Chapter 8: Coping
Author: zeusfluff.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Blue Bloods characters. They belong to CBS. But I do own all originals. Date Started: 6/25/23. Date Finished: 6/25/23. Enjoy!
Coping. That was all Jamie and Eddie could do at the moment. Eddie had switched rocking chairs with Jamie and he now held his soon-to-be-daughter in his arms. She kept smiling up at him. He managed a slight laugh.
"You going to keep smiling up at daddy all day?"
Ellie made a noise and kept smiling. It was almost as if she knew something he didn't. Eddie didn't want to interrupt this perfect moment, but she wanted to add her own thoughts.
"She has ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes. Everything about her is perfect except her heart. I just don't understand."
Jamie was about to respond when Doctor Canton entered the room with a folder in his hands. The grim look on his face. Jamie stayed seated in the rocking chair and turned it around. Eddie turned her chair around too so she could see the doctor. Pulling four sets of x-rays from the folder, he turned the lights on to a long wall mounted light box. Placing each x-ray up against it, he explained his findings.
"We took four different x-ray's of Ellie's chest. The first one shows her heart as a whole. She's got severe edema around her heart. The swelling is caused by the hole in her heart and by how hard her body is working to keep it pumping. This next x-ray shows some accumulation of fluid in her lungs. We're giving her some medication to clear that out. The third x-ray shows that she has another hole. Its smaller in size, but its right next to the other one. Which has actually grown. The original hole is now the size of a tip of a ball point pen. In all aspects of this, Ellie needed a heart yesterday. I'll keep the two of you updated on any further developments. For now, all we can do is make her comfortable. The two of you can spend as much time as you need with her. I let the two of you have some time."
Eddie looked up from the rocking chair as she and Jamie turned them around.
"What are you saying Doctor Canton? Are you saying she's going to die?"
Eddie felt a gentle but strong hand against her shoulder.
"Eddie…"
Doctor Canton turned around and sighed, the serious look on his face never leaving.
"All her tests are pointing in that direction, yes. But there is still a chance that she may live."
Jamie had already prepared himself for the worst, but he wanted to hear the answer. Even if it was a small chance that Ellie would live, that he daughter would get to live a normal, happy and healthy life, he needed to know.
"What are the odds here doc? Please? This is my little girl we're talking about here."
Doctor Canton spread his hands as he spoke.
"There is a 2% chance that she'll live. Those aren't good odds Jamie. But hope is a strong belief. Let me know if the two of you need anything. I'll be back to check on her in awhile."
With that, Doctor Canton left the room. Outside the room, unbeknownst to Jamie and Eddie, Frank watched as the pair exchanged glances at each other as they bonded with their soon-to-be-daughter. His heart broke at the sight of Eddie crying. His son on the verge of tears himself. Tapping on the window this alerted the two occupants plus one baby inside that there was a visitor. Jamie placed Ellie in Eddie's arms and kissed her forehead.
"Daddy will be right back baby girl. I'm going to talk to grandpa."
With one arm balancing Ellie, Eddie grabbed for Jamie's hand.
"Jamie, where are you going babe?"
Jamie turned back and pulled Eddie in for a kiss. When he pulled away, he gave his answer.
"It's ok babe. I'm just going right out here to talk to dad. I'll be right back. Just keep talking to her."
Eddie let go of Jamie's hand and nodded, turning her attention back to Ellie and gave her a brave smile, nuzzling her tiny cheek. Exiting the room, Jamie quietly closed the door behind him.
"Dad? What are you doing here?"
Frank put his hands in his pockets.
"I'm the Police Commissioner son, I know where my officers go. How's my granddaughter doing?"
Frank called Ellie his granddaughter even though the paperwork for adoption hadn't gone through yet. He hoped it would, because he could see how much his son and now his daughter in law loved Ellie. He himself had already fallen in love with the little girl. Jamie responded to his question.
"Not well. The docs are making her comfortable. They are only giving her a 2% chance that she'll live. All her tests and scans now show that she's got two holes in her heart. Her doctor, Doctor Canton said she needed a new heart yesterday. He said he'd keep checking in with the transplant service. But so far nothing. Dad, I can't lose that little girl. I think god brought her into mine and Eddie's lives for a reason. Did you find out who her mother was?"
Frank nodded and one of the men from his detail handed him a file, inside was the woman's photo. Taking it out, he handed it to Jamie.
"Alyssa Martins. Worked out of your house in the 12th. She was a patrol officer on desk duty. Single mother. She has no family to speak of."
Jamie's face became more serious and he had a dark look in his eyes.
"So your saying we have a cop killer on our hands?"
Frank nodded and took the photo back, placing it in the folder.
"Exactly that son. I have the detectives working the case as we speak. Alyssa Martins was one of our own. We'll honor her memory as best we know how. I'm sure she'd be happy to know that her daughter was being taken care by a couple of fellow officers."
Jamie took a minute to chew over the information he'd just received. This blew the case wide open. Glancing back into the room from the window at Eddie, he knew he needed to tell her this piece of information. It was about to change their world.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Not to worry, the next chapter we'll have some good news. I have big plans for this story.
