Revenge on the Reagans

Chapter 11

His tour seemed like it would last forever. Jaime sat in his squad car staring at the sight through the windshield, but he was never focusing on the images. His mind was elsewhere; on his brother Danny. Just lying there, probably alone, unable to move or do anything really. All he really could do was just lie there and hope someone other than a nurse came to see him. It was kind of tragic in a way. He'd always known his brother as the cop that would never back down, and wouldn't stop until the case was solved. The cop who was passionate about his job, meaning that he would do anything, even dodge bullets, to get justice. Danny was the best detective in the 54. Possibly even one of the best detectives in the NYPD. And now, the best of the best was lying in a hospital bed because someone tried to blow him up. And even after he was released, with his broken leg he wouldn't be able to walk the beat for weeks. Not to mention that when he does go back on the job, he would be reassigned until the 54 was fixed. And after his late night conversation with Danny, he knew for sure that things would never be the same. Those thoughts. Those images. Everything that was eating away at his very soul. Over time it would get better but it would never go away. It would be with him forever, like a scar on his memory. Jaime couldn't help but fell sorry for his brother. He couldn't help but think of how he could make him feel better somehow. Bring a smile to his battered face, especially after the last thing that touched his face were the tears springing from his eyes. Just then, a loud bang shook Jaime out of his thoughts and he was thankful to see it was only Eddie banging on the hood of the car. She walked back over to the driver's side of the car as Jaime breathed a sigh of relief. He tried to make himself seem as calm and collected as possible, but part of him knew that Eddie could see right through that.

"You ready to go?" she asked and he didn't say anything. He just nodded and they silently pulled away from the curb. As they drove, he could feel her watching him but he never looked her way. He knew she wanted him to talk about what happened. About the bombing. Danny, Erin, his own attack. Everything bad to hit the Reagans this past week. But he didn't know if this was something they could talk about. No matter how close they were, there was no real way for them to talk about what happened.

"So," she started, trying to get him to talk, "how's your brother doing? Like what's his condition?"

"Couple bruised ribs, sprained wrist, broken leg and a concussion from the blast," Jaime listed, "but uh....he'll be fine." He told her trying to convince not only her of that, but also himself.

"How 'bout you?" she continued, "you okay?"

"I'm fine," he told her. Then there was silence. He kept his eyes forward, and when looked somewhere else, it was anywhere but in Eddie's direction. But he knew she was watching him. Checking to see if he was telling her the truth, if he was really okay, and he could tell she didn't believe him.

"Jaime," she started.

"I said I'm fine Eddie," he interrupted.

"No you're not Jaime," she said sounding embittered. "look I'm your partner you can tell me anything. Just talk to me." Jaime could barely talk to his own family about this. Any conversation he had with his dad or his sister was like they were on pins and needles. Everyone knew Danny's condition, and the attacks on Jaime and Erin was the elephant in the room that nobody felt right about bringing up. If he couldn't talk to his own father about this, how was he supposed to get the words out with his partner? Frustrated with his silence, Eddie pulled over the car and turned off the engine.