Fic: When The Leaves Fall (11/?)
Title: When The Leaves Fall (11/?)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Character/Pairings: Frank/Adam, Julie Sheffield,
Gunther Toody, Francis Muldoon, John F. Kennedy, Sally Horton, Ruth Orlovsky, Andy Carruthers, William Eldredge
Fandom: Naked City
Genres: Angst, Drama, Historical, Holiday, Romance
Rating (this chapter): G
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, Screen Gems does, more's the pity
General Summary: After the fallout from a violent confrontation with a fleeing killer, Adam is broken.
Chapter Summary: 1968 was not a very good year.
Date Of Completion: November 15, 2024
Date Of Posting: Decwmber 1, 2024
Word Count (this chapter): 1422
All chapters can be found here.
XI
DEAD KENNEDYS AND PARTNERS
"Have you seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up the hill,
With Abraham, Martin and John."
Dion
"Abraham, Martin And John"
Laurie Records
1968 C.E.
June 5, 1968
Adam hurried to breakfast after his morning routine of exercising and showering. He dressed casually in jeans, a burnt-orange sweater and sneakers. He was hungry and soon had a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon to eat with a glass of cranberry juice.
He sat at an empty table. Where was everybody? Had he arrived after the breakfast hour? He didn't think so, but his sense of time was not the best.
The ladies serving the food had seemed subdued. One had red-rimmed eyes. Adam slowly drank his juice, his stomach suddenly knotting. Fortunately he was finished with his breakfast. He took care of his plate and glass and went back to his room and brushed his teeth.
He was restless as what to do next. Usually he went for a walk. It looked like a beautiful late spring day, but something was wrong.
He left his room and wandered around the first floor. Suddenly he remembered the altercation he had had not so long ago with Ed Becker, who had whispered in his ear, "I will split you in two" as he caressed Adam's buttocks.
Shivering, he stopped by the TV room as someone cried, "Not again!" He saw several patients and staff standing around the TV.
"...and Mr. Kennedy was shot..."
Adam felt staggered as if from a blow. What? That couldn't be! He went inside the room.
& & &
Julie Sheffield decided to head to the TV room. Most of the patients would be there. Emotions would be running high.
Her own emotions were jumbled. She was no political junkie but her first presidential election in which she was eligible to vote had been in 1960, and she had voted for JFK. She remembered his brief presidency and the shock and horror of the assassination weekend. And now his brother was running for President, offering hope in a world of increasing despair. Until now.
She stood at the entrance to the TV room, listening to the TV commentary.
"Mr. Kennedy had just ended his victory speech after winning the California primary and was being escorted through the hotel kitchen when shots were fired."
Julie noticed Adam sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, knees drawn up and his arms around them as he rocked back and forth, his expression stricken.
She went over to him and crouched down. "Adam?"
He looked over at her with tear-bright eyes. "I don't understand, Julie."
"I know it's difficult."
"I thought the President was already dead."
"Huh?"
"Wasn't he already shot?"
"He was," Julie said gently. "This is his brother Bobby, the senator from New York."
"Oh." He still looked confused. "Frank and I met him, you know."
"Who, Senator Kennedy?"
"No, President Kennedy."
& & &
September 27, 1962
Frank and Adam waited in the alley next to the Biltmore Hotel. A patrolman and his partner were in the front seat, and a motorcycle escort would surround the sleek white convertible once they left the alley, as per Secret Service protocol. Frank stood by the car while Adam sat in the backseat.
Both men were trying to look cool but were excited. It was the same for the patrol officers. In New York a traffic escort usually involved very important people, but a President of the United States topped them all.
"Keep cool, buddy," say Adam.
"You mean I can't ask him for his autograph?" Frank joked.
"You could try," Adam said cheerfully.
The speaker in the front seat crackled. "Officer Toody, alert your colleagues that Lancer is coming."
"Ooh, ooh!" Toody grabbed the mic. "Will do, sir."
"Everything okay, Officer Muldoon?" asked Frank, observing Muldoon's white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.
"Fine, just fine, Detective Arcaro."
Frank and Adam grinned. They weren't the only nervous ones!*
The door to the alley opened and the hotel manager said, "This way, Mr. President."
Adam got out of the car as President John F. Kennedy appeared. He was tall and slender. Adam noticed his thick hair was a lot more reddish than color photographs showed. Green eyes crinkled as JFK offered his hand to Adam. His grip was firm.
"Welcome to New York, Mr. President."
"Thank you, Detective...?"
"Adam Flint, sir."
The New England accent was delightfully strong. Jack Kennedy turned to Frank next. Frank introduced himself as they shook hands.
"Officers Toody and Muldoon, sir," Adam said, and the President shook hands with them, too. Muldoon looked ready to faint.
Kennedy got into the car, seated between Frank and Adam. A Secret Service agent got on the back bumper's footrest. Muldoon drove them out of the alley at a slow pace, the motorcycle cops forming a cordon.
"So, are the American flags in your lapels indicative of veteran status?" asked Kennedy.
"Yes, sir," Frank said. "U.S.M.C., sir, mostly World War II and the tail end of Korea."
"Guadalcanal?"
Frank nodded. "Tarawa and Pelelui. Iwo Jima and Okinawa."
Impressed, JFK studied Frank. "That's quite a resume."
"Yes, sir. I joined in the early '30s, mustered out to join the NYPD when my hitch was up, and after Pearl was brought back in. I also saw action in Korea, the Battle for Old Baldy and Pork Chop Hill."
Kennedy nodded. He turned to Adam.
"Korea, sir. U.S. Army. Same battles as Frank and a few more."
"Nasty little war."
"Yes, sir."
Adam thought about Vietnam, another Asian land war. American advisors were over there and it could very well lead to combat situations. Would the man who had brokered a compromise in Laos pull us out of Vietnam or dig us in deeper?
Please get us out, Mr. President.
"Your own service was no picnic, sir," said Frank.
"No." JFK's tone of voice was sad.
"So, Mr. President, should we expect Mr. Khrushchev landing at Idlewild soon?** Can't let you get a leg up with the United Nations," Frank said with a smile.
Kennedy laughed. "You might. The Premier doesn't let grass grow under his feet."
People were gawking as the motorcade drove by. The announced starting point was still several blocks away, but JFK waved, anyway.
People were lined up on the sidewalks of the published parade route. JFK slid up to sit on the trunk and waved in earnest.
As he slid up JFK said, "I believe Mr. Khrushchev is a man I can work with."
& & &
Adam wiped his eyes with a tissue. "A couple of weeks later was the Cuban Missile Crisis." He smiled sadly. "Guess he could work with Khrushchev."
"...Sirhan Sirhan was immediately arrested after the shooting..."
Chaos spilled out from the TV. In Julie's eyes, the whole world was convulsing. For all its problems, Ocean View Hospital was a decent sanctuary for fragile people.
Adam resumed rocking as he tried to cope. Other patients were exhibiting tics and habits as well. Sally Horton was continuously twirling a lock of hair. Ruth Orlovsky was obsessively clacking her knitting needles. Andy Carruthers's knee was jiggling as he stared at the screen.
Dr. Eldredge appeared at the entrance to the TV room. Julie patted Adam's shoulder and straightened up, walking over to the doctor.
"Maybe we should send the patients back to their rooms," he said. "They are extremely agitated."
"True, sir, but they might be better off in a communal setting."
Eldredge sighed. "I'll have more orderlies stand by."
"I never knew there were so many RFK fans here."
Eldredge crossed his arms. "Probably some are, and others are just appalled at yet another assassination, this one only two months after Dr. King's."
"You don't think Bobby Kennedy will survive?" Julie felt a deep sadness.
"Not likely with a head wound, but people have survived such wounds." Eldredge shrugged. "The Kennedys don't seem lucky that way." His jaw set. "Though it sounds as if RFK still has his brains intact, unlike his brother." His eyes watched the TV screen, showing restless crowds outside the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, the shooting site. "Our patients are probably distressed over the state of the country in general. War, riots, assassinations... it's all collapsing in on us."
Julie watched as Adam held his arms out, greeting his dead partner as he began to cry in earnest.
"And people say the crazy ones are in here," she muttered as 'Frank' comforted his distressed partner while the deathwatch for Robert Kennedy continued.
_________
Notes:
*Officers Toody and Muldoon were the lead characters in the NYPD comedy, Car 54, Where Are You?. It aired for two seasons (1961-1963) and also filmed on the streets of New York as Naked City did.
In the episode "Hail To The Chief" (2x01), Toody and Muldoon were selected to drive President Kennedy from the airport to the United Nations building. The joke was as Kennedy was his hero, Muldoon always fainted at the sound of his name. ☺️
**Inside jokes: One of the lines in the Car 54, Where Are You? opening theme song is about Khrushchev landing at Idlewild Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy Airport after the assassination).
Also Khrushchev coming to town was mentioned in an episode of Naked City (The Day The Island Almost Sank (2x31)). Where's Car 54 when you need 'em? ☺️
###
^This chapter can also be read on AO3.
This entry has been cross-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment on either entry as you wish.
Author: BradyGirl_12
Character/Pairings: Frank/Adam, Julie Sheffield,
Gunther Toody, Francis Muldoon, John F. Kennedy, Sally Horton, Ruth Orlovsky, Andy Carruthers, William Eldredge
Fandom: Naked City
Genres: Angst, Drama, Historical, Holiday, Romance
Rating (this chapter): G
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, Screen Gems does, more's the pity
General Summary: After the fallout from a violent confrontation with a fleeing killer, Adam is broken.
Chapter Summary: 1968 was not a very good year.
Date Of Completion: November 15, 2024
Date Of Posting: Decwmber 1, 2024
Word Count (this chapter): 1422
All chapters can be found here.
XI
DEAD KENNEDYS AND PARTNERS
"Have you seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up the hill,
With Abraham, Martin and John."
Dion
"Abraham, Martin And John"
Laurie Records
1968 C.E.
June 5, 1968
Adam hurried to breakfast after his morning routine of exercising and showering. He dressed casually in jeans, a burnt-orange sweater and sneakers. He was hungry and soon had a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon to eat with a glass of cranberry juice.
He sat at an empty table. Where was everybody? Had he arrived after the breakfast hour? He didn't think so, but his sense of time was not the best.
The ladies serving the food had seemed subdued. One had red-rimmed eyes. Adam slowly drank his juice, his stomach suddenly knotting. Fortunately he was finished with his breakfast. He took care of his plate and glass and went back to his room and brushed his teeth.
He was restless as what to do next. Usually he went for a walk. It looked like a beautiful late spring day, but something was wrong.
He left his room and wandered around the first floor. Suddenly he remembered the altercation he had had not so long ago with Ed Becker, who had whispered in his ear, "I will split you in two" as he caressed Adam's buttocks.
Shivering, he stopped by the TV room as someone cried, "Not again!" He saw several patients and staff standing around the TV.
"...and Mr. Kennedy was shot..."
Adam felt staggered as if from a blow. What? That couldn't be! He went inside the room.
& & &
Julie Sheffield decided to head to the TV room. Most of the patients would be there. Emotions would be running high.
Her own emotions were jumbled. She was no political junkie but her first presidential election in which she was eligible to vote had been in 1960, and she had voted for JFK. She remembered his brief presidency and the shock and horror of the assassination weekend. And now his brother was running for President, offering hope in a world of increasing despair. Until now.
She stood at the entrance to the TV room, listening to the TV commentary.
"Mr. Kennedy had just ended his victory speech after winning the California primary and was being escorted through the hotel kitchen when shots were fired."
Julie noticed Adam sitting on the floor, his back against the wall, knees drawn up and his arms around them as he rocked back and forth, his expression stricken.
She went over to him and crouched down. "Adam?"
He looked over at her with tear-bright eyes. "I don't understand, Julie."
"I know it's difficult."
"I thought the President was already dead."
"Huh?"
"Wasn't he already shot?"
"He was," Julie said gently. "This is his brother Bobby, the senator from New York."
"Oh." He still looked confused. "Frank and I met him, you know."
"Who, Senator Kennedy?"
"No, President Kennedy."
& & &
September 27, 1962
Frank and Adam waited in the alley next to the Biltmore Hotel. A patrolman and his partner were in the front seat, and a motorcycle escort would surround the sleek white convertible once they left the alley, as per Secret Service protocol. Frank stood by the car while Adam sat in the backseat.
Both men were trying to look cool but were excited. It was the same for the patrol officers. In New York a traffic escort usually involved very important people, but a President of the United States topped them all.
"Keep cool, buddy," say Adam.
"You mean I can't ask him for his autograph?" Frank joked.
"You could try," Adam said cheerfully.
The speaker in the front seat crackled. "Officer Toody, alert your colleagues that Lancer is coming."
"Ooh, ooh!" Toody grabbed the mic. "Will do, sir."
"Everything okay, Officer Muldoon?" asked Frank, observing Muldoon's white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.
"Fine, just fine, Detective Arcaro."
Frank and Adam grinned. They weren't the only nervous ones!*
The door to the alley opened and the hotel manager said, "This way, Mr. President."
Adam got out of the car as President John F. Kennedy appeared. He was tall and slender. Adam noticed his thick hair was a lot more reddish than color photographs showed. Green eyes crinkled as JFK offered his hand to Adam. His grip was firm.
"Welcome to New York, Mr. President."
"Thank you, Detective...?"
"Adam Flint, sir."
The New England accent was delightfully strong. Jack Kennedy turned to Frank next. Frank introduced himself as they shook hands.
"Officers Toody and Muldoon, sir," Adam said, and the President shook hands with them, too. Muldoon looked ready to faint.
Kennedy got into the car, seated between Frank and Adam. A Secret Service agent got on the back bumper's footrest. Muldoon drove them out of the alley at a slow pace, the motorcycle cops forming a cordon.
"So, are the American flags in your lapels indicative of veteran status?" asked Kennedy.
"Yes, sir," Frank said. "U.S.M.C., sir, mostly World War II and the tail end of Korea."
"Guadalcanal?"
Frank nodded. "Tarawa and Pelelui. Iwo Jima and Okinawa."
Impressed, JFK studied Frank. "That's quite a resume."
"Yes, sir. I joined in the early '30s, mustered out to join the NYPD when my hitch was up, and after Pearl was brought back in. I also saw action in Korea, the Battle for Old Baldy and Pork Chop Hill."
Kennedy nodded. He turned to Adam.
"Korea, sir. U.S. Army. Same battles as Frank and a few more."
"Nasty little war."
"Yes, sir."
Adam thought about Vietnam, another Asian land war. American advisors were over there and it could very well lead to combat situations. Would the man who had brokered a compromise in Laos pull us out of Vietnam or dig us in deeper?
Please get us out, Mr. President.
"Your own service was no picnic, sir," said Frank.
"No." JFK's tone of voice was sad.
"So, Mr. President, should we expect Mr. Khrushchev landing at Idlewild soon?** Can't let you get a leg up with the United Nations," Frank said with a smile.
Kennedy laughed. "You might. The Premier doesn't let grass grow under his feet."
People were gawking as the motorcade drove by. The announced starting point was still several blocks away, but JFK waved, anyway.
People were lined up on the sidewalks of the published parade route. JFK slid up to sit on the trunk and waved in earnest.
As he slid up JFK said, "I believe Mr. Khrushchev is a man I can work with."
& & &
Adam wiped his eyes with a tissue. "A couple of weeks later was the Cuban Missile Crisis." He smiled sadly. "Guess he could work with Khrushchev."
"...Sirhan Sirhan was immediately arrested after the shooting..."
Chaos spilled out from the TV. In Julie's eyes, the whole world was convulsing. For all its problems, Ocean View Hospital was a decent sanctuary for fragile people.
Adam resumed rocking as he tried to cope. Other patients were exhibiting tics and habits as well. Sally Horton was continuously twirling a lock of hair. Ruth Orlovsky was obsessively clacking her knitting needles. Andy Carruthers's knee was jiggling as he stared at the screen.
Dr. Eldredge appeared at the entrance to the TV room. Julie patted Adam's shoulder and straightened up, walking over to the doctor.
"Maybe we should send the patients back to their rooms," he said. "They are extremely agitated."
"True, sir, but they might be better off in a communal setting."
Eldredge sighed. "I'll have more orderlies stand by."
"I never knew there were so many RFK fans here."
Eldredge crossed his arms. "Probably some are, and others are just appalled at yet another assassination, this one only two months after Dr. King's."
"You don't think Bobby Kennedy will survive?" Julie felt a deep sadness.
"Not likely with a head wound, but people have survived such wounds." Eldredge shrugged. "The Kennedys don't seem lucky that way." His jaw set. "Though it sounds as if RFK still has his brains intact, unlike his brother." His eyes watched the TV screen, showing restless crowds outside the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, the shooting site. "Our patients are probably distressed over the state of the country in general. War, riots, assassinations... it's all collapsing in on us."
Julie watched as Adam held his arms out, greeting his dead partner as he began to cry in earnest.
"And people say the crazy ones are in here," she muttered as 'Frank' comforted his distressed partner while the deathwatch for Robert Kennedy continued.
_________
Notes:
*Officers Toody and Muldoon were the lead characters in the NYPD comedy, Car 54, Where Are You?. It aired for two seasons (1961-1963) and also filmed on the streets of New York as Naked City did.
In the episode "Hail To The Chief" (2x01), Toody and Muldoon were selected to drive President Kennedy from the airport to the United Nations building. The joke was as Kennedy was his hero, Muldoon always fainted at the sound of his name. ☺️
**Inside jokes: One of the lines in the Car 54, Where Are You? opening theme song is about Khrushchev landing at Idlewild Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy Airport after the assassination).
Also Khrushchev coming to town was mentioned in an episode of Naked City (The Day The Island Almost Sank (2x31)). Where's Car 54 when you need 'em? ☺️
###
^This chapter can also be read on AO3.
This entry has been cross-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment on either entry as you wish.