get well soon

Chapter 2: 1944, part two

Don't give up, not yet
No matter how hard this gets
We come into the world
Worse for the wear
But the wars of our fathers
Are not ours to bear
Don't give up, no not yet
"Are You With Me" by Nilu

**

The next day Bobby gets out of the house and is practically in the family boat before Jack can so much as blink at the sight of poorly drawn cartoon under his door.

Jean, Pat, and Teddy are waiting for him as soon as he steps in the cramped boat Bobby had selfishly christened after himself. "Not so fast!" They turn to see their father approaching, straight from his morning stroll. He pointed to the sky. "Don't you see those clouds? It's going to rain. Get back inside!"

"But Dad!" Bobby suddenly feeels very courageous. He'd never been too good at standing up for himself, a by-product of being the seventh out of nine children.

"No buts." Joe replied. "I'm sure it'll clear up this afternoon. You can go then."

The children slowly get out of the boat and trudge back to the house, Bobby following shortly behind. None of them are too pleased with their father, but what did they expect? He had acted as a wet blanket to their fun since they were born.

Bobby spots Jack sitting on the porch, a blanket in his shoulders, reading a history book. He desperately tries to think of an alternate route to the house before he's spotted, but it's too late. Jack's seen him.

His instinct is to run, get the hell out of there before he was smack dab in the middle of a wrestling match with his older brother.

"Hey Jack." The other kids smile at their brother as they pass and head back inside to keep themselves busy. He greets them all with a warm smile.

As Bobby approaches, Jack's eyes don't leave his book, but they don't harden either. Bobby tries to be invisible and slip back into the house. Just a few more steps...

"I didn't know you were an artist." Jack's eyes don't leave his book. Bobby jerks a little.

"What are you reading?" he asks without missing a beat, trying to skirt past the subject of the cartoon as quickly as possible. It seems to work.

"Washington," Jack replies, "One of the few bios I haven't read yet."

"Neat." A lull. Bobby takes it as his cue to leave, sprinting inside the house and upstairs to his room. He finds a paper attached to his door. On it is a slightly nearer cartoon, with Jack's initials in the upper left hand corner, depicting Bobby in the middle of a birthday party, frowning. On the top of the paper was the title "Black Robert."

Instead of clenching his fists and tearing the paper beyond recognition, his gut response, Bobby laughs. He can't say he didn't deserve it.

**

Jack winces when he hears the sound of a checker board crashing to the ground in the front parlor.

"Now Teddy," Jean says, her tone soft and patient, "You can't throw the board on the ground every time you lose."

It had rained, just as their father had predicted, and the children were confined to the front parlor, where Teddy and Jean had taken up a game of checkers, Bobby a book on sailing, and Pat and Eunice their embroidery.

"When do you think it'll clear up?" Jack asked his brother, who didn't seem too deeply invested in his book.

"Dad said by five." Bobby replied, glancing out the window. "Why? You wanna go out with us?"

"Maybe." Jack reclined back in his chair and laid his book on his chest. "If my back feels better. I'd hate to get it all up in a knot again."

"Best not to risk it." Pat budded in. "Not when you've just started to feel better."

Jack nodded. "Good point." He was tired. He knew if he wanted real peace and quiet he should go back to his room, but that was so far away...

"Bobby, I have the most perfect girl to introduce you too." Jean was matchmaking again, her favorite hobby. Jack head that she had brought together many a couple at Scared Heart.

"Oh, do you?" Bobby was obviously unamused. Black Robert had made his way out just in time for the afternoon lull.

"I do. She's my roommate, Ethel Skakel."

Jack scoffed. "Ethel Skakel? Your roommate? The one who's always getting you into trouble?"

"The very one." Jean took two of Teddy's checkers. The little boy grunted.

"Mom would never go for that. Not when it comes to her most beloved Bobby."

"Hey!" Bobby threw a pillow at Jack, who caught it and threw it right back; it hit Bobby in the face.

A crash came again. Jack assumed it was Teddy, bested at checkers. "Teddy, come on, you have to stop."

"Hey, that wasn't me!" Jack looked over and sure enough the checker board was still intact.

"The what was that noise?" Jack asked.

"Mom and Dad are in the other room." Bobby replied, silently.

A fight? Jack wondered. No, it can't be. Dad never gets that angry.

"Should we go see?" Pat asked, her tone hushed, as if she were afraid their father would hear her. "For Mom's sake?"

Jack nodded. The siblings gathered together in their own little herd and made their way into the sitting room, where I'll Be Seeing You by Bing Crosby was playing on the radio. Their mother was frantically praying, moving her Rosary up and down, up and down. Their father was leaning on the fireplace for support.

"Dad?"

**

A/N: Cliffhanger! Actually it's not that much of a cliffhanger because I'm pretty sure based on the year and the circumstances you've probably figured it out. We're cruising into 1945 next chapter so stay tuned. If you liked let me know?