Jack's Fight

Chapter 19

Wednesday 18th December 1963

Jack and Jackie’s Room, Hammersmith Farm

8am

Jack was sitting in a cream pair of slacks and a blue jumper. He was now using a stick instead of a crutch. “Bunny?”

Jack turned round. “Yeah?”

“Are you ready to go to Palm Beach?”

Jack sighed. “I don’t know if I can go.”

“What?” Jackie asked sitting down next to him. She gently rubbed his ailing back.

“I’m scared. I don’t know if I can just face the family.”

“Oh Jack you’ll be okay, I’ll be there and the kids. We’ll be fine.”

He nodded as he began to cry. “Thank you Jackie.” She smiled and took his hand. “Come on Marine One’s waiting.”

1pm

The Kennedy’s Palm Beach Home

The children were at the main house with their cousins while Jack rested. The flight exhausted him. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Jack nodded. “I just need to lie down.”

Jackie smiled and helped him to their room. He groaned as he lay down. “When’s that interview?”

“Tomorrow Bunny, you just need to rest just now.”

Jack nodded and squeezed her hand. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” Jackie smiled before leaving. She was angry that Bobby had agreed for Jack to do this interview tomorrow. He was in no fit state to be going back to work. His wound was just beginning to heal and the pain in his back was still persisting and it had been nearly a month since what had happened in Dallas.

Thursday 19th December 1963

The Living Room, Palm Beach House

2pm

Jack was sitting awkwardly on the sofa. The pain was very sharp. He was sitting when Walter Cronkite came in. “Mr President.”

Jack smiled. “Walter, have a seat.”

“How are you feeling Sir?” Walter asked.

“Honestly, in pain.”

Walter nodded noticing the paleness of his skin and how the colour had dulled in his eyes.

“Thank you for recording this, I don’t think I could do it live.”

“Oh no it’s not a problem Mr President.” Walter smiled. Jack nodded and waited till the interview began.

“Well Mr President, it’s great to see you. We’ve all been worried about you since those horrific events in Dallas.”

Jack nodded. “Thank you, it’s taken a long while to get to this stage.”

“This is your first official interview since Dallas and your stay in hospital. I don’t want to make you think about what happened in Dallas but can you tell us how bad your injury was?”

Jack took a deep breath. “The bullet should have hit my head but the glass changed its route, so it hit my side and cracked two of my ribs but because of my war injuries I was seriously wounded.”

“What happened in Rhode Island when you ended up back in hospital?”

“My wound got infected, causing me to pass out but I’m fine now.”

The questions went on for another hour. Jackie was standing watching from the door, she knew he was becoming tired.

“So Mr President, when will you be returning to Washington?”

“There isn’t a set date but it will be after Christmas or the New Year.”

“Thank you Mr President.”

Jack sat forward and shook his hand. “Thank you.”

After Walter had left Jack lay down on the sofa and slept. He felt stressed and weak.