The Kennedys

Chapter Fifteen - Off To The Races

Election Night, 1952

Jack stood in the center of the room, a large grin on his face. He had just won the senate seat, and now a 1960 presidential bid was in sight.

He heard choruses of the campaign song that had echoed all over Massachusetts for months:

Who can fight and fight till he wins?
Kennedy can!
Kennedy can!

Jack laughed as countless aides and volunteers sang it over and over. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, "Okay, okay! That's enough! That's enough! I think we've all heard enough of that damn song!"

Everyone laughed, as Jack was ever the charmer. He promised them a night of champagne and careless celebration before walking towards his brother.

Bobby smiled as he saw his brother approach, and hugged him. "You did it, Jack. The country's yours for the taking now.", he whispered as they embraced.

Jack smiled and pulled away, but held Bobby at arm's length, "No, you did it. This is your senate seat as much as it is mine."

Bobby patted his brother on the back, "I could never be a senator."

Jack pulled out a cigar and lit it, "Well if something ever happens to me you may have to."

Bobby looked up, startled, "Don't ever say that again, Jack."

"What?" Jack replied, shrugging his shoulders, "It's the circle of life."

Bobby looked at his brother skeptically as he smoked his cigar. Jack noticed and took the cigar out of his mouth, "Bobby, do you really think I'd be here tonight if Joe had survived the war?"

Bobby was silent, it was true, after all. They were Joseph P. Kennedy's sons, they had to serve in some way politically, with the eldest taking the lead.

"I just, I don't think that's a healthy way to speak." said Bobby, horrified at the thought of Jack's death.

"Well I'm not a healthy man, am I?" Jack replied, surprising himself as much as he did Bobby.

"Is that what this is about?" asked Bobby, angrily. "Jack that was a long time ago!"

"My back is still hell." said Jack, cringing as a pang of pain raced up and down his spine.

"You're a war hero, Jack, many got off worse, and the fact that you were once sick—"

At this point, Bobby noticed that Jack was squinting his eyes in pain and his legs were buckling. "Jack!" Bobby helped his brother into a chair. Jack showed a sign of relief as the pain relaxed.

He managed to get up the strength to look at his brother, and say, "I told you that I wasn't a healthy man."

Bobby sighed, and conceded an argument for the first time in his life.

Hyannis Port, November 1952

Joe sat in his armchair, rocking back and forth. As he grew older his workload decreased, and Hyannis Port became his main home.