In Sickness and In Health

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

The house was awakened early the next morning when Erin arrived. She's flown in from LA and taken a cab from La Guardia. Frank was up fixing muffins and coffee. She went to her father and hugged him, "Oh my God, Dad...A stroke? Jamie?"

Frank nodded, "Yes, a pretty bad one. His left side is totally wiped out but Eddie feels he is cognitively intact."

"Well that's good..." Erin said sitting down and taking a cup of coffee. "How's she holding up?" She knew that her youngest brother and his wife had a deep unique love.

"She's holding on for Jamie, for the kids, but it's hard on her to see him like that. She didn't blink an eye in the hospital room. Joe, he's still giving them problems, he was arguing with Jamie just a few days ago."

"They need to work that out, Dad. It's killing Jamie that there's such a rift between them. He loves Joey so much, both his kids, but Joe...he's special to Jamie, he's Joe's namesake."

Frank nodded, "We're heading to the hospital at 8. You can be first to see him with Eddie after Lila if you'd like. I think he'll be happy to see you."

Erin felt horrible for not being at the hospital yesterday. Getting the call from Danny that her baby brother was in the hospital after a stroke shook her. Jamie had always practiced good nutrition, good exercise, now he was lying in a hospital bed and perhaps he would do just that for the rest of his life. Some stroke victims regained their faculties, others waited to die. She was terrified which category Jamie would find himself in, she prayed it would be the former.

"Sounds good, I really want him to know I'm here. I am so sorry I wasn't here yesterday."

They heard footsteps and Erin looked up to see Eddie. She looked as if she'd aged ten years in just a few hours. Erin stood to give her sister-in-law a hug. "He's going to be okay, we'll take care of him and help him as much as he needs." She hoped her words would be a source of encouragement but Eddie rebuked her. "I will do that, yes," she replied emphasizing the word I.

Eddie, for th most part liked Erin, their relationship was fine and over the years there were no disagreements, in spite of how Erin felt about their match, however, Eddie knew that where Jamie was concerned Erin babied him. She always saw him as the youngest much in the same way Danny did, but where Danny tried to bulk Jamie up, Erin would coddle him. That would not serve him well as he tried to recover. Even if recovery was not possible, Eddie did not want Erin or any of the family as a constant presence. Jamie was her husband, his care was her job and she would be the one to do it and only her. That little branch of the Reagan family closed ranks when the going got tough and for the moment Eddie was locking their doors.

Before the family even arrived the next morning, the occupational therapy coordinator came to test Jamie's chewing and swallowing. He passed the test though he did have slight difficulty the therapist assured him that could be improved. When the occupational therapist was finished, the neurologist came to do another assessment and introduce his physical therapist, a young woman name Callie. They began testing his motor skills immediately. Callie held Jamie's useless left hand over his head after removing the brace. She opened his hand so his fingers were splayed out straight and did not revert into a protective coil. "All right, Commissioner," Callie instructed. "Concentrate on your left hand and try to make a fist."

Jamie was exhausted but if he wanted to get well again he knew he'd have to work hard. He focused all of his mental and physical strength into complying with the small request but his hand refused to obey the command he tried to send it. "I can't," he sighed defeated.

"Try again," Callie encouraged. "Come on, try to make a fist. Try."

Again, Jamie focused his mind on his left hand willing the fingers to curl and close and again he failed to achieve the simple task. "No, I can't."