"Eddie? Jamie?" Emily said, her voice raspy as she woke up.
"Hey kid. We're right here." Jamie said as he stepped up to her side and Eddie joins him on the opposite side of her. She reached for them. They took her hands.
"How're you feeling baby?" Eddie asked as she pushed her hair out of her face.
"Hurts." Emily whimpered. Jamie went to get the nurse and they adjusted her pain medicine.
"Better?" Jamie asks. She nods.
"Yeah. Nicky?"
"I'm here. I'm fine Em." They pushed the button that would help Emily sit up a little so she could see everybody.
"What happened?"
"What all do you remember?" Frank asked softly.
"Just hitting the ground, a loud noise and I think I woke up while I was in the ambulance once or twice but that's all." Emily recounted.
"We were hit by a drunk driver. I moved us out of the way as best I could. I saw a tiny glimpse of the car turning the corner behind us at the last second." Nicky replied. Emily nodded. She didn't know how to feel. It was all so much. The pain, the number of people there to support her and Nicky, and the accident itself were overwhelming her. Eddie noticed and kept trying to soothe her by stroking her hair and holding her hand.
"Does this mean the social worker is going to take me away again?" Emily whispered with tears in her eyes.
"We would never let that happen, Emily. But no, she's already agreed there was nothing we could have done differently to protect you and that it is in your best interest to stay with us. You're not going anywhere but home with us once you get released, baby." Eddie cooed just as softly.
"Good. I don't want to leave you and Jamie." Emily replied softly. Soon, she drifted back to sleep and Eddie let out a sigh of relief because at least she wasn't feeling the pain as much right now.
Jamie squeezed Eddie's shoulder and when their eyes met neither of them was shocked to see the tears in each other's eyes. In less than seventy-two hours that little girl had easily become their daughter and they were both terrified for her.
Jamie decided to take a walk and Danny followed him out of the room. They walked together in silence for a while before Jamie stopped.
"This must be how you felt when Sean fell off his bike and was in that coma for a while. I don't know how to do this Danny. This killing me. I know it's only been a couple of days, but Emily, she's my little girl in my heart already. This hurts." He said as he sat in a nearby chair with his head in his hands.
"It is. It's absolutely terrifying. I know she is kid. She's family whether she likes it or not. I don't know how you and Eddie have kept up appearances this long, especially when she was in surgery. I'm really proud of you two, for doing this. Emily is really lucky."
"Thanks Dan. It means a lot." Jamie replied and they sat for a while so Jamie could pull himself back together to go fight for his little girl. They walked back into the room and Jamie walked over to Eddie and Emily.
"How is she holding up?"
"She's okay; still sleeping." Eddie whispered as she noted the slight redness of his eyes. He sat down on the other side and they watched the monitors as the Reagans, minus Erin went to go get food and the girls slept for a while. The three chatted quietly and watched over the girls. Eddie stayed the night in the hospital with them while Jamie went to work, and Erin went home to shower and prep for court in the morning. She slept on a cot in between both girls and when Nicky woke in the wee hours of the morning, she saw Eddie comforting Emily after a nightmare.
"She okay?" Nicky and Eddie nodded.
"Yeah. Just a bad dream." Nicky nodded and got up to use the restroom before returning to bed. She decided to stay awake and play on her phone since she knew the doctor would be in to check on them soon.
The doctor walked in twenty minutes later and checked their vitals. She told Nicky that she would go home around lunchtime. Due to Emily's surgery she had to stay for at least three days. Jamie knocked on the door and walked in, still in his uniform, sporting a black eye, and went to check on Nicky before sitting next to Emily's bed and holding her hand. She had her foot propped up on some pillows.
"Hey Jay. How'd night shift go?"
"It was long. Three fights broke out in the main squad after a big arrest on two rival gangs in a bust. We have three out for at least a week, so I am going to have to cover a shift or two, but that's okay. Nobody was killed or injured beyond repair. Thank God." She nodded.
"Station a mess?"
"It was. We got it cleaned up pretty quick."
"Good. Have you put ice on your eye, yet?" He nodded. She smiled.
"Good. Because I would have made you if you hadn't."
"You're my wife, of course you would." He teased.
"Jamie, are you really okay?" Emily asked softly.
"I'm fine baby. It's just a bruise." She nodded and motioned him closer to her. He obliged and she placed a gentle kiss just below the bruising on his left eye and upper cheek. He smiled. Erin walked in and over to Nicky.
"What the hell happened to your face, Jamie?"
"Big bust, rival gangs, fights in the squad, fist to the face. The usual." He replied.
"Of course how I could forget my brothers' inability to go three shifts in a row without getting hurt." She retorted sarcastically.
"Oh har har."
"By the way mom they're letting me out after lunch." Nicky said and pulled the two siblings out of their stare down.
"That's good. We can take you home to get changed and pick up some snacks and clothes and whatever else they need." Erin replied and went to check on Emily.