Dynasty - John F Kennedy

X

June, 1952

The sterile smell of the hospital made Maddie want to puke. She noticed it straightway as they entered, but it only grew in scent as the nurse escorted them to their room. Jack wouldn't admit it, but Maddie could see the freight in his eyes. She still felt the embarrassment from when he did to reassure her that everything would be alright. He was the one in pain; he shouldn't have to comfort her.

Maddie had found out only days ago that Jack has had chronic pain in his back as long as they had known each other and probably long before that as well. He never told her, but when she was awoken the day before yesterday by Jack hitting her arm and saying, 'I can't move,' he couldn't hide it anymore. The brunette was disappointed in him at first. She knew he had a habit of downplaying infirmities in the prospect of coming off as tough or strong but not telling your wife that you've been having back problems that even resulted in multiple surgeries seemed as taking it too far. Why didn't he feel comfortable enough with her to tell her stuff like that?

"Do you want me to go get you anything? Water? Coffee? Maybe they have a Coke or something," Maddie asked, feeling useless as ever. She wished she could take away the pale, pained expression on his face.

Jack raised his hand to wave her suggestion off but immediately regretted it as it sent a stinging wave of pain through his spine, "No need," he choked out, "I have to fast until the surgery tomorrow."

Maddie nodded as she sat back in her chair, neatly placed beside the hospital bed, and intertwined their hands. She hadn't yet told him that she kissed James at Lillian's party last weekend. The constant feeling of guilt was overwhelming. So overwhelming that she tried to convince herself that walking around with that feeling was enough punishment for her actions. But she also knew that not telling him wasn't an option. But now that Jack had to go into surgery, there never seemed to be an opening where she could tell him.

"I have to tell you something," Jack's face was twisted in a stern frown as Maddie wondered if he had read her thoughts.

"Yes?" She offered him a sympathetic smile.

Jack's eyes adverted her's at first, but eventually, they locked in a glance. "This will make you hate me, but I don't want there to be any more secrets between us."

"I don't think I'm capable of hating you, Jack," Maddie whispered in an attempt to hold her tears back. She was so afraid of losing him. She didn't know if he would die in surgery or leave her when he found out she had been unfaithful, but it almost seemed unavoidable. Like some kind of higher power didn't want them to be together.

He looked down at their hands, so perfectly intertwined as he told her: "I haven't been true to you since... since forever really."

"What do you mean?" Maddie asked in a naively confused manner.

He bit his lip, firming his grip on her hand, "I mean, I've been cheating on you."

Fuck. It felt like Jack had given her a hard slap across the face. She retrieved her hand as a mixture of relief and disappointment washed over her. This would make it easier to tell him what she had done. Hell, he might even forgive her if he wanted her to do the same. But she was still left with the worst feeling in her body.

"You've been cheating? As in like with multiple times with one woman or with multiple women?"

"There has been multiple," he sported a cramped smile, looking down at his hands.

"Wow," she exhaled in disbelief. Here she thought she was to one who would have to deliver the soul-shaking news, but good God was she wrong. "And cheating as in kissing or...?"

Jack grimaced a frown that made her understand that he definitely went further than kissing. She felt like she was a hypocrite for being angry with him, but there had to be a difference between kissing and shagging. Right?

She couldn't look at him. Suddenly, the guilt she had been drowning in for the last week seemed pointless. Now she just wanted him to hurt as she did.

"Then I have a confession to make as well," Maddie piped up, sitting up straighter.

"Yeah?" He said, visibly relieved that she hadn't decided to attack him. She noticed small pearls of sweat rolling down his face.

"I kissed James at the party last weekend," she said nonchalantly.

"You kissed James?" Jack asked with a hint of annoyance and desperation in his voice.

"Hey, you don't get to make me feel bad about that. I only kissed James, and it happened once, and I knew right then, and there I never wanted to do it again."

"I know! I'm sorry," Jack offered his hand for her to take again, "I just really don't like that guy."

Maddie examined his face that displayed an earnest expression. She knew she should've left him right there, but she couldn't. This was the first time they had ever been completely honest with one another, and naive as she was, she believed that she could change him.

He was so used to his charms getting him out of trouble, and as much as she wanted to scoff and leave, something in her made her smile weakly as she accepted his hand. Leaving right here alone on the hospital bed was maybe what he deserved, but Maddie couldn't get herself to do it. She loved him. And though that alone shouldn't be enough, it was for her.

"I promise you, it will never happen again," he promised. He looked so weak, wrapped in a blanket covering his hospital gown. She liked that. He would have to work for her complete forgiveness, but she knew she couldn't handle the anguish it would bring her to be mad at him. She would much rather get back to being happily married, and maybe this would even be a good thing for them? Now they knew they were a hundred percent sure about each other.

"Ditto," she smirked as she leaned down to peck his lips gently. "Some married couple we are, huh?"

Jack scoffed a laugh. He never imagined he would find someone that would make him even consider leaving behind his skirt-chasing ways, but there she was, sitting beside him in a cherry-colored pantsuit. He patted the little space that was left beside him on the bed, inviting her to lay down.

"Jack, I can't."

"Of course you can. You're tiny."

"I'm afraid of hurting you."

"Nothing could hurt me more than my wife denying to lay with me," he dramatically held a hand to his heart.

Maddie shook her head good-naturedly and climbed in beside him, careful not to make any sudden movements that would cause him pain.

She savored his closeness as she wondered: "are we mad, Jack?"

"Absolutely," he whispered as he placed a hand on her baby bump. Maddie felt dumb for forgiving him so quickly but forgot everything about it when he smiled at her. The spell he cast on her was delightfully toxic.