Last Chapter! Thank you to all who reviewed, great to get see your comments everyday! Thanks again to CookiesN'Cream124 for her help on this story before posting.

I have 2 Jamie/Eddie stories in queue and ready for posting, I think. I only became a real fan of the pairing recently and had 2 ideas pop up to continue the "One of our Own" story line. Will post those soon and I hope everyone will enjoy. Otherwise, my muse has gone quiet for now but I am hoping for some inspiration - I enjoy writing these characters very much.

Chapter 14

Frank sat alone, hunched forward in the guest chair next to his son's hospital bed. He stared at Jamie's still form waiting for any sign of consciousness. The doctors had tried convincing him and the rest of the family to go home, rest and return in the morning, but they wouldn't have it and they'd taken up residence in the waiting room. Jamie was stable, but had still been admitted to the critical care unit until he woke up and passed all cognitive tests and until the oxycodone was out of his system, they would watch for cardiac or respiratory complications.

Patients were allowed one visitor at a time and aside from allowing the rest of the family a chance to visit and see Jamie for themselves, he had refused to leave his son's side. It was the middle of the night and sleep would not come to him. The last thirty-six hours replayed in his head over and over again. There was plenty of blame and guilt to go, but Frank wouldn't be at peace until Jamie woke up and he knew his boy was okay.

Frank continued to observe Jamie, from his bandaged head and bruised cheek, to the gentle rise and fall of his left arm which was immobilized across his chest. He was still sporting a nasal cannula, but the heart monitor confirmed that his heart was back to a normal sinus rhythm. He thanked God that they'd gotten to him before Nash had subjected Jamie to the same fate as the Jensen woman. Danny had arrived at the hospital after Jamie had been taken back to the trauma area with the name of the drug he'd been injected him with. Frank didn't want to know the lengths Danny had gone to get the information so quickly and he didn't care, so long as it helped the doctors better assess and treat Jamie. But he'd also brought news of the discovery of Jensen's body in the apartment upstairs. The investigation was ongoing, but Frank knew they may never know the extent and willingness of her involvement in Nash's activities.

Frank was pulled back to the present when Jamie rolled his head on the pillow and released a soft sigh.

Frank stood and took hold of his arm as Jamie reached for the cannula under his nose. "Hey," he greeted softly.

Jamie opened his eyes to see his father hovering over him. "Dad," he whispered.

Frank smiled. "How are you feeling, son?" He placed Jamie's arm back onto the bed and slid his hand down into his son's.

His eyes slipped shut and opened again a moment later as he answered. "Kinda numb."

"To be expected, all things considered." Frank paused, allowing Jamie a minute to gain his bearings. "How much do you remember?"

Jamie closed his eyes again and considered the question.

Frank thought he had drifted off until he finally answered.

"All of it. Until he shot me up, then it gets fuzzy." Jamie looked at his father. "Remember hearing you and Danny. Everything was confusing."

Frank was relieved that Jamie appeared cognizant. "He gave you a pretty high dose of oxycodone. Lucky he didn't do worse."

"Lana."

"Yeah. We found her after."

Jamie shook his head slightly. "She was terrified of him first time I saw her. Second time, she was dead." Jamie rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Never expected him to take it this far."

Frank released a resigned sigh. "No one did. But he had a lot to lose."

Jamie's forehead creased.

Frank braced himself against the bed rails. "The investigation. I told you it went a lot farther than you - ticket fixing, stealing evidence, drug trafficking."

"Jesus." Jamie was surprised at that, but that Nash still targeted him with all of that going on made it all the more bewildering. "Sounds like he was busy. Why'd he focus on me? Probably still be doing all of that if he'd left me alone."

"Maybe, maybe not. But it's hard for a leopard to change its spots. And he probably thought he could get away it since there was no interference with your suspension from my office." Right or wrong, that would be the part that would always bother Frank.

Jamie supposed there may be some truth to that statement and saw his father tense at his own assumption, but he hated the look of regret in his father's eyes. He should join the club - Jamie had regrets of his own.

"How'd I get here?"

"He gave up. Smartest thing he's ever done. We had you surrounded in the alley. There was no way out."

Jamie nodded. "So what's the verdict? When can I get out of here?"

"Well, we'll have to talk to the doctor, who I should go get. You have a concussion and dislocated your shoulder, but they did the reduction in the ER. Should be okay. They wanted to check you out when you woke up, but you shouldn't be here more than twenty-four to forty-eight hours if everything looks good."

"Not so bad, I guess." Jamie bit his lip and stared at the ceiling, a slew of different emotions flashing across his face.

And Frank didn't miss them. "What's on your mind, son?"

"I'm sorry." Jamie looked at his father.

"For what, Jamie?" Frank's brow furrowed in confusion.

"For not having faith that you'd have my back. I should have come to you from the start." Jamie looked down to his injured arm. "At first, I was afraid that you'd think I was screwing up because of the suspension. Then it got so out of hand but I didn't want to put anyone in the middle and hoped it would go away."

Frank frowned, saddened that Jamie felt he needed to deal with this on his own.

"Nothing good ever comes from keeping things from you." Jamie huffed out a humorless laugh.

Frank gave him a sad smile. "Maybe not. But I should apologize too."

Jamie tilted his head back at him.

Frank stood to his full height and pursed his lips as he considered how to best explain himself. "I know I don't always make it clear what comes first. I have trouble balancing both sometimes, but I want you to know, like I told you the other day, and without a doubt, that you can come to me with anything, work related or otherwise. I will always be your father first and your commissioner second."

Jamie pressed his lips together and nodded.

Frank cleared his throat. "Well, then. Let me get the doctor in here. Sooner he checks you out, the sooner we can get you home."

Frank was halfway to the door when he heard Jamie.

"Thanks, dad."

Frank turned and gave him a smile. "Anytime, son."

Fin.