Love for a Lifetime

Chapter 30

"Jack," Jackie said quietly as she pinched his elbow.

"What? What the hell did I say?" Jack asked Jackie quietly.

"You just announced to the whole family that Ethel and Bobby are having a baby," Jackie whispered into Jack's ear.

"Damn it," Jack mumbled as Bobby finally walked into the house.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.

"Jack, would you like to repeat what you just stated?" Rose questioned.

"Not particularly," Jack said.

"Jack," Rose said raising her voice, "What did you say?"

"I'm going to kill you, Jack," Ethel said as she began to lunge at Jack.

"Hey!" Bobby said pulling her back.

Jackie put her arm around Jack. "Jackie," Jack said as his weight became heavy on Jackie.

"What's wrong?"

Jack was completely supported by Jackie as she began to yell, "Bobby, help me! He's fainted!"

Bobby came to Jackie's aid and they gently placed him on the floor. "What the hell happened?"

Jackie didn't pay attention. She ran to dial for an ambulance and when she returned she sat at Jack's head and gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"Are you pregnant, Ethel?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Ethel replied crying.

"Ah, Christ," Joe muttered. Joe then walked away from Ethel and sat down next Jackie, "What happened to Johnny?" Joe asked Jackie as he held Jackie's shaky hand.

"He has Addison's disease. He didn't want to tell you. He thought you would be ashamed," Jackie began to cry.

Joe held Jackie in his arms as Jackie held Jack's head in her lap, "This is so hard for me," Jackie whispered through her tears.

"You're an incredible girl, Jackie," Joe said as he kissed the top of Jackie's head.

When the ambulance arrived, Jackie rode with Jack in the ambulance and Joe, Bobby, and Teddy followed them to the hospital. The second the ambulance pulled into the hospital people rushed around to help Jack. Jackie sat quietly in the waiting room with the other Kennedy men just waiting. Bobby grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Jackie sighed, "It's nobody's fault."

"Ethel's," Teddy muttered under his breath.

"Shut your damn mouth," Bobby said grabbing Teddy by his shirt collar.

"Hey, hey. Stop it," Joe said.

"Listen, go home if you can't sit here and act like two adults," Jackie snapped.

An hour or more later, Jackie went in Jack's room, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I'm weak, but I'm alright." Jackie just sat quietly on the edge of his bed biting back tears. "Jackie, what's wrong?"

She turned and let Jack's arms surround her, "I love you, Jack. I want to be your wife sooner rather than later. I want us to have our own house and our own family."

"I'd marry you tomorrow, Jacqueline," Jack said as he put his hand behind Jackie's head and pulled her in for a kiss. Jack held Jackie in his arms as she cried.

"I'm sorry, Jack," she whimpered.

"No, it's alright. You're allowed to cry."

A little while later, Jackie helped Jack hobble out of the hospital and into Joe's car. Jack held onto Jackie's hand as he sat down in the passenger seat. Then Jackie climbed into the backseat with Bobby and Teddy. Tears of frustration started falling from Jackie's eyes and Bobby wiped them away with his handkerchief, "You said you'll always be there for me and I'll always be there for you," Bobby whispered.