Tough

Chapter Twenty-Two

Eddie shut her eyes, her head throbbed, her body ached and the nausea was beyond the pale. After an hour of nearly constant vomiting, Frank holding her head and rubbing her back, he knew he had no choice; he had to call his son.

Jamie was finishing typing the reports when his phone rang. "Hey Dad..." He listened to his father. "I'll be there. I will be right there." He hung up and went to see Renzulli. "It's Eddie, my Dad says she's really having bad effects. He can't seem to get her to..."

"What are you standing here for Reagan, get gone!" Renzulli commanded. He watched his old boot suffer through his wife's therapy. Jamie felt each pain and triumph right along with her, and the entire precinct felt it with him.

Jamie remembered speeding home and taking the front steps two at a time to get to his wife. He heard her moaning and crying out. Both kids were on the sofa with Spencer scared to death. Jamie didn't stop to comfort them, he ran to his wife. "I'm here, Eddie, I'm here." He lay on the bed with her, "Jamie..." She was gasping for air from the horrible pain.

"I'm here," he whispered again. "What is it?" Eddie was holding her back and curled in a near fetal position. "Back pains? Dad can you run a tub? Help me get her in the tub."

Eddie was weakly clutching at Jamie's hands. "I know baby," he crooned trying to soothe her. "I know we're gonna fix it. We're gonna fix it, ssh..."

When Frank had the water ready Jamie carried Eddie to the tub, he quickly undressed her and laid her in the Epsom salt-laced waters.

"Can you just lie still while I talk to the kids? They're scared, they heard you crying," Jamie whispered. He knew even his voice hurt her when she was like this. She managed a weak nod and Jamie went to see the children.

It was a rough two days, but finally they weathered the worse of it together. Frank took the day shift, Jamie took the nights, and Spencer picked up the slack when he wasn't telecommuting.

They thought they had just turned the corner when Jamie woke to his alarm clock to hear Eddie wheezing. He looked at her, took in her flushed cheeks, and labored breathing and knew she had no doubt contracted that horrible flu.

He called Renzulli again to bang in sick, "I have to take Eddie to the hospital. She can't breathe and she's got a fever."

"You need a bus, Kid?" Renzulli asked. "You think she got that flu you all had?"

"Yeah, but I think it went to her lungs cause she's wheezing. Thanks Cap." Jamie leaned over his wife, "Eddie, come on baby, we need to go to the hospital. You're sick."

She opened her eyes, "I don't feel well."

"I know. We're going to the ER. Just hold onto me and we'll get you better soon." Jamie kissed her feverish head and had her in the car before his father or children even woke up.

Present Day

"Did Spencer get home okay?" Erin asked. She always liked him, and now that he had stepped in to help Jamie and Eddie he had won the entire family over. "Yeah but he's thinking of relocating back here, he really loved being with the family."

"That would be nice for you to have a good friend nearby," Danny spoke up. "Gordo is a solid partner, but he's no so great in the buddy department."

Danny and Jamie both had made friends with some partners and not others, though Jamie had to hand it to Gordo, he had back through all of this.

"So do you two have any big plans for your fun time with Grandpa?" Erin asked Joey and Lila.

"Yes, we are going to a hockey game for me and the doll store for Lila," Joey replied. "And we're gonna get pastrami at the deli with big huge pickles." Joey made the sign for big with his arms.

"We probably know what those two have planned for their weekend," Danny joked making Eddie blush.

"Let's just say this trip is all about making each other feel loved," Jamie told his brother and kissed Eddie's hand.

Eddie and Jamie left for the Plaza right after Sunday dinner. She wore her white lace scarf, preferring the scarves to the wig. It was itchy and tight often giving her a headache. They checked in and headed to their suite. There was another bottle of sparkling cider, a fruit basket, and a bouquet of red roses that Jamie had sent to Eddie.

She looked at the gifts reading the card on the roses, "To my pretty girl – take time to stop and smell every single one, Love Jamie." Eddie smiled and walked over to him reaching on tip toes to kiss his lips.

"I'm glad you like them," he smiled. "I can't tell you how proud I am of you Eddie. You are fighting so hard, and you're winning this battle bit by bit. I used to think Danny and I were tough guys, Danny more so than even me, but the way you kept things going, even sick you never stopped being a magnificent mother to our kids...I could never do what you have done these last months, I love and respect you more than I ever have."

Eddie smiled through unshed tears and slid her arms around Jamie. In the romantic atmosphere, it was easy to forget her cancer, forget the pain and the suffering and just be Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Reagan. Jamie led Eddie to the king size bed in their suite. When her knees hit the side of the mattress he laid her down and slowly started to remove her clothing. Eddie self-consciously pulled her arms up to cover her scars but Jamie pushed them down. With care and a near reverence he kissed the lines where the incisions had been made. The skin was scaly and dry, but to him it felt like heaven beneath his lips. "So beautiful," he murmured for to him this was a mark of her strength.

Eddie's hands came up and removed Jamie's shirt, it had been so long for the usually active couple that each other's attentions were bringing both partners to a fever pitch. Jamie tried to hold on as long as he could, wanting to make this moment special for his wife much as he had on their wedding night and so many nights since. As he braced himself on his forearms, nurtured between her thighs, he whispered, "I love you, Eddie," before joining their bodies. He knew by the sound of Eddie's gasp that he had waited just long enough.

As Jamie held Eddie against his chest when it was all over he felt tears soaking his skin, "What is it? Did I hurt you?" he asked instantly concerned.

"No, no..." Eddie insisted. "I really thought you would never be able to love me again. I haven't felt beautiful or anything special since the operation. I know you love me, but I wasn't sure if you could find me attractive again."

Jamie kissed her head, "Eddie, you are still beautiful and as you start to get better you'll fill out again, your hair will grow back..."

"I can have reconstructive surgery," she broke in.

"Well that we'll discuss," Jamie said nonchalantly. He didn't really care if she did or she didn't. He rather her not, there was no reason to go through any unnecessary procedures.

"I'm only 37, I don't want to go through the rest of my life without breasts," Eddie informed him gently. "But we are still far from that day so let's not worry about it for now."

He stroked her back, "No pain?"

"A little pain," she replied. "But you are taking care of that. I'm so glad we did this, I think we really needed this."

"I think we did too. Did I tell you Danny and Linda used to plan one weekend a month where they would go away and have their own private time? Maybe when you are better that is something we should consider. We'll be married 11 years soon."

Eddie looked up at him, "So, does that mean that we have to stop being lovers?"

"No, I think it means we need to take more time and care in being lovers. It's too easy to get bogged down in the kids and the job and all that and forget to take time out for the marriage. I want us to do that while we don't have to so that we never do, if that makes sense."

"It does," Eddie agreed. "I think you are on to something there." She yawned and snuggled deeper in his arms.

"Go to sleep, tomorrow we can try out that Jacuzzi tub." Eddie sighed and smiled shutting her eyes and drifting off into a soothing sleep listening to the rhythm of her husband's beating heart.