the kennedy's daughter

an uncle's love

April 12, 1972

Georgetown Memorial Hospital

Jack spent the next few days dodging any family calls, and as he did that Kate grew worse and worse. She wouldn't talk, play, and of course she wasn't eating again. Jack knew it was time to call in, he tried to just wait it out, but it wasn't doing any good for Kate.

Therefore now him and his daughter sat on the pediatric floor for the second time in less than six months. Jack was sick of these white walls, and the endless beeping, prodding at his daughter literally every hour. She had to be tired of being woken up every hour on the hour, she couldn't sleep peacefully, not to mention she was getting better, and longed to just get out of her bed and actually move.

The mucus in her lungs was starting to clear with a vest and her oxygen mask. Then the vest woke her up every time it started to shake to break up the mucus.

You could clearly tell that not only Jack was tired, but so was Kate. She had once again started to kick the soccer around on the floor while rolling her pole behind her, but of course when she got tired she'd start to cough, Jack would freak out and place her back in bed.

Today was one of Kate's "off" days. She refused to eat anything, and often only woke up if she had to go to the bathroom or was in pain. Jack hated these days, it took him back to reality that his little girl was actually sick.

She had just attempted and failed at eating Jello, so a nurse was once again prodding at Kate for her what she called her "tummy tube". After the nurse left Kate's eyes slowly closed again, Kate hated getting the pedisure, she always tried to eat, but she always failed. The way the tube felt was uncomfortable, and it rubbed her cheek when she moved, therefore when she feeding times came she slept as Jack watched and held her. He didn't care if Kate was 2 or 10, he was going to hold her if she was in pain.

•
Back in Hyannis Port

Easter wasn't the same without Jack and Kate, the rest of the day was awkward as everybody wondered why Jack actually left.

But that was that, now it was a good week after Easter and most of the family was still at home. It was early morning when the family sat down for breakfast together, Joe turning on the tiny T.V. in the corner to watch the news like he did every morning. As the family engaged in conversation, Teddy's eye was caught by a face on the T.V.,

"SHUT UP!, Dad turn it up" he said looking at his father at the head of the table

The family all turned to the T.V. to see what in the hell Teddy was yelling about. Pictures of Kate flashed the screen as the news-caster spoke,

Kate Kennedy back in Georgetown Memorial this morning after less than six months, John Kennedy was seen on the morning of the 9th carrying what looked like his very sickly daughter. Nothing has been released on the little girl, we'll keep you updated as it comes in, back to you Chris

"My god" Joe whispered to himself

"Me and Ethel are flying back this evening, I'm going to see my Katie Kate"

"Bob..."

"No the last time this happened #1 you two didn't care at all!" Bobby said surprisingly yelling at his parents

"Robert it wasn't that serious" Joe spoke

"Oh it wasn't that serious?, Ted you wanna help me out here?"

"Mom, Dad, it was horrible" He said looking down at his food

Suddenly Bobby was shoving his phone in there faces,

"Oh, yes it wasn't that bad" he said scrolling through all the many pictures he had some of Jack sobbing, some of Kate.

"That teddy bear, look familiar? Uh?!"

"Y-yes uh... we sent that for her" Rose said playing with her fingers

"Yea you did, she loved that teddy bear, held onto it like she held onto life. I don't care what you two do anymore, don't worry I'll go to YOUR son and comfort him, and YOUR granddaughter who will probably be so damn out of it she won't know who I am!!" Bobby yelled storming out of the kitchen

•

Alrightttt back to Washington

Later that evening Bobby and Ethel arrived at Georgetown. Kate was just as Bobby thought, out of it, but she diffidently knew who he was. Immediately her arms shot up for her uncle to hold her. Avoiding all the wires everywhere he gently picked her up held her in his arms.

The three walked through the hallways, Jack trailing with Kate's I.V. pole behind him, where they meet a couple of nurses who waved at Kate in Bobby's arms.

After they made the loop in the halls they made there way back to her room. He went to put her down and Kate just gripped tighter. Therefore he sat down on her bed and started to drift off.

A couple hours later Ethel woke him up

"Bob! Wake up!"

"What? Be quiet she's sleeping"

"Let's go home, I'm tired"

"No" Bobby said quietly, shaking his head

"Bob, you can go I'll try my best to get her back to sleep" Jack said waking up

"Nope, not leaving I'm comfortable right here"

"Ok Bobby, I'll come back in the morning, I love you" Ethel said kissing his cheek, she knew he wasn't coming home with her.

Once Ethel left, Bobby looked to Jack

"Hey, Jack will you cover us up please?"

"Oh, yea" He said covering up Bobby in Kate's soccer blanket

"Better than pink" Bobby laughed looking at his brother

"Goodnight Bobby" Jack said lying back on the pullout, groaning

"Jack go home, I've got this"

"Are you sure?" Jack was halfway to the door by now

"Yea Jack go" he said waving Jack out

Him and Kate cuddled up as the night nurse left. As his eyes started to drop, he whispered in his nieces ear

"I love you so much Katie Kate, Goodnight sweet girl"