Tough

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

While Eddie slept and Frank took the children home, Jamie took a ride to the precinct to talk to Gordo and Renzulli. He didn't know what the status of Eddie's health would mean for his career. It might be that he had to take an extended leave or it might mean that he could continue status quo.

As soon as he walked into the precinct both his partner and his old TO could tell whatever prevented him from coming this morning was something huge. "Come on in my office, Reagan. Powell, you come too," Renzulli instructed. He poured the three of them a cup of coffee, "What's going on Reagan, you look like hell."

"Uh, I'm okay. It's uh...it's Eddie. Eddie's sick, she's really sick." He could barely get it out. His wife was sick, and not just with cellulitis but with cancer. The big "c", the great equalizer, the killer that could never be apprehended.

"What is it?" Renzulli asked. "She get pneumonia or something like that, Harvard?"

Jamie shook his head, "Right now she's fighting cellulitis, she got it from her biopsy incision getting infected, but she's got a harder fight than that. She's got what they are calling an advanced breast cancer."

"Oh, Jamie, I'm sorry man," Gordo said quickly. "Anything you need, anything the kids need, you say the word."

Jamie offered a weak smile, "Thanks Gordo. I don't even know what end is up right now, I need a few days, Cap. Gordo, can you keep the heat on the Anderson case? That little one shouldn't be shelved just because..."

"You got it, Reagan. We'll get that jerk for you," Gordo assured him.

Renzulli was taken aback. He remembered Eddie a new boot, he remembered her at her wedding to Jamie, pregnant with both of her kids. Now she was going to have to fight for her life. If anyone could do it, she could.

"She's tough as nails, Jamie. She'll come out the other side of this just fine."

"I hope so, Cap," Jamie replied. "So am I okay for a short personal leave?"

"You have over two years of sick time, take a few weeks and we'll see where we are, okay?" Jamie nodded thankful for the solid relationship he has with his CO.

While Jamie completed the paperwork downtown, Eddie woke with Erin at her bedside. Jamie didn't want her to be alone if she did wake up while he was gone. She was reading a brief when she heard Eddie stir.

"Hey sleepyhead," Erin greeted with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Eddie replied. "Good drugs, I think. They said if my fever stays down that I can go home in a few days."

Erin nodded, that was good news but there was a 300 pound gorilla in the room. "Eddie, Dad told me in case the doctor came while I was here. I am so sorry...whatever you and Jamie need."

"Thanks, Erin. We have to talk it all through, we have to figure out what surgery I need to get and how to handle radiation and chemo. It's going to be so hard on Jamie."

Erin nodded, "Yes, it will be hard on Jamie, but it's going to be hard on you too Eddie. You have to take care of yourself in this too."

"You didn't see him, Erin. When the doctor told us, he just...he shook like a leaf. I had to ask the doctor to leave so I could calm him down."

"Jamie was seventeen when our mom died," Erin replied. "He was there though, he was in the room with her when she took her last breath. My dad went to the airport to pick up Danny. My mom insisted that Dad go and be the one to get him, so he did. In hindsight, we think she knew and it would just have been too hard with Dad there."