In Sickness and In Health

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Eddie woke up to Jamie struggling to put on his brace. He decided during a sleepless night of listening to his wife crying he would show her he was making an effort. Still he wasn't able to get it on. He tossed it to the side frustrated and worked on getting his pajama pants off to get into dry clothes.

"Jamie, if you need help, just ask," Eddie sighed getting up. "You slept well if you didn't wake me."

"I didn't sleep and neither did you," Jamie snapped. "I listened to you cry and you wouldn't even let me get to you."

"Jamie, I was really angry and frustrated last night," Eddie sighed. "Mostly with Erin but a little with you. How can you just succumb to her like that? I know she's not tough like me, she's not as hard shelled as I am..."

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded," Jamie sighed as Eddie cut off the diaper and replaced it with a pair of underwear. "You want jeans or sweats?"

"Sweats, Roger is going to work my leg more today and let my arm rest, it's been locking up most of the night," Jamie replied.

Eddie nodded, "While you are in therapy, I'll go to the herb store and get some chamomile and camphor. I can make a rub for you it and we can wrap it at night in warm compresses. That might help." Eddie was upset with him, but she didn't want him to suffer.

"Thanks, baby," Jamie replied and reached up his weak arm to cup Eddie's cheek. He concentrated and moved his thumb over her face. "I love you, Eddie. I do..."

"I need you to fight, Jamie. I see you making progress with your arm and that is great, but you are barely moving your leg and you gave in so fast."

"She was like a mother to me when my mom died," Jamie replied. "And she's in the mode now. I felt like she was a mother figure too, you know this Ed. My father is worried, he's not liking the hours of work outs either. They are a little more old school, therapy is just as important as rest is."

Eddie nodded, "Jamie, if you are done, then be done, all right? Tell me and we'll stop. I'm in love with you, I'm fine with your choices, but I want them to be your choices."

Jamie nodded and helped Eddie get him into his chair. "The brace is too tight, honey. It's hurts my foot."

Eddie loosened it the pushed him to the breakfast table where they were greeted by Frank's morning smile.

"Eddie, you just missed Lila. She said to tell you she and Steven can both go next Saturday to look at halls in Staten Island. I want to go if that's all right, I'd like to help with a piece of it."

Jamie smiled, "We can afford a nice wedding, Dad."

"I know, but Lila is the only granddaughter I have that will be having a full out wedding and I want to make it nice for her," Frank replied. "It'll be fun."

Eddie agreed, looking forward to planning Lila's wedding with her was her only light in her life. "Okay, Saturday it is. Jamie can you fix it with Roger?"

Jamie gladly agreed to the trip to the hall and started to work on peeling his banana for breakfast.

Eddie ate with the men then made her lists for the grocery store and the herbalist. "Frank did the eucalyptus help you breathing or should I try something else?"

"No, Eddie, that worked really well, with the lavender stuff at night, I can use more of that. There's money by the..." Eddie waved her hand at him. "Frank stop being silly."

Roger arrived just as Eddie was ready to pull out of the driveway. She turned down the street to the right just as Erin turned up the street from the left. Roger had Jamie in the kitchen lying on a board. "Move your left arm to the side and up until it pulls...You should feel it in your shoulder and your back."