Chapter Text
“We all took turns going in to see him before we got kicked out. He’s gonna be okay.”
It took at least another hour and a half until a nurse came out to tell them that Jamie was settled in the ICU. The collective Reagan nerves were frayed and it seemed likely that there would be a stampede to see with their own eyes that Jamie was alright.
“You’ll need to visit him one-at-a-time and for no longer than five minutes per person,” said the nurse. She looked expectantly at the group. “Who will be first?”
The family all looked toward Eddie, who looked toward Henry with apprehension. For all she had wanted to kick and scream her way to Jamie, now she felt nervous. What kind of shape would she find him? Pops was the family’s patriarch. Maybe he should …
“You love him. Go to him,” encouraged Henry.
That was all that Eddie needed to hear. She turned to the nurse and nodded.
***
“You scared the hell out of me,” whispered Eddie.
She stared at her still unconscious husband. The doctor said that was normal and the medicine for the pain would likely keep him in and out of consciousness all night, as well as far from lucid.
“Here we were talking about whether or not we’ll be in the same House and then I find out you could be taken even further away from me.” Eddie’s voice cracked at the end. “I nearly lost you.”
“Danny helped,” she continued a few moments later. “I know you two have your differences, but he was great. Not that it comes as any surprise. I can’t imagine the feelings and memories this brought up for him. For all of them.”
Where was Frank?
“He was there like you were for him when Linda was shot,” said Eddie. “Holding me back from running in and pulling the bullet out of you, myself.”
Eddie took a deep, shuddery breath. She held Jamie’s hand and looked at his sleeping face.
“You’re the strongest man that I know, Jameson Reagan,” said Eddie. “So that means I expect you to make a full recovery. Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together. ‘No retreat,’” she said to him, ‘no surrender.’”
“‘You can count on me.’”
Eddie wasn’t sure if she imagined it. Had Jamie’s lips moved? Was it her sleep-deprived, partly traumatized brain playing tricks on her? Jamie’s eyes were closed, but Eddie had her answer when she felt a slight squeeze of her hand. She released her first genuine breath of relief.
“‘And you can count on me,’” said Eddie, unshed tears blurring her vision.
***
“You married a strong one, kid,” said Danny.
He looked down at his brother. Eventually, he sat so they were more level.
“So did she,” said Danny. “You saved mine and Joe’s lives earlier. I’ve never been prouder and more terrified in my life.”
“Most days it still doesn’t feel real that you’re on the job,” he continued. “I know that would piss you off, but it’s not because you don’t belong here or anything else you think I think about you. It’s because I never really had the time to prepare myself for the fact that I’d have to worry for you as well. Dad, Joe, Gramps … they were always a given.”
“This really shook up Cousin Joe. Not that he’d say as much,” snorted Danny. “He and our brother are alike in so many ways, but not when it comes to laying it out there. Maybe it’s because he’s still getting used to having all of us to worry about. I don’t know.”
Danny looked at the machine attached to Jamie. He listened as it showed a sign of life.
“You’ll walk again. I know it,” said Danny. “You’re too much of a stubborn son-of-a-bitch to let that perp take that from you. Even if for some reason it turns out you can no longer walk …”
Danny trailed off for a moment. He looked at his younger brother.
“You’d still be the tallest man in the room.”
***
“You were always such a persistent kid,” said Erin. She smoothed out Jamie’s hair. “You were also the most cooperative kid. So easy to babysit. Every time that I’d tell you it was time for bed, off you’d run with this great big smile.”
“Imagine that,” said Erin, shaking her head. “Me at 14, you at 10, and you never gave me a hard time. God, you were my favorite.”
She smiled at him before her eyes turned sad.
“I’m so sorry,” said Erin. “For blowing you off. For acting like what you said wasn’t relevant since ‘the law is the law’. Laws change and evolve – for better or worse – because people care or due to their apathy. We both know that and you were trying to remind me, but I refused to hear you because I was caught up in my own chaos. Now you’re here.”
“Your persistence won out. As usual. It wasn’t by being a hot head like Danny. It’s because you know when to push back and when to back off. You care so much about people, Jamie, and I hope you never lose that quality. Even when the losses outweigh the victories.”
She stared at him and tried to blink away the burning in her eyes.
“Give us another win for the victory column,” begged Erin.
***
“I don’t know whether you remember, but it was hard for me to hear when you told me that my father was an adrenaline junkie,” said Joe.
He stared at his uncle. The first Reagan that he felt he could connect with when he was dropped headfirst into this legacy family.
“It’s still a line that I straddle,” he continued. “The urge to know everything I can about him and this feeling that it won’t make him feel any more real. That no amount of stories will make me feel like I’m in any way connected to the family.”
Until now. The fear and anger that licked at Joe’s skin, threatening to consume him, reminded him of how much he considered the Reagans family.
“That day when you told me how he was into motorcycles, jet skis, and roller coasters, I also wondered something else,” said Joe. “It made me wonder if you worried about him. All of you, but especially you.”
“You’ve never said it, but Danny told me about you and my dad. You seemed to have idolized him,” said Joe. He looked at the wall. “Can you worry about someone that you idolize? Or do you just assume that they’ll always be there?”
Joe wasn’t sure whether he was still talking about Jamie and his father, Joe, or not.
“You’ve got a lot of people pulling for you, man.” There was a beat. Joe cleared his throat. “Including me.”
***
“It’s been a long night, Jameson, but you’ve managed to surpass everyone’s expectations,” said Henry. “Except mine, of course.”
“I knew that you’d be fine,” he continued, with a well-practiced bravado. “Your dad knows it, too.”
He has to know, thought Henry. Part of Francis has to know or else his gut instinct would have brought him here from wherever he went.
“Don’t tell anyone, but I don’t think you have as much to learn from me as I do from you,” said Henry. “It seems you’re teaching us a new lesson every day. I look forward to more of them.”
The ghost of a smirk crossed his face.
“Don’t think this means I’ll go easy on you during our next card night.”
***
It was the two of them, long after the others were told to leave by the doctor. Eddie encouraged them to leave as well. Danny and Joe had work to do, whereas Erin and Henry were running on empty. She needed to stay with Jamie.
“The others stayed through the surgery, and they came to see you before they left,” said Eddie. She yawned, unable to contain it. “You’re a popular guy, Reagan.”
“Don’t I know it.”
There was no mistaking it. Jamie had definitely spoken that time. Eddie sat up straight, leaning forward to get closer to him.
“Hey,” she said, relieved. She smiled at him. “You woke up.”
“That’s good,” said Jamie, and Eddie laughed. “I want to hear more about how I’m so popular.”
Eddie scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“Forget it,” said Eddie. “It would go to your head and you’d land yourself in here once a week just to have a cheering section.”
Jamie gave her a tired smile.
“As long as you’re here, I’m all set.”
“Good,” she said. She pressed her lips to his. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”