okay?" She whispered so only he could hear her.
Eric looked up into her eyes and nodded, "Okay."
0-0-0-0-0
The group of four went to breakfast across the street at the small diner not even ten minutes later. They all got waffles with a side of hash browns, but Jackie and Eric shared. Eric ate some hash browns and a couple pieces of waffle, but that was good enough for Jackie. At least he ate something, right? She knew he felt ill after he ate, he always did. It would just take him some time to get used to putting food on his stomach and every other day Jackie would just have to make sure he was eating a little bit more than before. Eventually he'd be back to eating a full plate.
After they all ate and finished their meals, they cleaned up and got in the car and started for Red and Kitty's. The whole ride was almost completely silent, it wasn't till the end of the ride someone eventually spoke.
Eric kept fiddling with his fingernails and tapping his feet. This was probably the most nervous he's ever been. I mean, what do you say to your family you haven't seen in over two decades?
They were turning onto the street that he had lived on all those years ago before he spoke, looking up and over at Jackie.
"What do you think they'll say?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed anxiously.
Jackie bit her lip and shrugged a little, "Your Mom will probably cry and hug you for eternity. Your Dad will probably do something similar."
Eric scoffed, "Will that something similar be him putting his foot up my ass?" He chuckled nervously.
Jackie grimaced, "I don't think he can stretch his leg up that far anymore."
Eric chuckled along with Jackie as the continued down the street. Eric's street. He looked out the window at the houses. They all looked the same, just with some modern day touches. He saw some children playing outside in a water sprinkler, their father running after them, a big smile on his face. He also saw an elderly couple sitting on their front porch. Their names were Ginger and Harrison Goldblum and they've lived in that house for as long as Eric could remember. They were in their late sixties, early seventies when Eric was a teenager, so they had to be in their nineties by now.
Eric looked back towards the windshield, checking to see if they were almost there. He could see his house, it was just a few more houses up. Eric swallowed nervously and looked around a little more, his stomach just full of anxious butterflies.
Eric could hear Callie talking to Chris in the backseat. She was telling him about the neighborhood and what went on. She was telling him things like what it was like living in a small town rather than a big city, and about Red, Kitty, and Laurie.
Eric started to feel the car turn into the driveway. He felt his heart leap out on nervousness as he gulped again. What was he going to say? What were they going to say? He felt dizzy. He was sure he was going to pass out. Oh no. What if he had a seizure? He had been quite stressed lately. That'd sure be a hell of an entrance. 'Hey Mom, Dad, how's it going? Oh, don't mind me, just going to convulse violently on the ground for a minute or so, don't worry, it happens all the time.' Maybe he was thinking too much? Yeah, he probably was. He had a tendency to do that.
Jackie put the car in park and turned to look at Eric, "They're not in the kitchen. They're probably in the living room feeding Laurie. She likes to watch TV while she eats her breakfast."
Eric looked over at Jackie anxiously, gripping his hands together, both of them as white as they could possibly get, "How bad is it? Laurie's condition, I mean."
Jackie bit her bottom lip and gazed deeply into Eric's hazel eyes, "She basically can't function. Your mother feeds her, clothes her, bathes her. Laurie can't even speak, not well anyway."
Eric looked down at his hands, tears forming in his eyes, "Can she still, like, think properly. I mean, her thoughts aren't all jumbled are they?"
Jackie shook her head, "No, she can still process information, she just can't put all of it into words."
Eric nodded and sniffled, "Okay…"
Jackie gazed at Eric sympathetically. He was trying his hardest to keep himself together. She couldn't imagine all the stress this whole thing had on him, Jackie was just hoping this went as planned and things would clear themselves up after this. Maybe this would offer a bit of comfort in his life.
Jackie looked down at Eric's fidgeting hands and instinctively reached out and grabbed one. She wrapped her fingers around his and squeezed gently before looking back up into his eyes, "Everything's going to be okay, I promise."
Eric looked down at their entwined hands before he smiled up at Jackie and nodded gently, "I know."
"I know you two are having a moment, but… It's a little hot back here, so could we get a move on already?" Callie asked suddenly, breaking a little bit of the tension in the car. Eric was actually kind of glad she spoke, it distracted him a little bit.
"Of course," Jackie said before turning back to Eric, "Are you ready?"
Eric sighed nervously and nodded, shaking a little, "Yeah."
Jackie smiled sweetly at him before she pulled her hand away from his and opened the door on her side. Eric sat there for a moment longer as the kids got out as well. This was it. This was the moment. Eric didn't think he'd feel so sick when this moment came. How nervous was too nervous?
Eric sighed once more before he grabbed the handle of the car door tightly and swung it open. He shakily got out of the passenger seat and stood outside under the hot summer sun. It was a nice day today, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Perfect day to crash back into your family's lives.
"Come on," Jackie said gently to Eric, putting her hand on his shoulder faintly.
Eric looked down at Jackie and back at the kids, who were hanging behind a little. Eric closed the door and turned to follow Jackie around the house to the front door. It seemed like the longest walk ever. The further they walked, the further the door got, it seemed.
The group of four finally made it to the front porch, but Chris hung back a little behind Callie, deciding not to get in Eric's way of his family reunion. Eric stood beside Jackie on the front porch, but back out of view from the doorway.
Jackie stood in front of the door and looked over at Eric, her finger hovering just over the doorbell, "Ready?"
Eric nodded and looked down at his feet anxiously, "It's now or never, right?"
Jackie smiled warmly before she tore her eyes away from his and sucked in a sharp breath. She exhaled slowly as she rang the doorbell and stepped back from the door, waiting for an answer. Eric could feel his heart racing, butterflies were flying around in his stomach. Luckily he had eaten light, or else he would have vomited all over his shoes by now out of pure nervousness.
He could hear footsteps from behind the door and the sound of voices, but he couldn't make out what was being said. The footsteps drew nearer and before he knew it the door was open.
"Jackie!" Kitty's voice overwhelmed Eric's ears and he could feel the tears in his eyes at the sound of it.
"Hey, Mrs. Forman," Jackie said a little too loudly, her wide smile nervous as she fiddled with her hands.
Eric was out of view from the door, so Kitty hadn't seen him yet, "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be in New York," Kitty then looked over Jackie's shoulder and saw Callie, then a smile overtook her face, "Callie! How nice to see you!"
Callie beamed and waved, "Hi, Kitty!"
Kitty smiled down at the girl and noticed the boy standing slightly behind her, looking around nervously, scratching the back of his head, "Who's your little friend?"
Callie looked over at Chris and then back at Kitty, "Oh, this is Chris. He's my friend from New York. Jackie said he could come along," Callie lied.
Kitty smiled knowingly and pursed her lips, "I see."
"Mrs. Forman," Jackie interjected suddenly, making Kitty flinch and look up at her. Kitty noticed her odd behavior, which prompted her to ask.
"What's bothering you, sweetie?" Kitty asked, suddenly worried, "Are you feeling alright? You don't look so good. Why don't you come inside and I'll get you something to drink."
Kitty reached out and grabbed Jackie's arms, starting to pull her inside, but Jackie resisted, "Actually, Mrs. Forman, there's something I need to tell you."
Kitty looked at the girl concerned, "What is it, dear?"
Jackie pursed her lips and sighed through her nose, "Well, you know how you asked for me to bring you something back from New York? You know, just a little knick-knack of some sort?"
Kitty swatted her hands in a downward motion and scoffed, "Is that what's bothering you? That's okay, Jackie. You didn't need to bring me anything. I don't need some silly little gift shop ornament."
Jackie flashed a nervous smile and scrunched her shoulders, "Well, you see, I did actually bring you something, but it's a lot more than a 'silly little gift shop ornament.'"
This caused Kitty to raise her eyebrows in alarm, "Jackie. You didn't buy me anything expensive did you? You didn't have to do that!"
Jackie shook her head and grabbed Kitty's smaller hands in hers, "No, Mrs. Forman… Listen. This gift you're about to receive could quite possibly change your life."
Kitty was becoming worried now, "Jackie? I don't understand."
Jackie sighed again and pulled her hands out of Kitty's, "Just… Let me show you."
With that, Jackie grabbed Eric's arm and gently pulled him into Kitty's line of sight. After this happened, Kitty's jaw immediately dropped and her eyes went wide. She didn't know what to say, she was in complete shock. The tears formed in her eyes as Eric lifted his hand and smiled very nervously.
"Hi Mom," He said it very quietly, his voice cracking with emotion.
Kitty fanned at her eyes as tears started to fall. She was trying to speak, but nothing seemed to be able to form. The only thing she said was his name, and it almost didn't even sound like it. Soon enough, she had her arms wrapped around her son and she was sobbing, very loudly.
Eric wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly as Jackie stepped back away from the two and let them have their moment. Jackie was crying now, too, this entire thing really getting to her. The thing she was nervous about was what was going to happen after the initial shock wore off. What would be said?
As Kitty and Eric cried against each other, Jackie saw, over Kitty's shoulder, Red Forman hobbling to the door, curious as to what all the commotion was about. He had his cane in his hand as he supported his left side with it. The stroke he had had really taken a toll on him. He barely had control of his left side, he could only hold his cane lightly and his foot dragged across the ground hopelessly.
Red looked up to see what was going on and his jaw dropped as well, his eyes as wide as saucers.
"Eric?" He said, sounding smaller than Jackie's ever heard him before.
Eric pulled away from his mother a little bit and looked up to see his father. Eric smiled happily, tears running down his face, "Hi Dad."
Red quickly hobbled over to his son and looked at him in surprise. It was as if he was checking to make sure it was really Eric. Red then smiled as tears formed in his eyes as well, "Eric!" He cried happily before he wrapped his arms around his son and wife.
Jackie giggled giddily and watched on, her hands clasped under her chin and her shoulders scrunched in glee. This was the sweetest thing she's ever seen.
And Eric was worried Red would call him a dumbass. He was in for a shock when he finds out just how worried Red was about him over the years. That's all Red seemed to talk about when Jackie would visit. He was always wondering what Eric was doing, if he had a nice steady career, if he was married, if he had kids.
Jackie and the kids stood back out of the way for several more minutes as the family continued to embrace. They hugged for at least five more minutes, none of them moving a single inch.
After that five minutes was over, they all pulled away from each other and just studied each other.
Kitty's hair was dyed blonde, but you could see her age in her face. She had wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and around her chin and neck. But her eyes still glowed with happiness. But overall, she looked good for a woman nearing her seventies.
Red was hunched over, he was supporting most of his weight on his cane. His hair, or what was left of it, was as white as snow, but he hadn't changed in the face all that much. He looked alright for seventy three.
Kitty and Red both examined Eric, both of them seeming concerned when they noticed how skinny he was. It was Jackie that made him wear a single t-shirt, and it just sort of hung over his shoulders loosely.
"Come inside, all of you," Kitty said, grabbing Eric's hands and pulling him in through the door, "I've made breakfast, how's that sound?"
Eric smiled and nodded, "Sounds great," He wasn't hungry, but he didn't want to worry her, not with him just getting here.
With that, everybody went into the house and followed Kitty into the kitchen.
0-0-0-0-0
After Kitty and Red got done hovering over Eric, hugging him and pestering him, they finally got calmed down and everybody was sat at the table.
Eric had also said hello to Laurie. He tried not to cry when he talked to her. She barely showed emotion, it was as if she was unable to. Her whole body was paralyzed, she could only move her fingers on her right hand a tad and she could twitch her lip and raise an eyebrow, but other than that, there wasn't much else she could do.
Eric was hoping she'd call him name or something, but she was incapable of speech, just like Jackie had told him.
"So this is what a home cooked meal looks like?" Chris suddenly said as Kitty placed a plate on the table in front of him. Waffles, sausage, scrambled eggs and the sorts.
Kitty giggled and sat down next to Red before looking up at Eric and smiling sweetly, "There's so much I want to ask you."
Eric smiled back at his mother and father, "Ask away. Ask me anything."
Kitty nodded, "Okay, first things first… Who's this?"
She was referring to Chris, who already had a mouthful of food in his trap. Eric smiled, "This is Chris, he's uh…" Eric looked for the right word to use, not sure if he should tell them what Chris is to him, "He's… He's my son… My adopted son," He put emphasis on the word 'adopted.'
Kitty and Red both looked at each other, wide eyed and then smiled, "Oh my gosh, we're grandparents!" Kitty smiled and laughed her signature laugh, which made Eric smile wider.
Eric looked over at Chris who was smiling at him for considering him his son.
"How old are you, Chris?" Kitty asked, looking over at him, a smile still gracing her lips.
Chris looked over at Kitty, but avoided eye contact, "Fifteen."
Kitty smiled at him, "You're tall for fifteen. I remember when Eric was your age he was Callie's height."
Chris smiled and looked at Eric, "Really?"
Eric nodded, "Yeah, I guess I'm what they call a 'late bloomer.'"
Chris chuckled as Kitty looked back at Eric, "What've you been doing all these years? Tell us everything. I want to know every last detail."
That's when Eric went into a long and winding story about what he did when he returned from Africa. About him living in Chicago for a little while, which they already knew about, and then when he moved to New York. He told them about his friends that he lived with for a very long time and then about how he moved in with Chris and his mother. Then he told them about what's happened recently, how Jackie, Donna and Hyde reentered his life.
But he left out the part of him having epilepsy. He didn't really want to get into that right now. He also didn't bring up the fact that he was depressed and was eating very little and that he used to cut himself. That was all too heavy to talk about right now.
"It seems like you've had a pretty nice life in New York," Kitty said, though Eric could hear the sadness in her voice.
Eric shrugged a little and smirked, "Yeah, it's been pretty cool living in the city."
Then it was quiet again, nobody really knowing what to say. It was harder than Eric thought to talk to your parents that you haven't seen in two decades. He thought all this time apart they'd easily find something to talk about, but it was more awkward than anything.
Eric looked down at his plate of food. He'd forced himself to eat a little bit and now he felt sick, but it wasn't really nauseous sick, he felt more light headed and drowsy than anything. He knew what was about to happen, he always had a weird aura when this happened. He had to get out of his parent's line of sight before it happened, not wanting them to worry.
"Um, I-I..." Eric tried to speak, but it was as if he couldn't form words. It was too late, it was already happening, "I-I—"
"Eric?" Kitty said, concern in her voice, "Are you alright, sweetheart?"
Everybody looked towards Eric and Chris suddenly stood and looked across at Jackie, "Jackie, help me get him on the floor before he falls."
Chris suddenly stood as Jackie remained seated, not exactly sure what was going on. She looked over at Eric and noticed his hands were shaking a little and his eyes looked empty. He looked spaced out.
"Oh," Jackie said before standing abruptly, suddenly aware of what was about to happen.
She grabbed Eric's arm, Chris grabbing the other before the both pulled Eric to his feet, but Eric's legs were sort of limp as his eyes lulled to the back of his head and he started his seizure.
Red and Kitty both looked terrified as did Callie. Callie had never seen Eric have a seizure before, not a grand mal anyway. She'd seen him have plenty of partial seizures, but other than that, she'd seen nothing.
Callie and Eric's parents watched on in horror as Chris and Jackie laid Eric on the ground. Jackie looked up at the table at Eric's parents, "Somebody get something for him to rest his head on, please!"
Kitty and Red both stood and Kitty rushed into the living room and grabbed a pillow off the couch and ran back into the kitchen, not wasting any time.
Jackie took the pillow from Kitty, thanking her quietly before pushing the pillow under Eric's head. Jackie's seen several grand mal seizures by now, but only one this bad. He was kicking his leg violently as he held his right arm to his chest, making choking, gurgling noises as he convulsed.
He had lost control of his bladder, which he'd be embarrassed about when he woke up. But nobody cared about that right now, they were all just worried for his well being.
"What's wrong with him?" Red asked as Eric continued to convulse.
Jackie looked up at Red and Kitty and her heart broke when she saw the worried looks on both their faces, tears in both their eyes.
"He has epilepsy," Jackie said quietly, looking back down at Eric. Her and Chris were gently keeping Eric held down a little, not wanting him to hit his head on anything.
"Is it always this bad?" Kitty asked, her voice a little higher than normal as tears fell from her eyes.
Jackie shook her head, "No, this is one of his worse seizures. They're usually not that bad."
"How often does this happen?" Red asked, stepping forward a little bit.
"Only about once a month, sometimes more if he's stressed," Jackie said.
She heard Eric make a loud choking sound and looked up at his face.
"Shit, he bit his tongue," Chris snapped. Eric had blood running from the corner on his mouth as Chris grabbed his arm and rolled him onto his side, not wanting him to choke.
Kitty put her hand over her mouth and choked back a sob as Red stood behind her, rubbing her back soothingly. Callie still sat in her chair, too shocked to move. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide, she's never looked so terrified.
After another few seconds, Eric finally ceased his convulsing and his body relaxed somewhat. He was breathing heavily and wheezing, trying to catch his breath as he lay there on the floor unconscious.
Jackie rubbed soothing circles on his back and tried to calm him as she looked back up at Red and Kitty, both of them looking on in horror.
"Is he going to be okay?" Kitty asked, her voice cracking with emotion.
Jackie nodded, "Yeah. When he wakes up he might be a little out of it, but after about ten minutes or so he'll be back to normal."
The family all just sat in silence for the next few minutes, waiting for Eric to regain consciousness. It took about three or four minutes, and when he did finally wake up, he had a hard time processing everything going on around him.
"Eric? Can you look at me, please?" Chris asked of him gently, but Eric didn't respond. It was if he hadn't even heard him.
"Eric?" Chris said again, but Eric didn't look at him.
Eric pushed his hands onto the ground and tried pushing himself up, but Chris pushed on his shoulders and pulled him back down, "No, you can't get up until you're coherent."
For the next several minutes, Kitty and Red watched as Chris ordered Eric around, asking him to do things, like count to ten or nod his head yes or no. He asked him to say his name, tell him what year it was, where he was, how old he was.
Kitty couldn't stop the tears from coming, it was out of her control.
After all this time apart she wanted to see her son happy and healthy, but instead he was sick. Very sick. And it absolutely broke Kitty's heart.
This was not how she wanted her kid's lives to go. Not at all.